Tag Archives: herb

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.

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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

 

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Chervil: A Culinary Herb with Ephemeral Grace

Posted on February 6, 2025 | 2 comments

Chervil is a culinary herb that graces us with its presence for a few months in the early spring. Its finely cut, green leaves emerge in March and April here in the DC metro area. By summer, the foliage melts away.

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is an old European herb, one of the components of fines herbs of French cuisine. It is not as well known here in America but it is easy to grow from seed. A cousin of parsley, chervil’s leaves are similar but finely cut. The overall height is smaller, about one foot tall and wide. If it flowers, the compound umbels display small white flowers, again, similar to parsley or carrot. Because chervil is a hardy annual, seeds should be sown in very early spring, end of March to beginning of April. Chervil prefers moist soil and partial or afternoon shade. I prefer to grow it in containers because the ground soil is still very cold plus this prevents slug damage.

You will not be able to purchase this plant at local garden centers. Order seeds now so you are ready to sow in March (here is a list of seed companies).

The fresh leaves taste like a combination of parsley and anise (licorice). Chervil is great in egg dishes, fish, fruit salad, cream cheese, cream sauces, cheese dishes, and butter. The foliage also can be added to vegetables such as carrots, beans, corn, and peas during the last few minutes of cooking. It is best to add chervil at the end of hot dishes such as soups and stews because exposure to heat for a long time will make it taste bitter.

The foliage does not dry well so you use it fresh. That is why you have to grow it from seed in the spring and take advantage of it then. I have not seen fresh cut chervil for sale in the produce section of the grocery stores. You can purchase dried chervil in bottles along with the other herbs and spices in the grocery store but the taste will not be the same.

Try growing this spring ephemeral this year, you still have time to order seeds!

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Aloe Vera: Your First Aid Kit

Posted on September 6, 2024 | 1 comment

Every May, I put my aloe plant (Aloe vera) outside on the deck to enjoy the summer sun and warmth. This succulent plant thrives and by autumn, she has produced many “pups.” The pups, small aloe vera offsets, crowd inside the small pot. When the nights cool down, I upturn the pot and gently pull apart each pup. I plant each one in its own small container of soil.  I then replant the mother and move her in to my house while I box up the pups to bring to the office. Within hours of placing the box in the office kitchen, colleagues have helped themselves to a new plant, armed with growing instructions that I have printed on strips of paper. My colleagues love free plants — it is like leaving cookies in the kitchen.

Aloe vera is a medicinal herb well known for healing burns. If you snap a leaf in two you will see a gel-like liquid. You can apply the gel to a burn on your skin, which will offer pain relief and a faster healing process. The leaves actually have three sections: a thick outer rind, a thin slimy layer of cells, and the inner gel. Just beneath the rind is a bitter yellow substance called aloin. This can cause intestinal irritation creating a laxative effect.  It is the inner gel that is used for burns, sunburns, or as a skin moisturizer. Diluted with water, this gel can be ingested to sooth intestinal irritation. Although aloe’s beneficial effects have been documented for thousands of years, it was not until U.S. researchers discovered that aloe gel could quickly heal burns caused by x-rays and ultraviolet rays in the mid-1930s that interest soared. Today, most people use aloe as an first aid kit for burns, disinfecting minor cuts, and insect stings. Researchers are still studying the plant. So far they have identified more than 75 nutrients and 200 compounds in the gel.

It is easy to grow an aloe vera plant. Give it warmth, sun, and good drainage. You can grow it indoors as a houseplant provided it gets enough light. Place it in a southern exposure window or a sun room. Or you can grow it outside in the summer. When I grow it outside, I just let the rain water it. Remember to bring it back inside before night time temperatures dip into the 40s.

This plant is easy to find at local garden centers. Or if you have a friend who has it, ask for a pup. Try growing aloe for your own personal first aid kit.

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Dill: Easy, Versatile Herb to Grow

Posted on June 1, 2024 | 1 comment

dill flower headsDill (Anethum graveolens) is easy to grow from seed. I just throw a few seed in a large plastic container on my deck in late March. I don’t worry about frost or cold nights but I do make sure the top of the soil is moist until I see the foliage emerge. Here in Virginia, we seem to have plenty of rain or snow in March so the seeds do not dry out. In May, when the garden soil is warmer, I lift the seedlings out with a trowel and plant in the garden bed in full sun.

Native to the Mediterranean area, dill is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae). Dill is an annual that may re-seed in the garden. Usually dill foliage, also called dill weed, is used for culinary purposes. It can be used fresh or dried — dried dill weed retains the flavor well. Fresh foliage is great in egg dishes, fish, tomato salads, cucumber salads, cooked carrots, fresh veggie dishes and even dill butter. In the winter, dried dill can be used for canned veggies, egg dishes, and tuna salad.  It is easy to dry the foliage, just wash and let dry flat on paper towels for a few weeks, then store in a glass jar.dill (2)

Dill also is a medicinal herb. The name means to calm or soothe and dill was used to calm troubled stomachs and colicky infants. It is a very old herb that was used by Greeks and Romans.

Dill can be grown in containers or in the ground. However, since some varieties can be several feet tall, the containers need to be heavy and large enough so winds won’t knock the plant over. Dill also is a host plant for butterflies. You may see the distinctive caterpillars of the black swallowtails on the foliage. They can decimate the foliage very quickly so plant some for you and some for them.

dill pl

Dill tends to flower quickly in the summer. You may be able to sow again up until mid-summer.  The flowers are actually beneficial to the garden, they attract the good bugs. The flowers are edible and can be used to garnish a dish. They can be used in floral arrangements and there are specific cultivars that produce large flower heads for this purpose.

However, once the plants flower, they set seed and the plant itself starts to put energy into the seed and not the foliage. It is easy to save the seed because they are all in one structure called an umbel. When the seeds are brown, simply cut the umbel and drop into a large paper bag. Let dry for a few weeks, then put the umbel on a plate or in a large bowl and rub the seeds off. Store seeds in a glass jar and either use them in the kitchen or plant them next year. Seeds can be used in baking, breads, or crackers.

The plant as well as seed packets should be easy to find in local nurseries but if you cannot find dill, check out these seed companies.

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Purple Blooming Anise Hyssop

Posted on July 20, 2023 | Leave a comment

anise hyssop at the National Herb Garden in July

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is blooming now in the summer. A native, herbaceous perennial hardy to zone 4, this plant is short-lived but self-seeds and spreads a bit by rhizomes. In March, the leaves emerge with a purple hue. As the plant grows the leaves become green although there is a golden cultivar. A member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), the leaves have scalloped edges and look like catnip leaves. Anise hyssop grows a few feet tall and about one foot wide. In the summer, there are small purple-blue flowers on 4 to 6-inch terminal spikes, creating fuzzy wands. The flowers attract beneficial pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. Because the foliage is so fragrant, deer are not interested.

Anise hyssop is a full sun to part shade plant tolerating a wide range of soils in a well-drained site. The purple-blue flowers provide contrast to orange and yellow flowers and complement purple foliage plants.

purple foliage of anise hyssop in March

Anise hyssop can also be used as a culinary or tea herb. It is harvested for its leaves as well as its flowers. Although the aroma is categorized as anise or licorice, some might say anise with a touch of basil or anise with a touch of tarragon. The most common use of the leaves is tea but you can also add the leaves to lamb or pork dishes, to milk for making ice cream, sugar syrups, and/or sugar syrups for cough drops, cocktails, honey, butter cookies, and sugar to make flavored sugar. The leaves dry well, retaining their taste and fragrance.

Flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish for desserts, added to a salad, or added to a beverage such as ice tea. The flowers also dry well, retaining their color and aroma.

You can find small plants in the nursery in the spring or you can grow anise hyssop from seed. Sow the seed indoors under lights in order to transplant outside after the last frost or sow directly outside in the summer. Anise hyssop can be propagated by root division.

Anise hyssop is a great garden plant — it provides color in the summer, supports pollinators, and can be used for making tea or to add flavor and color to meals.

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Parsley: Easy to Grow Culinary Herb

Posted on February 10, 2023 | Leave a comment
parsley

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.

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. There is a curly leaf type that is best used as a garnish.

curly parsley in 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, roasted potatoes, 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. Here is a list of more than 100 seed companies.  Or, you can always find a small plant in the spring in local garden centers and either plant in the ground or in a container.

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Cutting Celery: A Kitchen Staple in the Garden

Posted on October 23, 2022 | 1 comment
cutting celery foliage

Foliage of first year’s growth of cutting celery

Cutting celery is a great culinary herb to have in your garden. Unlike stalk celery from a grocery store, cutting celery is full of flavor, reminiscent of black pepper. Cutting celery (Apium graveolens var. secalinum) looks more like parsley than stalk celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce). This foot-tall, bushy plant has short, hollow stems and green, finely serrated leaves about one-inch wide. Continue reading →

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Dill: Easy, Versatile Herb to Grow

Posted on May 8, 2022 | 1 comment

dill flower headsDill (Anethum graveolens) is easy to grow from seed. I just throw a few seed in a large plastic container on my deck in late March. I don’t worry about frost or cold nights but I do make sure the top of the soil is moist until I see the leaves come through the soil and then I water a little less often. Here in Virginia, we seem to have plenty of rain or snow in March so the seeds do not dry out. Now, when the garden soil is warmer, I will gently lift the seedlings out with a trowel and plant in the garden bed in full sun.

Continue reading →

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Cutting Celery: A Kitchen Staple Growing in the Garden

Posted on June 9, 2020 | 5 comments
cutting celery foliage

Foliage of first year’s growth of cutting celery

Cutting celery is a great culinary herb to have in your garden. Unlike stalk celery from a grocery store, cutting celery is full of flavor, reminiscent of black pepper. Cutting celery (Apium graveolens var. secalinum) looks more like parsley than stalk celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce). This foot-tall, bushy plant has short, hollow stems and green, finely serrated leaves about one-inch wide. Continue reading →

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