This vast family of plants includes most of the culinary herbs (rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, savory, and garden sage), the mints (peppermint, apple mint, spearmint, orange mint, and double mint), and a vast grouping of flowering annuals and perennials known as the salvias.

All of the members of the Labiatae family have square stems, opposite undivided leaves and fragrant foliage.  Because of this fragrance, deer won’t touch them.

Their flowers are generally small and come in a multitude of ...