Growing herbs is a popular form of gardening as herbs have a pleasant aroma and have practical uses in cooking and for some medicinal purposes.
Some Popular Herbs to Grow
Chives are also easy to grow and are tough and sturdy and can stand up to periods of drought. They are used in sauces, salads and other dishes.
Mint is an ever popular herb, so easy to grow that it needs to be curbed or it will take over the garden! It is used in mint jellies and sauces, accompanying lamb dishes as well as in soups and sausages. A similar herb is sage which is a lovely herb with spiked, blue flowers.
Lavender is well known for its lovely smell. Crushed lavender can be used in sachets in clothes drawers and is also a good remedy for insomnia. If you can't sleep try placing a sachet of lavender under your pillow. Lavender is also used in candles an as a perfume.
Basil leaves can be used as a flavoring for tomato pastes and juices and is easy to grow. Dark Opal is a beautiful plant with dark reddish colored leaves and pink flowers and can be grown as a decorative item in addition to its use as a flavoring herb.
Some other herbs that are easy to grow include dill for flavoring meat, sweet marjoram, useful for flavoring lamb dishes, salads and soups and sesame which can be used to flavor bread and crackers.
Drying Herbs
If you will be using the herbs for cooking you will need to preserve them by drying carefully so that they can be used throughout the year. To do this you first need to allow water to evaporate from leafy herbs by cutting the tops, washing and then hanging. Once the excess water has evaporated tie them together by the stems, place in a paper bag and hang up to completely. After two or three weeks, when the herbs are completely dry, they can be taken down, crumbled and stored in glass jars.
Herbs grown in your own garden are fresh and wonderful for cooking and cheap and easy to grow. A herb garden will give you much pleasure, both in growing and using the herbs, and you will have a continuing source of fresh herbs to use in your cooking. Dried carefully you will have herbs available throughout the year.
