When Dad Stayed Home
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Rosemary grows woody and bushlike over time. The twigs make excellent, flavoured skewers for meat and vegetables.
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Keep an eye on your fresh mint. It runs off before you know it!
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Dry your herbs in a dry, well-ventilated space.
Herb Tips:
Fresh Herbs
There is something magical about being able to walk into your garden, armed with a pair of scissors, and instantly get the hands full of fresh herbs you need for whatever dish you are cooking at that very time.
You don’t even need to have a big garden to grow your own fresh herbs, they do just as well in pots or on your window still. In fact, you can even grow them indoors.
How to get started?
Getting started is easy: open your cupboard and think about what dried herbs you often use. As with all things you grow yourself, there’s no use in growing something if you’re not going to use it. Use dried thyme a lot? There’s number one for your list. Find yourself making soup often? Why not grow some bay! The ultimate mojito fan, no matter the weather? Fresh mint it is!
The second decision you need to make is where you will be growing them. Remember, unlike (most) vegetables, these plants will stay in your garden, for many years, so better pick a spot where they can grow undisturbed. A spot you won’t be needing for anything else soon.
If you will be growing them indoors or in pots, space is often restricted. Kill your darlings and pick those herbs you really be using. Invest in good, spacious pots, because some herbs can get quite big. Make sure your pots drain well, by making a hole in the bottom and lining the bottom with a thin layer of grit or smashed terracotta remains of old pots.
What – where -how?
Each herb comes with its’ own instructions and the list is too long to cover them all. Give them a space that’s well drained and does get some sun. Especially basil needs the warmth. Other, more woody herbs, like thyme and rosemary, do just as well in half-shaded areas. Look out for herbs that tend to overtake the entire allotment when not stopped. Fresh mint is such a herb. Take an old, plastic flower pot and cut out the bottom. Dig it in completely, leaving just a rim above the soil. Plant your herbs within the ‘boundaries’ of the pot, preventing them from taking over. Most herbs benefit from a good cutting back once or twice a season. Never cut back or pick all the leaves, for the plant still needs to be able to grow again. Cutting them back will often inspire a more compact, ‘bushy’ growth. The ideal moment to cut back herbs is after flowering.