Harvesting My Herbs

I have been harvesting my herbs for awhile now both for immediate use and for preserving for later. 

Many herbs I just pop into a freezer bag and put  in the freezer.  This winter I can just take out the amount I need for a recipe.  After freezing they easily crumble into whatever dish I am creating.  I use them fresh from the bag without thawing first.  I also prepare some by drying. In this case I rinse them off and set them on the trays of my dehydrator.  I don't turn the dehydrator on.  At room temperature in my dry climate they are usually dry in a day or so.  I then seal them in storage bags or glass jars and store in a cool dry place.  Again, I don't crumble them but leave them as whole as possible to preserve as much as the oils as possible. 

Of the many herbs I use fresh from the garden basil is one of my favorite.  I don't think you can ever have too much basil.  When using herbs don't be afraid to experiment.  As long as you know it is edible and does not cause any problems for you specifically (such as allergic reactions) feel free to try different combinations and see what you think.  I love fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, chives, and cheese in my scrambled eggs.  Another way I love basil is to layer fresh zucchini, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and green onions in a glass pie pan and bake in the oven until the zucchini is tender.  Sometimes I top it with cheese before baking.  Since it is almost time to eat I think I will go prepare some right now.

Learning About Herbs

Herbs have been a love of mine for as long as I can remember.   When I was young the only herb I remember using fresh was parsley.  Dried oregano was something I always added to pasta sauce although my mom thought I added too much.  I love the smells and tastes of herbs whether fresh or dried.  Learning about herbs is an ongoing process for me.  I have been compiling a list of herb resources that you may want to check out.  If you know of any sites to add please let me know.

Drying and pressing flowers

Have you dried or pressed flowers?  Oregano (the purple flowered variety) has beautiful flowers that dry easily.  Pansies can be set face down and just shrink as they dry creating lovely minature pansies.  Most of my flower drying has just involved placing the flowers in a vase without water or lying them on a dehydrator tray.  Smaller delphinum flowers can turn out beautifully although they are quite fragile. Bachelor buttons are among the flowers that add nice color to potpourri.  Rose petals and lavender are the flowers I dry most often.  Potpourri, decorating sachets, and creating dried arrangements is how I have used most of my dried flowers.  Pressing flowers is something I have little experience with.  Flower Pressing Secrets can give me more ideas of how to dry and press flowers and how to use them.

Basic Herb Growing

I have written a booklet on Basic Herb Growing - available as a PDF for just .75
Check it out and let me know what you think!

Drying herbs

I have begun harvesting herbs for drying.  In my climate it is fairly easy to just lay the herbs on screening and let them dry.  I use trays from my dehydrator.  The air has been warm enough and lacking in humidity so the herbs have dried very well in a short period of time.  I could use my dehydrator since it has a low temperature setting but with the warm weather we have had I felt the herbs would dry quickly enough.  I place the trays out of direct sunlight and check them a few times per day.  So far this season I have dried oregano, dwarf oregano, thyme, lemon thyme, spearmint, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, applemint, rose petals, and sage.  Herbs can also be hung upside down for drying.

Compost

Compost is decomposed organic matter. It is what nature does naturally. Soil in a forest is very rich in organic matter because of the plant and animal life that has returned to the soil.

Compost is fantastic for soil improvement - adding organic matter, nutrients, and microorganisms to your soil.  I know of nothing better for soil improvement whether your soil is clay, sandy, or lacking in nutrients.

Soil microorganisms help plants get the nutrients and water they need.  Another benefit to composting - Significantly reduce the amount of garbage you will need to dispose of.

A variety of items can be added to your compost pile including: spoiled vegetables and fruits and vegetable and fruit peelings, plant debris, prunings, straw, leaves, bedding from vegetarian pets, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, cotton fabric, cardboard and paper – not slick – although it may be better to recycle paper in another way. You can also add manures from rabbits, cows, horses, goats, poultry, or sheep.

Ideal proportions would be 2/3 brown or dry (dried leaves, straw, etc) to 1/3 wet or green (vegetable peelings, spoiled fruit). If you compost pile is smelly it is because the proportions are wrong, your pile is too wet, or you have added things that should not be in a compost pile.

There are some items that should not be put into a compost pile: meat, bones, fat, dairy, manures or litter from carnivores including dogs and cats. Ammonium sulfate is not needed for the composting process and I feel defeats the purpose because of the harm it can cause to microorganisms.

For more information and ideas about composting visit my website blog.

Perennial herbs -  thymes, sage, oreganos, Bronze fennel, French tarragon

Perennial Herbs

Mints in Pots - Applemint, Spearmint, Pineapple Mint, Chocolate Mint

Many of my perennial herbs are grown in 2 x4' Square Foot Garden boxes.  Mints are planted in their individual pots so they won't take over my garden. I also have peppermint in a larger area from which it cannot escape.  I use peppermint more and since it is next to the house it may also be a good insect/rodent repellant - although my cat is a good rodent repellant.

One of my perennial boxes contains oregano, dwarf oregano, lemon thyme, English thyme, Bronze fennel, and French tarragon.  The other box has chives, garlic chives, sorrel, anise hyssop, and lovage.  I planted lemongrass there for the summer hoping that it would increase in size.  Towards fall I will pot it and bring it back indoors.  Some herbs are perennial in warmer climates but not in my climate (zone 6).  Lemongrass is one of these.
Anyone know how to get the individual lemongrass stalks to increase in thickness?
I also grow lemon verbena, scented geraniums, and bay in pots which I bring outdoors after the temperature is over 45 F and return them to house in the fall when it is predicted to drop below 45.  In addition I have two lemon trees, a navel orange, grapefruit, and lime that also enjoy the summer outdoors.

In other parts of the yard I have golden sage, lavenders, silver thyme, catnip, creeping thymes as well as common and unusual edibles.
I look forward to increasing my collection to more than what it was a couple moves ago when I had 14 varieties of mint and several thymes and oreganos among other plants.

Spring Snows

When heavy, wet snow comes in Spring (or in Fall) check your herbs - especially the shrubs and trees.  Extra weight from the snow can damage plants either breaking branches, permanently damaging the form, or pulling the plants out of the ground.  Plants with new leaves in the spring or those that haven't lost leaves in the fall are the most susceptible.  Gently knock snow from branches. A broom works well for this purpose.

Seed Catalogs & Garden Planning

Seed catalogs are coming in the mail.  They are so fun to explore and are a great source of information and enjoyment - especially when I can't be out working in the garden.  I can be planning my garden and yard for spring - deciding what to grow and where to grow everything.  If you haven't gardened much in the past it is good to start with a few things - what do you enjoy eating or using the most.  Do you love tomatoes and basil?  Then those could be some great things to start with.

Some of my favorite books for information whether you are experienced or a beginner:
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
Smithsonian Handbooks: Herbs (Smithsonian Handbooks)
The Pleasure of Herbs: A Month-by-Month Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying Herbs
Growing & Using Herbs Successfully (Garden Way Book)

My favorite magazines include:
Herb Companion
Organic Gardening

One of my favorite sources for herb plants and seeds:
Richters

Open-pollinated and heirloom seed sources