CULINARY HERBS

WITH LANDSCAPE APPEAL

By Tony Tomeo

Vegetables grow mostly in designated vegetable gardens because they are not appealing enough for the rest of the landscape. Flowers for cutting might grow in designated cutting gardens, from which they are not missed after harvest. Culinary herbs can grow in herb gardens for the same reasons. Some might not be very pretty. After harvest, some might be too shabby for the landscape. Of course, such perceptions are debatable. Home gardens are casual and customized. If Swiss chard, artichoke and other vegetables can grow in front yard landscapes, then culinary herbs can too. In fact, some already do. Rosemary, thyme, lavender and

a few other culinary herbs happen to be popular for landscapes because they are so appealing and practical.

There is a slight catch.

Culinary cultivars of herbs are distinct from landscape cultivars. Trailing rosemary is a landscape cultivar with sprawling growth that works well as a resilient ground cover. Another cultivar exhibits more sculptural upright growth. Both are well flavored. However, neither is as richly flavored as culinary cultivars of the same species. Yet, culinary cultivars are not so remarkable for landscaping. Most of us are satisfied with landscape cultivars of rosemary for culinary application. Alternatively, culinary cultivars, which are rare in nurseries and landscapes, can adapt to landscape functions. Cultivars of culinary rosemary happen to make nice low and mounding hedging. Infrequent shearing or selective pruning does not constantly deprive it of too much of its more flavorful new foliage. The same applies to several herbs that have both culinary and landscape applications. Compromise might be in order. Incidentally, two culinary herbs, Grecian bay and bronze fennel, are presently quite trendy. Grecian bay or sweet bay (which

is not California bay) is a very popular potted plant. In the ground, it can grow into a midsized tree. Bronze fennel is supposedly comparable to common fennel, but with sepia toned foliage. Chive, parsley and borage all work nicely with mixed perennials and annuals.

California bay

Because of the common name, California bay, Umbellularia californica, sometimes substitutes for Grecian bay. The two are actually very different. Grecian bay is a culinary herb that grows as a compact tree. California bay has a distinctively pungent flavor that is objectionably strong for most culinary applications. It grows fast to thirty feet tall, and gets a hundred feet tall in shady forests. Because it gets so big and messy, California bay is not so popular for planting into home gardens. However, because it is native, it sometimes self sows into landscapes. Some mature trees live within gardens that developed around them. California bay can work well in spacious landscapes, with plants that do not mind its shade and leaf litter. Annuals and seedlings dislike the leaf litter. Old forest trees make the impression than California bay typically develops an awkward and lanky form. That is only because they

do what they must to compete for sunlight. Well exposed trees, although lofty as they mature, are more densely structured. Some have a few big trunks, with checked gray bark. Old trees are likely to develop distended basal burl growth known as a lignotuber. Summary: Herbs need not stay confined to herb gardens. Several work well in landscapes. However, some culinary herbs are different from their landscape counterparts. Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

Fire Safety FOR FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS

If you have a fire escape plan in place for your home, you’re steps ahead of many Americans. According to the National Fire Protection Association, only 30% of American households have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. It’s important for families to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared in the event of a fire.

If an emergency occurs, every member of the household should be accounted for, including pets. Every year, 500,000 pets suffer from smoke inhalation and 40,000 die due to home fires, according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. With 90% of pet owners stating they consider their animals members of the family, according to UBS, it is important to be prepared to rescue four-legged friends when disaster strikes.

Pets are part of our families, so it’s important to recognize they’re vulnerable to the same fire risks as people. There are simple ways to keep pets safe at home. Most importantly, recognize every second counts in case of fire, so pet owners should install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as well as fire extinguishers. Make sure alarms are replaced every 10 years and fire extinguishers every 12 years.

Protect your pet – and your human family – with these tips.

Minimize smoke alarm reactions. Dogs may become unsettled or anxious when a smoke alarm sounds, running and hiding rather than heading toward the door. Particularly if your pet shows signs of agitation when you test the alarm, enlist assistance from professional trainers to help your canine friend learn how to properly respond. Some websites offer online tips, too.

Use window cling alerts. In an emergency, first responders

need to be able to quickly assess the number of pets in a home. Consider attaching a non-adhesive decal to a window near your front door to let rescuers know how many animals are inside.

Account for pets in evacuation plans. Pets should always be included in a family’s evacuation plan. Always involve your pets and stay aware of their typical hiding spots or safe places where they often nap, in case you must evacuate quickly. Be sure to practice your evacuation plan periodically. Also assign a family member to be responsible for each pet’s escape. Keep an emergency kit with food, medication, a leash and collars near the exit.

Keep alarms current. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must be replaced after 10 years. In addition to testing alarms once each week, check the manufacture date on your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to make sure they’re current. If they’re older than 10 years of age, it’s time to replace them. Some options, like Kidde’s Wire-Free Interconnected Alarms, feature built-in 10year sealed batteries and offer simple setup without the hassle of hardwiring or a Wi-Fi connection.

Plan ahead for emergency care. If the unthinkable happens, make sure your pets will be cared for. Save contact information for your veterinarian in a place where you and other family members can easily access it, such as your phone contacts list or a cloud-based shared file. Research local boarding options, hotels that allow pets and friends or family members who might take in your pet temporarily. Also be sure your pet’s microchip information is current in case you become separated in an emergency.

For more pet fire safety tips, visit Kidde.com/petsafety

Family Features