Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’, also known as Golden Oregano, is a perennial that is grown in zones 4 to 9. These plants are not as invasive as other oregano varieties but still spready quickly and are fast growers. Usually they don’t get larger than three feet tall and can be an excellent ground cover.
They can be an evergreen in warmer climates, but still come back in cooler zones if they do not stay perky all year long. These plants are allegedly deer and rabbit resistant. I can confirm that they have the same great taste and smell as other oreganos, but it’s not as strong as their relatives. I haven’t really noticed much of a difference myself but I just planted this herb and it may change as it ages.
Now, we already have one successful oregano growing in our fairy garden. We were sure that it died during the harsh winter this year, but it didn’t. In fact, I feel as though the snow just made it stronger. That’s why we decided that adding different types of oregano would be beneficial to our forest.
Aureum enjoys full sun but can grow in partial shade. We planted this in several places in between our berry bushes and trees. They are still young and they are a nice contrast to the other greens that we have planted.
It blooms in the middle or late summer and attracts butterflies and other pollinators. I attempted to get more than one source but they all seemed to say the same things.
This is an ornamental plant
Aureum has little to no culinary value and that there are other oreganos that have a stronger flavor than this one. That only made me thing that this might be beneficial for people who have sensitive stomachs. I have not investigated this, it was only a thought.
It is edible
Aureum enjoys full sun and can be used as a lovely ground cover
The leaves are golden and their flowers are purple or pink
I wish I had more information, but I will show off the growth of this perennial as it continues. We haven’t used a lot of the herb since we have gotten it but as we use it in our recipes we’ll let you know if there are any true differences. Once I get more information I will put it out there, but there isn’t a lot to go on when it comes to Aureum or Golden Oregano.
I have a five year plan. It is not a good plan and it changes from day to day but it is a plan. Right now, I have just left year zero. January 2021 is starting a new year for me.
You may ask:
What is Year Zero? Year Zero has been my year of planning. I also went around the area and looked at local nurseries. I wanted to see what everyone had to offer. It opened my eyes. I also planned to go back to college and learn about plant things.
Why is Year Zero so important? Year Zero is my planning year. We moved in October 2019 and that only started our adventure. During this year I have walked the property over five hundred times. I have learned the land-ish. There is a lot more to starting a permaculture food forest then I anticipated.
This is where I outlined my goals. I learned my property and I planted starter plants- which I will get into later. We have a lot to cover so I will continue.
Some of the trees ready for new homes
What does having a poorly planned year zero do for someone who is just starting out? This is a tough one because I had to reset my Year Zero last year. It was insanity. I killed every plant I got my hands on because I just jumped in. I thought I could just wish my garden into growth. It was poor planning and I wasted a lot of money on plants that died. So, don’t waste money use your year zero wisely. Learn to work with your property and not against it.
Year Zero is the most important year of planning and development. This is my year of research and getting to know my property. Here I started and failed then restarted after some research. Even still I am not 100% sure that everything will work out. My year one began with medicinal plants and evolved into the dreams of a food forest. Somewhere it evolved and I wanted to have real food security.
I learned a lot about the native plants that already live here and it inspired me to start a Monarch Butterfly Santuary. I started by going online and joining many types of groups. They kind of inspired me and so I continued with my year zero goals. I did way better than I anticipated.
The reason Year Zero is important is because it lays the foundation for success but remember: you can always switch it up later if your plans don’t work out. I know it sounds crazy but a lot of people (myself including) thought they could just jump in (like I did) and fail. I’ve learned it’s only a true failure if I stop trying and so I will continue.
It took me the better half of the first year to figure out I was doing things wrong and I might need to talk to experts. That’s why I enrolled in classes but I’ll share all of that information as I get it with you.
Squash flower (I think?)
Sure, I was in the best Facebook groups. Unfortunately I hadn’t been utilizing them. So I went online and I just dove into research on permaculture, companion planting, ph levels, soil samples and I was blown away by how much was out there. I will never know everything but I had started down a rabbit hole that brought me here to this blog.
Spoiler alert: my plants stopped dying. I got better at planting the more I learned and there is this feeling of happiness when you are using your own vegetables and fruits.
All throughout year zero I sat outside my plants hoping they might grow. It does not make plants grow faster.
Now I know I need a plan and in year zero it’s the perfect time to decide what you want and where you see that going in five years. Make it fun and exciting but remember: your plan must flow with the tide. So make sure you are ready for those changes and adaptations as you go. For example: I thought I could just put seeds in the dirt and it would just grow. It doesn’t work that way and now I know thanks to countless people.
Goals for my property and my life for the next five years. This is important because it gives me a general outline to work with. Remember, I am making plans but they are like the wind- every changing and straightforward.
In five years, I want to have every individual breed of plant I want on my property. Even if I do not have every part of my land covered (Which I most likely will seeing my progress already- it is a possibility). I am not talking about a neat little orchard- I want trees and shrubs. I want to be overwhelmed with sight, smell and feel like nature surrounds me.
Keep that in mind- it is the foundation for our success. My goals are not primarily food security, even though it is a reoccurring theme, but instead a food based garden of eden, a place for me to retire my body and my spirit. So, not all of my plants will be solely food based. I am going to continue on that note, but keep your goals in your mind.
Another goal I realized: I want the species here to be closer to disease resistant and ready to produce in five years. This means that in the first few years I have to plant my trees that need to be producing as well as create a water source.
In Year Zero, I am going through plant lists to find edible plants, flowering plants, herbs, and pollinators. I am collecting seeds and planting what I like to call guaranteed success plants such as blackberries. During Year Zero I did a lot of planning but then I began planting samples.
For example: I don’t know of I even like certain fruits- this is a great time to plant one or two and try them. If I don’t like them I won’t plant more of that particular tree. It’s good to know before I make a mass planting decision.
The ones that do well and we like: we plant more of them. The ones that don’t we just move on from and don’t plant more. At least we are keeping those three blueberries (if any of them survive), but I am hesitant of planting more until we know they will survive. That is one of many examples. We keep what we like but we don’t want continue any difficult plants. If something happens we want to make sure we can take care of it. (Eventually I hope it will take care of itself, in my old age I don’t want to be chasing around a 7 acre mess)
I want to cover my entire property in plants that are useful primarily with a little playroom for beautiful things. I want to retire in my own hand made forest and I want to leave it for my kids to enjoy. I cannot wait until I make my dream come true, but Year Zero opened my eyes to the many possibilities.
Frankly, Year Zero did not go as planned and there is a good chance your Year Zero will not be magnificentbut don’t give up. I killed a lot of plants that I want to blame on bizarre seeds from China that I never received. Really it all came down to poor planning.
Year one starts now in January and during that year I have a lot of things I would like to accomplish. But first let’s talk about what i have already got started:
75 thornless blackberries, three different kinds.
33 grape plants, twenty four muscadine, six concord, two seedless randoms from Wal-Mart, and one Spanish grape.
I would like to plant 100 additional thornless blackberry plants. This year so far we have planted 75. We know that blackberries will do great here and we want at least 200. We want to primarily plant thornless varieties which is also why we are not dying into raspberries.
Set up the irrigation system that will support the amount of plants that I want to bring in. We already bought two irrigation systems. One is set up for bushes and one is set up for the trees.
I want to plant a minimum of 25 different kinds of apple trees, but that may not be possible.
I want to focus on the 41 disease resistant breeds that grow in my zone. Zone 8a.
Focus on filling in the spaces between my trees with shrubs and berry bushes.
Expanding my seed collection
Creating a creek system that runs through our property
Planting as much as I can as fast as I can and keeping it all alive with magic
So, don’t give up. Year Zero seems hard on everyone. We’ve got this now onward to YEAR ONE.
A much more detailed goal list for Year One is coming but you’ll have to be patient. I am busy looking through seed catalogs while listening to permaculture information.
First, let me say I didn’t mean for it to end this way. No matter how many successes that we have there also must be failures. So we can talk about that a little bit.
Of my four lantanas only three have survived but those three have pretty white flowers. I went by yard by yard (which is my absolute favorite nursery) and they have so many other colors. I don’t need anymore right now but man am I tempted.
My autumn sage is doing amazing. They sure do love my clay soil and they attract all of these hummingbirds.
My blue berries are dying. I am embarrassed to post a picture, just know my north east texas clay soil is destroying them.
My lime trees are loving life and growing up very nicely. I enjoy seeing their leaves reaching for the sun. They have such a beautiful shade of green on their leaves. It seems they prefer rain water to anything that I am doing to them.
H
Sage
My sage looks amazing and I went from small little wimpy sage to full on in your face sage. I love it. The leaves are calling out to the sun and requesting it’s love. I love my sage.
My cuban oregano is amazing and I can’t tell you how much this hardy plant. It was my first plant to give me hope and that is why it holds a special place in my heart.
My pineapples seem to be leaners. They want to just lean over and it makes me so mad. I forget that these are baby bushes and I am like, “GROW.” Just like with children it is pointless, but it does make me feel better.
Baby fig do do do do do. I love my baby fig. Too bad my son ran it over at the beginning of the season. I was so bad, but look at her grow. She is just fighting against all odds. I am so proud of her.
Cilantro
Clinatro is great and I actually planted hundreds of baby seeds but I haven’t seen a single sprout.
Cuban oregano in my fairy garden it has gotten huge and towers over other herbs planted at the same time
I love oregano. Not only does fresh oregano smell so good you want to shove it in your face but it is also delicious in a lot of meals. Oregano is one of my favorite herbs because it is resilient, durable and almost impossible to kill.
One of the benefits of growing your own oregano is that you can get the authentic flavor. When you buy oregano at the store you get many different types of oregano dried and blended together.
Greek oregano a bit slower to grow but is nice to have around
Oregano when planted around your home can ward off insects and mosquitoes. It can be made into an eco-friendly insect repellent and also be used in potpourri. Oregano gives off a distinct smell, especially when fresh, and is easy to add to almost any dish.
If I had known how easy it was to grow oregano in the beginning I would have started here. I have learned that members of the mint family are hardy and sometimes invasive if not tended. They are more than just a spice to add to your dinner. Oreganos are also medically beneficial.
Cuban oregano
One of the reasons I love oregano is because it is rich in antioxidants and can assist with many things including indigestion. Some research suggests that oregano can also assist with aching muscles, colds, diarrhea, and boost overall health.
Oregano has a little bit of everything and can be a tea, tincture and oil each with it’s own uses. It is said that oregano tinctures can get rid of ringworm, and assist with arthritis. Oregano teas are said to be good for a sore throat, colds and the ability to relieve a lot of cold like symptoms.
Greek oregano
Only recently has science been investigating the medicinal qualities of the oregano plant. In time further research may discover other amazing uses for this perennial herb. It has many different varieties that are sure to show off your green thumb. Each oregano has it’s own distinct smell and taste that will never leave someone unimpressed.
Quick Advisory: oregano should be avoided if you are planning on going into surgery. Oregano has been known to increase the risk of bleeding during surgery as well as other risks.
Oregano is a nice herb that smells good and wards pests from my herb garden. It is a healthy tea and can be mixed with other herbs to assist in upper respiratory distress. Keeping oregano in your garden can not only be good for you but also for your kitchen table.
Toad's Permaculture 