Welcome to The Herb Cottage
Newsletter Archives 2002
The Herb Cottage is your source for information about herb growing and gardening, with an emphasis on growing and gardening in the humid south where winters are mild and summers are very hot and humid with the occasional hurricane or drenching rain. As with many parts of the country, the weather seems to have become more extreme, and as gardeners, we have to learn to do our best to cope with the weather. We sure can't change it!!
Newsletter Archives
2/02- Introduction
3/02- Being too busy to prune...../
4/02- It's Spring in Texas
5/02- Summer has arrived already here in Texas.
6-7/02- The Summer solstice
8/02- It's August now,
9/02- September is an odd month in the South.
10/02- Savory soup, hearty stews, warm, crusty bread.....
11/02- Sage
12/02- Madder than a wet hen...
February, 2002 --- this is the first issue!!
Traveling was fun and challenging, but it became more difficult each year to leave our farm to go on the road. Each year, I planted more things around the farmhouse and was reluctant to leave them each Spring. So, we decided to retire from the sewing business.... my back and hands thanked me...... and stay closer to home. Mike took a job with Lavaca county, and I decided to let my interest and time in herbs and gardening flow into a business.
I hope this monthly newsletter will enhance your interest in and knowledge of herbs and gardening.
Enough already!!!......... Let's talk herbs and gardening.
Why would anyone want to grow herbs anyway? Well, they're tough plants, easy to grow. They are not much bothered by bugs or disease, as plants go. Many take little water, and thrive in areas that are hot and unsuited to other more tender plants. In my gardens, rosemary, oregano and thyme grow in beds that are in full afternoon, Texas summer sun....... that's a torture test for any plant. Those and other Mediterranean herbs like lavender and fennel thrive there with very little irrigation.
Herbs look good in the garden mixed with flowers or vegetables. There are almost as many different shapes and colors of herbs as there are varieties. Mounding oregano, tall dill or fennel, green and purple basils, grassy chives are just a few of the forms that mix with perennial and annual flowers.
Growing herbs in your vegetable garden not only gives you quick access to herbs that will compliment your vegetable harvest in the kitchen, but herbs attract many beneficial insects. In this time of concern over pesticide use and other chemical alterations of our food supply, it's good to know you can help nature keep a balance in your garden just by growing a variety of herbs and flowers to help keep damaging insects under control.
No discussion of growing herbs is complete without the primary reason herbs are grown---- their taste! Fresh basil sprinkled over garden-ripe tomatoes........ a touch of fennel in that pasta sauce......... crisp cucumber salad wouldn't be complete without fresh dill. Fish, chicken, beef, pork all are enhanced by the use of fresh herbs. Fruit salad with mint is a lovely summer dessert or lunch. Lemon balm or lemon grass is a wonderful hot tea to chase away the winter blues. Add some mint or green tea for a more complex flavor.
So, as the season progresses and you plan your gardens this year, think about incorporating herbs in your planting. How about a parsley border for your annual flower bed? Or, bronze fennel at the back of a perennial border? The color and airy form of the fennel will add interest among your other plantings. Underplant some roses with garlic chives.... it is said "roses love garlic".
Until next time, from the garden notes of
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
March 2002
Being too busy to prune.....
We'd been experiencing a definite warming trend thinking spring had really arrived when WHAM! -- we were hit with the coldest temperatures of the season. In fact, we hadn't experienced temps in the low 20's and teens in several years. Many plants had started putting out new growth, and the ones I had cut back earlier lost all that new growth. But, the ones I cut back today had their new growth protected by the mass of dead foliage.
Both plants I cut back today are considered tender perennials. In Zone 7 and above neither the lemon grass or Mexican Mint Marigold is winter hardy. See, that's why we're so spoiled. To us here in the southern part of the state, cold weather is something that arrives for a few days, gives us something to complain about, and then the winds turn around from the South, and we're warm again. Our plants really like it that way. But, a plant can be tricked by prolonged warm weather in Jan. or Feb. and start sending out new growth. The next cold snap kills that new vegetation, and the energy that went into making those new shoots is lost from the root system.
Companion Planting
This year because of the late freeze and last summer's drought and prolonged extreme temperatures there are lots of areas in my planting beds to be filled. I've decided to interplant the flower beds with herbs and vegetables. Now, there are herbs already in my flower beds: rosemary is a mainstay by the path to the back door so I can run my hand along a branch as I enter or leave the house and have than refreshing fragrance on my hands. And, I usually grow a big Hibiscus sabdariffa for tea in the flower bed.
Since my vegetable patch shrank this year even more due to a new grow house and lack of time for a big vegetable garden, I've decided to really mix things up and plant peppers in my flower beds and flowers with my tomatoes, beans, cukes and such and plant more herbs wherever I can. In my reading, I've learned that pests are better kept at bay with mixed plantings because their targets are spread out. And, mixed plantings help keep the good bugs nearby. I also think I'll take better care of things if I have vegetables in mixed plantings as I often seem to leave my vegetable garden for last. This idea might not be practical for a person who grows a large vegetable garden, but for our needs, the idea seems perfect.
I think vegetable plants are very attractive. The glossy green leaves of peppers, the soft green leaves of eggplants and the different shapes and colors of the bean leaves all add to the interest of vegetable plants. Beans, cukes and melons can be grown on trellises in the garden to add height or to shade a tender plant. Then, of course, there is the great variety of shapes and colors of the fruit: purple and green beans, bright red or yellow peppers and tomatoes, dark green cucumbers.
So there is no reason not to plant some peppers near my stand of red and green cannas. Both plants like full sun and water. I plan to plant basil and Tagetes lucida (Mexican Mint Marigold or Texas Tarragon) among my tomatoes. The basil looks great with tomato plants and is convenient for harvesting there, and the Tagetes family helps repel nematodes that attack tomatoes. It is said plants in the onion family help repel red spider mites, so a few chive plants could go in around the tomatoes, too. It is said chives or garlic planted near your roses will help them repel aphids better, too.
I like to grow hardy hibiscus since it does so well here in our hot summers as long as it gets enough water, and it's a bushy plant. It would look good with fennel - green or bronze- as a neighbor. The fennel plants are hosts to the swallowtail butterfly. Even if the larva eat some of the foliage, it's worth it to have those beautiful butterflies around. The flowers of the fennel also attract other butterflies and beneficial insects. I already mentioned Hibiscus sabdariffa, also know as Jamaica or Roselle, which is an annual and grows into a huge bush in one season. It looks great with the bronze fennel late in the season as the Roselle flowers are blooming.
For tea, use the calyx of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower. Pick the flowers when in bloom, or just as they're fading and remove the petals. The part the petals are attached to is the calyx. Pour just boiled water over the calyxes and steep for tea either alone or with mint, lemon grass, lemon verbena, green tea....... you get the idea. Your tea will turn red and have a delicious flavor. You can also dry the calyxes for later use.
Some more ways to use herbs in mixed plantings is to border a bed with curly parsley or with the little spicy globe basil, which makes little topiary like balls all by themselves.... no pruning by you. The red and purple basils are extremely attractive planted with summer annuals like zinnias, marigolds, and celosia or annual salvias. Almost any herb would be at home in your vegetable patch. And, why not plant some flowers nearby, too? They'll help the diversity needed to attract beneficial insects and keep the pests in check.
So, go to your herb books and really look at the form, color and cultural requirements of different herb plants. Plant varieties of herbs and flowers that have the same cultural requirements. Think about how different the bright orange marigolds we plant each year would look with purple ruffled basil as a companion. Or let fennel or a pepper plant fill in after your gladiolas or iris are through blooming. In cooler climates where you can grow lettuce all summer (unlike here in Texas where lettuce is finished in late April), use lettuce mixed with parsley as a border for your flower bed. It's pretty and useful.
Let your imagination be your guide. Choose color combinations and forms that please you. And, if you want to tap into the benefits of companion planting in your garden, two books I recommend are Roses Love Garlic and Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. Both these books are full of beneficial companion planting ideas and also warns you about combinations that are unfavorable to one or the other crop. These books are available at many book stores and on-line.
Have fun in your garden this spring. Enjoy the warm sun and soil. By planting a seed you are putting your faith in the laws of nature and the future.
Good Gardening to You All.
Until next time, from the garden notes of
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
April 2002
It's Spring in Texas....
(and, yes, this newsletter is a little late...... it is spring you know.....).
In the herb garden, the lavender and thyme blossoms are abuzz with bees, new basil plants have been put in and the oregano and marjoram plants are sending up tall stalks that will flower later in the season. Roses and poppies are blooming everywhere. In my gardens, I seem to have an abundance of dark red roses: climbers and shrubs. They are a lovely foil to the yellow irises blooming in and around the water garden.
April is a busy sales season here because it'll soon be too hot to plant new things or to work outside in the middle of the day. Sales have been brisk this spring at the many garden and botanical shows I've attended. Lavender is still a favorite, although the purchase of lavender plants comes with lots of questions. So, here are some tips for growing lavender in the south, along with some general information which may help you choose the variety that's best for your area.
Lavender varieties The word lavender, 'Lavandula', comes from the Latin "lavare" to wash..... the aroma is light, clean and refreshing. Greeks and Romans added lavender flowers to their baths as we use lavender oil or scented bath products today. Lavandula augustifolia, also known as true lavender or English lavender, has been the most economically important variety due to the fragrance and oils extracted. It is a plant of high altitudes and doesn't generally perform well in the humid regions of the south. All augustifolias are subject to Sudden Wilt our humid southern summers.
Spike Lavender or L. latifolia is normally a variety for low altitudes.... not so much used in perfume, but in "coarser vehicles" (as they are known in the cosmetic industry) such as soap. The aroma is more eucalyptus-like, not sweet like the true lavender. It does flower later in season and is hardy to Zone 7. It is not commonly sold as garden plants, though and is hard to find.
This next group include some of my favorites, L. Xintermedia , the lavandins or hybrid lavenders. These varieties are a cross between common, L. augustifolia and spike, L. latifolia varieties. They are easy to grow, and have been increasingly used as a substitute for both the others in cosmetics. The lavandins are resistant to Sudden Wilt, and perform well in the southern garden. They survive our southern winters as well, blooming in Spring. These varieties must be propagated by cuttings, as they do not come true from seed. Some of the common varieties are: Grosso---- a French introduction used for perfume. Provence---- a variety with grayish leaves, tall flower stalks that I like very much.
L. dentata is a fringed or toothed leaf lavender The leaves are pale green and the flowers are a soft lavender with showy bracts. This variety is not susceptible to Sudden Wilt, but is only hardy really in Zone 9 and 10. With a good mulch, it will over winter in the lower south.
L. hybrida is a cross between L. dentata and L. lanata (wooly lavender.) Goodwin Creek is a variety that has shown itself to do well in South and is popular here in Central Texas. It is winter hardy, too.
Spanish Lavender or L. stoechas is another one well suited to southern gardens. It has smaller dark purple/violet blooms. Very attractive and suited for Southern gardens. I have an established one in the garden that didn't even blink during our late cold snap and is blooming beautifully now.
L. multifida or fern leaf lavender grows in a very attractive open form with fern like leaves. It sports tall, very blue violet flowers all summer. It's not reliably winter hardy north of Zone 9, although with mulch I've had mine for several winters.
How to Grow
Now, for some growing tips. All lavenders need full sun and good drainage. Humidity is their enemy, so in the humid south use coarse, rocky soil to grow your lavenders and make sure there is good airflow around them. Mulching with gravel or rock will keep the surrounding environment drier and looks very good. The most important this is not to over water your plants. In fact, after they are established, give them no or very little supplemental water if they are growing in the ground. Even if you follow these tips, you could still lose lavenders after heavy spring rains. Don't despair, there are more plants to be had.
All lavenders do well in containers. They still need good drainage and do appreciate some afternoon shade. Allow the container to dry out between watering. If you do grow them in containers and can move them around, put them under shelter if you are in a very rainy period so the plants don't become so water logged.
The winter hardy varieties are really best planted in fall in the south so they can become very established before the next summer's heat and humidity. Although early spring plantings can be successful, too.
So, there you have more information about lavender than you probably knew you wanted. We are just about sold out of lavender for the spring season, but will have a new stock ready for your fall planting needs. Relish the spring...... it is short lived. Don't forget your sunblock and sun hat.
Good Gardening to You All.
Until next time, from the garden notes of
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
May 2002
Summer has arrived already here in Texas. It seems we jumped
We do need rain, though. The storms pounding other parts of Texas and the country have not reached us. "They" say we have a dome of high pressure over us that prevents "lifting" to produce storms. We have plenty of moisture in the atmosphere, "they" say.....(I could have told "them" that. Just go into the garden in the morning and try to breathe. The air is heavy and the sweat just rolls off the body.... and it's only 8 a.m.!) ....... but there's no lift to the atmosphere. What, not enough hot air here in Texas?..... please.
So, what's a person to do? Complaining about the weather is only beneficial to get a conversation started around here, it doesn't change the weather outdoors. One way to stay cool (and hydrate the body) is to drink herbal iced tea during the hot days and evenings. I've been experimenting with various lemon herbs for my daily tea drink. So, I thought a discussion of lemon-flavored herbs would be appropriate.
The ones that grow well for me and produce lots of foliage and/or flowers for tea are:
lemon verbena
--Aloysia triphylla- which I call the Queen of Lemon Herbs for her clear, clean lemon flavor. The plant is kind of shrubby. Even with pinching and harvesting, the form of the plant is never very tidy. It doesn't belong in a formal setting because it really has a mind and shape of its own. Its redeeming value, however, is the fabulous lemon flavor the leaves impart to tea, lemonade, cookies, cakes and fruit salads. It is perennial here in Central Texas. It looses its leaves for the winter, so a full harvesting and drying of the leaves during the fall is a good way to preserve the flavor for winter teas that make you remember the warm and soft days of summer.lemon grass
-- Cymbopogon citratus or C. flexuosus- careful, don't slice your finger when harvesting. The leaves are sharp edged. The fleshy, basal parts of the leaf stalks are crushed and used for flavoring in Southeast Asian cooking. The whole leaf stalk can be used fresh in tea. Just chop it up or crush it a little to release the flavorful oils. The flavor holds up to drying as well, so we can enjoy the lemony flavor when the plant is dormant during the winter months. Lemon grass is an attractive in the garden because of its grassy leaves and pretty green color.lemon balm
-- Melissa officinalis- some call this lovely plant invasive, but it's good for a partly shady spot. Fresh leaves are used in tea, soups, sauces, fish dishes and in flavored vinegar. The herb is said to have a relaxing effect. Lemon balm leaves are also used in the liqueurs Benedictine and Chartreuse. The plant creates a nice mound and is easy to keep in shape by shearing a couple times a year -- especially after it blooms.lemon thyme
- Thymus x citriodorus,lemon catnip-
Nepeta citriodora,lemon mint
- Mentha x piperata 'Citrata' andlemon basil
- Ocimum basilicum x citriodorum are some other herbs used to add zip and more complex flavors to the tea.Lemon catnip adds a relaxing component to the tea, as catnip has a mildly sedative effect on most people. Lemon thyme adds the stronger flavor of thyme mixed with the lemon. Lemon thyme comes is a beautiful variegated form with green leaves with a golden rim around each tiny leaf. Lemon mint adds sweetness along with a minty flavor. And the lemon basil adds the flavor of basil to the tea. (Lime basil is another wonderful, fruity tea herb.)
There you have my favorite lemon flavored herbs to be used not only in teas, but also in cooking, grilling fish or seafood, used in flavored vinegars, salads, baked goods... where ever you'd like a nice lemony flavor.
Don't wear yourself out this summer in the garden. Take lots of breaks in the shade, perhaps with a glass of lemony herbal iced tea. You'll be glad you did.
Until next time, remember...... Nature is in control in your garden --- go with the flow.
Don't forget your hat and sun block.
Kindness makes a fellow feel good whether it's being done to him or by him. -Frank A. Clark
Good Gardening to You All.
Until next time, from the garden notes of
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
June/July 2002
The Summer solstice
And, that's how gardening and growing herbs helps me feel: full of confidence and energy. Growing any type of garden involves many aspects of life: patience, learning, physical activity, sight, smell, taste, and risk are what comes to mind.
One learns patience by planting a tiny (or large!) seed and waiting for the seed to germinate, watching it grow, caring for the plant it becomes then enjoying the fruit of the plant whether it be a fragrant stalk of lavender or tasty leaves of thyme, a zinnia or an iris, tomato or cucumber, or a cherry or a peach. You can't hurry Mother Nature.
Learning all you can about gardening in general, vegetables, herbs, flowers or whatever it is you like to grow may lead you beyond the garden into family history to learn whether your grandparents grew a garden, and if so, what kinds of plants they grew. Or, you may become interested in the history and lore of herbs or the stories behind heirloom vegetables. Or, you may turn to the very basis of gardening and begin to study botany, soil composition, organic growing or any of the many facets of the insect world. There is no end to the avenues that are open to you when you begin to look at your garden as the start of an education.
Take a break from your mental gardening activities. Get into the garden and pull weeds, hoe your vegetable rows, spread more mulch, prune the errant branch, deadhead those marigolds (save the seed heads for next year, or just crumble them through your fingers to sow seeds for later in the season), dig a new bed, mow the lawn.... gardening is great exercise. Why pay for an expensive gym or spend time indoors on a machine when you have the best of all gyms right out your back door? Gardening involves weight training... just lift a few big bags of mulch or turn your compost pile. Gardening involves stretching... bend at the waist and keep your knees straight when you pull weeds. Then, do some squats and pull some more weeds or harvest those strawberries off the ground. Hoeing and raking are terrific aerobic activities. And, after your workout, look at the results-- a weed-free herb bed, healthier vegetables with more mulch or a neatly trimmed lawn. Then, sit back with a cool beverage and admire what you've done. You've earned it.
Don't let the books, magazines and Internet take you so far from your garden and plants that you lose sight of why you started a garden in the first place. For it's there, walking through your garden in the early morning seeing the dew sparkle on the rose petals, touching the soft leaves of the lamb's ear, smelling the oregano and rosemary, eating those crunchy and sweet snap beans right off the vine, and, especially, getting your hands dirty with that wonderful, rich, loamy garden soil...don't you wish you actually had that kind of soil??.. that you really experience the garden. It's why you spend so much time poring over seed catalogs, searching Internet gardening sites, combing nurseries for just the right plant. You've created your own little Eden right there where you and those you invite into your realm can see the best that nature has to offer. You've tended and coaxed and weeded and pruned and watered and worried and even though the garden is never done, always in flux, you can see and touch and smell and eat the results of your efforts.
And, yes, there is risk in the garden, just like in life. Your new seedlings can be eaten by grasshoppers or rabbits. Deer may come and dine on the new shrub you just paid too much for. Early blight may attack your tomato plants. Corn ear worms may spoil the succulent ears you've been waiting so patiently for. A hail storm may come and smash down the corn stalks. You can experience a drought, complete with water rationing, so your plants don't look their best. You have to pick and choose which to water. There are many risks in gardening... you may have chosen a poorly adapted variety of vegetable or flower, or planted a sun loving rosemary in the shade and it's just not doing well. But we learn by making many, many mistakes. It is said if you don't kill many plants, you're not gardening!! I don't know about that, but I do know that experimenting is part of the fun of growing and if you don't try, you'll never know what will grow in your garden. So, try a new tomato variety or a new flower that you have to purchase mail order because no one in your area sells it, or even grows it... yet. You may start a new trend. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.... right?
Look for the next newsletter in early August. I'll try and stay on a monthly schedule... things got a little busy around The Herb Cottage this early summer just when I thought the pace would slow down. Ah well..... I'm sure you're all out in your gardens, too, and spending time with your plants and didn't even miss the early June issue.
The Herb Cottage has lots of stock and we'll ship all summer, too, so if you have empty spots to fill in or you have some empty containers, think herbs for more summer planting or a new vine to cover that unsightly wall.
And, remember
"there are people so poor that they only have money", anonymous
Good Gardening to You All
From the garden notes of
Cindy Meredith, prop.
The Herb Cottage
August 2002
It's August now,
Here at The Herb Cottage we live in un-air conditioned comfort. Fans, windows and a shaded porch keep our old farm house fairly cool. No AC (as it's known here) indoors makes outdoor work seem less extreme. Watering, seeding for fall, taking cuttings, keeping the beds looking good all still need to be done, no matter what the temperature. We're building a new greenhouse this summer, too. In contrast to the outdoors, the house feels cool and inviting after coming in from 95+ deg. and searing sun.
So, what can thrive in the herb garden this time of year, you may ask? In my display gardens there are many plants soaking up the heat. Basil, of course, is flourishing. I've given up on trying to keep the flower heads picked off to prolong the life of early planted ones, and have started new ones from seed for my fall crop. As many of you might know, basil is very easy to start from cuttings, but if you take cuttings from older plants, the resultant "new" plant is the same age as its parent. It'll flower quickly and try and set seed. So, you need to start new plants from seed for a late season crop.
Mexican Oregano (Poliomintha bustamanta) and Russian Sage (Perovskia ) are blooming in the full sun with very little water. These are two under used landscape herbs, in my opinion. Russian Sage is not a culinary variety, but its airy, gray-green foliage and lavender flower spikes really brighten up a bed.
Mexican Oregano is a terrific shrubby, evergreen that blooms with medium pink, tubular flowers all summer long. The small, shiny green leaves stay on the plant all winter through zone 8. And, the taste says "oregano". In fact, we like it in all our Southwest style dishes including salsa, beans, and stews.
Fennel is another plant laughing at the hot weather, blooming profusely right now. The plants have survived the onslaught of the Swallowtail Butterfly larvae and the seed heads look like little star clusters atop the tall plant. I like the licorice taste of fennel, although it's not a very popular herb here in America.
One of the facts about fennel you might not be aware of is the ancient Greeks called fennel marathron, from marainein, to grow thin. Some think fennel was called marathron after a village about 25 miles from Athens, where a wild fennel grew. Athenians defeated Persians at this village in 490 BC. Before the battle, a fellow names Pheidippides had carried a stalk of fennel (why?... no one knows...) while running 120 miles in 2 days to recruit soldiers from Sparta. There, another long-distance runner took news of the victory to Athens and fell dead upon arrival! Modern marathon races owe their name to this bit of trivia.
Fennel has a long history in folklore as an appetite suppressant. In a book called "Nature's Paradise" (1650), William Coles wrote: "...both the seeds, leaves and root of our Garden Fennel are much used in drinks and broths for those that are grown fat, to abate their unwieldiness and cause them to grow more gaunt and lank." Fennel has also long been known as a digestive aid and anti-flatulent. Seeds of fennel are often chewed after a meal. No scientific studies have substantiated this claim, however.
For culinary uses, fennel is paired with seafood, meats and vegetables. A few stems on the grill with vegetables or meats adds a hint of flavor. Fennel is used in many confections, liqueurs (anisette), and the seeds are a must in sweet Italian sausage.
In the garden, fennel can become a pest if the seeds are allowed to self sow freely. By cutting the seed heads before the fruit (seeds) mature, self sowing can be kept at a minimum.
The vegetable form of fennel, Florence Fennel, produces a large bulb at the base of the stem. The bulb is harvested, sliced and used either raw in salads or sauteed alone or with other vegetables. It can be used in soups or stews as well.
Bronze fennel is a very attractive variety with its dark, coppery-red leaves. It my garden it doesn't grow as tall as the green fennel, but looks lovely in the flower bed.
So, those of you in the hot, humid climates take heart. There are plants that will fill your garden with color and aroma even in August and September.
And, as Habib Bourguiba says: happy is he who laughs at himself; he will not go short of entertainment
Until next time,
Good Gardening to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
September 2002
September is an odd month in the South.
So, what else to do in the herb garden in September? Well, no matter where you live, this is a good time to harvest and preserve your herbs for winter kitchen use or for craft projects. October is a popular month for Harvest Festivals where you may be able to rent a space and sell some herbal craft products. Culinary herbs make lovely wreaths, swags and bunches. Just remind your customers that if they hang a dried herbal decoration in the kitchen for very long, it's best not to use it for cooking due to dust that may have accumulated on it.
If you're not interested in selling things, herbal products make lovely gifts. Look in magazines or on the Internet for ideas for wreaths and swags. Simple herb bundles tied with raffia or ribbons are useful and attractive. Make bundles of individual herbs then tie them together so they hang from a wide ribbon or more raffia. Globe amaranth, roses, and other summer and fall flowers that you have dried make colorful additions to the herbs you choose for your wreaths, swags and bundles.
Edible herb products make gifts that will be appreciated. Of course, if you plan to sell edible products, you must check with your state Health Department for regulations regarding the manufacture and sale of such items. But, if you're simply giving edible products as gifts or making them for yourself, your normal careful kitchen procedures are just fine.
Flavored vinegars are one of my favorite ways to use herbs at the end of the season... throughout the season, too, for that matter. It's easy to make and you can be as unique as you choose. Go to the Tip & Ideas
With a little more work you can make herbal jellies, herb butter, herb infused oils -- keep herbal oils frozen to keep them from spoiling -- then just scrape off as much as you want and leave the rest in the freezer. You can also freeze herbal butter. Use a melon baller or fancy mold for decorative herbal butters.
After you've harvested your herbs, you can prepare your herb bed for winter. If you live where it's very cold and most things freeze, treat the herb bed like any perennial bed. Mulch the ground around the perennial herbs and mark where they are if you think you might forget. In the spring when you're enthusiastically digging places for new planting, you don't want to disturb perennial roots of your oregano or Mexican Mint Marigold.
If you live where it's warmer, like I do, a light mulch is still a good idea. In my Mediterranean bed, where I have mulched my thymes, lavender, oregano, and sage with gravel, I do not add an organic mulch because it'd be very difficult to remove it from the gravel in the spring. The plants in that bed survive our winters just fine, even when it gets down into the 20's or occasionally even lower. Our cold temps do not last very long, though, and that's why the herbs do so well in the cooler months.
Another thing you can do if you live in the colder regions is to bring some of your herbs indoors for the winter. I'll talk about that in the next issue. So, get busy and harvest those luscious and flavorful herbs, make some herbal vinegar or some decorative hangings or wreaths. It's fun and a great way to scent your home. Don't forget those on your gift list when it comes to herbs. Simple decorated herb bundles or even a pot of live herbs makes a thoughtful gift.
Don't forget to peruse The Herb Cottage herbal listings for selections of cool weather herbs or new herbs to grow indoors, http://theherbcottage.com/herbs.html. And, our cool season vegetables are ready to ship to gardeners in the southern regions, http://theherbcottage.vegetables/html.
Until next time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
October 2002
Savory soup, hearty stews, warm, crusty bread.....
I know we southern gardeners can grow most culinary herbs outdoors all winter. In fact many of these herbs come back to life in our cooler fall and winter temperatures. The summer heat and humidity take their toll especially on thymes, lavender, sage and even parsley. Fall brings the color and flavor back into the herbs that have been stressed by summer.
Don't forget about the herbs that absolutely will not grow well or at all in the south during the summer. We wait for fall to replant cilantro, dill, nasturtiums, salad burnet, and in some cases, even parsley. If you're a southern gardener, enjoy the fall, recompost those beds, seed or transplant your cool season herbs and relax in the mild temperatures.
INDOOR HERB GROWING
If you already have your plants in pots, you're ahead of the game. It's a good idea to trim the plants back a little before you bring them in. At the same time, inspect them closely for any bugs that might want to hitchhike into your house. If you see bugs, such as a few aphids or whitefly, go ahead and spray the plants with an insecticidal soap. If you'd like to make your own soap, I've found that Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap makes a great insecticidal soap. The peppermint seems to act as a repellent and the pure castile soap works great as a bug killer! Add a little light horticultural oil or even vegetable oil to help the soap stick. (If you'd like to try Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap and can't find it, drop me a line. I just got some in, but haven't put it on the web site yet.) You need to find the right spot for your plants indoors so they'll thrive and make good, lush growth for your supply of herbs. Herbs do best with lots of light so you need a bright window, even a window with sun shining in. Without lots of light, your herbs could grow leggy with smaller leaves, leaving you with fewer harvestable leaves.
If you don't have a place with good natural light, then you need to provide light. If you have only a few pots, a grow light would be a wise choice. If you have lots of plants and grow lights seem expensive, regular fluorescent lights work fine. An inexpensive shop light fixture suspended over your herbs will provide them with ample light. Position the light about 4"-6" above the plants so the branches don't stretch. You'll need to leave lights on about 16 hours a day. You can turn the lights on and off manually, or set up a simple timer.
The other necessity for plant growth besides light, of course, is water. While your herbs need water, more indoor herbs (and other house plants) are killed through over watering than under watering. It's important to let your pots dry out between watering. That way, you'll allow oxygen to enter the soil and then the roots for good growth.
Another problem sometimes encountered with indoor plants of all kinds is fungus gnats. These little bugs aren't quite as nasty as they sound. But, they are an annoyance. If you see little black bugs flying around your plants and landing on and hanging around the soil, it's probably fungus gnats. Fungus gnats are supported by constantly moist soil, so you can prevent them by not over watering.
Now that you have the general guidelines for keeping herbs healthy indoors, how do you get your herbs indoors if they're not in pots already? There are several ways. Some herbs grow easily from cuttings, some can be dug out wholly, and some can have part of the large plant dug out and potted.
Some of the easiest herbs to grow from cuttings are basil, mints, rosemary, and the oregano/marjoram family. Mints and basil can root cuttings in water, while rosemary and others need to root in a soilless medium. For a tutorial
With herbs like thymes, parsley, chives, cutting celery, mints, oreganos and more you can dig up a portion of the root ball and pot it. Simply take a trowel or small shovel and push it through the root ball until you separate a small section from the "mother plant". Trimming back the plant by about a third at this time will help the plant survive the shock of transplanting. Also prune away any damaged roots before you pot the plant.
Use well draining medium for you indoor potted herbs. You might want to check the soil in plants that have been outdoors for the summer and make sure the soil is still loose and well draining. You can fluff up the soil a little with a cultivator.... I use an old fork.... and add more soil if the soil in the pot has settled.
With care and a little effort you can have flavorful fresh herbs growing indoors all winter long. Don't forget the eye appeal healthy pots of herbs have for your kitchen or where ever you decide to grow your plants. I have lived in the north, Wisconsin and Michigan, and I know the value of green and growing things indoors during the long winter months. Fertilize your plants sparingly with a liquid organic fertilizer, check for bugs and enjoy your herbs.
Pablo Picasso - art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life
Until next time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
November 2002
A couple of years ago,
Sage is a strong herb and if used too generously, can be unpleasant. But, a light touch with sage does wonders for roast potatoes, pork roast and even an omelet. Sage is a flavorful addition to an herb butter. Sage tea is refreshing..... add a little honey since the sage is not sweet. Sage has been used as a topical antiseptic to cleanse a wound and to ease the pain of insect bites.
As with many herbs we are familiar with only as a culinary ingredient, sage has a long and varied history with any number of ancient civilizations. Dioscorides, the ancient Greek physician, was familiar with sage for its medicinal properties, as were the Egyptians who used it to increase fertility. In Central American the leaves of a variety of sage, S. microphylla, are infused to make a drink to treat fever. And, in Mexico, the mucilaginous seeds of S. hispanica are mixed with lemon juice, water and sugar to make a drink known as "chia". S. miltiorhiza (known as red ginseng, because of its red roots) has been used in Chinese medicine since 206 BC.
As you may know, there are many varieties of plants in the Salvia family. Most are edible and all are ornamental to some degree..... some more so than others, of course.The most common culinary variety grown in the US is S. officinalis, common sage. It is a short lived perennial in most of the country, getting woody and less productive for leaf harvest after several years. It can take full sun or part shade in the south, and needs little water. The leaves can be harvested at any time and used fresh or dried. When dried, they still retain lots of the camporaceous oil that gives sage its flavor. Madalene Hill, the doyen of southern herb growing, recommends storing even dried sage in the refrigerator or freezer to keep the oil in the leaves from going rancid.
There are other salvias that are commonly used in cooking or tea such as S. fruticosa or Greek sage and S. elegans or pineapple sage. There are cultivars of S. officinalis called golden sage, purple sage or even tri-color sage which are just as flavorful as the green/gray standard variety and add more color and interest to the garden. S. officinalis 'Berggarten' is a wonderful large, green leaf variety that is very hardy in our humid southern conditions.
S. fruticosa or Green sage has more rounded leaves that S. officinalis and the flowers are mauve to pink or even white in some cases. The plant grows to about 3 ft and will bloom in spring, summer or fall, depending on rain fall and temperatures. This variety is very edible, in fact, much of the packaged rubbed sage sold commercially is a mix of S. officinalis and S. fruticosa.
Anyone who enjoys herb tea knows the value of Pineapple sage or S. elegans. This bright red flowering sage is delicious in tea, cookies and even mixed with fruit juice in drinks. It is a hummingbird magnet in the fall here in Texas, and blooms right up until frost.
There are many forms of purely ornamental salvias, which I won't go into in this essay because they are too numerous and diverse. They are a topic to be covered in another newsletter. All salvias make interesting and worthy landscape plants, however. The colored forms of S. officinalis add interest to perennial beds. There is even a dwarf S. officinalis which makes a cute border with its gray/green narrow leaves. Pineapple sage, as I've mentioned, has bright red flowers in late summer and fall. All blooming salvias attract butterflies and other pollinators to the garden.
Salvias are a family of plants known and used since ancient times. One of the things I like about growing herbs is the historical connection. To think that the same plant I have in my garden was grown and used thousands of years ago gives me a sense of connection with the men and women of long ago. Grow or purchase some fresh sage for your holiday meals this season. Think of the Greeks, the Egyptians and the new world people as you take in its musty, aromatic scent. And then enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.
Much of the historical information about sage in this newsletter comes from Deni Bown's book, The Herb Society of American Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses.
Until next time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
December 2002
Madder than a wet hen...
The weather today is conducive to staying indoors putting on a pot of soup or stew, baking savory bread or sweet, buttery cookies, curling up with a book or even going over your garden notes from last season. I've learned to actually keep notes on growing conditions both in the greenhouse and the display gardens. I track germination times, hardiness, water needs, sun or shade preference and mature size of different plants. If you like using a computer, set up a database for yourself listing your plants, various characteristics, notes throughout the season, and perhaps where you acquired the seeds or plants and the cost. You can include anything that you would find helpful to evaluate your plants. It gives you a way to evaluate new plants and old favorites.
Last month I profiled sage, often used in holiday cooking. This month I find myself thinking about an herb often used in soups, stews and other winter dishes, and to my way of thinking, not used enough: thyme. Thyme is considered a savory herb and compliments beef, chicken or pork as well as vegetarian soups and bean dishes. Since some varieties of thyme are hardy to zone 4, many people can have fresh thyme even during the winter. Thyme is an herb that dries well, too, so you can dry it for use in the kitchen. Thyme is an excellent addition to a savory herb butter or herbal vinegar.
Growing thyme in most of the country poses no special problems. It's a Mediterranean herb, so it likes more alkaline soil, good drainage and lots of sun. If you live where it humidity is a problem, like I do, some of the same tips for growing lavender will aid in growing thyme. Adding organic amendments to the soil for better drainage and mulching with gravel so the leaves don't rest on damp soil will help thyme survive rainy winters and steamy summers. Harvest thyme at any time, even using the flowers. Cutting the plants back by about 2/3 during the hottest part of the summer will help where humidity is high, and you'll have lots of branches for tea, vinegar, herb bundles or for drying.
There are various varieties of thyme, the most common being Thymus vulgaris, or English Thyme. This is the most common for culinary use. A favorite with me is the lemon thyme or T. x citriodorus, especially the variegated type. It simply glows in the garden. Silver edged thyme, T. vulgaris spp. is another especially pretty one with a silver edge on all the leaves.
Many people are familiar with T. praecox or creeping thyme. This one makes a nice ground cover or a planing around stones in a pathway. Mother of thyme or T. serpyllum, is another good ground cover or to plant in a rock garden. These are edible, but since they grow so low to the ground they tend to collect soil on their leaves more readily and be difficult to harvest. Wooly thyme, T. pseudolanuginosus is another attractive, low growing variety that is edible, but not usually used as such. Caraway thyme or T. herba-barona is a lovely tiny shrubby variety that tastes of nutmeg, caraway or even lemon.
The flowers of thyme are tiny, labiate flowers indicating the inclusion of thyme in the large Labiatae or mint family. Colors can range from white to magenta with all the pinks in between. Thyme flowers are very much loved by bees and small butterflies. The flowers are edible, of course.
Medicinally, thyme has been used for cough remedies combined with other herbs. Thyme oil from some varieties is used in aromatherapy for, among other things, aches and pains, depression, and skin and scalp complaints. Thyme oil from T. capitatus or conehead thyme is an ingredient in men's toiletries, food flavoring and soap. This variety should not be used in aromatherapy as it is irritating to the mucous membranes. T. vulgaris contains the compound thymol and is used in many commercial products such as toothpaste, topical anti-rheumatic preparations and mouthwash.
In the garden, thyme can be planted as a companion plant to control flea beetles, cabbage moths and other cabbage pests. Of course, it attracts pollinators to the garden as well. There are many more varieties of thyme than I have listed here, and new crosses can happen in your garden. Thyme is a versatile plant to be used in the garden and in the kitchen. When you're planning your spring herb plantings, give thymes another look.
selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live
Oscar Wilde
Until next time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
The Herb Cottage is proud to offer high quality seeds from Botanical Interest, Inc., a family owned seed business located in Broomfield, Colorado. 