Do You Grow Your Own Herbs?

[KYHeirloomer]

I don't understand why any cook doesn't. Herbs are easy to grow, do not take up much room, and lend themselves to containerized growing.

So I'm wondering: Do you grow your own? And if so, which herbs do you grow yourself?

[phoebe]

I LOVE growing herbs, even ones I don't use all that much. I always have rosemary (a monster bush that can't be killed ), lemon thyme (one of my favorite scents), sage, and flat-leaf parsley. I'm inbetween mint plants right now (my spearmint and apple mint both have some sort of disease ). Regular and garlic chives are coming in. Too early for basil (but with the heat we've been having I probably should have done some early seeding). I've never had much success with dill or cilantro though I keep trying. And I've said somewhere on these boards before, I found that I hate the taste of fresh oregano, so although it comes in like a weed, I no longer grow it.

[Ishbel]

I grow 2 or 3 different basils, rosemary, coriander (cilantro in the USA?), flat-leaf parsley, sage, 4 or 5 thymes, 5 or 6 different mints, oregano and chives (are they classed as a herb, I wonder?!)

[mochefs]

It's better if I say I *try* to grown my own herbs. While I lived in the S.F bay area it seemed that I couldn't fail no matter how hard I tried. In St. Louis however, I have quite a difficult time growing many herbs.

I bought a small book at the Missouri Botanical Garden over the winter called something like "Growing Herbs in the Midwest", perhaps it will give me some insight for this years season.

[mudbug]

mochefs,

Which herbs did you grow in the West and what you are having trouble with in St. Louis?

There are many herbs you can grow with success in the midwest.

[bluedogz]

basil, mint, and a small bay laurel tree. Nothing else seems to want to cooperate.

[fadeaway]

is it just me or are rosmary bushes taking over the world?

[KYHeirloomer]

I hadn't noticed particularly, Fadeaway. But I can understand why it would seem that way. All those "tabletop Christmas trees" they sell around the holidays. People transfer them to their gardens, and there you go.

[chrose]

Unlike Phoebe as much as I like so many of them I generally stick to the ones I will be able to use. With that in mind I grow/grew Spearmint, Chocolate mint, peppermint, pineapple mint, basil, Thai basil, woody thyme, silver thyme, purple sage, rosemary and oregano. I have had great success with all of them and even won a few awards

[foodpump]

Rosemary, thyme, some Basil, Marjoram, and a nice bay leaf shrub.

Stay away from peppermint! It's a weed. If you want it, grow it only in separate pots, or it'll take over your garden.

[mudbug]

Any mint can be invasive.

Sink a gallon pot in the ground with two inches of the pot above soil level. Fill with two to three inches of gravel, then potting soil (not top soil) and plant the mint. It will be much more easily contained.

[KYHeirloomer]

"It's a weed."

A weed is merely a plant out of place.

An invasive plant (which, as, as Mudbug points out, includes all the mints) is only a weed if it's growing uncontrolled where you don't want it to be.

By the same token, most of our favorite herbs could be called weeds, because they grow wild and uncontained all over the Mediterainian basin.

[MacEnCheese]

My father has a backyard garden of herbs. He loves to cook and whatever he needs, he just picks 'em up from the backyard.


___________________
Kelly
Volkswagen Pheaton Price Guide 2007 by Volkswagen UK

[DC Sunshine]

We moved into a very herbaceous garden (ok we moved into the house, not the garden) and I recognise mint, sage, garlic chives, parsley, but thats about it. There's a multitude of things yet to be identified, but I'm a bit wary of thinking I've identified something then poisoning someone! I think I'll just use the ones I know to be on the safe side

[allie]

I am growing sweet basil, cinnamon basil, and greek oregano in a planter on my deck. My yard is too shady to plant much that requires a lot of sun (13 trees!). I did plant onion chives, rosemary, and lavendar in my backyard. I'd also like to get some dill, parsley, and mint.