The botanical name of sweet Marjoram, as it is most often called, is Origanum Majorana. The plant is very fragrant and has many uses in the kitchen. It is native to the Mediterranean and was named Marjoram, which means “joy of the mountains,” by the Greeks.

Marjoram prefers a sunny location that is warm. The soil mixture should contain equal parts sand, oil, and peat moss, with one tablespoon of lime and a half-cup of small gravel added to each quart of the mixture. New plants can be started from seed or from cuttings.

Keep the soil mixture just barely moist and wash the leaves monthly with a solution of one tablespoon mild dishwashing detergent to one pint of warm water. I kept two plants last winter in a south window and they were always a source of beauty as well as sweet aroma.

Marjoram is an annual plant that will not survive winters in climates where the ground freezes. If it is grown strickly indoors in pots, a plant will last for several years and new plants are easy to acquire by rooting cuttings. The seeds take three to four weeks to germinate and for that reason, i find it best to take cuttings from plants in the summer to develop for pot growth in winter.

Oregano

Oregano is really wild Marjoram and requires the same care and potting mix. The leaves of Oregano are oval shaped and about one inch long. If pinched at the top, it will make a nice bushy compact plant. The leaves are green and somewhat hairy and grow on stems that can be as tall as two feet. Indoors, the plants are usually cultivated to about ten inches.

This plant will tend to grow in a mound indoors, but ourdoors it grows more upright and is something mistaken for a mint. The botanical name of Oregano is Origanum Vulgare. The herb has many of the same uses as Marjoram and one is often substituted for the other. It is used particularly in dishes of Italian, Mexican and Spanish origin.

Oregano is a perennial plant and can be cultivated ourdoors through the winter. New plants can be raised from seed that germinate in about one month. A plant can also be multiplied by cuttings or dividing. The roof system has a tendency to run and will spread easily when it is well-established.

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