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Polk County Master Gardeners
News Articles
Growing Herbs
Most of us have at least grown basil or dill in our gardens, but if you
have not branched out a bit, now is the time to try. There is a world of
difference in fresh herbs and dried ones - about like the difference between the
tomatoes you harvest yourself and those you pick up at the grocery store. And
once you have tried fresh herbs, the dried variety never seems quite as good.
Most of our culinary herbs are native to the Mediterranean area and like full
sun. Other than that, they are not too fussy, and most even benefit from a
little poverty: they grow more slowly and develop stronger flavors in soil not
too rich in nutrients. You do not need a garden set aside for herbs, either
(although that is great if you have enough room and the inclination). A dark
green Rosemary bush makes a lovely background for your annuals and scents the
air around it when you brush by. Nasturtiums are right at home with your other
flowers and will contribute both flowers and leaves to salad. The seedpods can
be pickled to use like capers. Most herbs are attractive enough to slip one in
here and there among the flowers; the annuals will do well in your vegetable
garden. Mint is the one exception: it likes lots of water and will be happy to
take over your entire garden bed. If you can fence it in, it would be happiest
under a drippy faucet, but it is aggressive.
In addition to the plants in the garden, you may want to have pots of your
favorites in the house so that you can snip a bit for whatever dish is underway
without too much effort. They will do best if you can put them where they get
lots of sun.
Most herbs can be grown successfully from seeds - French Tarragon is the
exception, but worth the effort to find plants. Here is my list of essentials:
Basil (for tomato sauce and wonderful pesto), Chives (sometimes you can find a
pot in the grocery store and transplant them to your garden), Dill (not just for
pickles - try it in salads or with eggs), Fennel (use the leaves in salads or the
stalks like celery), Sweet Marjoram (like a milder Oregano), Mint (wonderful for
tea, but keep it confined and give it lots of water), Oregano (spaghetti sauce
is just not the same without it), Rosemary (use for roast, chicken, and
stuffings), Sage (just a little in beans or stews), Tarragon (hard to raise, but
worth the effort), and Thyme (for almost everything).
Sometimes it is difficult to find herbs growing at your local nursery, but
pick up plants when you can find them and try seeds for the rest. Or practice
your plant propagation skills and get cuttings from a friend. But however you go
about it, try to make room for a bit of flavor in your garden.
By Barbara M. Tobias
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