Camomile (Anthemis nobilis) Aster Family (Compositae)

Long before lawn mowers were invented some gardeners in England used camomile instead of grass, for its fine thread- like foliage hugs the ground and by cutting off the flowering stalks it made a substitute for turf. As Falstaff most truly observed "the more it is trodden on, the faster it grows." What he didn't mention was the fact that its foliage is highly aromatic and still is today. However, it is not the foliage for which the herb gardener grows it, but for a fragrant oil found in its flower heads.

Camomile, which has been grown for over two thousand years, is a native of southern Europe but has since gone around the temperate world. Normally it grows, or rather its flower stalk will reach a height of 8-12 inches. The flower heads are not particularly striking, having small, whitish rays and a yellow, central disc. It is from the dried flower heads that an oil is extracted that goes into most hair lotions and many shampoo mixtures.

For the herb gardener the plant is grown only for these flower heads, used in making camomile tea, and for its delightful, pungent fragrance. An annual relative of camomile, known as German camomile, will be found in Chapter Two. In regions unfavorable for lawn grasses, camomile has often been used as a fairly acceptable and very fragrant turf that needs little mowing.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) Mint Family (Labiatae)

For a plant that has no therapeutic properties and is little used in cookery, catnip has shown a remarkable popularity ever since the Greeks and Romans grew it to please their cats. There is little reason for growing it today except for this, as the plant is rather weedy and is often found wild in fields and thickets here, although its true home is Europe and western Asia.

Catnip owes its value to an aromatic oil in the leaves, which can be easily dried so that cats are not dependent on fresh leaves for their fun. Incidentally another, and much more showy plant beloved by cats, is the silver vine (Actinidia polygama) which is very fragrant. Catnip scarcely needs any attention except to keep it within bounds. It grows normally 2-3 feet high, and in New Hampshire is grown commercially because people still think an infusion of its oil in hot water is good for infant colic. The experts insist "there are better remedies."