[phoebe]

This question is for gardeners and non-gardeners: if you had the space, climate, and time, which culinary herbs would you grow and why?
While waiting for my tomato flowers to either turn into fruit or drop off and break my heart , I'm turning my attention--and impatience --to herbs. Right now I've got a monster rosemary, English and lemon thyme, dill (that keeps getting eaten ), Italian parsley, and Genovese basil and some other non-named type of basil. And I'm just now sprouting some German Chamomile.

So I'd love to hear about what others are growing or what they would love to grow if they could.

[hedder]

I have a very large strawberry pot and in it I have,

Rosemary
Sage
Chives
Basil
parsley
mint

During the winter I keep it inside, then during the summer I take it out.. I transfer some to a small planter I have in my kitchen, so I have them readily available to me.

[cape chef]

I have entirely to many herbs,but I can't get enough of them for cooking,borders,drying there flowers etc.

Basil,4 varities
Laural
Bergamont
Chervil
chives
cilantro
dill (never does well,but I use the seeds)
garlic
hyssop
lavander (lots)
lemon balm
lemon verbena
tarragon (french)
mint (chocolate)
Oregano (greek)
parsley (flat and curley)
Rosemary (3 types)
Sage (6 types)
scented geranuim
golden marjoram
thyme (to many kinds)
sweet woodruff
mugwart
Many of my perennial plants and flowers are also considered herbs.

Well, off to Disney
Happy gardening

[katbalou]

parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. i know, i know......
and cat nip for the kitty
lemon balm, spearmint and peppermint for flavoring the gallons of iced tea in the summer.
lavender
oregano, basil
this year i'm also growing a plant called "rue" supposed to be a natural bug repellant. we'll see if it works
i still need to get my veggies in - it's been raining almost every day and the garden is pure mud!!! arghh!
kat

[Isa]

How often do you water your thyme and basil Phoebe? My last basil lasted barely two weeks. I can only wonder what te thyme whie look like when I get back home.

[phoebe]

Wow CC, you do have quite an herb garden there! What are the 3 types of rosemary and how do you tell them apart? Also, do you use each type differently? Do you use the chocolate mint even in savory dishes that call for mint? I just smelled it for the first time last week and loved it, but it really did smell like the chocolate mints nice hotels put on pillows for the turn-down service. Do you use it in Middle-Eastern dishes or would spearmint work better?

Sorry about all the rain Kat . How well do your herbs hold up?

To everyone: what kinds of recipes do you use fresh sage in and which kinds are the most versatile?

Isa, I usually poke my finger in the soil to see if the first few inches have gone dry. If so, I water. That's basically how how judge the watering needs of most of the garden. Clearly, I'll be in BIG trouble when I get my 5 acres !!

[mudbug]

Cape Chef,
We'll have to compare herb gardens and trade some plants! LOL! Now which ones that you grow do you not use for culinary purposes?

phoebe,
I'll have to take an inventory when I get a chance.

Off the top of my head... what would I love to grow if they could? I would love to grow the following in abundance!

wasabi rhizome
turmeric rhizome
galangal rhizome
ginger rhizome
szechuan peppercorns - need the tree
saffron - a field of crocus bulbs
vanilla beans - orchid plant (now is that an herb or spice?)
have to think about this for a while...

[Pete]

I started slowly this year, as it is our first Spring/Summer in the house:

-2 lemon balm plants (royal pain to find, I went to 6 different places)
-2 sage plants
-lavander
-anise hyssop
-basil
-wooly thyme
-garlic chives


Also planted this year 4 types of heirloom tomatoes ( Yellow Brandywines, Green Zebras, Black Krims, and Black from Tulas) along with a few chile plants and also got a rhubarb patch going.

[DebbiF]

This year i am growing several and have a HUGE list of those i would like to add.

Currently:
Oregano (greek)
Thyme
Basil (Lemon & Genovese)
Chives (Garlic & Common)
Rosemary
Sage
Parsley (flat)


To add:
Cinnamon Basil
Pineapple Sage
Lime Mint
Orange Thyme
Cilantro
Dill
Curry
To name a few of the more interesting ones

[cape chef]

Hi Phoebe,

I have Miss Jeesops upright,Officinalis and majorca pink Rosemary.
There easy to tell apart because they each have a different color flower and needle denseity.

I use them pretty much interchangbly with meats,marinades,oils,seafood and medeterrainean dishes,

The chocolate mint (Freak)as my friend Sal Gilbertiy calls some types of mint I use only in desserts,it's to strong for savoury dishes so spearmint and the like I use instead.

Muggy,

There are so many herbs based plants that it's almost impossible to name them all,but a few I have are leadwort,heliotrope,greenweed,heather,boxwood,sand cheery,sagebrush,lilac,spanish broom,ladys mantle,marsh mallow,columbine,lily of the valley,echinacea,a few dead nettles,lupine,lobellia,peony,balloon flowers,lungwort,larkspur,foxglove,poppy,morning glory, I have more,but I can't remember them.My mother inlaw told me a few years ago to keep a garden journel to help me remember when.what and where I planted.It's the best advice I can pass along.

[phatch]

I've neglected my garden. What I do have:

a large variety of thymes
rosemary (Arp, hardy in zone 5)
sage
tri color sage
garlic chives
common chives
feverfew (much more aggressive than I thought it would be)
tarragon
winter savory
chervil (reseeded itself)
dill
lovage, an underrated herb IMHO
lemon balm
lavender


I need to get a new oregano and some basil in.

Phil

[Isa]

Originally posted by phoebe


Isa, I usually poke my finger in the soil to see if the first few inches have gone dry. If so, I water. That's basically how how judge the watering needs of most of the garden. Clearly, I'll be in BIG trouble when I get my 5 acres !!

You know right now I don't know if my basil drowned or was it death by dehydration. Meanwhile my rosemary is one year old and doing well. The thyme I bought before I left is also alive and well. So why won't my basil and chive stay alive???