Add Some Spice With Plectranthus

Call it whatever you want, but chances are you will love Plectranthus amboinicus. It is an herb with many names, including Mexican mint, Indian borage, Spanish thyme, and big thyme. I know it as Cuban oregano, though it did not originate in Cuba. In fact, in Cuba it is commonly called French oregano! Nor is it oregano. A member of the mint family, the leaves emit a powerful aroma when crushed or rubbed against. The scent is a cross between sage and oregano, but the plant is more closely related to coleus than to either sage or oregano. It is not a surprise that one can find the plant also listed as Coleus amboinicus. 

Native to southern and eastern Africa, plectranthus is used as a culinary herb in many parts of the world. It can be substituted for sage or oregano and is used in salsas, salad dressings, herb breads, and stuffing for meats. The peppery taste of the raw leaves becomes sweet when cooked, and in India they are often battered and fried. Traditionally, this herb has many medicinal uses as well. A tea can be made from the leaves that is useful for sore throats, headache, cough, and various viral infections.

Well! All that, and I grow it because it is beautiful. It is available in plain and variegated forms. I love this variegated form of Cuban oregano. The leaves and stems are somewhat hairy.This specimen is planted in partial sun in my woodland garden.

Cuban oregano also grows on my patio in an herb pot along with dill and mint.
Last year I grew Cuban oregano as a companion to other plants in a large container.While primarily a foliage plant, plectranthus does produce delicate pink or blue flowers in late summer to early fall. It can grow up to 20 inches tall and may have a sprawling habit, making it perfect to spill over the edge of a hanging basket or pot. Allowed to spread, it makes a good ground cover. It does best in sun to shade in moist soil with lots of organic matter. Unpalatable to deer, Plectranthus is usually pest free. Cuban oregano is hardy in zones 9-11. It is quite cold sensitive, but in cooler regions it can overwinter as an attractive houseplant. Cuttings root easily in damp soil or water.

Special note: Thanks is due to Elephant's Eye, a South African blogger whose suggestion prompted this post. This one is for you, Diana! 

New Options for Watering

I have done away with the great serpent, the mighty beast I struggled so hard to control.

Stay! I would command, panting as I heaved it into its place, but when I turned my back, it would hump its body over azaleas, hydrangeas, and tender lilies, breaking branches willy nilly. When I turned to defend my plants, it would coil itself around my ankles, aiming to take me down. As I gripped its thick neck, it would hiss and spray me in the face.

The serpent is a commercial strength water hose, and I was so happy the day I brought it home. 

I am fortunate to live in an area that receives plentiful rain throughout the year, averaging about sixty inches of precipitation annually. We are blessed with many lakes, streams, and rivers, and water shortages are not common. Nevertheless, we do sometimes have droughts, usually during the hottest part of summer. Some plants are drought resistent, but others, including hydrangeas, are not. Their name comes from Greek words meaning 'water vessel', a tip that that these lovely shrubs especially need to be watered during dry spells. An assortment of hydrangeas are beginning to bloom in my garden now.Parts of my garden are far from a water source, and desperate times mean pulling a very long garden hose deep into the yard. I dream of a sprinkler system, but I doubt my budget will ever afford that.

I was fed up with flimsy, cheap hoses that burst at the first kink in their system or whenever a car inadvertently ran over them. So when I inherited a durable one from my father, I was pleased. I don't know where he found it. It's not the kind of hose one buys at a big box store. It is thick walled, black rubber, heavy duty, indestructible. A bulldozer couldn't crush it. My dad owned it for many years. Life-time guarantee? I don't know, but it outlived him, and I am sure it will also outlive me. 

The problem is, lugging that hose is heavy, hard work. It belongs in an industrial site where muscular men lift aircraft parts for fun.

This year I have done two things to replace the serpent. Thanks to modern technology, hoses can now be strong as well as lightweight. I recently purchased a hundred foot, super thin but heavy duty hose reported to be half the weight of normal hoses. I was skeptical but decided to try it out. Hooray! It looks very sturdy, indeed, and I can easily lift the entire hose with one hand.100 feet of lightweight, yet durable hose fits easily into this hose pot.

The second thing I did was to order a 65 gallon rain barrel, shaped like an urn, to serve as a water reservoir in my woodland garden. It is outfitted with a spigot and a short hose, and I can easily fill my watering can. It is wonderful to have a water source close to the thirsty plants!The urn shaped rain barrel fits easily into the woodland setting. I put mosquito control tablets in the water to prevent mosquitos from breeding.

When it quits raining, I look forward to trying out my new options!

5/13/12 Addendum: A number of commenters have asked if I depend on rain to fill the urn. Because the urn is not attached to a downspout, it would take a long time for rain to fill it. I used a hose to pre-fill it, and rainwater is a bonus. I am using the urn as a reservoir, so a water source is handily available in the woodland garden.