GROWING HERBS IN A KITCHEN GARDEN

GROWING HERBS IN A KITCHEN GARDEN:

If you love to cook, you need a kitchen garden with lots of fresh herbs to pick! Have one this summer, situated in a handy place not far from the stove. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh herbs!

Gardens of edible plants were planted and maintained in the earliest days of America. Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello are notable both for their design and their variety of vegetables and herbs. These types of gardens are often called “”kitchen gardens”" because of their convenient placement near the Colonial kitchen, which was usually in a separate small outbuilding (in case of a fire).

Your cooking garden, to start with, could contain a few basic herbs and salad greens. One easy way to create such a garden is to build a small raised square, using pressure-treated landscaping ties or the new recycled plastic ties. If you have an old sandbox, use that! Or make a freeform or rectangular garden. Draw the shape on paper, and make a list of what you’d like to grow.

You don’t need a lot of herb plants for savory cooking additions — just a sprig or two of fresh herbs lend a piquant flavor to your recipes. One to three plants of each will be plenty for a small family. If you like, include some bunching onions and lettuce in your Cooking Garden. All are easily grown from seeds! To plant, follow the easy directions provided on the seed packets.

CAN I GROW HERBS INDOORS IN WINTER?

Sure — any time of year! We suggest especially parsley, chives, basil, sage, oregano and thyme, because the plants stay small. Plant seeds in 4 to 6 inch pots filled with growing medium, and place in a sunny window. Clip off small sprigs as needed. Plants will thrive for a year or more indoors; then replant. You can also grow herbs indoors under fluorescent lights. Herb plants MUST have bright light in order to produce flavorful sprigs.

IS SUMMER TOO LATE TO START AN HERB GARDEN?

No. Annual herbs such as basil and dill grow quickly in warm summer weather. You can also start any perennial herbs in summer, and you’ll still be able to harvest some this year. The next year, the plants will have grown into large clumps for harvesting from spring onwards. May through July is fine for planting annual herbs; June through August is fine for planting perennial herbs.