My Favorite Home Remedies (Part II/Oregano)

Growing Oregano ~

Oregano is a perennial. In the book, The Green Guide to Herb Gardening, by Deborah C. Harding, she says,

"The herb's seeds are quite tiny, so if you want to start seeds, do it indoors. Sprinkle seeds over a planting medium and leave them alone. Do not cover with soil or press down. Mist with water and cover with plastic. Make sure the temperature under the pot is kept at 70. If the seeds do not germinate in 4 to 5 days, try again."

It sounds much easier to buy a young plant and start from there! They should be planted in the spring, after the last frost. Oregano favors a drier soil and mild weather. Ms. Harding also says that if you cut back your harvest in midsummer, you will get another harvest before winter arrives. Oregano can also be grown indoors with good results. To harvest, simply snip a few cuttings, and either hang to dry or use a drying screen. Oregano dries very fast!

Now that you've got your Oregano, you can cook with it, use it as a remedy, and enjoy its aroma. I use oregano in my kitchen potpourri. My husband thought of this idea one year at Thanksgiving when he decided that the smell of the holiday was probably the best part.

Kitchen Potpourri ~

This is only one of the varieties that I use in my kitchen, and you can really make this potpourri using the herbs and seasonings from ANY of your favorite meals. I mix together oregano, basil, and thyme and seal them in a ziploc baggie, making sure to remove all the air before I seal it up. When I'm ready for that combination, I place a couple of pinches in my potpourri burner (a small crockpot replica) and add a little bit of water.