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 How
Does Your Garden Grow?
Getting started with herbs is quite easy, particularly for anyone
who has ever grown a flower or vegetable. Even without experience,
as long as herbs have plenty of sunshine and water when the soil
feels dry, herbs are unfussy. They do not typically have pests and
rarely need fertilizer unless grown longterm in pots. Herbs will
happily grow in pots of plastic or clay, in raised beds, or in the
ground. Drainage is important wherever they are planted as herbs,
along with most plants, will succumb to root rot if left in overly
wet areas. Most herbs can be either sown directly from seed or
transplanted from starts when the soil is warm enough, although
some, such as lavender, do best as cuttings in order to grow true to
type. Grown in pots, many tender herbs can even over-winter inside
near a bright window. There are also a wide variety of perennial
herbs, meaning plant them once and enjoy for years!
Consider garden design when beginning an herb garden.
Do you want a dedicated herb garden or herbs interspersed throughout
existing beds? Herbs can be interplanted with vegetables as natural
pest repellants and to encourage healthy growth as companion plants.
Dedicated herb gardens can revolve around a theme such as culinary
or medicinal herbs, or a similar or contrasting color palate. Herbs
grown in pots can be moved throughout the season to showcase the
best looking plants or to find the sunniest spots. No matter where
or how they are planted, herbs can grow successfully without
chemicals or poisons.
Herbs can provide a variety of rich colors to the landscape and when
allowed to flower add additional interest, as well as food for bees
and butterflies. If left to go to seed, herbs will provide winter
food for birds, a place to hibernate for beneficial insects, and add
visual interest to the winter landscape. Many herbs are so easy to
grow, they make a great horticultural project to do with kids and
grandkids.
Herbs may be annuals, perennials, or biennials. Annuals complete
their life cycle of growth, flower, and seed within a one growing
season. Annuals are replanted every year. Biennial plants complete
their life cycle over two growing sessions, flowering and setting
seed in the second season. Perennials are plants which die back in
winter, but sprout new growth from the same root system in the
spring.
Favorite Culinary Annual Herbs
Basil- Basil is best friends with tomatoes for both eating and
planting. It can be used to enhance any vegetable, egg, or meat dish
in addition to pasta, soups, and salads. Basil can be found in many
delicious varieties including sweet, lettuce-leaf, purple, cinnamon,
anise, spicy globe, and ruffled.
Cilantro- Cilantro is a flavorful addition to salsas, curries, and
chutneys. Plant in succession for best harvest, as cilantro is quick
to bolt in hot weather. Seed heads of cilantro are called coriander
(sometimes the whole plant is, as well) and used as a spice.
Borage- Featuring a beautiful and delicate blue flower, borage
leaves are used fresh and have a cucumber-like flavor. The leaves
are added to soups, salads, and drinks, and the flowers can be
candied to adorn baked goods.
Nasturtium- Nasturtium is a flowering herb that is an excellent
companion plant for vegetables as it acts as a natural pest
repellent. The peppery leaves, stems, and flowers are used fresh in
salads. Nasturtium prefers a bit of shade and can be harvested all
season.
Summer Savory- Aromatic and compact, summer savory is easy to grow
and is self-seeding. Tasting like a cross between thyme and mild
pepper, summer savory is used to flavor fish, beans, eggs, stews,
poultry, stuffings, and sausage. Harvest from the top to prevent the
plant from becoming top-heavy and to encourage bushier plants.
Favorite Perennial Herbs
Chives- One of the earliest plants to emerge from winter
hibernation, chives come in onion and garlic varieties and feature
an edible spring flower that pollinators love. Plant once and keep
harvesting for almost the whole year round. Chives are delicious
with potatoes, fish, salads, soups, eggs, and dips.
Mint- A very hardy herb, try mint in fruit salads, added to ice
cream and cold drinks, or make your own refreshing mint tea. There
are a variety of flavors of mint, all of which have an aggressive
rhizome growth habit, so should be grown in a manner to be
contained.
Lemon balm- A member of the mint family, lemon balm is a hardy plant
with a lemon-scented leaf. The leaves can be used for tea or iced
drinks and may be added to fruit and lettuce salads for a hint of
lemon flavor. Lemon balm has an aggressive growth habit similar to
mint, so growers should plan for containment.
Rosemary- A tender perennial which grows like an evergreen shrub,
rosemary survives best grown in containers that are brought indoors
for the winter in Illinois. It is most easily grown from cuttings.
This fragrant herb may be added to soups, fish, lamb, and game, and
the stems may be used as skewers.
English lavender- Aromatic with a lovely flower, English lavender is
the most fragrant and dependable of the garden lavenders. Lavenders
prefer well-drained soil in a sunny location. Harvest and dry
flowers just as they are opening for use in potpourri and sachets.
Lavender of the Lavandula augustifolia cultivar may also be used in
jellies, lemonades, and baked goods.
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Favorite Culinary Biennial Herbs
Parsley- Popular parsley, both curly and flat-leaf varieties,
completes its growing cycles over two seasons. Curly parsley is
often used as a garnish and makes a nice garden edging. Flat-leaf or
Italian parsley has a stronger flavor and enhances other herbs as
well as meat, vegetable, and salad dishes. Parsley is traditionally
also consumed for its mild diuretic properties.
Using Fresh and Dried Herbs
Whether preserved or used fresh, herbs are best harvested in the
morning before they set flower for the most abundant oils for
fragrance and flavor. Fresh herbs are best added to dishes after
cooking is completed or sprinkled over top. Try a generous handful
of basil over pasta, parsley in soup, and chives mixed with mashed
potatoes or potato salad.
Dried herbs work well added in the beginning or during cooking. Use
your homegrown dried herbs to make your own dried herb blend for
soups, roasted vegetables, meat and eggs, or even create your own
salt replacer by adding dried garlic and onion to favorite dried
herbs. Make your own tea and tea blends from fresh or dried herbs,
such as lemon balm, chamomile, or anise hyssop.
Reduce chemical exposure from synthetic air fresheners by making
fragrant sachets and potpourri with dried lavender and lemon balm
mixed with flower petals. Use favorite herbs such as lavender, mint,
or rosemary to make soothing foot soaks or bath salts by mixing
these fragrant dried herbs with epsom salts. Add herbs to dried or
fresh arrangements for home decor.
Preserving Homegrown Herbs
Dry. Herbs can be easily dried for storage. Wash herbs and dry with
a paper towel before utilizing any drying method. A dehydrator will
quickly dry herbs and make the house smell great in the process. An
oven set no higher than 180 degrees with the door left ajar is
another option for heat drying. Perhaps the easiest option is to let
the air do the dehydration for you. Tie long-stemmed herbs in
bunches of 3 to 5 stems and place in a brown paper bag with the
stems extending out of the top. Hang the bag in a dry place away
from sunlight for 2 to 4 weeks. For high moisture herbs such as
basil, tarragon, and mint, drying on trays or screens is preferred.
Remove any stems from the herbs and do not crush or grind herbs
until ready for use to preserve optimal flavor and aroma. Store
dried herbs in an airtight container in a cool, dark, and dry place.
Freeze. Fresh herbs can be successfully frozen. Wash and dry whole
herbs and place into sealable freezer bags. Puree fresh herbs in
water or chop and mix with olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays.
Remove from ice cube trays when frozen and store in freezer safe
containers until ready for use. Basil and parsley, and even carrot
tops and other greens can be made into delicious pesto to eat fresh
and also to freeze in ice cube trays for a burst of summer flavor.
Chives freeze well when snipped into quarter inch pieces and placed
on a baking tray or silicone mat. Allow to freeze on the tray in the
freezer. When frozen, store in a container in the freezer. The
frozen chives should be easy to portion out by the spoonful.
There are so many herbs to grow and so many ways to use them.
Certainly there is an herb for every palate and every gardener! The
previously mentioned herbs are a brief list of possible herbs to
enjoy, and the ideas for use are just a taste of what is possible.
Herbs are versatile, healthy, and so easy to grow! What are you
waiting for? This spring, spice up your life with herbs!
[Stephanie Hall]
Source:
https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs
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