Give this herb a try Lemon Verbena

image from Farmer's Almanac 

Give lemon verbena a try.  Strong lemon flavor 

Good morning   it is going to be another good morning.  The weather man said cloudy which will be nice for me to work inside the greenhouse as I need to get things organized to take to the fair.  How is your garden?  I see harvest is starting in the vegetable garden.  I have peppers still, and if we have a mild fall, you should be getting some if you plant now.  I hear that some of the vegetables are having a hard time. We had cold spring nights, then we had nice weather for most of June, and then it turned extremely hot.  Lots of challenges in gardening this year.  I will bring some to the fair, if you want to give more peppers a try.  When our daughter Jen was home, she planted several pots of peppers and tomatoes that are designed for containers.  I will be bringing them also.  They are doing well, blossoming and starting to set on fruit. 
What else are you bringing to the fair Becky?  I have some nice herbs.  They can grow all summer long and you can harvest them into the fall.  One of the herbs I will have is Lemon Verbena
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But if life gives you lemon verbena, you’ve got even more options! With the bright lemon scent and flavor—but without the sour puckering—lemon verbena is perfect for teas, cocktails, baked goods, savory dishes, and more. Curious about growing this zesty herb? Here’s a simple guide to planting and caring for lemon verbena, plus why it deserves a spot in your garden.

Australia family and friends are having frost at night -3C(26F) Evelyn and friends wrote that during the day it warms up nicely, so their daytime temperatures are nice.    Stay warm, Be safe. 

Native to Chile and Argentina, lemon verbena grows as a small, woody shrub in the wild and can stretch over 10 feet tall. However, these plants generally stay a lot smaller in herb beds and rarely reach over 2 feet high when kept in pots. But even small lemon verbena plants can make a big impact in gardens with their slender, glossy leaves, summer-blooming flowers, and citrus-like aroma that’s most noticeable when the plant’s leaves are crushed.
Compared to many culinary herbs, lemon verbena is not particularly cold-hardy and grows perennially only in Zones 8 through 11. But these plants can be cultivated as annuals or grown in pots indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Just be sure to give lemon verbena lots of light and regular water.
Whether you use it fresh or dried, lemon verbena can be cooked or infused into marinades, liqueurs, salad dressings, poultry, fish, pork, sweet treats, hot or cold beverages, and other tasty fare. It’s also commonly grown as a pest-repelling companion plant for veggies and herbs, and it can be harvested for potpourri-making, bouquets, and other home crafts. It is important to note, however, that lemon verbena should not be confused with the following plants:
Lemon verbena can be grown in flower, veggie, or herb beds or planted in well-draining containers that are at least 12 inches wide and have drainage holes in the base. When choosing a location for lemon verbena, select a spot that receives plenty of light throughout the day and make sure the soil is well-draining so your new plants don’t develop root rot.
Lemon verbena is well-suited for indoor or outdoor growing, and it grows well with other sun-loving plants, like bee balm, cilantro, dill, and zinnias. But if you want your lemon verbena to thrive, here’s exactly what these plants need to grow!
Like many other herbs, lemon verbena is a full-sun plant that needs at least 6 to 8 hours of daily sunshine. Low light can cause these plants to drop leaves and become leggy, so it’s important to place them in the sunniest window or under a grow light if you keep them indoors.
Lemon verbena is sensitive to overwatering and can develop root rot if its roots stay wet too long. To avoid this, always feel the soil before watering and only water your plants when the top 2 inches of soil feels dry.
Most culinary herbs are light feeders, but lemon verbena is a heavy-feeding plant that needs to be fertilized regularly for optimal growth. These plants do best if you amend the soil with compost or a slow-release granular fertilizer when you plant them and then apply a monthly dose of diluted liquid fertilizer or compost tea through the end of summer.
Lemon verbena is tolerant of dry and high humidity conditions, but it does not tolerate chilly weather. Temperatures below 40°F can cause these plants to drop their leaves and go dormant, while subfreezing temperatures will kill them!
Lemon verbena should be harvested or pruned from time to time to keep them from becoming woody, leggy, or developing spindly growth. To do this, simply pinch or cut stems off at a leaf node, save your prunings for eating or propagation, and don’t remove more than 1/4 of your plant’s stems in one go. Pruning these plants will make them bushier and more compact as well!
If you’re growing lemon verbena as an annual, harvest your plant before the first fall frost and compost any leftover stems and roots.
You can start harvesting lemon verbena when the plants are about 10 inches tall and have lots of healthy leaves. To harvest, clip whole stem sections off the plant with scissors or pruners and make your cuts at a leaf node to encourage branching. You’ll get the best flavor if you harvest lemon verbena just before flowering!
Lemon verbena can be stored fresh in the fridge or dried in your spice cabinet. These herbs dry quickly in food dehydrators, but you can also dry lemon verbena by loosely bundling stems with a rubber band and hanging them to dry in a dark, dry place until the leaves crumble easily between your fingers.  Some food for thought, give this herb a try.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/lemon-verbena
Till next time this is Becky Litterer , Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse