Greek oregano

* Common name: Greek oregano

* Botanical name: Origanum vulgare var. hirtum

* What it is: Greek oregano is a low, spreading, winter-hardy, perennial herb with gray-green leaves and tiny, purplish-white flowers.

   This type is regarded as having the best flavor for cooking and seasoning – assuming you harvest the leaves in early summer before the plants flower. Flowering can affect flavor as well as slow or stop growth.

* Size: Plants typically grow in a low, bushy habit about 10 to 15 inches tall. Spread can be 18 to 24 inches.

* Where to use: An herb garden is the obvious choice, but oregano is versatile enough for ornamental use, including toward the front of a sunny border, in a rock garden, trailing out of pots and hanging baskets, or as a groundcover along sunny driveways and sidewalks. Full sun to light shade is fine. Avoid soggy areas.

* Care: Keep watered the first year, then oregano is drought-tough and seldom needs any watering. It also needs little, if any, fertilizer.

  Trim back two or three times during the growing season to head off flowering and to harvest leaves. When cutting, allow at least four sets of leaves to remain low on the stems to encourage side shooting and fresh growth.

   Bundle and hang harvested stems in a cool, dry, dark spot until they dry before crumbling them off into dried oregano for storage.

   Cut whole plant to a stub in fall or at the end of winter to remove frost-killed foliage.

* Great partners: Rosemary, sage, and lavender are three good-looking herbal partners. Chives make a nice herbal textural contrast.