Do you dream of the Mediterranean, with the hot sun glinting off a hillside, the scent of lavender and rosemary, views of terraced gardens and the flavorful cooking of France and Italy? If so, growing woody herbs may help fulfill your garden fantasy.

Woody herbs are those that do not die back to the ground in winter, but tend to be evergreen and have a unique landscape structure. Some examples of woody herbs are lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme. Since they are the most common, and also relatively easy to grow in Colorado, they deserve a closer look.

Lavender, sage, rosemary and thyme flourish in hot, sunny locations with well-drained soil. They are drought tolerant, but grow best with some irrigation. These herbs do not enjoy having “wet feet,” so avoid using heavy irrigation. Picture again the sunny, dry terraced gardens of the Mediterranean.

Of all herbs, the one most evocative of the Mediterranean is lavender. The scent of Lavender brings Tuscany to mind, with bed linens sprayed with lavender water, sachets filled with lavender buds and the incredible scent of Herbes de Provence. Fortunately for Front Range gardeners, lavender grows well. Many varieties are hardy to Zone 5. A few favorite are ‘Grosso’, ‘Hidcote’, ‘Latifolia’, ‘Lady’, ‘August Yoles’ and ‘Jean Davis’.

Rosemary is a tender perennial. Rosemary will not likely survive the cold winter unless it is in a protected environment — preferably one facing east with drier soils. It may be of benefit to plant rosemary in a container that can be moved inside for winter. The hardiest varieties for the Front Range are ‘Officinalis’, ‘Arp’ and ‘Tuscan Blue’, which are all fairly tall and upright. Prostrate (horizontal) varieties include ‘Irene’, ‘Madeline Hill’ and ‘Hills Hardy’. Snip off branches to use on grilled vegetables or meat. Rosemary can also be used to infuse vinegar for use or gifts. Dried rosemary stems are also excellent in stews and soups.

A beautiful ornamental with culinary uses, sage will fill your garden with the buzz of bumblebees and the aerial displays of hummingbirds. Sage is a member of the Salvia family, legendary hummingbird attractors. It is a large spreading plant, and sports blue-purple spikes of flowers in summer. Sage can be maintained by pruning the entire plant back by at least one-half in spring to maintain form and size. Varieties include ‘Golden’ and ‘Tricolor’, adding both color and texture to the garden. The leaves may be sautéed in a bit of oil, or dried for later use.

A versatile groundcover that is often found meandering between flagstones or covering slopes may be thyme. Many thyme varieties exist, though not all culinary, and each are useful and beautiful in their own way. Thyme is a spreading evergreen groundcover and requires intermittent water throughout the year and thrives in sunny locations. Plants may grow up to three inches tall. Better suited varieties for culinary use are ‘Doone Valley’, ‘English’, ‘Lemon’ and ‘Mother of Thyme’. Thyme is most easily used dried.

When you relax with a cool drink, the scent of lavender in the breeze, a hummingbird fluttering near the sage, the sun on you face — it could be Tuscany. Enjoy the ambience of the Mediterranean in your own space, even in Colorado. Who would have thought that beautiful gardens filled with woody herbs were planted with cooking in mind?

For more information on herbs, please refer to Fact Sheet numbers #9.340 - Flavored Vinegars and Oils, and #9.335 - Growing, Preserving and Using Herbs .

The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.

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This page updated:  May 26, 2006