of young growing flowers
through long sunny days
and a few teary hours ...
She knows in her heart
just what every plant needs,
how to grow a bright dream
from the smallest of seeds ...
Life's garden is blessed
by a Mom's loving touch,
and that's why we cherish
her warm ways so much.
~Jessica St. James
Noah and Andrew gave me a selection of herbs to add to the herb garden. I planted them this afternoon upon our return from a weekend in Asheville.
Thai Basil - an annual. With its pronounced anise-licorice aroma and flavor, Thai basil is excellent with green curries and stir-fry dishes. While the seeds of this variety of basil (referred to as subja in India) have no distinct flavor, they swell and become gelatinous in water and are used in Indian and Asian sweets, drinks and as an appetite suppressant.
Like all basil, this variety likes full sun in well-drained soil that contains well-rotted manure or good compost. Unlike other herbs it can't tolerate drought. Once flourishing, cut every stem of the herb back to the second set of leaves and don't allow it to flower. This will encourage an ongoing supply of basil all summer long.
Dill - a hardy annual of the parsley family. Use of the dill plant varies with the season... leaves in early spring, seeds in the fall. With its simple, clean taste, fresh dill is a natural paired with fish, mild cheeses (cottage cheese), egg dishes (deviled eggs, egg salad), vegetable dishes (beets, cauliflouer, green beans), and potatoes. Dill complements sauces made with cream, sour cream, or yogurt. Cucumbers partner well with dill, either in salads, chilled soups or on tea sandwiches. Dill has been used in pickling for centuries. Use dill sparingly, as the flavor grows.
Dill will grow in most soils but requires a sunny location. It is drought resistant, sprouts easily and will self-seed. An erect umbelliferous plant, dill grows to 3 ft tall. The leaves are feathery and fernlike. Yellow flower umbrels top the plant in mid-summer. Dill is a helpful plant to have in the garden since it attracts beneficial insects whose larvae feed on aphids. To harvest dill, just snip what you need with a scissors, leaving the rest of the plant to keep growing.
Sorrell - a perennial. The name sorrel is derived from the Germanic word sur, and the old French word surele, both meaning sour. It is an ancient herb used by Egyptians and Europeans to impart acidity to foods. Today, it is a popular flavoring for whitefish, soups, and salads in French cooking. The fresh leaf and flower are high in vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.
Cut the stalks back when they begin to bolt in July. The plant will then put out new growth, providing tender leaves all summer long. Plants may be divided in either spring or autumn. Space plants about a foot apart on all sides.
Lemon Balm - a perennial. With of its delicate lemon scent and flavor, lemon balm has wide culinary appeal. Whole fresh leaves may be used as an attractive garnish. Chopped fresh leaves may be used to add zest to sweet or tangy dishes. Lemon balm combines well with allspice, bay leaves, chervil, mint, pepper, rosemary and thyme. A wonderful addition to fruit salads, green salads, herb butters, fruit drinks, and sorbets, it may also be used in egg dishes, custards, soups and casseroles. It works well in stuffings for poultry, lamb or pork and in marinades / sauces for fish. Lemon Balm is the basis of the cordial eau des Carmes and is also found in Benedictine and Chartreuse.
Lemon balm prefers rich moist soil and partial shade. It can tolerate direct sunlight but plants grown in shade tend to be larger and more succulent. It is related to mint in appearance, but it is not as invasive and easier to control. A clump-forming herbaceous perennial, it grows up to 1-2 feet high. Bluish-white or yellow flowers grow from the axils of the leaves and bloom from May to October. After pollination, long oval brown seeds appear. The leaves should be harvested before the flowering for optimum flavour and fragrance. The plant should be cut back in the fall.
Sweet Marjaram - a perennial in the mint family. For several reasons, there is a great deal of confusion in distinguishing marjoram from oregano. For one thing, they have the same genus, Origanum, while the species differ. For another thing, people call them by each other’s names:
- Greek oregano, O. vulgare, is called not only wild marjoram, but also Spanish thyme.
- Cretan oregano, O. onites, is also called pot marjoram or French marjoram.
- Marjoram, O. marjorana, is also called pot marjoram.
- O. heracleoticum is sometimes known as winter marjoram.
Marjoram is sweeter and milder than oregano. Marjoram is typically used in European cooking and is added to fish sauces, clam chowder, butter-based sauces, salads, tomato-based sauces, vinegar, mushroom sauces, and eggplant. The French add marjoram to bouquet garni and herbes fines for flavoring pork, fish, and lamb dishes. In Germany, marjoram is called the “sausage herb” and is used with thyme and other spices in different types of sausages. It is usually added at the end of cooking to retain its delicate flavor or as a garnish. It goes well with vegetables including cabbages, potatoes, and beans. The seeds are used to flavor confectionary and meat products.
Marjoram prefers well-drained soil, full sun, and room to spread. Cut the plant back if it becomes woody, and it will re-grow. It can be used fresh or dried.
A nice resource for all things herbal - http://www.theepicentre.com/index.html
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