Herbs and Herb Gardens

[Dinadan]

I have been wondering if anyone else on this forum is interested in herbs. I know that there is the All About Vegetation, House Plants, Gardens, Trees ect. thread, but I decided to post something a little more focused.

Rosemary

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I am no expert, or master herb grower, but I do usually have a few common herbs growing somewhere around my backyard. Right now I have Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Basil, and Spearmint. Those are all in the mint family. I also have Parsley, Garlic Chives, and Green Onions. I actually use the Rosemary, Sage, and Parsley in my cooking. The others not so much. I do like to top my soup with chopped Onion or Garlic Chives. So that is five that I actually eat.

Sage

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But for me the real pleasure of herbs is the smell. Fragrance, if you will. I consider that our sense of smell is the least used of our senses, but it is just as real as the other senses. When I am walking around in my little garden, or back yard if you prefer, I always pinch a leaf or two off of a couple of herbs and just inhale the aroma of the crushed leaves. Parsley has a bitter odor, as befits an herb that is special to death and the Devil. Sage and Rosemary ... they smell like Sage and Rosemary: not sure how to describe them. Spearmint is the epitome of mint fragrance. Catnip is also a classic mint aroma. The cats love licking my fingers after I have crushed a Catnip leaf.

Catnip

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Here are a few photos of my Herb area. If any of you fellows grow herbs, I would like to see how you do it.

My favorite locations for Herbs is along the East and South walls of our house. Here is the East wall with some rampant Parsley plants along with several smaller plants.

East wall

Here is the South wall with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic Chives.

South Wall

I have some wild herbs elsewhere in my garden, but I will put some of those in another post. If anyone looks at this post, anyway. I tend to think of growing herbs as being an old man's pastime. I am an old man and I know that some of you are as well, so I am hoping to get a few photos of your gardens.

[Waukonda]

Very interesting post, Mel! If you like to tickle your olfactory sense, try growing some Lemon Balm. I have had a few plants along the side of my house for years. Like you, I love to pluck a leaf or two and enjoy the smell after I crush them. I also do the same with some wild mint plants that I transplanted years ago. My Grandmother always had Dill and Rosemary growing on the East side of her house. The scent of Dill is another favorite of mine.

[Jeepergeo]

We have a lot of rosemary growing as groundcover and use it frequently in cooking. A log of rolled rosemary makes a great basting brush for steaks too. Next we have plenty of chives and green onions that also are used several times per week. Thyme does just ok. The cilantro went to seed so that needs to be restarted.

[FRJ]

Great post, Mel.
When my Susan was with me I would grow herbs, much the same as you describe in your comments.
Thyme and Sage and other interesting herbs that I don't recall now. It was fun.
I built and elevated box to grow them in. Since she is gone I don't cook as I used to so that routine has come to an end.
Truly, much of what I did there wasn't as successful as I would have liked much to my own lack of passion for it, however I did enjoy it at the time.

[Dinadan]

Thanks for the kind words, fellows.

Ike - I have been meaning to try growing Dill, just have not got around to it yet. For many years I had a patch of wild Mountain Mint, which smells very minty. It died off one year and I have not got around to replanting it.

Jeepergeo - I will try to remember to use some Rosemary for a basting brush: I have plenty. This time of year I use Garlic Chives and Green Onions a few times a week. I chop them and put one or the other on top of my soup. (I eat soup for lunch a few days a week.)

Joe - a lot of stuff I try to grow is not as successful as I would like. One reason I grow herbs is that I have not been successful with vegetables. Thyme does not like it in my garden. I have one Thyme plant, and the best I can say is that is is not dead. This spring I planted some Horehound and Chamomile and other seeds. They sprouted, but did not last long.

[Dinadan]

Garlic Chives are a great herb to grow, at least in the shady areas of my back yard. I planted some Garlic Chives about ten years ago, and the clumps are still thriving amid all the other ground cover. I just forgot they were there for years, then one day I noticed that they still looked and tasted good.

Garlic Chives

The leaves are bigger than regular Chives, and they have a flat cross section instead of being hollow. They do have a garlic flavor.

Garlic Chives

I like to top my soup with chopped Garlic Chives or Green Onions: today it was the chives, tomorrow probably onions.

Garlic Chives, soup, and book

When I am out gathering herbs, I try not to disturb anyone who is having a private moment. I always like seeing Box Turtles in my garden, looks like there may be a few more next year.

Box Turtles