Happy Herb Gardening -------------with Lucia

Basil   Basil is the most popular culinary herb. It flavors tomato dishes, chili, and spaghetti. Pesto, with garlic and oil, is best with basil.

Bay Tree   Bay is a dense growing evergreen tree with nutty flavored leaves. It is the main ingredient in a bouquet garni and important seasoning in soups, stews and sauces. It is an evergreen tree here in North Florida, plant in sun or part shade.

Catnip    Makes older cats feel like kitty! Use in sleep tea for humans. In many parts of the world, a medicinal catnip tea is given to babies. Grow in sun or partial shade. If your cat (or the neighbor's cat) rolls and breaks the branches, put a tomato cage around it allowing your cat to eat what grows out of the cage.

Chamomile   Chamomile, with its fragrant little daisy flowers, is highly valued as a tea. The flowers may also be used in a hair rinse for blondes or in a facial steam. Grow in springtime sun for best flowers.

Chive    Onion flavor for salads, vinegars, and marinade. Chives have purple flowers in March and April. Keep in full sun and harvest regularly for tall, upright thick leaves. If your chives fall over, you are not harvesting enough.

Garlic chive    Garlic flavor for salads, vinegars and marinade The garlic chives have white flowers in early summer. Keep in full sun.

Comfrey    Use comfrey leaves in a poultice on skin abrasions. "Knit bone" is its nickname because it heals broken bones. Grow comfrey in sun or part shade.

Dill   Dill is a winter annual herb here and should be planted from October through March. Plant successively, so that as the older plants come into flower in early spring, you will have a younger plant to harvest. The beautiful yellow flowers are pretty in flower arrangements.

Echinacea   Echinacea root is a traditional healing herb for colds and other immune deficiencies. The flower is commonly known as purple coneflower. Other colors are now being introduced for the colorful perennial garden.
Echinacea is Herb of the Year--2002.
For more information on Herb of the Year, click on Lucia's Links in the Herb section for the International Herb Association.

Fennel   Fennel looks like dill, so smell the leaves to be sure. It has a licorice taste like basil. Fennel is a perennial here, and a host plant for butterflies. Use the leaves in salads and eat the bulb like celery. It is a perennial flower.

Fennel was Herb of the Year - 1995.

Horehound    Use horehound in tea or make candy for coughs and sore throats. It is can be a perennial and a gray colored plant, so do not over-water.

Lavender  Lavender was Herb of the Year 1999   Herbal skin splashes, potpourri, sleep pillow, bath herb, cakes and tea. Plant in the sunshine on the edge of your garden so it will dry after a rain. Dont overwater.

French Lavender    Same taste and uses and English lavender. French has serrated leaves and blue flowers. Do not over-water.

Lacy Lavender   Use for blue landscape flowers. Does not smell or taste like the other wonderful lavenders.

Lemon Balm    "Balm" means medicinal plant. Use in the teapot, fruit salads and fish dishes. Plant it in some shade and it will keep its dark green color. It is a hardy perennial

Lemongrass   Use leaves or long white stalks in tea, soups and chicken. It is a must in Oriental cusine. It grows well in summer sunshine.

Marjoram    Marjoram is a easy perennial plant to grow. Use its leaves in tomato dishes

Mint  Mint was Herb of the year 1998

Spearmint    Most popular mint for tea, tabouli and the Kentucky Derby! Use in herb baths and skin preparations as well. Be sure to keep you mints in some sun and do not overwater. Don't forget to fertilize in the summer to give them a boost.

Chocolate Mint   Flavors tea and desserts. Perk your coffee with a sprig.

Orangemint    Flavor white meats-chicken, turkey and pork chops as well as fruit salads

Mountain Mint     has peppermint flavor. It grows upright not creeping. Use the top leaves in a dry flower arrangement when they turn white flowers in fall.

Nasturtium    Peppery tasting leaves and flowers. Use leaves instead of lettuce on sandwich.

Oregano   The spaghetti herb. Use in eggplant dishes too.

Greek Oregano    Same uses as above. Grows upright and darker color.

Mexican Oregano    McCormick spices bottles this upright bush in its seasoning. This plant needs protection at 24 degrees.

Tropical Oregano   It is grown and used extensively in Caribbean and India. Relative of colorful coleus plants. It will freeze at 32 degrees.

Parsley   Not only for garnish! Lots of vitamins A & C. My girlfriend, Tina, makes parsley and tomato salad--no lettuce!

Pineapple Sage    Sweet flavor. Use the leaves and the red flowers. My friend, Jane, wouldnt make Thanksgiving turkey without it. Chicken too. Plant in full sun or partial shade. It has underground runners so give it some room to expand!

Rosemary     Most popular herb. Use in hamburger, steak, potato, tea, and cakes. Helps one to remember. Grows well in sun or a little shade. Don't overwater. If you cannot eat as mush as you harvest, make a little bouquet for each room.

Rosemary was Herb of the Year-2000.

Prostrate Rosemary    Same as above. Use in hanging basket or topiary as it branches more than the upright. It tastes the same as upright and has the same growing requirements.

Sage was Herb of the Year---2001

Sage    Makes one wise. Use in poultry and gravy. Brewed sage is a medicinal tea for sore throats.

Grapefruit sage    Wonderful aroma and edible fuchsia trumpet flowers in spring. Use sparingly on foods.

Soapwort "Wort" means medicinal herbs. It has pretty pink flowers in summer. Use in washing skin.

Tarragon    The Tarragon we grow here is also known as Mexican Mint marigold. It has a licorice flavor. It is tastey in mashed potatoes, fish and chicken Also known as summer tarragon, it has pretty yellow flowers in spring and fall. Some users report that Mexican Mint marigold is slightly stronger and sweeter than French tarragon, with a more pronounced anise-flavor.

Citrus Tarragon     Has pungent aroma and pretty daisy type flowers in spring and fall. Use sparingly in the kitchen. IT is often sold in garden shops as a perennial sunflower bush.

Thyme  Thyme was Herb of the Year ---1997.    Use in salads and marinades. Thyme is the second most popular restaurant herb. Loves the cold weather. Keep in sun and don't overwater.

Lemon Thyme   It has a wonderful lemon and thyme flavor. Use in salads and fish. Same growing requirements as above.

Scented Geraniums    Apple and Coconut are best planted in hanging baskets as they tend to "pup" like spider plants. These geraniums have small, orchid-type flowers. Scented geraniums are not "self-cleaning". You can practice deep breathing aroma therapy when pruning dead leaves from this plant. It is therapy. After all, you originally purchased this plant because you loved its fragrance.
Rose geraniums grow tall and upright. All have small orchid-type flowers in spring and will sprout again after a light freeze. There is Snowflake, chocolate mint and lemon varieties.

  Plant these herbs anytime