My Growing Herbs

Using fresh herbs in your cooking is one way to treat yourself to a world of flavor.  Only a little is needed to make an extraordinary impact.  What better way to accent your cooking than growing your own culinary herbs?

The first thing to consider regarding growing culinary herbs is the location of your garden.  You’ll want it within easy access to the kitchen so you can get to your precious herbs easily when cooking.  Second, full sun is important to attain optimum herb growth and flavor.  Third, put the garden in a place where you won’t hesitate to use it.  So, don’t grow your herbs where you won’t want to cut them down and eat them or so far from the kitchen where you won’t want to go grab some when you’re in the middle of making your favorite pasta sauce or dish.

There are various types of herb plants, and each requires its own pruning techniques to maximize your usage of the plant.  Herbaceous herbs can be pruned as you wish.  They will die back in the winter.  Some examples of Herbaceous herbs include:  Chives, Oregano, Sweet Fennel, Winter Savory, Tarragon, Bee Balm, and Mint.  Evergreen herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage need to be pruned annually.  Long, woody parts of the plant should be pruned to give more energy to the smaller, younger branches.  Be careful not to prune too much in order to maintain the longevity of the plant.  The herbs mentioned above are perennials, which means they live more than two years.  Some herbs are annuals, including:  Basil, Chervil, Cilantro, and Dill.  They must produce seeds each year before they die.  Thus, you should plant new plants every four to six weeks to insure a continual supply of these herbs. 

When starting your culinary herb garden, you will want the basics in terms of plant choices.  Here is a list of plants to get you started:  Bay, Dill, Thyme, Fennel, Tarragon, Oregano, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Basil, and Winter Savory.  Once you’ve successfully grown these, you will be able to grow any herb successfully. 

Bon Appetite!

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