Growing Culinary Herbs
April 29, 2008 by Julie Fletcher
Filed under Recipes
For your recipes to become more robust, toss the salt and use herbs. I know, I know, herbs can be expensive. That is one of the main reasons more people do not use a larger variety of herbs in their cooking. Not that I blame anyone, what with the skyrocketing cost of just about everything you have to buy these days. You do have lower cost alternatives, though.
Many thrifty cooks purchase their herbs and spices at discount stores. Dollar stores, lower price groceries (i.e.-ALDI), and warehouse clubs. These are great choices, but there is an even more cost effective way to get herbs into your recipes.
Grow your own! Almost any herb you would like to drop into a recipe, you can drop into a plot to grow. Even if you do not have enough land for a garden, herbs can be grown in containers. Most herbs like plenty of sun and will do well if placed in a sunny window. Try to keep your garden or containers as close to the kitchen as possible. The closer the plants, the more likely you will use them often.
Herb plants and seeds can be found at many stores. Where you find flower and vegetable seeds you will find herb seeds. Be careful when planting certain herbs in your garden, some will take over a whole garden! Catmint (catnip) is notorious for this, as are most of the mint varieties. My favorite way to plant mint is to put it in a disused corner, a scrubby looking area. It is away from the garden and fills in a bare spot.
Basil, chives, chamomile, oregano, and garlic are easy to grow for new gardeners and have many uses. In fact, most herbs are great for ‘newbies’. Unlike vegetables, herbs can often be placed in the garden then forgotten. Not completely, because in dry times they will need a little water, maybe a dose of compost, but for the most part, herbs like to be left alone.
Their flavor is enhanced, not by careful watering and fertilizing, but by their working to grow. Forget babying an herb. In return you’ll get a lank, less intense flavored herb. Mist the garden once a week with your hose, unless it has rained. That’s it. For container plants, water once a week. If the herb seems to not be growing well, back off with the water. Some plants like lavender do well with less water.
Coming up: How to grow what.
I have cilantro, basil, cinnamon basil, dill, lavender, and rosemary at the moment, along with my vegetables growing.
I love those herbs. i’m planning to put a bunch beside my fence this year. I think I am going to make a post on foraging for herbs, too, like garlic mustard.
I don’t have the time now but after I get married next year I’m going to have some herbs growing in pots. We’ll be living in an apartment so no yard for me.
Your doing really well with this blog I love reading it.
I had no idea you should not baby herbs – I don’t much, but it’s more a time issue, not an “I knew that issue” – that’s interesting. Although, I suppose not surprising, that’s likely why you see such nice wild herbs. No one cares for them.
@Rosemerry- Thank you so much for the compliment. I have been by your blog and I think it is so innovative! I am sure my readers will love BlueCherrie as much as I do.
@Jennifer- If you think about it, herbs are really just weeds. Forgagers or wildcrafters will tell you that most ‘weeds’ can be used in some way or another. We try to kill weeds and they just grow stronger, though, um…don’t try killing your plants just because I say it might help.