Lamiaceae

	This is probably one of the most common annual "weeds" around. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) comes up in January if weather permits, and remains in dense stands throughout the rest of the spring, and can reappear in the fall if weather is warm enough. Most think it a nuisance, but it is a graceful plant with attractive flowers.
	Coleus (jacob's coat) comes now in just about any color mix you want. They were always good for showy additions to summer plantings, but now the new summer coleus that can withstand the heat are very popular, but also very expensive.
	The Town of Bridgewater uses Coleus liberally in its summer plantings. The dark maroon leaves of this variety presents a good contrast to the surrounding landscape and helps to give attention to the "Welcome" sign on the median strip of rte 42 north coming into Bridgewater.
	I use Coleus for color contrast in the Shrum garden. What you see here are the new heat resistant varieties. They are expensive, but they give good healthy plants all summer, and here you see good color contrast with the grass, the blue spruce in the foreground, and the gathering of azaleas to the right.
	One of the ornamental cultivars from the native bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) is shown here. Note the long tubular flowers and the female part emerging out of the top. Also emerging would be two of the four stamens, the other two down at the bottom of the tube.

	Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is another common "weed" that can be quite pesky in a lawn. The standard weed killers don't seem to get rid of it, and why would you? While the leaf does not contain any kind of aromatic spice you could use in tea, the flower is large and showy enough to add some interesting color into a lawn.
	This is one of the ornamental Lamiums now out on the market. It is easily propagated through transplantation, and now you see it in many gardens. The variegated leaf is a nice touch. Note the upper and lower petals that form the "lips" of the tube. This is an excellent example of a sympetalous zygomorphic corolla.
	The wild sage, Salvia lyrata, is one of the first mints to come up in our woods. The blue-purple corolla stands out nicely in the landscape. The habit is more dry and sandy, however. You can also see it in open fields.
	Leonurus cardiaca, motherwort, is a member of the summer flora in our area. It is common in fields and waste places. If grazed heavily, you see them as small and matted populations, not the robust and moderately tall specimen you see here.
	This is an ornamental sage, Salvia, which you by as an annual and use as a garden border. The leaves do not have that 'sage' odor or taste. You need to get a different sage if you want to obtain that flavor.

	Mints have square stems. It helps to know that, but other families can have square stems too, like the Verbenaceae, Boraginaceae and Scrophulariaceae. Here is a view of the square stem of catnip, Nepeta cataria.
	This is the genus Rosmarinus, producing the spice called rosemary. This was found in the Blind Garden at the Botanical Gardens in Bermuda. All the plants in the garden are recognized by taste, feel and smell.
	This is Mentha, one of the spearmint species. These have hybridized a great deal, making identification difficult. Peppermint is also in this group and yes, you can easily pick these to flavor your tea.
	*This is lambs ear, the genus Stachys. You know it by the tomentose pubescence that is on this species. The silvery color gives good color contrast in the garden.*