harvesting my marjoram: dried marjoram

Today I ventured back out into the garden, this time in search of marjoram. I planted my marjoram plant about a year ago and it has grown strongly since; so strongly it's threatening to take over the herb bed.  I've decided the time has come to do something about it.

my marjoram plant

After some serious googling, I've decided that the best idea is to dry some for later use.  Apparently marjoram, unlike other herbs, improves in flavour as it's dried. It can be used in most recipes where oregano is used, including my favourite - pasta sauce. 

To prepare my marjoram for drying, I chopped some large sprigs, washed and dried them, removed any bugs (I found a few caterpillars ... I'll have to go and explore the rest of the plant for signs of more!) and hung my marjoram in a nice, cool, dry place, near my back door.  A double bonus: a wall decoration and something edible! 

drying marjoram - also doubles as a wall decoration!

Here's hoping it turns out. If it does I'll make some more. I'm thinking about giving it away as gifts.  A visit to the herb aisle at the supermarket today revealed a lot of the marjoram on sale is imported from overseas!