Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Growing (and Using!) Your Own Fresh Herbs: My Six Favorite Varieties

Greek oregano growing in the unheated greenhouse on 11-13-12
Taken today: a happy pot of Greek oregano is surrounded by volunteer, easy to grow Swiss chard in the unheated, homemade greenhouse.

Chives, basil, Greek oregano, lemon thyme, Italian parsley, and lemon balm. It's the middle of November in zone five Missouri, and five of my six favorite herbs are still thriving in the kitchen garden, despite weeks of heavy frosts and several nights in the 20s. Even some of the heat-loving basil lasted until a week ago, thanks to some old bed sheets and a plastic tarp.

When my publishing network, BlogHer, asked if I was interested in writing an article for their Go Green to Save Money series, I immediately thought of homegrown herbs. They're easy to grow, cheap to keep, don't require lots of space or attention, and aren't usually bothered by diseases and pests. They're pretty to look at, bursting with flavor, and far fresher than those pricey little packets at the store.


Do you grow any herbs in your garden? Any favorite varieties, stories, growing tips, or recipes to share?

© FarmgirlFare.com, full of freshly picked flavor.

4 comments:

  1. I have a great her garden, but I cannot grow parsley for the life of me. Any suggestions?

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  2. I only grow herbs seasonally, during the warm months in pots, otherwise it is too cold around here. This year I had a great basil crop, and thyme did really well too.
    My favourite is rosemary, but it is my least successful herb by far. No matter what I do, the leaves start to dry up, and the whole plant dies. I've already killed 4 or 5 plants in a row :(

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  3. I love to make herb blends using my coffee grinder. Its less expensive than buying name brand and I can control the ingredients, especially the salt.

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  4. I threw down lots of parsley seeds between tomato plants in the early summer. They are still doing well even through the summer heat. I thought I read they like cool weather so if that is true maybe the shade of the tomato plants helped . I had also read how parsley basil and oregano are good companions to tomato plants.

    ReplyDelete

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