Herbs

Lavender Debs wrote:Winter savory: I planted it when I lived in the mountains but I think my ducks ate it. Here is what my funky old herbal tells me about it...

Satureja montana Winter Savory
Perennial, a woody shrubby plant growing to about 30cm/12in high...

Sow seed in shallow drills or take cuttings in summer, each with a woody heel. Set out in a sunny position in poor, dry soil, about 60cm/2ft apart. The plants often become straggly and need sharp pruning, but respond well to this and can be shaped into a low, compact hedge. The leaves generally survive the winter, though occasionally drop off during frosts; the plants may need protection during cold weather.

Aromatic, digestive and antiseptic herbs, both savories dispel wind and regularize the bowels. Fresh leaves rubbed on wasp stings are immediately soothing.

As I understand it, "dispelling wind" is why they are often cooked with beans, not because of the flavor they impart

Cilantro From an earlier post in this thread, In the cold PNW where everything grew slow last summer, I had tremendous success with 9 to a square. I used "Pokey Joe" which was said to be a slow bolt. Cilantro is cut and come again. I use it so often that it never got crowded. It is one of the few herbs that I only use fresh unless I want seed. Once it went to seed it had self-thinned to 3 plants. I had put it in a perimeter square so it grew prettily over the edge instead of crowding its neighbors. Whether I want cilantro or not, the day I notice it making “feathery” foliage is the day I cut it back (or decide to let it go to seed). I think eating the feathery leaves are why many people find the taste of cilantro offensive instead of refreshing (said the blue eyed blond….I’m not sure my Latino neighbor feels the same way)

Your comment about being a blue eyed blond vs. Latino neighbor made me chuckle. As it happens, I am a blue eyed blond that is also Latino (go figure recessive genes). I can assure you that feathery leaves of cilantro are most refreshing in my household. I am also going to grow some this year.

I have bookmarked the following link. It has some very helpful tips about growing cilantro from seed. Cilantro will bolt at the drop of a hat, so this information may be helpful to you:

http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-cilantro.html

Also, if you happen to have a large farmers market in your area, you might be able to get coriander seeds at a good price. I got a small tub of coriander seeds for 35 cents and a small tub of fennel for 49 cents. They were out of anise when I went, but I expect to get some of that for our butterflies next time I go to farmers market.

I wish you much success with your herbs!!

Happy gardening~

Turan wrote:The cumin has sprouted!  It looks just like carrot sprouts.  I moved it off the heat mat to where it gets lots of sun and light.  

This thread is a wealth of herbal information.

Im so glad to have found this thread, as I was thinking of starting one on the herbs we are going to grow this year and I agree with Turan above.....this thread is a wealth of herbal information!!
we are turning an old 1x7 SFG bed into a 25 square or so herb bed   finally I can have an just herb bed.....i have always and still do plant herbs thru out the garden and in lots of pots or containers but it will be so nice to have a large variety in one place......before I didn't want to use so much space as it felt like if we didn't eat all of the herbs it was a waste of space so to speak....I want to learn more about the health benefits while growing and using them....

we are getting some new baby chicks in April and from what I have read, chickens love herbs and they are so good for their health....so not only is our family going to benefit from these herbs our chickens will too! Now it feels justified to have a larger area for herbs   

here is what we plan on growing in our new herb area:

these we have grown before

More for health and culinary:

Dill
Cilantro
Parsley
chamomile
sweet basil
Rosemary
Tarragon
Lavender
stevia
Borage
Chives
Nasturtiums

Used more for medical:

Fever Few
Echinacea

these are the new herbs we want to grow:

More for health and culinary:

Cyanine pepper
Lemon Balm
Marjoram
savory
sage
Lemon grass
Cinnamon Basil
Winter thyme
Peppermint

More for medical purpose

Burdock  (don't know much about this as it came in a packet with other herbs)
Yarrow    (don't know much about this as it came in a packet with other herbs)
St. Johns Wort
Valerian

Burdock and Yarrow has anyone used or grown these two before?

if I get a chance Im going to try and post a pic of a layout with all these herbs and see if we need to move some around.  I know things like the Pepper mint, Lemon Balm, Marjoram and Rosemary we are going to plant in a pot and sink it into the square and cover it with MM so to keep them more in control.....I need advice on anything else you all think we should do the same thing with   

happy planting
rose

O sounds lovely plans!
I always wanted to do a medieval herb garden with myrtle and rosemary hedges trimmed into a Celtic knot. Not that I have that sort of patience   

Any rate. I have yarrow but do not know of its uses. I grow the pastel pink to yellows and the white. They have naturalized here. The flowers are great for beneficial insects and are usually humming with them. In the spring the sheep and chickens really search out the yarrow leaves, I think as a tonic for over consumption of green grass. When I plant a tree I put some clumps of yarrow around it. A warning though, it can be invasive. It spreads by runners and seeds.

Turan wrote:O sounds lovely plans!
I always wanted to do a trimmed into a Celtic knot.  Not that I have that sort of patience   

Any rate.  I have yarrow but do not know of its uses.  I grow the pastel pink to yellows and the white.  They have naturalized here.  The flowers are great for beneficial insects and are usually humming with them.  In the spring the sheep and chickens really search out the yarrow leaves, I think as a tonic for over consumption of green grass.  When I plant a tree I put some clumps of yarrow around it.   A warning though, it can be invasive.  It spreads by runners and seeds.  

 oh thanks for telling me about the Yarrow....I for sure will plant it in a pot and sink it into the MM square and cover.....will make sure to not let it go to seed.  Will it come back up again the next year if its kept in that pot?

thanks again.....this kind of info I really appreciate!

the medieval herb garden with myrtle and rosemary hedges would be awesome!

hugs
rose

It is a perennial, if that is what you mean. Very hardy.

FamilyGardening, watch out for the lemon balm, it can become a "thug" and attempt to take over the whole bed.  It is very hard to contain.  Treat it like the mints with strong, impenetrable borders.  The large bed I inherited with a house in Portland, OR, had a plot of lemon balm that defied attempts to dig it up.  It was a solid block of fibrous roots.  Lovely herb, but hard to deal with after maturity.  I'm just saying.  Nonna

Turan wrote:It is a perennial, if that is what you mean.  Very hardy.

yep....that's what I mean   perennial

Im still learning the difference between perennial and self sown   was worried if I didn't let it go to seed it might not come back up   

thanks again
rose

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:FamilyGardening, watch out for the lemon balm, it can become a "thug" and attempt to take over the whole bed.  It is very hard to contain.  Treat it like the mints with strong, impenetrable borders.  The large bed I inherited with a house in Portland, OR, had a plot of lemon balm that defied attempts to dig it up.  It was a solid block of fibrous roots.  Lovely herb, but hard to deal with after maturity.  I'm just saying.  Nonna

I was planning on planting it in a pot and then sinking that pot into the MM of its square....do you think that would work?

hugs
rose

Treat lemon balm like the mints.  Surround it with a barrier to keep it in bounds.  I'd sink a deep pot in the earth outside the square foot beds, fill it with soil and mel's mix and plant some lemon balm (or mint).  Keep a watch on it for leaping, or tunneling under the barrier.  We are still removing apple mint starts from an innocent planting 30 years ago around the cattle watering tub.  I find it coming up in the darnedest places, some 10 years after we stopped keeping cattle. Nonna