Marjoram in the Garden

As it turns out, I have no recollection of ever actually cooking with marjoram. For some reason, though, I thought it was about time have some in my fall herb (container) garden. I spent about 3 dollars on a 4 inch marjoram plant (I also bought an oregano plant because I have failed in growing it from seed). As I reflect, I am certain I made a mistake because, rather than start with new soil, I just re-used the dirt from my summer garden without adding any compost or other type of fertilizer. (I'll have to remedy the situation soon). Not a great way to start off the fall herb garden.

I have another confession to make: I also planted this small (consisting only of oregano and marjoram) herb garden in a giant pot. The pot that housed two tomato plants and a marigold.

Despite shortcomings, the plants seem to be thriving. The marjoram is all about flowering. I also planted some basil seeds, sage seeds, green onion seeds, parsley, and chive seeds... I figure, why the hell not. So far, several basil seeds have germinated. The green onions are a few inches tall and there are a few parsley sprouts. Time will tell if these guys hang on.

I digress.

Origanum Majorana. Genus Origanum (think marjoram and oregano). Family Lamiaceae (think basil, thyme, lavender, rosemary, oregano,mint). Marjoram and oregano are of the same genus and are strikingly similar, even difficult to tell apart. There are thought to be 44 species of origanum (yikes! Some plants are tall, some spreading, some are conveniently used as ground cover for their anchoring qualities) The two can be used interchangeably in cooking (if your palate isn't too discerning). Marjoram is generally milder than oregano and some people, including me, describe it as having a citrus taste with floral hints. The flowers of oregano are purple/lavender, while, marjoram has white flowers.

According to Sunset Magazine, Sweet Marjoram needs well drained soil and only moderate water (I am never sure what that means exactly). It is a perennial or annual, depending on where you live (I have a perennial). It is supposedly easy to grow and likes to be really trimmed several times a year.

Here is an interesting tidbit: what you and I think of as Italian Oregano (or the stuff in pasta and pizza sauces) usually a cross between Origanum Vulgare (oregano) and Origanum Majorana (sweet marjoram). Real oregano is commonly called 'wild marjoram.' Oh, and if some one refers to 'sweet oregano,' they are talking about marjoram. Just fantastic. If you want some regular peppery tasting oregano, try 'Greek oregano.' If you want really spicy oregano find some za'atar, a spicy Middle Eastern oregano (yes, the sauce is named after the main ingredient). I was wondering about Mexican Oregano, so I did a search. Turns out to be a whole other source of confusion (try out this article if you are curious). In a nutshell, it is not in the Origanum genus or even the Lamiaceae family, rather it is in the Verbenaceae family (think lemon verbena).

My very smart friend Samin, suggested I dry some of my marjoram and oregano by hanging stems upside down in a dry dark spot. Sounds like fun. I will take pictures of the process. I am thinking everyone gets some oregano and marjoram under the Christmas tree (hey, we are in a recession...).

Now I just need a few vegetarian suggestions for casual uses for marjoram and I am in business. Anyone?

Some Links:

Check out the Herb Society of America's Guide to the Genus Origanum.

A great article about marjoram and oregano from Sunset Mag.

Growing Marjoram

How Tropical!

The local swap meet in SD is named Kobey's.  I have no idea why our swap meet has a proper name, but it does.  I used to go to Kobey's when I was a kid.  It contained loads of perfect finds for teenage girls.  Tons of cheap hair-thingies, bags, and backpacks.  I think I got a knock-off Esprit bag when I was in elementary school.  Ha. 

KD and I took a trip to Kobey's last weekend.  She had spotted these wrap dresses two weeks earlier when she was there.  We decided that we couldn't live without these dresses, so off we went to the swap meet.  It certainly hadn't changed much: still loads of hair-thingies.  There were some really cool booths with handmade purses and other handmade items, and there were some booths that looked like really bad yard sales- crap, crap, and crap. 

And, there were booths and booths of plants.  KD was not interested in strolling and shopping, so I could really only glance from afar.  But, I did manage to get one purchase in: a cutting from a dragon fruit for a buck.

It is likely that I will mess this up somehow.  The foot long spiny and prickly cutting is very handsome (as you can see in the pic).  But, I stuck the spine in some dirt and watered. 

Has anyone ever tasted a dragon fruit? After a terse search, I learned that these plants are quite tropical and grow in Hawaii, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Also, the flowers bloom at night so they are not pollinated by bees, but by other insects and moths.  Depending on how well my cutting does, I can expect fruit in 6-9 months. 

P.S. I also broke down and bought an Italian Oregano plant (not at Kobey's).  Planting from seed did not work out.  Has anyone had success growing oregano from seed?