Home Grown Flavor With A Culinary Herb Garden
If you have ever dined on a dish prepared with fresh herbs, you know what incredible flavor they lend. Whether it is the garlic and oregano in your special spaghetti sauce, or the perky mint in your tea, or the soothing aroma of a lavender sachet, each herb is unique and wonderful in its own way. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have these fresh herbs growing right in your backyard? The good news is that growing a culinary herb garden is easier than you might think.
Once you have decided on the particular herbs you want to grow, you will want to determine the location of your garden. Since many herbs can be grown successfully in containers, you have even more flexibility. Herbs like basil, parsley and cilantro require rich soil, lots of sun and good drainage to thrive. Oregano does well in dry, sandy soil, and rosemary prefers dry and rocky soil.
It makes sense to start out small, particularly if this is your first stab at gardening as you can always add plants when you begin to feel more confident. As with any garden, plant taller growing items in the back of the bed with shorter herbs in the front. As you nurture your plants through their growing season, the point of harvesting will require some extra attention on your part. A good rule of thumb is that the leaves are the most flavorful just before they bloom. Harvesting your herbs a day or so after they have been watered will help to jump start the drying process.
When harvesting seeds, it is important to catch your herbs before the seeds begin to dry out, but after they have ripened. A great way to prevent losing any seeds during the harvesting is to cut the heads over a brown paper bag. The seeds can remain in the open bag as they dry out. Hanging your cut herbs is an ideal way to dry them. When storing leaves from your culinary herb garden, freezing them will ensure the optimum preservation of their flavors.
Whether you have a small or large garden, or just a few containers with your favorite herbs, you will enjoy the satisfaction of having grown your own herbs, and you will savor the results of your hard work for weeks and months to come.
