Frosty Herbs

Do you grow herbs?  I know many of you have vegetable gardens, both cool season and warm season veggie crops.  Some of you also grow fruit.  I used to grow cool and warm season vegetables.  I used to  grow fruit.  I used to grow herbs. 

Now I only grow herbs.  I might put some lettuce plants in some containers on the deck in the spring....and might do tomatoes this summer.  For now, I grow herbs.  The yard isn't set up for a vegetable garden.  That is ok, we have the best farmer's markets.  What I really love is having fresh herbs at my backdoor.

I grow most of the usual ones---Mediterranean oregano.  Looking to find some Mexican Oregano-- understand it has a different flavor.  I have a killer recipe for chili that calls for MEXICAN Oregano.  Will keep looking.

Flat leaf parsley-- what a difference from curly parsley, and dried parsley?? Not even worth it.

Salad Burnet, Sanguisorba minor, another evergreen herb.  This herb isn't one I cook with, not in the heat kind of cooking.  I use this cucumber flavored herb in salads and in my homemade Tzatziki, a cucumber yogurt dish.  This herb adds that extra cucumber boost.  Nice addition to anyone's herb garden.

One herb I had to search high and low for was one that was in my German herb mix. Fleisch-und-Gyros Würzer, a mixture of Bohnenkraut, Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika and other herbs and spices.  I could find any and all of the herbs except Bohnenkraut.  For the longest time I couldn't find the translation for it.  Finally I found out it was Winter Savory.  Satureja montana, an evergreen perennial sub-shrub, with cute little white blooms in the late summer. 

 

Here it is all frosty.  I was able to find seeds and grew my own.  One can guess as soon as the seeds sprouted, I found some Winter Savory in one of the garden centers. I now have a few plants and I shared some with my fellow Master Gardener Interns. This herb is so wonderful in savory dishes...figures, right!  Pork dishes, bean dishes, salads, you name it...savory rocks.

One can't have herbs in the garden without Rosemary.  Even if you never cook with it, just to rub your hands across the plant and enjoy the fragrance of its leaves.  Rosemary is a must have.

Thyme is something we all need....both in our food and in our lives.   For now my Thyme is in a small clay pot on the deck.  All my herbs are on the deck in containers.  I have dogs, enough said.   I will find a larger container for some of the herbs in the spring.

I love the Sage with the frost on its leaves.   I use the sage in my stuffing at Thanksgiving and I put it fresh salads.

One herb that doesn't handle the cold weather at all.....Basil.  Sweet Basil is a warm season annual.  I leave my Basil in the herb pot until it is no longer.  The Goldfinches LOVE to eat the seeds of the Basil.  I like being able to have things for the birds to eat.   See how sad these poor little spent blooms look?  

And closer...you can see the leftover bloom. 

Have no fear---I harvested a few seeds to grow some Basil indoors over the winter. 

What herbs do you have to have in your garden?

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.