Frawley: What herbs I grow in our garden

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Frawley: What herbs I grow in our garden

This time of year I start thinking about spring and what herbs
to grow in our garden.

I will have my usual perennial herbs and edible flowers: Anise
hyssop, onion and garlic chives, costmary, dianthus, lavender,
lemon balm, lovage, marshmallow, apple mint, chocolate mint,
peppermint and spearmint, oregano, sage, sorrel, tarragon, regular
thyme and lemon thyme. The emergence of these herbs depends on the
kind of winter we have and how early spring comes. So far it has
been pretty mild outside so I am very hopeful that all my
perennials will survive. When we have a very cold winter with no
snow covering the perennials, their survival rate is greatly
reduced. I also have to decide what annuals I want to plant as
well.

My decisions are based on what I have planted in the past, what
people want to buy at the Farmers Market and what I need for my own
use. I sell and use a lot of fresh-cut basil, so I plant many
different basil varieties: cinnamon, Italian, lemon, lettuce leaf,
opal, spicy globe and, of course, sweet green. I have already
started the seeds and have several hundred little basil seedlings
right now.

Several annuals don’t need to be sown ahead of time because they
self sow (they drop ripe seeds late in the growing season of the
previous year). The self-sowing herbs in our garden are: chamomile,
chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, Johnny-jump-ups and summer savory.
I also start marjoram, nasturtiums, and parsley, both curly and
Italian seeds. I also purchase some plants from reputable
growers.

Since I don’t have a greenhouse (I am using grow lights and
sunshine), I need some plants that are started in a greenhouse.
They are: lemon verbena, pansies, rosemary and several different
scented geraniums. One plant that I winter inside is Bay Laurel -
the plant that bay leaves come from. I have two 8-foot tall bay
trees that are more than 20 years old. They weigh quite a bit so
moving them inside for winter and outside for summer are no small
task.

If you have a garden and are going to plant some herbs, I have
some tips for you.

Look at your needs and choose the herbs that fit those needs.
Each of us has only a certain amount of space to grow herbs. Don’t
waste that space by growing something you aren’t going to use. Will
you use your herbs for:

* Ornamental — landscape, wreaths, dried arrangements, pressed
flowers, or stationery.

* Dyes — yarn, fabric, baskets or pottery

* Medicinal — health and beauty

* Fragrances — perfumes, oils, potpourri, pomanders, soaps or
candles

* Culinary — single herb, herbal blends, herbal mixes, herbal
vinegar and wines, herbal tea, herb jellies, herb butters, herbal
honey, candied herbs and flowers or garnishing.

Look at the plants’ needs to see what growing conditions they
require. If you have partial shade, choose herbs that do best in
partial shade. On the whole, herbs like full sun (minimum 6 hours a
day), well drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7. They like to dry
out between waterings and need very little fertilizer. Another
consideration is how much space each plant needs in order to grow
properly. Are you growing them in a pot or in a plot/garden? How
many plants can be put in that space without over crowding?

Make a paper pattern of your garden hypothetically inserting
your plants in the garden diagram. It is nice to use a paper
pattern especially this time of year. You can use this down time
from gardening to draw up a pattern and figure out where each of
your chosen plants will be planted. If you want to make a change,
you can erase the plant instead of having to dig it up. Be sure you
keep in mind how tall the plants will get (you don’t want them to
get so tall that they shade the neighboring plants), how big around
each plant will get and how much space they need between them and
the next plant (basil needs between 12 and 18 inches of space to
guarantee the proper air circulation).

There are several ways to get new plants.

Seeds – start some indoors or seed them directly in the
designated spot in the garden. The advantage of starting seeds
indoors is you can start them earlier and put established plants in
the garden, thus speeding up time for your first harvest. Look in
those seed catalogs for some ideas. Some of our local stores carry
herb seeds as well. If you pay $4 for 50 seeds that is eight cents
per seed.

Pre-started plants – Buy plants from a local grower and plant
directly in your designated spot. This is the easiest but most
expensive way to get plants. The advantage is you get a head start
compared to seeding them directly and you can pick out healthy,
vigorous plants. This is a good way to get any perennial. You can
pay anywhere between $1 and $5 per plant.

Stem cuttings – Cut a 4-inch tip section off an established
plant and put it in damp sand to root. A little rooting hormone on
the cut end will help establish healthy roots sooner. Herbs well
suited to this method are rosemary, lavender and scented geraniums.
So if you brought in some herb plants last fall and they are
growing now, this method can be used with those plants to increase
the number of plants you will have to put into the ground after the
last frost date has been reached. You must already have a plant,
but you can take quite a few cuttings from each of your plants.

Layering – Lay a long stem across the soil while it is still
attached to the mother plant and weigh it down with a small rock,
some soil or a hair pin shaped wire. The spot on the stem that
comes in contact with the soil will develop a root ball and then
can be cut from the mother plant and planted in a new location you
have designated on your paper pattern. This is best done with
perennials like oregano, mint and rosemary. Some plants do layering
on their own, without our help.

Root division – Dig up a large clump of herbs in early spring,
pull it apart gently into several sections and replant newly
divided herb clumps. This is a good way to share an herb with a
friend. Good herbs to use this method on are chive, garlic chives
and tarragon.

For general care, meet the light and water requirements of each
plant. I only fertilize in the spring. If you fertilize too much
you get all sorts of growth but not as much flavor because the
plant doesn’t have time to develop the oils which give them their
characteristic flavor.

Pinch back the tips of the plants to encourage bushier growth
habits. Keep the plants clean from yellowed, dead and damaged
leaves or stems so when you harvest, all the herb plant is usable.
You won’t have to pick through the leaves before you can use
them.

I am looking forward to a great growing season and so can you
with a little planning and preparation. Here are some recipes in
the mean time. This time of year I like soups, stews and single pan
dishes — the comfort foods that warm you from the inside out.

Donna Frawley is the owner of Frawley’s Fine Herbary and
author of “The Herbal Breads Cookbook” and “Edible Flowers Book”
and has her own DVD “Cooking with Herbs.” Look for her column each
month in the Daily News. She can be reached at 631-3136, at
frawleyherbs@yahoo.com or at www.frawleysfineherbary.com.

Minestrone

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 – 2 cloves garlic crushed

1 medium onion, sliced

2 slices bacon

1 small can baked beans

4 – 5 cups brown or vegetable stock

1 stalk celery, finely sliced

1 leek, white part only cut into match-like shreds

2 small carrots, shredded

1/2 cup chopped cabbage, finely sliced

1 – 2 small zucchini, cut in strips

3/4-cup tomatoes, canned or fresh

6 – 7 green beans, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons peas

3/4 cup macaroni

2 tablespoons chopped mixed parsley, basil, oregano, marjoram OR
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1 cup grated Parmesan (or other hard cheese) (for garnish)

In a large soup pot heat the oil and cook the garlic, onion and
diced bacon until golden brown. Add beans along with the stock,
celery, leek and carrots. Cook together for 20 minutes. Add
cabbage, zucchini, chopped tomatoes, green beans, peas, macaroni
and herbs. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes more. Season to taste and
garnish with plenty of grated cheese in a separate bowl.

Spanakopitea (Greek Spinach Pie)

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion chopped

2 packages frozen chopped spinach or fresh to equal, thawed and
squeezed

2 cups cottage cheese (1 pound)

2 cups feta cheese (12 ounces), crumbled

2 tablespoons flour

5 eggs (whipped with a fork)

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon dill

1 Tablespoon parsley

Freshly ground pepper

Salt may be added but the feta is fairly salty

1 package Filo pastry

1cup butter (melted)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Sauté onions. Add spinach which
is fairly dry. Combine all the ingredients in large bowl except
Filo and 1 cup butter. Place 8 – 10 layers of filo in a sprayed 9
by 13 inch pan, buttering each layer as you put it in. Add filling
spreading evenly on top of Filo. Then place another 8 – 10 layers
of Filo, brushing butter between each layer. Bake at 375° F. for 45
minutes. Freezes well before baking.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Choose any combination of 3 pounds of the following
vegetables:

Parsnips, peeled and quartered

Carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

Small red potatoes. halved if large

Small white turnips, quartered

Brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)

Rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1inch cubes

Onions, cut into forths or eighths

Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

Green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large portobello mushroom, stemmed and cut into 8 wedges

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables
in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper,
until coated. Arrange the vegetables cut-side down on a sprayed,
large baking sheet or roasting pan and roast on the bottom shelf of
the oven for 20
Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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