maize Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I've grown a few herbs before, chives and cilantro and a few others. We went to the garden center last week and the kids helped me pick out a bunch of little herb starts and now they're all out looking cute and hopeful in my garden. For those who grow herbs, do you have favorites? What do you like to do with them? Do you dry them or freeze them or something else to preserve them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) I love basil. I never plant enough to make pesto or freeze, though. I love rosemary. It is a perennial, so I just snip a twig whenever I need it, don't preserve. A friend gave me an oregano plant. I had never used oregano, but this grows prolific and I must harvest or else it chokes everything. So, last year I started drying oregano, and we used a lot in winter in pasta sauces etc. I have thyme; this is the first year I have a good crop and can dry more than a few twigs. Mint - I prefer fresh in iced tea, but dry some, because it is almost as prolific as the oregano. Sage - small plant, and I never need much. So I just let it be Edited May 30, 2016 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I do parsley, basil, oregano, and dill. If I have excess I throw it in the freezer chopped up. You can use parsley to make a pesto as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Rosemary is easy as is mint, but beware - mint is a thug. In these climes, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram and chives all flourish. I just eat them fresh in the growing season and then buy dried in the winter. Very lazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 When I lived in a tiny studio in NYC, I had a couple of basil plants on the window sill. Every couple of months, they produced enough that I made pesto. I have yet to plant herbs this year and must get to it! I'm planning on dill, cilantro, basil, sage, peppermint (if I can keep it contained!), oregano, and maybe some rosemary. Hopefully, this afternoon I can get that going... Timely post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is one my kids picked out http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/thyme/elfin-thyme-information.htm Oh my goodness it is so cute! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) Mints send out runners underground and so are pretty invasive, although they are also pretty easy to pull out. So make sure you plant them in something that contains the side roots. I think that herbs are great snacks--specifically spearmint and basil. Rosemary is the easiest, barely needs even any watering, and grows like crazy, can make it into hedges if you want, evergreen. I use it sparingly in cooking, as skewers sometimes for quick broiling, and to make a hair rinse for shiny hair. Basil is great in salads, awesome for pesto, and useful chiffonaded in pasta. I have never been able to grow it inside--it always turns black and dies; but outside it grows enthusiastically, and if I keep after it by pinching off the flower shoots it gets really big. One small baby food jar of frozen pesto is exactly enough for 2-3 people for a rav main dish, or 4-5 as a side dish. Mint is great for tea and for flavoring water, but shines best in mojitos. :) Cilantro is easy to grow and great in Mexican food. Lavendar is easy to grow, perennial, and its flowers are great in salad dressings or on vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Also great for making lavender wands to use or gift. I have not had much luck growing thyme or oregano. If I were home more I would plant several varieties of mints and basils. I like the idea of making flavored vinegars for gifts but have not tried that. ETA: Chives are really easy, are perennials, and both the blossoms and the leaves are usable and delish. I would like to try borage, as the flowers taste great and are very attractive and healthy, but have not done so yet. Edited May 30, 2016 by Carol in Cal. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I'm growing spearmint in a couple of pots. It's pretty and I want to cook with it, but I can't find it for less than $5 for a tiny bottle of it in the store (or online but for a larger quantity than I am ever going to need). I love it, but having spent many hours trying to control mint in a garden bed (past house), I will always grow it in pots. I also have sage and chives right now. Usually I have basil and thyme but for some reason didn't get any this year. I want to grow cilantro but I've never had any luck with it. It bolts too fast, and gets too leggy despite my efforts to snip it. Where I live, only the chives and chives are perennial. This year I've been lazy, letting them flower. I like the way they look. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is one my kids picked out http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/thyme/elfin-thyme-information.htm Oh my goodness it is so cute! That is cute. Looks like soft green plush carpeting or something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I have mint, chocolaye mint, pineapple mint, sage, thyme, lomon thyme, catnip, oregano, chives, parsley, several types of basil. We use a lot fresh, I dry some as well & freeze parsley for filafel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 I have (thanks to kids running back and forth picking things out to put on our cart :tongue_smilie: ): Italian parsley chives garlic chives chocolate mint sweet basil dittany of Crete chamomile East Indian lemon grass creeping thyme lemon balm summer savory ginger mint Corsican mint (another adorable one with miniature leaves) purple ruffles basil cilantro ginger mint rosemary catmint elfin thyme and one that lost its label that might be oregano Our last rosemary plant died during the winter, I hope this one survives. Some of these I've never tried before, should be fun to see what we can do with them. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I have rosemary, several varieties of thyme, oregano, cilantro, basil, two kinds of mint, sage, tarragon and dill. My herb garden is huge, and is really a cottage style flower garden, so I have let several things ramble. The thyme is a great ground cover. I planted my mint in terra cotta pots and sunk them into the ground. After 4 years they haven't spread, but I'm going to have to repot soon because the terra cotta has finally cracked and crumbled. The rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage are all perennials here, so i just snip and use as I need them...usually in soups and stuff. The cilantro I use a lot in the summer and just go without during the winter. It reseeds itself and pops up all over the place. Basil I try to grow enough to make pesto to freeze. I also have anise that I never really have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is one my kids picked out http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/thyme/elfin-thyme-information.htm Oh my goodness it is so cute! We have that at the edge of the herb bed, but it's not looking very well, just because the other herbs are overshadowing it and crowding it out. Like most herbs, it doesn't like shade, in my experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is one my kids picked out http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/thyme/elfin-thyme-information.htm Oh my goodness it is so cute! I have some of this...it is one of my favorites! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 We were out in the garden earlier to day and I was saying to dd that we needed to get that really tiny thyme -- funny it should come up here, then! She had no idea it existed, and is very excited about it. In pots we have: parsley, chocolate mint, basil, and thyme. They're all left over from last year. The rosemary died early last summer, despite all of your claims that it's easy. We also have some sort of mint growing along the back edge of our property. We just finished putting in a raised bed which will soon be home for some more basil, chives, rosemary (maybe), and whatever else dd chooses. Just as we finished spreading the soil, though, it started pouring rain, so the project is on hold for this afternoon. Great thread! Very timely! I had forgotten about lemon balm -- we need to plant some! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 My first attempt at rosemary failed. This second one I planted two years ago, and it is growing just fine. I think it is hit or miss. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Where we live, rosemary is sold in pots during the holidays. The plant is trimmed to resemble a small Christmas tree. During the post holiday sales, we purchased several of these plants and now have our front pathway to the house lined with rosemary. We are encouraging mint to take over on the north side of the house but so far it is not agreeing to do so. In our raised bed, we have chives, oregano, a couple of thymes and sage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) I find rosemary a complete waste of money to grow. I live in the north so it freezes out each year and since it's so slow growing, it doesn't really get big enough in a single year to pick more than a few leaves. Like everyone else, my mint runs rampant. Which is fine since I stuck it in place I don't care about. It helps keeps the weeds down so I let it sit there. I planted it to make tea for DH but since I hate both the smell and taste of mint, I never get around to picking it so it just grows with no real purpose. I have a sage plant, I've hacked the thing down to just a sprig a few times, I've moved it all over the place as I repurpose different areas of the yard and the thing still thrives. It's another herb I've never actually used but it has pretty purple flowers so I'm happy to keep it around. I have oregano that I planted. It took a couple of years to take off but now I pull out handle fulls every year because it takes over my garden. I had thyme but I can't find it this year. I think the sage plant choked it out. I also have chives growing in a couple of pots. They have been there for 7-8 years. I'm amazed they don't freeze out in the winter. Everything else freezes in the pots but the chives manage to survive. I have cilantro that reseeded from last year but I stuck a plant in too. This always gets well used because 6 of the 8 of us love cilantro and we eat a lot of mexican foods in the summer. I haven't planted basil yet but we have trays full at the greenhouse (where I work) and I will bring home some scrudgies on my next trip there (last two trips the van has been full with other things). I usually plant 8-10 plants and freeze 20-30 jars of pesto each year (I freeze in 18 ounce peanut butter jars as that is just the right amount for a meal for us but that is about 8 cups of packed basil). I will also plant some parsley but again it has to wait for the next trip home from the greenhouse. Edited May 30, 2016 by cjzimmer1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Mint grows wild in a lot of places around here. There is one valley a few roads over that is full of it. When the county mowers come through to mow the ditch lines, the whole valley smells like mint. It's kind of awesome. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I have basil, flat and curly parsley, dill, lavender, and rosemary. I use these often- just yesterday I made spaghetti sauce and cut basil and parsley for it. Yum. Lavender was my mom's scent and I love that when I smell it I think of her. When I go by my herb garden I usually run my fingers over the lavender leaves and it brings Mom back to me for a little bit. I love tomato pie with dill. Pretty much why I grow dill.g 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I have basil, flat and curly parsley, dill, lavender, and rosemary. I use these often- just yesterday I made spaghetti sauce and cut basil and parsley for it. Yum. Lavender was my mom's scent and I love that when I smell it I think of her. When I go by my herb garden I usually run my fingers over the lavender leaves and it brings Mom back to me for a little bit. I love tomato pie with dill. Pretty much why I grow dill.g What is tomato pie? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Rosemary is only a perennial in some zones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 What is tomato pie? Prebake a pie shell about half way. Then slice or dice fresh tomatoes to mostly fill it, add a handful of diced onion (my sisters add a tablespoon or two of salsa), cover with half a pound of shredded jack cheese, liberally sprinkle fresh dill on top, an bake for like 40 minutes until done. It'll be way mounded up when you put it in the oven but it bakes down. Let it sit for about ten minutes before cutting. I can get some awesome heirloom or other fresh tomatoes at a farmer's market in our area...tomato pie is not low fat but it sure is tasty. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I have a rosemary plant- I just bought a prostrate one in hopes it will be more polite. rosemary can get huge if it gets a chance. I also dry it. Mint needs to be contained - but is otherwise generally easy to grow. it makes a great groundcover. dill will freely seed. I will snip them to use fresh and dried. hang them upside down. I'm making an actual herb garden off my kitchen, so it will be easier access. we'll see how things go. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWillSoar Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I do herbs in pots on my deck. Thai basil is good for making summer rolls and parsley and chives for homemade ranch dressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.