herbs from your garden
Planning Your Herb Garden
Your Herb Garden
If you’re like most herb gardeners, browsing through seed catalogues and selecting a few herb varieties to plant can be overwhelming.
The sheer number of options may tempt you to plant them all, but limited space, time, and energy make that impractical.
Herbs can be categorized into three types: herbaceous, evergreen, and annual.
The classification depends on their growth patterns, plant type, and habits. Herb herbs are perennial, back in winter but regrowing in spring.
Examples of herbaceous herbs include oregano, tarragon, bee balm, mint, chives, sweet fennel, and winter savoury.
These herbs don’t require pruning; simply cut them off at ground level at the end of the season.
Mint should be approached with caution as it spreads quickly and can overtake your garden.
Evergreen herbs are also perennial but require pruning if not regularly harvested.
Prune them in the fall or early spring. Sage, rosemary, and thyme are examples of evergreen herbs.
When pruning, focus on removing old branches without signs of new growth or any broken ones entangled with others.
When harvesting evergreen herbs, carefully cut only a section of leaves at a time, making sure there is still new growth.
Avoid excessive cutting as it may hinder new growth.
Annual herbs, such as basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, and chervil, need to be replanted every year as they don’t return after dying.
For a continuous harvest, sow these herbs every four to six weeks during the season.
Remove any flower buds you spot on annual herb plants, as they usually reduce leaf production.
Once they flower and go to seed, their usefulness in the kitchen diminishes.
When deciding which herbs to plant, choose those you will use in cooking.
While it may be tempting to have a diverse collection, it’s not practical.
Focus on herbs you know you’ll use, and consider that some herbs have a better flavour when dried, like sage.
It’s advisable to buy herbs you prefer fresh and maybe experiment with one or two new varieties.
Avoid planting more types than you can adequately care for, as even low-maintenance herbs require some attention.
Lastly, consider the suitable zones for different herbs.
If your favourite herb doesn’t thrive in your zone, it’s best to skip it or grow it indoors in a container.
Planting an herb that will likely die before harvest serves little purpose.