Is your kitchen garden filled with bounty but lacking a little pizzazz?
Take some sage advice from the gurus of growing herbs: Adding a few aromatic plants will spice up the garden and table.
“If you remotely like food, using fresh herbs — more than any other ingredient — will take your cooking to a higher level,” says Jeff Sorenson, co-owner of Rabbit Shadow Greenhouse in Loveland.
With his wife, Emily, Sorenson sells close to 200,000 herb seedlings yearly. Colorado’s arid conditions means they’re less challenging than many think — and many are drought-tolerant, making them a good choice for home gardens.
It’s their versatility that drew Tammi Hartung.
“There are dozens of culinary uses for herbs, and once you start having fresh herbs, you don’t want to go back to dry ones,” says Hartung, author of “Homegrown Herbs” ($19.95, Storey Publishing). But be warned: She finds them addictive. “Once you get a fondness for them, you want every single type.”
She should know. Hartung grows 500 varieties for wholesale to garden centers across Colorado on her Cañon City-based Desert Canyon Farm. But recommending which to grow is tricky, said Hartung; people have different tastes. Grow what you like to cook with, she advises.
If growing herbs indoors interests you, Hartung suggests two with spectacular foliage: ginger and turmeric. “Ginger is a wonderful houseplant, very tropical-looking. Harvest the roots at the beginning of January as they go dormant. Use some, then plant the others. But don’t overwater — they’ll rot.”
Turmeric can be done this way, too. Plant the orange, iris-like rhizome sideways into a 12-inch clay pot. Then be patient while waiting for the foliage. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and it will grow into a large, beautiful houseplant.
Healing properties, too
Culinary herbs are a great gateway into the healing properties of herbs, said microbiologist Cindy Jones, whose Sagescript Institute makes and sells herbal products online and at area farmers markets.
The author of “The Antibiotic Alternative” ($11.66, Healing Arts Press) turned to creating herbal products after retiring from medical writing.
“I learned a lot about herbs as a medical writer, about the evidence- based benefits of them.”
She learned, as well, that it’s important to check with your doctor first before trying herbs medicinally. Never mix them with medications or if you have other heath problems. That said, there are common medicinal herbs that are easy to grow and easy to use.
“I think it’s great for every family to have medicinal herbs, like mint to soothe the tummy, or something for headaches, simple rashes and scrapes. . . . Calendula is great; I use it a lot. Medical studies have shown that it promotes healing, so I use it in knuckle balm, along with myrrh, plantain for soothing and a touch of orange oil.”
Good neighbors
Herbs don’t need a separate garden; they can be incorporated into beds throughout a landscape.
“Herbs are a really easy thing to grow with perennials,” says Sarah Marcogliese, owner of Native Earth Landscape in Golden. “Mother of thyme is great in borders, because it’s not as compact; it fluffs up.” Other thymes do well in pathways and as a small hedge along borders.
Visual stunners — herbs with unusual or brightly colored foliage — are perfect companions for ornamental plants, says Marcogliese, a member of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. Try pairing silver- leafed plants with the deep purple colors of Red Rubin basil.
One of Marcogliese’s favorites is garlic chives. “They have gorgeous, flat leaves that look like grass, then they get white flowers (in their second season). They’re perfect in annual beds, paired with ground covers, or popped in niches in rock gardens.”
Whenever you’re incorporating herbs into a landscape, keep in mind that you’ll want access to them. So put them where you can reach them, toward the front or along paths through the area.
Read Carol O’Meara on her blog gardeningafterfive.wordpress.com
Five herbs for your kitchen garden
Five must-have herbs for a kitchen garden:
1. Basil, a fast-growing annual, comes in many varieties, including sweet, cinnamon, lime and Genovese. Petite Pistou keeps a 4-inch-tall round form, perfect for formal borders. For stunning beauty and spice, try African Blue, a big plant with gorgeous green and purple leaves and spires of showy purple blossoms.
2. Oregano. For “true” flavor, plant Greek oregano; the Italian is a cross between marjoram and Greek oregano. Golden Greek or Norton gold are milder forms, but their chartreuse leaves make them a designer’s dream.
3. Parsley. One of the simplest to grow. Flat-leaf and curled varieties do well in containers.
4. Thyme. This herb is a favorite of cooks, and the most popular is French thyme, but look for golden lemon, lime or silver for eye-catching plantings.
5. Chives. This easy perennial pops back year after year, so plant it where it can remain undisturbed. For extra zing, shatter the petals of chive blossoms over a salad (but go lightly until you get used to the strong onion flavor).
Full sun, low water
Here are Jeff Sorenson’s tips for growing carefree herbs:
• Choose a spot that gets six hours or more sun per day. If growing indoors, pick a bright window to set them in.
• Amend the soil with compost but just enough to help the soil drain well. If planting in a container, use a well-draining potting mix.
• Once they’re established, water sparingly; overwatering kills herbs. But they can’t dry completely between waterings. Touch the soil to feel if it’s mostly dry before irrigating.
• Grow herbs lean, without a lot of fertilizer. One application in spring of a low-level, slow-release food is enough for the season.
• Harvest herbs the day of use by pinching them off; locate the cut above one or two sets of mature leaves. (This allows the plant to recover and keep growing).
Spa luxuries from the herb garden
Want a spa in your own home? Cindy Jones, whose Sagescript Institute makes and sells herbal products, has some suggestions for pampering yourself with herbs:
Carol O’Meara, Special to The Denver Post
