Dracocephalum moldavicum (also known as Dragon's Head) was a big success for me. The smell was very lemony, even stronger then Lemon Verbena. Dragon's head was excellent in tea and did great in tea mixes.

I didn't have any one single huge success, but since this was my first year planting herbs, I was VERY happy when all my transplants (golden & greek oregano, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon and english thyme, french tarragon, arp rosemary, pineapple & regular sage) all grew well and didn't die, even when planted cheek by jowel in a kiddie wading pool. None of them will overwinter, and I'm ok with that, but it was awesome to see some success!

We moved to our house in 2007 and began major renovations. I put in an herb garden along a walkway to the door we were using. Everything did fine but the bed got a lot of shade. In 2008 I used the area around our kitchen porch for tomatoes and then again in 2009, the year of the great blight. Although we did not get late blight, I decided it was time to put the tomatoes elsewhere. So, this spring I moved perennial herbs to this much sunnier location. For the first time ever, tarragon grew like a weed. The summer before I had started lovage and some other plants in some large plastic pots. When I didn't move them in the fall, my husband put them under the barn, tipped over. The lovage survived despite additional periods of neglect and is making roots in the new herb bed but in the back on the SW side of the porch so it gets quite a bit of shade. Calendula have sprung up all over the place. I'm not sure where the seed came from but composted soil around a recently planted crab apple is sprouting bok choy. Having the herbs near my kitchen door encourages me to use them more often. Last night I picked parsley, chives, oregano and rosemary for oven roast potatoes.
The lemon verbena has survived much neglect. Now that fall is coming it's time to move it indoors. Last winter it lived on a table in a semi-heated garage's north facing window and didn't get much water during it's winter dormancy. If it survives this winter I promise to give it some new soil in the spring.

All my herbs seems to thrive in this cooler than normal summer... with the exception of Basil -- I couldn't keep a plant alive! I had a huge crop of 8-10' tall Verbena olympicum guarding the vegetable garden, no doubt enjoying all the water.

nullzero - Dracocephalum moldavicum...hmmmm... I'll have to look for that one. I enjoy growing new herbs! Thanks!

defrost: Calendula have sprung up all over the place.

Oh yeah, know that. While I may still plant some calendula on purpose, I often let some flowers go to seed and self sow. Every year I usually have enough volunteers to meet my needs. Although occasionally I will plant particular varieties. The "Calendula - Solis Sponsa" I originally bought from Horizon Herbs is one of my favorites. Calendula are so easy to save seed from that if you start with a nice non-hybrid variety like the one I noted, it will forever be yours.

FataMorgana