2007 Picks

The National Garden Bureau, the organization that designates these annual selections, has also dubbed 2007 as the Year of the Cabbage and Kale.

Lemon balm has been selected as the Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association and the Perennial of the Year is Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’.

Violas have long been a favorite of mine, ever since I started discovering this self-sower about my yard in charming nooks and crannies the year after I introduced it to the property.

During school tours of the nursery the kids were enchanted by my tales from Shakespeare as I described how once the juice from this flower was squeezed onto the eyelids of a sleeping subject, they would fall in love with the first person they saw.

Nowadays, violas come in a dizzying array of colours, shapes and sizes. Although the hybrids may not come back as dependably as the original Viola tricolour, they do add sumptuous shades to the garden.

Cabbages and Kale don’t have to be delegated to the vegetable side of the growing area. Their colours, which range from pale green through dark battleship blue, to deep reddish-purple are appealing. Savoy cabbage has wonderfully crinkled leaves. The foliage of ornamental kale is also edible and becomes more attractive as temperatures fall in October. The fringed cultivars are especially pretty and worthy of mixing with flowers. The frilly leaves are used by some chefs for colour in winter salads.

A new spirit of versatility¬ - mixing vegetables with flowers - is being adopted by more gardeners who recognize the interest provided by the shapes, textures and unique qualities of some edibles.

Lemon balm is worthy of growing for its delicious, clean scent and value as an herbal tea. Essential oils from this plant are used by aromatherapists to treat depression.

The perennial selection of nepeta (catmint) is not the herbal variety (catnip) that cats adore, although it belongs to the same family.

Nepeta x faassenii is grown for ornamental purposes and fits the bill nicely with lovely blue-violet flowers, attractive grey-green foliage and a long blooming time. Nepeta cataria contains nepetalactone, which some cats find very exciting... but usually only for a few moments.