Oregano

Oregano is thyme’s larger cousin and is grown the same way: hard, dry and in full sun. The Greek form, sold as Origanum vulgare hirtum, is the one with the flavour people expect; the ordinary wild marjoram of hedgerows is milder and prettier in flower. Both spread by running roots, so a plant in a border becomes a patch, and a plant in a pot needs dividing every second or third spring. Cut it back by half after flowering to keep it dense. The one thing that spoils it is kindness: rich compost and regular feeding give a lush plant whose leaves taste of almost nothing. We have not been able to check oregano against the ASPCA list, so the journal records its pet safety as unknown rather than assuming it matches thyme and sage.