Beautiful knot gardens are embellished by the elegance of santolina plants. Using the three colors of the leaves from silver to green, you can form beautiful designs with santolina or appreciate them as accent plants. The scent of this herb is much like lavender, so they add both beauty and fragrance to your landscape.

Ideal Location- Find a sunny area with well-drained, mildly sandy soil and remove all weeds.

Cultivation- Begin santolina from sowing seed indoors early enough to allow the 8 weeks of indoor growth, but not so soon that you'll set them out before the last spring frost. You can also sow the seeds directly into the soil within a week of the last frost date in your area. To propagate in the summer, take cuttings. Alternately, layer the stems in the early spring and divide them off in the fall. Plant the starters between 18 and 24 in.(45 and 60cm) apart. You can plant santolina in an area that gets very little water, as it tolerates drought. Just make certain that it is well watered until it has time to establish.

Water the santolina plants only after at least one inch of soil is dry. It's easy to over-water the plant, which can cause root rot. Use an organic fertilizer only if your soil is excessively poor.

Care and harvesting- Santolina is often as a border and can grow 1 to 2ft( 30 to 60 cm) in a dry sunny location. Never trim these shrubs during fall in frigid climates, as the drastic temperatures can damage exposed branches. If temperatures ever fall below 5F(-15C).. While leaves can be harvested anytime, flowers should only be picked in late summer. To preserve, dry, then store in an airtight container.

Uses- Santolina frequently finds itself used for hedges, or as a border plant in knot gardens. It is a neat, compact shrub with bright yellow flowers, which does well as a practical herb or solely for decorative purposes. Flowers can be dried and used in year round bouquets or potpourri mixes. Branches from this evergreen repel common household insects, including moths. Stems can be placed in drawers, under carpets, among books, and so forth. A tidier method is to add it to sachets, putting these in effective locations.

Where to Buy Live Plants-  A couple of varieties are available-click here for further information