Grow your very own marjoram and oregano at home!

In ancient Greece, these fragrant-leafed herbs were called "mountain joy," from the Greek word oros for "mountain" and ganos meaning joy. It's unthinkable to separate their warm, strong flavour from Mediterranean cuisines. Here's how to grow them.

• Origanum is is a genus of more than 30 species from the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
• The names marjoram and oregano are often used interchangeably.
• In shops, dried oregano often includes unrelated species such as Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens).
• All varieties of oregano are drought resistant and make veryattractive border or pot plants.
• Choose the plant according to its taste and appearance, and check its hardiness: their delicate, moisture sensitive shapes grow better in containers or boxes, which can be sheltered over the winter.

Common marjoram:

• Is a sub-shrub with delicate evergreen leaves, often grown as an annual plant, with grey-green leaves and heads of small white flowers resembling a tassel.
• It has a delicate flavour, like the other more resistant hybrid, O. ×majoricum, created by cross-breeding with oregano (O. vulgare).

Cretan oregano:

• With grey-green leaves and small white flowers, it has a sustained peppery flavour.
• It is resistant to frost and grows well in pots.
• Hybrids and other types of oregano (O. vulgare) are often sold as Cretan oregano.
• Oregano has six subspecies, the most common of which is O. vulgaressp. vulgare, with pink flowers, maroon bracts and a milder flavour.
• This is an excellent garden plant, existing in various colours, such as Heiderose with pink flowers, or Aureum and Gold Tip, which are a golden colour. There is also a dwarf form, Compactum, which grows to a maximum height of 15 centimetres (six inches).

Greek or Italian oregano:

• It is one of the most widely grown subspecies, with hairy, pointed leaves and white and green flowers.
• Its bracts are sometimes spotted with purple. Its strong odour contains a hint of creosote.

Syrian oregano:

• It is a sub-shrub with rigid stems and hairy, grey-green foliage and very fragrant purple-pink flowers with cottony bracts. There is a more cold-resistant hybrid, produced from a crossing with O. vulgare, which is mistakenly sold under the name O. maru.

Dittany of Crete or hop marjoram:

• This is a nice little plant, often grown as an alpine plant to protect it from winter moisture.
• Its foliage is dense, fleecy and downward-turned, and is adorned with conical tips of reddish flowers, from which protruding pink flowers emerge.
• Leaves and flowering ends are dried to make herbal tea or for medicinal use.

In the wild, the various species of oregano grow in full sun, in well-drained and often rocky soil. They like full sun and are very fragrant if watered sparingly.

Propagate by dividing or using seeds in spring. For hybrid and ornamental varieties, opt for divisions or basal cuttings.

Do not over water. Transplant purchased seedlings in the spring.

• You can harvest the fresh leaves, but the fragrance develops better if you dry it in bunches in a well ventilated, dark, warm and dry place for a few days.
• Once the bunches are dry and crisp, rub them to remove the leaves and store these in airtight jars.