Laubwerk Plants Kit 25 – Temperate Kitchen Herbs

Laubwerk Plant Kit 25 – Temperate Kitchen Herbs

The following 10 temperate flowering ornamental species and cultivars are included in Plant Kit 25. Each species or cultivar comes in 3 variations in one seasonal aspect (in full bloom), for a total of 30 models per Kit. Note that Kit 25 is currently a pre-release version with only one or two seasons. It is therefore offered at a reduced price.

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

A small bulbous perennial sprouting one or two green to grey-green slender, tubular leaves. Through its underground, vegetative propagation, it often occurs as many-leaved clusters. Flowering time ranges from spring to summer, with terminal, dense, spherical to ovoid, corymbose-like inflorescences on sturdy, slender flower stalks. Each spherical flower ball contains 30 to 50 small, violet-purple single flowers. The almost spherical capsule fruit is surrounded by the perianth petals like a balloon. The seeds are black. The flowers and leaves are edible, the latter are often used as a kitchen herb.

Cilantro

Coriandrum sativum

A small to medium sized annual herb with green leaves in a variety of shapes. Younger leaves are rounded, broad and tripartite, while older leaves grow to be finely bipinnate. Leaves on the middle and upper part of the plant sit directly on the stalk, while leaves on the lower part are prominently stalked. The white, small, double umbel flowers appear for four weeks in June to July. They are frequented by bees. Flowers are followed by small, globular fruit. Both leaves and seeds are edible, both are frequently used in cooking.

Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

A medium-sized herbaceous perennial with a bushy habit. From square stalks medium green, wrinkled, ovate leaves appear in pairs to form a dense foliage. They have an aromatic, lemon scent and taste. In summer, small whiteish-rose flowers appear. They are frequented by bees and other insects. After the flowers, small, plain, nutshaped fruits emerge. This plant has a history of use as herbal medicine since. It was named medicinal plant of the year in 1988.

Mandarin Peppermint

Mentha × piperita ‘Mandarin’

A deciduous, small to medium-sized perennial herb with ovate, toothed leaves of mid-green color. The leaves are fruity and minty in scent. Starting in mid to late spring, spiked rose-pink flowers emerge on stalks above the foliage. This cultivar is suited to be grown in containers and pots. It propagates mostly by stolons. Leaves are used for decorating of dishes as well as for making teas and other drinks.

Sweet Basil ‘Genovese’

Ocimum basilicum ‘Genovese’

A herbaceous annual with a straight, upright growing habit and dense foliage, featuring fragrant, shiny, broad leaves of ovate shape with a color range from medium green to dark green and a wrinkled texture. Leaf edges tend to curl towards the underside. Small white flowers emerge in summer on the square shaped stalks, followed by small seed capsules. After flowering, leaves loose their flavor. This cultivar is mainly used in mediterranean cuisine, particularly in pesto.

Greek Oregano

Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum

A medium-sized, herbaceous perennial with a dense, bushy habit. Leaves are mid-green, lanzeolate or ovate with a wavy edge and an aromatic scent. Erect panicles of white to rose, bell-shaped, scented flowers appear from early to late summer. They are beefriendly. Flowers are followed by eremocarp fruit which crumble into tiny nuts. This plant is suitable to grow in containers and pots. It is often used as a kitchen herb in mediterranian dishes.

Italian Parsley

Petroselinum crispum subsp. crispum

A small biennial forming a rosette of triangular leaves, which are dark green and divided into leaflets. They are strongly aromatic and used in cooking as a herb. They are only tasty in the first year, as they loose their taste in the second year. This plant flowers in the summer of their second year with yellow-green flowers in umbels on flower stalks above foliage. Under suitable conditions, it will self-seed with darkbrown seeds. It can be grown in outside gardens as well as containers and pots.

Common Sage

Salvia officinalis

A medium sized, wintergreen, semi-shrubby herbaceous perennial with shoots lignifying at the base. It features a highly branched root system, growing in an upright, bushy, spreading manner. Leaves are fluffily haired, gray-green, ovate, with a toothed edge and aromatic scent. Flowers in early summer with upright spikes of light purple-blue, edible flowers, which attract bees and butterflies. After flowering, small nutshaped fruits are formed. The leaves may be used in cooking as seasoning.

Savory

Satureja hortensis

A small to medium sized herbaceous annual, with a bushy, branched habit. It features a strong tap root. All plant parts are finely haired. Square, green shoots have a purple tint. Leaves sit directly on the stalks. They are lineal to lanceolate, pointed, faintly haired, dark green with an occasional purple tint and an aromatic scent. In summer to early autumn, terminal pale pink to light purple flowers appear in groups of two to five. They attract bees, bumblebees and other insects. After flowering, tiny nutshaped fruit are produced which open to set free darkbrown seeds. The leaves are used as a seasoning. This plant also has a history as herbal medicine in the past.

Common Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

A small, bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub growing upright to prostrate and in clumps to loose clumps, strongly branched and woody from the inside out over time. Small, narrowly elliptical, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves with hairy, grayish-white underside. In early summer to late summer or early fall, tiny, aromatic-scented lip blossoms appear in umbels. Their color varies from soft pink to light purple. Attractive to bees. Originally native to the western Mediterranean region and one of the most famous Mediterranean culinary herbs. Versatile medicinal plant that was already found in European monastery gardens in the Middle Ages.