Category Archives: herbs

Parsley: Easy to Grow Culinary Herb

Posted on December 13, 2025 | Leave a comment
parsley

flat leaf parsley in January

Parsley is one of those easy to grow culinary herbs that adds beauty to your garden and flavor to your cooking. Here in Northern Virginia, parsley can stay green above ground in mild winters.

Parsley is a biennial, it produces foliage the first year and flowers the second year. I have set aside a small area in the ground I call the parsley patch. There are enough plants so that some are in the first year (when I want to harvest foliage for the kitchen) and some are in the second year (when I want them to flower and develop seed). For extra luck, I also scatter seeds every spring. This way I can harvest fresh parsley year round.

Recently I have discovered that I can winter sow parsley seeds and then transplant them to my patch. After Christmas, I sow seeds in a plastic milk jug and then just let the jug sit outside all winter long. In April, I open it up and transplant the tiny seedlings to the parsley patch. They do not mind the cool spring, in fact I think they prefer it to the hot summers.

Parsley likes organic matter, moisture, and morning sun or dappled sun. My plants are in the ground but parsley can be grown in containers and window boxes for the summer. I grow flat leaf or Italian parsley, which is best for culinary purposes. The curly leaf type is best used as a garnish.

curly parsley in the summer

To harvest parsley, cut outer, older leaves at the base, leaving the core or inner, younger leaves.  Cut with scissors (don’t pull) and put in a large bowl of cool water for about 20 minutes (to wash the foliage and drown any bugs). Pat dry and cut the leaves and stems into small pieces with scissors or a knife.

I use parsley for my bean stew, roasted vegetables, pasta, and salads. I also use the foliage for garnish for holiday dinners and plates of fruit. I have heard of folks using it in smoothies. In addition to its flavor, parsley has high levels of vitamins A, C, and K, plus a high level of chlorophyll that freshens your breath!

Try growing parsley from seed this year to create your own parsley patch. You can either direct sow or use the winter sowing method. Here is a list of more than 100 seed companies.  Or purchase small plants in the spring at local garden centers and either plant in the ground or in a container. Even if you don’t use it in the kitchen it makes a nice green filler.

Leave a comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , , ,

Should I Grow Catnip or Catmint?

Posted on November 15, 2025 | 1 comment

Catmint blossoms up close

Recently I gave a lecture to a local garden club about herbs. A woman asked the difference between catnip and catmint. The names make them sound similar, they both are herbaceous plants that grow in the DC metro area, and they both are in the Nepeta genus, which is in the mint family.

Catnip blooming, photo courtesy of Mountain Valley Growers

Here are the differences. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is the plant we grow for our cats. These plants have nepetalactone, a chemical that is structurally like feline pheromones. You can purchase the catnip plant in containers at garden centers, or you can purchase a seed packet (easy to grow from seed). At garden centers, the plants are in the herb section, not the perennial section. However, catnip is a perennial, hardy to Zone 3, but it is considered weedy looking. The plant grows to 3 feet tall with spikes of small white flowers. The gray-green leaves look like lemon balm leaves. After the plant blooms, goldfinches will flock to eat the seeds, but the plant may also re-seed readily in the garden. People can make herbal teas with catnip for a soothing, calming effect.

Cats’ reactions to catnip vary – some roll around in it in a state of euphoria while others get very mellow and calm. The foliage dries well, and bags of dried foliage are sold commercially to be given to cats as treats.

Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’, photo courtesy of Proven Winners

Catmint is a desirable, ornamental plant for the garden. Catmint is edible but no one eats it or uses it as an herb. There are many Nepeta cultivars and species on the market. In the perennial section of the garden center, you will find containers of cultivars with names such as Walker’s Low, Cat’s Meow, and Cat’s Pajamas. Depending on the variety, catmint will grow to 1 to 3 feet tall and bloom spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers. The plants can be grown in full sun to light shade, in well-drained soil. Part of catmint’s charm is that the plants are summer bloomers, drought and heat tolerant, and deer and rabbit resistant. After they bloom, the flower spikes can be sheared to encourage a subsequent flush of color. Although catmint is commonly sold at local garden centers, one can also order plants from online sources such Digging Dog, Monrovia, and Proven Winners.

Cats may prefer both catnip and catmint or just catnip. If they do roll around in catmint in the garden, the plant will bounce back. Both can be grown in the garden but the one you select depends on if you have cats.

Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’, photo courtesy of Proven Winners

1 Comment

Posted in herbs, perennial plants

Tagged , , , ,

Taking Care of Your Herbs in the Fall

Posted on October 2, 2025 | 4 comments
calendula

calendula

As we enter the fall season our thoughts turn to saving the plants we can and knowing where to cut our losses. Many people who have been growing herbs, especially in containers, are wondering how to overwinter them for next year. On Facebook, they are asking questions such as: Will the herbs make it over the winter, should they be removed or cut back, can they be saved somehow for next year? To answer these questions, there are three things to consider.

Know the plant. Just like not all children or dogs or cats are the same, not all “herbs” are the same. “Herbs” is a catch all phrase for a useful plant but there are many different types. Learn if the plant is an annual, tender perennial or tropical, biennial, perennial, etc. This is objective information that is easy to find on the internet.

Know your zone. If it is an annual plant, it will not matter which hardiness zone you live in since its life cycle is one growing season. It will live, set seed, and die (but you may be able to save seeds). However, if you are growing tender perennials, tropicals, and perennials, it matters if you are in very cold winter place which has a lower zone number, or a mild winter place like Virginia, Zone 7, or even a warm winter area such as Florida, Zone 10. This is objective information that can be found on the internet or this link.

Know about insulation. Many plants will not overwinter if they are in a container because the container does not provide enough insulation. If the same plant were in the ground, it may do much better because the soil provides more insulation. If you are growing a perennial herb in a container, you need to put it in the soil now in order for its roots to become established so it can survive the winter in the ground. Don’t forget to water after you transplant from a container to the garden bed as October can still have hot days.

Here are a few common herbs that I grow in my Virginia garden and how I deal with them in the fall.

Annual Herbs

Basil: By now basil has set seed and is finished for the season. Either save the seed or leave for the birds. The plant can be pulled anytime from now until we get our first frost, typically at the end of October. The frost will kill the plants and you will want to pull them out and compost as the cold will blacken the foliage. If you grew this in a container, it will not matter if you move it to the ground as it is an annual that will die with the first frost.

Cilantro: If you had grown cilantro in the spring, it should have gone to seed by now and you can save the seeds for next year. You can sow cilantro seeds again in the fall with the cool weather but remember to water as the days are still hot. It likes the cool weather and you may have enough time (before frost) to get fresh foliage for cooking but the plant will not survive our winters.

Calendula: By now this plant may look awful because it does not like the summer heat and tends to get powdery mildew on the foliage. It does not matter if it is a container or in the ground, the winter will kill it. You can save the seeds for next year.

Dill: Dill should have set seed by now, which you can save. Dill is a short-lived annual plant that usually sets seeds in mid-summer and then gradually dies by fall. You can pull the plant anytime and sow seeds again next year. If you had it in a container there is no need to move to the ground as it is an annual that should be dying now. The foliage is easy to dry and save to use in winter months. It retains its flavor.

Tender Perennial and Tropical Herbs

lemongrass

lemongrass

Lemon grass and lemon verbena are not going to make it outside in the winter but you can harvest the lemon grass and freeze it. You can dry lemon verbena leaves for tea or potpourri, or you can bring the plant in the house and let it go dormant. They are not pretty when they are dormant, plus they may get spider mites so you have to weigh the effort versus the cost of buying a new plant next year. Lemon grass is actually one of the cheapest plants to purchase if you buy the culm or shoot from an Asian grocery store and root it in soil. Lemon verbena has to be purchased as a small plant at a nursery.

Ginger: Ginger is harvested in the fall before our first frost. When I talk to garden clubs, some people say it does overwinter in the garden while others say it does not so I think it is very microclimate specific. You can either see if your specific spot is warm enough or dig up and harvest the rhizomes. The rhizomes freeze well.

Turmeric: The same is true for turmeric. In general, it will not overwinter here. However, I have one plant in a very warm spot in the garden bed and only that one comes back. The others in cooler spots do not come back. So if you do not want to take a chance, harvest it before the first frost.

fennel

fennel

Fennel: There are two kinds of fennel: bulbing fennel and leaf or foliage fennel. Bulbing fennel is an annual where you harvest or pull the plant, bulb and all, to eat fresh or cooked. By now you should have harvested it. It will not overwinter. Leaf fennel is marginally hardy which means it is really hardy to zone 8 but in our area, it may overwinter depending on the mildness of the winter and the microclimate. Mine are in a full sun, warm spot so mine overwinter well. They can get very large in the summer and in the fall, they set seed. You can collect the seed to sow next year, leave the plant as is in the garden and see if it will overwinter, or cut back and see if the remaining stump or root will overwinter and come back. If you grew this in a container, you can try to move to the ground now and see if it will overwinter.

red flowered pineapple sage plant

pineapple sage

Pineapple sage: Pineapple sage comes into its glory in the fall when it blooms red flowers. This plant also is marginally hardy. Sometimes it comes back next year and sometimes it does not, depending on the winter. It is best to purchase this in the summer when you see it for sale at the nursery because by the time you want it in the fall, it may not be available anymore. It is not grown from seed. Pineapple sage will die back in the winter so you need to prune or cut back after our first frost to clean up. You can leave in the ground and mulch to see if it will come back. I had one that came back for a few years and then it died so I just bought more. If you grew this in a container it should be blooming now so you don’t want to move it or you may lose the blossoms.

Perennial Herbs

Anise hyssop: Anise hyssop has vertical blooms that attract butterflies and bees. It blooms from summer to fall and in the fall. You can cut the flower heads and save the seeds. In the winter, the plant will die back. It comes back in the spring with purple foliage that gradually turns to green when it matures in the summer. This is a hardy perennial but short lived. If you grew it in a container, you can move it to the ground or collect the seed and sprinkle in the ground and you will probably get anise hyssop babies in the spring.

marjorum

Marjoram and oregano

Oregano, marjoram: Mine are in a terraced area and by fall they have set seed and look weedy and overgrown. You can leave as is, cut back the flowering stalks only, or give it a trim to leave a few inches. I personally leave my flower stalks for the birds. In March I cut them back down to where I am seeing new growth at the base. No need to save seeds, this is a perennial plant that will come back every spring. If you have this in a container, move it to the garden bed now and water until established. The marjoram is marginally hardy but the oregano is very hardy. In my garden my marjoram overwinters well since it is a full sun, well-drained area.

Sage, rosemary, lavender: These are woody shrubs that will over winter in my zone 7 area provided the soil has good drainage. If they are in a wet spot, they may get root rot. If you have these in a container now, move them to the garden bed for insulation. Keep in full sun and do not forget to water so the roots can become established before winter. I do not prune the sage back. I have already pruned the lavender plants and leave them as is for the winter.  I have a cold hardy ‘Arp’ rosemary and I can harvest the foliage (and flowers) year-round for cooking or crafts.

Chives: Chives are perennial plants–very easy to grow. The foliage dies down in the fall and comes back in March. No need to cut it back or do anything. If you want to save the foliage to use for cooking before it dies down, you can give it a buzz cut and freeze the foliage in freezer bags or preserve in butter. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed.

Thyme: Thyme plants make great groundcovers. These are hardy perennials that remain above ground in the winter. No need to prune or cut back unless you think it is spreading too much. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed.

thyme

thyme

Mint: Mint should always be grown in containers. Fortunately, they are hardy so they will make it through the winter in the container. The foliage will die down and if you want you can harvest the leaves and dry them for tea before winter.

Lemon balm: This perennial plant will die down in the winter and come back in the spring. If this is in a container, move to the garden bed but if you think it will be too rambunctious, just let it die and buy a new plant next year. Although I do not have the issue, when I talk about lemon balm to garden clubs, many people say it is too assertive in their garden.

Biennial Herbs

Parsley: If you have parsley in a container, you may have to leave as is and let it die because it does not like to be transplanted. If you have it in a garden bed, leave as is. It may stay above ground and green all winter long if we have a mild winter. If it has flowered and set seed, save the seed. This plant grows the first year and then flowers and sets seed the next year. So any plant that is flowering and setting seed is in its second year of growth and will die this year. If you want, you can harvest the seed and then pull or remove those plants.

If you have any herb questions, please comment and I will respond. Or join the Culinary Herbs and Spices Facebook group and others will respond as well.

4 Comments

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , ,

Comfrey: The Garden’s Swiss Army Knife

Posted on August 21, 2025 | 2 comments

Comfrey in shady site in my garden

Recently I have been exploring “natural ways” in which to help the garden, especially the vegetables that I grow every summer. At risk for pests and diseases, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers need all the help they can get. I have always heard how comfrey is used in permaculture so last year I purchased two plants of Bocking 14 (Symphytum x uplandicum). Hardy to zone 4, this herbaceous perennial is a hybrid of S. asperum and S. officinale.

I put one plant in a shady, moist area and one in a sunny, dry location. This summer, the one in the shady, moist area is much larger, about 2 feet tall and wide. The plants have large green leaves, up to a foot long, arising from a central crown. The foliage is bristly, making gloves necessary. The other one in the sun is not doing well. In fact during a long dry spell I had to hand water it and I am not sure it is going to make it.

Comfrey has many uses: pollinator/beneficial insect plant, medicinal herb, animal feed, fertilizer, compost green, and mulch. The plant blooms small, bell-shaped blue flowers that fade to pink. The shape of the inflorescence reminds me of fiddlehead ferns. It starts flowering in the beginning of summer and can continue in the fall. Because it is sterile, Bocking 14 will flower and produce nectar and pollen but not viable seed. The flowers attract predatory wasps, lacewings, and bees.

Comfrey Flowers, Organic Vegetable Garden, Potomac Overlook Regional Park, VA

As a medicinal herb, the leaves are a source of a cell-proliferating molecule called allantoin which is needed for the healing process. Also known as “knitbone,” comfrey leaves can be used to create a poultice for bruises, inflammations, swellings, cuts, and burns. The leaves can be dried to make a powder, used to make a salve, or infused to make an external tea. This plant should not be taken orally.

Comfrey is commonly used in permaculture as a companion plant to fruit trees. It is used as a living mulch and a weed suppressor. It is also used as feed for pigs and poultry.

One of its claims to fame is that its deep roots bring up nutrients from the subsoil, re-locating them throughout the plant. Comfrey has potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, and magnesium. Because it is an excellent source of potassium (the letter “K” in NPK), it is very beneficial to tomato, pepper, and cucumber plants. By cutting the leaves and placing them under another plant, nutrients are brought to that plant. After harvesting leaves, the crown sends up new foliage quickly so the plant can be harvested 3 to 5 times per growing season. Alternatively, a nutrient rich compost tea can be made with leaves and water.  Comfrey also can be added to compost piles as the “green.” It breaks down quickly and helps to activate the compost pile.

There are so many uses for comfrey that I am looking forward to experimenting in my garden.

Comfrey at Ladew Topiary Gardens in MD

 

2 Comments

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , ,

Time to Prune Lavender

Posted on August 2, 2025 | 2 comments

I have several Phenomenal® lavender shrubs from Peace Tree Farm, a wholesale nursery in Pennsylvania. They have been in the front of my house for 8 years. Each summer they bloom profusely, attracting many bees. There are many types of lavender, but this is Lavandula x intermedia which works well as a hardy garden plant. Because of their highly fragrant foliage, deer don’t bother them. I have never had pest/disease issues. Now in August, the blooms are past their prime and the bees have moved on to other flowers in the garden. This is the best time to remove the spent blooms and to prune the shrubs to maintain their shape.

Although we think of lavender as a perennial, it really is a woody shrub that must be pruned annually. As the shrub ages, the branches become thick and gnarled, and they tend to crack and split. Annual pruning is necessary to prevent this with the branches and to remove the spent flower stalks.

A close up shows how far down the flowering stalk you have to cut.

To prune, look at the flowering stalks and where new growth occurred this year. Look for where the woody base ends and the new foliage growth begins. Cut into the new leaf growth but not into the woody section. Usually, the new spring growth you want next year will not occur in the woody section. Make your cut about 2 to 3 inches above the woody part and into the “green” part. You can use pruning shears or hedge shears depending on how many you have. Sometimes it is easier to cut off the stems first and then go back and shape the bush to create a symmetrical, dome-shaped appearance. Remove dead or damaged branches. Everything can go in the compost pile or save the foliage for potpourri.

Shaping it like this prevents the shrub from becoming a woody gnarled unattractive shrub. If left unpruned the shrub’s woody base will only get bigger, making it harder to cut and shape. Also, if left unpruned, it will develop fewer flowers. It is best to prune after the shrub blooms but no later than late August. Pruning in the fall will encourage tender new growth which will be killed by the cold winter temperatures. If you don’t prune in the fall, prune in the spring when new foliage growth emerges but before the plant blooms. Because my bushes are in front of the house and in front of spring blooming bulbs, I prune in the fall. I think the dead flower spikes are unsightly in the winter, and they detract from my spring bulb display.

Since its 2013 introduction of Phenomenal®, Peace Tree Farm has introduced Exceptional™ which has white blooms, Sensational!® which has purple flowers, and Inspirational!™ which has white flowers. All of these are winter hardy and perform well for us in the DC metro area. You should be able to purchase these from local garden centers. Lavender plants need full sun, plenty of air circulation, and well-drained soil. Good drainage is key so think about amending the soil or placing in raised beds.

2 Comments

Posted in herbs, shrubs

Tagged , , , ,

Rockin’ and Rollin’ in the Herb Garden

Posted on July 19, 2025 | Leave a comment

For an unusual family outing this summer, consider visiting the new Rock and Roll exhibit at the National Herb Garden, located at the U.S. National Arboretum in DC. Throughout the National Herb Garden are plants that have been mentioned in songs, named after songs, albums, or music groups, or used to make musical instruments.


The National Herb Garden entrance features a large sign that says “Welcome to the Rock Garden… This year we are rockin’ out in the National Herb Garden and featuring two of our favorite things: music and herbal plants …” The sign has a QR code for visitors to download a playlist of 107 songs on Spotify.


Each plant is labeled with the botanical and common names and relationship to music. For example, in front of a chile pepper there is a sign stating: Capsicum annuum ‘Purple Rain’, chile pepper, and the song Purple Rain from Prince and the Revolution. In front of peppermint is a sign stating Mentha x piperita, peppermint, and the song Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock and Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee and the Starliters.


There also are plants used to make musical instruments such as boxwood, Buxus sempervirens, to make violins; elm, Ulmus spp., to make Iroquoian rattles; and the calabash tree, Crescentia cujete, to make berimbaus (Brazil) and maracas (Cuba).


The exhibit has 35 plants named after music, 40 plants mentioned in songs, and 21 plants used to make musical instruments. Signage is very easy to spot and color coded by category: plants that make instruments are blue, those mentioned in songs are green; and those named after music are purple. Most are in the entrance but there are some punctuated through the herb garden.


This interesting idea is the brainchild of National Herb Garden gardener, Erin Holden. Erin also is an herbalist and a member of the American Herbalists Guild, United Plant Savers, and the Herb Society of America.


“While looking at a nursery catalogue a few years ago I stumbled upon a fun cultivar of Coreopsis with fluted petals called ‘Jethro Tull’, said Erin. “Although Bluestone Perennials claims it was named after the 18th century agriculturalist, I think it’s no coincidence that the lead singer of the 70’s progressive rock band Jethro Tull also famously plays the flute. And it got me thinking – are there other plant cultivars out there named after music groups?”


Erin spent many evenings scrolling through seed catalogues and nursery inventories, making a list of plants that had music-related names. She then pitched the idea of a Rock and Roll Garden display in the National Herb Garden, which was accepted but it took quite a while to locate and order the plants. The results are well worth it! 


Visit the exhibit soon as it will only exist this summer through fall. The National Herb Garden is on 2 ½ acres at the U.S. National Arboretum and is the largest designed herb garden in the United States. It was completed in 1980 and is supported by the Herb Society of America. The U.S. National Arboretum is at 3501 New York Avenue NE and is open every day except Christmas. Admission is free, and there is plenty of parking.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

The Many Uses of Thai Basil

Posted on June 14, 2025 | Leave a comment

I grow different types of basil in my Virginia garden and Thai basil is my favorite. Thai basil is a variety of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) but the flavor is spicier and more pungent — like anise and clove combined. I grow this warm weather annual for its use as a culinary herb and for its landscape value.

Thai basil gets its name from its popularity in Thai cuisine, but it is equally popular in Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Laotian cuisines. Thai basil can withstand prolonged cooking heat so the leaves work well with chicken or beef stir fried dishes. Thai basil also is used in Pad Thai, Vietnamese Pho, spring rolls, curries, and noodle dishes.

On the flower stems, the actual blossom is a light purple while the calyx is a dark purple

A more obscure use is Thai basil in refreshing drinks. To use Thai basil, first create a simple syrup. Combine one cup of sugar and one cup of water in a small saucepan. Add one cup of loosely packed leaves and gently mash them up against the side of the pot to release the oils. After bringing to a boil and simmering for 15 minutes, let the syrup cool, drain off the leaves, and pour the sweet, spicy syrup in a glass jar.

Add a few spoonsful of the syrup to a glass of limeade (made from a frozen concentrate). If you add a shot of gin, you will begin to see the many uses of Thai basil syrup in drinks such mojitos, gin and tonics, daiquiris, and martinis.

This flavor will also work well with citrus. For example, pour a few spoonsful over sliced oranges. Try adding spices such as cloves and cinnamon – maybe even cardamom – to make the flavor even more complex.  Another option would be to either add the syrup or mince the Thai basil leaves on mango, pineapple, or papaya.

Because of their pretty flowers, Thai basil is used in vinegars. To make a vinegar, simply fill a glass jar with a 5 percent vinegar such as apple cider or white wine and add the flower heads and foliage. Let sit in a dark place for a few weeks. Drain off the foliage and leave the flower heads. These makes great gifts.

Thai basil can be grown in containers or in the garden

The flower spike can be used in fresh or dried floral arrangements. Basil flowers are made up of a calyx that dries and remains on the stem and the actual small flower inside, which eventually drops off after it has bloomed. This makes basil ideal for dried floral arrangements as well as potpourris.

I use Thai basil as an annual in the garden bed, just like any other annual. It adds a purple haze, similar to coleus, and tolerates our heat and humidity very well. I don’t pick the leaves, I just let it grow and flower in a mass.

Like other basils, this plant needs full sun and plenty of water in the summer. It is easy to start from seed after the average last frost when nighttime temperatures stay warm. Although we grow it as an annual, it really is a tender perennial that perishes with our fall frosts. As long as you keep it watered, Thai basil does well as a container plant.

There are several popular varieties of Thai basil.  Cardinal has large, dark red flower heads with burgundy red stems and bright green leaves. Siam Queen, a 1997 All-America Selections winner, has large, dark purple-red flower heads and dark leaves.  Everleaf Thai Towers is a columnar plant with delayed flowering. You can purchase it as a plant in local garden centers or grow if from seed. It is perfect for an accent piece in a tall container.

Everleaf Thai Towers, mid-summer.

Thai basil is not prone to the downy mildew disease that affects sweet basil. I have never had a pest or disease issue although I have noticed that it is quicker to flower than the other basils. The solution is to have many plants, some for leaves, some for flowers or to purchase one bred to have delayed flowering like the Everleaf series. You can either pinch your Thai basil to prevent flowering and harvest the leaves or let the plants flower and use the flowers as a garnish, for flower arrangements, or for vinegars.

This plant is easy to find in local garden centers and seed catalogs. Thai basil is such a multitasking herb, it is worth growing every year.

Leave a comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , ,

Yes, Virginia, Tarragon Can Grow Here

Posted on May 3, 2025 | Leave a comment

Tarragon re-emerging in April

Tarragon is one of my new culinary herbs in my Virginia garden. It took a couple of tries to figure out its happy place. I had grown a few plants before in different locations but they never reappeared in the spring. This time, the tarragon that was given to me last year is back! It must be happy with full sun exposure in a well-drained area.

A member of the Asteraceae (aster) or Compositae family, tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, is cousin to the other artemisia plants: mugwort (A. vulgaris), wormwood (A. absinthium), and southernwood (A. abrotanum). The term “dracunculus” is considered a corruption of the French “estragon,” which means little dragon. This refers to the plant’s brown, coiled roots, similar to serpents.

Tarragon in the summer

I have French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, the preferred culinary variety. French tarragon has anise-flavored leaves (like licorice). An herbaceous perennial, tarragon has green, narrow leaves and woody stems. It dies back in the fall but is one of the first to emerge in early spring, growing to about 2 feet high and wide in the summer. Hardy to zone 5 (although every reference book gives a different number), it is not a long-lived perennial and should be propagated every few years. The plant is sterile so it is propagated by division or stem cuttings. Don’t be fooled into buying tarragon seed packets. They can’t possibly be the flavorful variety, sativa. More likely they are Russian tarragon seeds, Artemisia dracunculus, which has inferior flavor but can still be grown as a plant in the garden.

Tarragon is an old culinary herb that has been used for several thousand years in the Middle East and Europe. It is one of the few culinary herbs that has no significant medicinal use. When Thomas Jefferson was in France, he enjoyed the extensive use of tarragon in French cuisine. Assuming it was propagated by seed, he searched for the seed in the colonies and was not able to find it. Eventually Bernard McMahon sent him a shipment of roots. The first time Jefferson planted tarragon at Monticello it failed but he tried again in different locations until he too found tarragon’s happy place. He then distributed the plant to colleagues. In 1809, General John Mason wrote to him and said “has flourished well in the open air and will in spring afford plenty of slips.” Mason no doubt discovered that tarragon likes plenty of air circulation.

Interestingly, the flavor of tarragon varies depending on how it is used in the kitchen which is why it is so versatile. If I pick a leaf off the plant and chew it, there is a zingy, refreshing flavor like a Peppermint Patty. It slightly numbs the tongue. If I cook with it, the flavor becomes a mellow zingy like black pepper.

Tarragon leaves are used in sauces, vinegars, fish, chicken, spring vegetables, eggs, salads, cheese, cold potato dishes, and fruit such as peaches, melon, apricots and cherries. It is the ingredient in fines herbes and béarnaise sauce. Because of its delicate flavor, it is best to use fresh leaves and to add towards the end of the cooking period so they do not become bitter and overcooked. Because the leaves do not retain their flavor when dry, many people preserve tarragon in vinegar, which also can be used as vinegar for salad dressings.

Leave a comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , ,

Growing Ginger, Turmeric, and Lemongrass

Posted on March 13, 2025 | 1 comment
lemongrass

Bunch of lemongrass culms wrapped in plastic

Every year at this time, I visit a local Asian supermarket and pick up a few turmeric and ginger rhizomes and a couple of lemongrass stalks. For a few dollars, you can grow these tropical herbs for the summer. It is important to start early inside as ginger and turmeric have long growing seasons. It can take 8 to 10 months for the plants to fully develop in order to be able to harvest the rhizomes. Fortunately, they do not need the type of light structures you use to start seeds indoors.

Visit your local Asian supermarket and you will see bins of turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass. If possible, purchase organic ones but of these, I only see organic ginger in my stores.

ginger

Organic ginger rhizomes in bins

For the ginger (Zingiber officinale), pick rhizomes that are as healthy, disease free, and as plump as possible. Ginger is a rhizome, an underground swollen stem. It has eyes, like a potato, so make sure you purchase a piece with several eyes. It is best to purchase organic ginger as regular ginger may have been sprayed with a growth inhibitor. Regardless, soak the rhizomes in water for 24 hours before you plant to remove any chemicals.  Use a plastic container with drainage holes. It is best to start with a small container, just large enough for the rhizome to fit. Think of these as starter containers. Fill with potting mix (I use commercially prepared potting mix). Plant only 2 inches deep, and plant flat or horizontally.  Keep soil moist but not water-logged until you see the foliage emerge. It can take a long time, even a month, so don’t give up hope. Because the watering is a little tricky — too much and they rot, too little and they dry out, you may want to pot up one rhizome per container. That way, if one does not make it, you still have the others. These will not need light until the foliage emerges. But they will need warmth so don’t place the containers in your basement or garage.

turmeric

Turmeric rhizomes in bins

For the turmeric (Curcuma longa), plant the same way as above. I never see organic turmeric in the supermarket so I buy what there is in the bin. I also soak them in case they were sprayed with a growth retardant (it certainly cannot hurt).  Again, best to not put all your eggs in one basket, plant one per container so if one rots, you will have the others.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a little different in that it does not take that long to grow in order to be able to cut the stalks to use in the kitchen. I start them in March because I am buying all of my tropical herbs at the same time but you can start them later. Lemongrass is a true grass.  The foot-long stalk you purchase from the grocery store is called a culm. The entire stalk was cut to make it easier to handle so you are buying the bottom foot of the stalk with the base and maybe a rootlet at the base.  Look for culms that are as plump as possible and not dried out. No need to soak the night before, just plant in the container with drainage holes with potting mix. These also will root if they are in a container of water but make sure you change the water every few days.  One culm can grow to be a large 3- to 4-foot-tall plant so for my family of four I only need one but I buy several in case one does not root. If I start mine in March, I can probably start to cut and harvest in the summer, up until frost.

lemongrass

Lemongrass is relatively cheap

In May, when the evening temperatures are consistently warm, I transfer the plants outside. I put them on my deck in the shade first for them to adapt to the stronger sunlight (shade for them is stronger sunlight than what they received indoors). Then gradually I move them to larger containers and more sun. The lemongrass is moved to a full sun location. The turmeric and ginger can take part shade. I prefer to leave mine in containers because it is easier to harvest in the fall. They will not overwinter in the DC metro area. Fortunately, they are relatively easy to purchase every March and can make interesting gift plants as well. If you are really want to start a conversation, try growing the ginger and turmeric as houseplants!

1 Comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , , , ,

New Herbs to Grow in 2025

Posted on February 19, 2025 | Leave a comment

Thai Double Sky Blue butterfly pea, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

As you are making your seed list and checking it twice, consider growing new herbs this year. Every year I scour more than 20 seed/plant catalogs/websites for new introductions–something new to try in my garden. In the past, I think I was constrained by a narrow definition of herbs but the more I learn, the more my definition has expanded. Many plants could be considered herbs, including greens. Herbs are plants that are of use to humans, either for culinary, medicinal, aromatherapy, cosmetic, and even coloring (dyes).

Also, “new” can be defined in different ways. The item may be new to the company’s inventory but that does not mean it would be a new plant for an experienced gardener. To me “new” is: “Wow! This herb is really different from all the other ones — I have not seen this before, and I think you might be interested.” Obviously, my list is not all new herbs on the market but a selection of “herbs of interest” – suggestions for you to try as you expand your herb gardening experience.

Finally, not all companies list new introductions. They may have them but they do not highlight or tag them, so it is difficult to ascertain. If you want to keep exploring new introductions, here is a link to more than 100 seed companies. Many will send you free catalogs!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds always has tantalizing introductions — many of which are from other countries, so you always learn something new. Note that plants are listed in alphabetical order in the catalog — not categorized by flower, vegetable, or herb. I think they recognize the overlap or blurred distinctions between many ornamental and medicinal and/or culinary useful plants. For example, new this year is ‘Beetroot Amaranth’, an ornamental edible plant from India. The red foliage can add color to the ornamental garden and can be cooked as a green, like spinach. There also is a new white version called ‘White Beauty’ with ice white stems and green foliage.

Purple Perfume hot pepper, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

Another example is butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) and this year Baker Creek is introducing ‘Thai Double Sky Blue’. This vine blooms stunning double-flowering pale blue flowers which can be used to color beverages, cocktails, and food such as rice.

Baker Creek has several new hot peppers which are too spicy for me, but I would grow ‘Purple Perfume’ (Cheiro Roxa) as an ornamental for its translucent purple fruit. A staple in Brazilian cooking, these plants produce many very small colorful peppers which Baker Creek says are “pretty enough for the flowerbed.”

And if you are strictly looking for herbs, try their new papalo seeds. They have two types: butterfly leaf and narrow leaf form. I have seen the broad leaf form in my area (Porophyllum ruderale var.  macrocephalum) so it is not really “new” but I have not seen the narrow leaf form. Papalo foliage commonly is used in Mexican cuisine. The flavor is supposed to be similar to cilantro but with a more pronounced flavor. However, papalo thrives in the summer while cilantro will flower and set seed when the summer begins. The narrow leaf form (Porophyllum ruderale) reminds me of willow leaves. It is a lesser-known variety of papalo, and again used like cilantro, but prefers warm weather. This plant also is known as quilquina.

If you have not heard of Experimental Farm Network, you need to check it out. EFN is the quiet studious bookworm to party girl Baker Creek, chock full of interesting plants from other countries as well as seed saving, plant breeding, and preserving genetic diversity efforts and collaborations. There are quite a lot of new items so I am going to bullet list them here because the EFN website provides chapters of descriptions for each:

  • ‘Big Hip Apple Rose’ (Rosa villosa): They are offering seed to grow this rose, which produces very large red hips (hips are the fruit used for culinary and medicinal purposes).
  • ‘Hun Ken’ (Allium ramosum): This is a fragrant flowering garlic from China, cold hardy to zone 5.
  • ‘Iraqi Rashad’ garden cress (Lepidium sativum): Cress is a hot and spicy green, which can use as a microgreen, garnish, salad green or on soups and sandwiches. It prefers cool weather, grow like cilantro.
  • ‘Kyrgyzstani Kalmyk’ dill (Anethum graveolens): This is a flavorful heirloom dill bred for its foliage from Kalmyk (Dzungar) in Bishkek, capitol of Kyrgyzstan.
  • ‘Monhegan Post Office’ sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata): Sweet cicely is a perennial in the carrot family known for edible leaves, seed, and roots. This one is named after an old post office on Monhegan Island, Maine (how cute is that?).
  • ‘Nga Khaw Buk’ sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum): Yes, Virginia, you too can grow sesame. This is an annual plant from Thailand.
  • ‘Togolese’ hoary basil (Ocimum americanum): Despite the botanical name this basil hails from west Africa and has a strong fruity fragrance. The word “hoary” means gray-white color but this plant has green, small, pointy leaves.
  • Clary sage, redwood strain (Salvia sclarea): This particular strain of seeds has large white lilac pink bracts surrounding light blue flowers. This is a biennial or short-lived perennial known for its medicinal properties and stunning flowers.
  • Sanshō Japanese peppercorn (Zanthoxylum piperitum): Native to Japan, this will grow to a small shrub and the leaves, flowers, and fruit are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. A primary ingredient in Chinese five spice powder, this peppercorn’s claim to fame is its ability to cause a spicy and numbing sensation when consumed.

Anil (indigo), photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

If you are interested in herbs, you need to become familiar with True Love Seeds. In addition to their informative website, they have a podcast called Seeds and their People and they offer seeds/herbs/veggies from many countries. Check out their collections such as African diaspora, East Asian, Italian, Ark of Taste, and the Roughwood Seed Collection. They have a lot of new products, many of which would be hard to categorize as either herb or veggie so check out their website. Here are some of the new 2025 introductions:

  • Shambalileh Iranian Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): Fenugreek is a medicinal and culinary herb, both foliage and seeds are used. This variety is from Iran.
  • Reyhan Sabz Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Also from Iran, this green basil is supposed to be milder than other basils.
  • Shevid (Persian dill) (Anethum graveolens): This Persian dill is known as Shevid in Iran.
  • Persian purple basil (Ocimum basilicum): Although not entirely purple, this basil makes a great ornamental plant. Can be used for cooking of course but think about using it for foliage color in a container.
  • Rashad Iraqi Cress (Lepidium sativum): A cress from Iraq, a spicy green.
  • Añil (Indigo) (Indigofera suffruticosa): Indigo is grown for its use as a plant dye.
  • Besobela (Ocimum): A type of holy basil from Ethiopia that is very floriferous so consider growing it for pollinators.
  • Scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum): A type of basil from Nigeria and Ghana used for various dishes.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds and High Mowing Seeds are go to sources for downy mildew resistant basils.  Both are introducing ‘Thai Thai Prospera ® Active DMR’, an organic seed; while High Mowing Seeds also is introducing ‘Noga Prospera ® Active DMR’, organic pelleted seed. Johnny’s is introducing Everleaf lemon basil that is supposed to be slower to bolt. High Mowing Seeds is introducing two green basils: Large Leaf and Saporoso. High Mowing Seeds has expanded their herb offerings to include Thalia and Ceres Dill, Beefsteak Plant Bi-color Shiso, Rosemary, and Za’atar.

Rashad cress, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Adaptive Seeds is offering organic caraway (Carum carvi) seeds called ‘Sprinter’. Caraway is an annual, about 2 feet tall, similar looking to fennel and dill. The foliage and seeds are consumed. Although caraway is a biennial herb, Sprinter has been selected for annual production.

Another edible ornamental is organic celosia, Sokoyokoto or Lagos Spinach (Celosia argentea var. spicata). This leafy green is from Africa, similar to callaloo greens. It is a warm season annual with green foliage splashed with red. The flowers are ruby pink spikes, perfect for arrangements.

Organic Forest Green Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a curly parsley, but it does not have a tight curl. The flavor is less bold than flat leaf parsley and can be used to garnish or add flavor in cooking. Although people don’t associate parsley with an ornamental garden, it makes a lovely green accent.

Scent leaf, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Known for their works of art seed packets, Hudson Valley Seeds is now offering organic Resina calendula (Calendula officinalis) which is the best strain for making herbal salves. Not really new but Hudson is making it available in one of their art packs, which makes it an elegant gift. They also are selling lemon mint bergamot, Monarda citriodora, for the first time in 2025 but this one is not available as an art pack. This annual is not “new” but nice to know that Hudson Valley Seed offers it so you can include it when you order their other seeds.

If you are interested in dying fabrics with natural dyes, try their 1-2-3 indigo dye kit using organic indigo. They provide indigo seeds; you supply the fabric of your choice. They sell the Japanese indigo seeds separately, which is one of the oldest plant textile dyes. This one is available as an art pack.

Park Seed has a Sow Effortless Seed Collection where you just sow, water, and grow plants from paper discs, mats, and tapes embedded with seeds. The theory is you just lay down the paper, water, and magic! The advantage is that the seeds are “pre-spaced” or spaced correctly but also if you have dexterity issues with small seeds, this could make life easier. They have these available in several herbs, flowers, and veggies.

Park is introducing the new Bonsai Basil from the Kitchen Minis ™ Collection. These are Greek basil seeds (Ocimum basilicum) which produce a fine leaved, compact plant about 6 to 12 inches tall — perfect for containers.

Another Park introduction is purple ball basil which has very dark red purple foliage. A great container plant, purple ball basil grows to be a 10-to-12-inch ball shape that can either be used as an ornamental or harvested for use in the kitchen.

Coarse besobela, photo courtesy of Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds

Territorial Seed has a wide variety of herbs, flowers, veggies, berries, and fruits. The nice thing about this company is their extensive inventory, free catalog, and for many, they sell both plants and seed. If you cannot find a particular herb in your area or would rather have the plant than sow seed, they sell many herb plants. New to their inventory is the ashwagandha plant (Withania somnifera) which is a medicinal herb used to alleviate stress and anxiety. They also are offering yerba buena (Satureja douglasii), a plant harvested for tea. Like Park Seed, Territorial Seed is offering the new Bonsai Basil but their sizes include a smaller package of fewer seed, for those who do not need a large quantity.

These are just a few selections for you to increase your herbal gardening palette. Good luck and happy gardening!

Leave a comment

Posted in herbs

Tagged , , ,