My Herbal Garden
I often find myself walking to my garden to pluck fresh basil for my afternoon pasta or a few crunchy celery stalks for evening soup. Now that’s the luxury of growing a ‘garden of herbs’. A garden where flavours dance, where basil and thyme, rosemary and mint spread their unique aromatic charm and a spread a vibrant green canvas.
In the heart of my kitchen, amidst the clatter of pots and pans and the sizzle of everyday delights, the fresh grown herbal wonders reign supreme, infusing a touch of magic on every plate. The classic romance of fresh basil in evening tomato soup or the earthy allure of garden grown Dill weaves a spell over roasted potatoes or grilled vegetables for supper.
The subtle flavours of thyme and oregano lend depth and complexity to soups, stews, and sauces alike. And who can miss the cool, refreshing kiss of garden mint to desserts and drinks. Whether steeped in simmering sauces, tossed with tender greens, or muddled into cocktails, home grown herbs offer spontaneous ideas, experiments and flavours to our every day cooking.
So it’s always a wonderful idea to add a few pots or beds and grow your favourite seasonal herbs in your garden space. The freshness, taste and aroma of just plucked, home grown, organic herbs is so authentic and evokes my culinary senses.
Growing a Herb Garden
One does not need too much experience or expertise to grow every day herbs with some basic tips. In fact they are the best bet for someone who is making a debut in the kitchen garden as they are the easiest lot to grow and care. They don’t ask for too much space or ideal conditions to grow.
Here are my 5 favourite herbs I’m gonna grow this season.
Celery
Originally from Asia and Europe, an excellent anti inflammatory flower, chrysanthemum is known for its cooling and calming effect. The infusion is known to regulate cortisol insomnia and anxiety.
- Start from seeds or few saplings in a well drained organic soil when max temp falls below 25°C
- Sow it a centimeter deep at distance of 8”.
- Regular watering is great to develop healthy stout stalks for which celery is primarily grown.
- Keep cutting outer stalks that go dull for healthier stalks
- To harvest either keep harvesting stalk by stalk or for complete harvest in one go, simply cut laterally with a knife right at the base
- Celery is strong till late spring and in cooler regions may revive from stalks left in soil.
Flavour Profile: Fresh, Strong, peppery with a citrus hint
Suggested use:
Excellent green to add strong flavours to salads, sandwiches
Fennel
Fennel is an aromatic herb from the carrot family that has tender feathery foliage. Mostly grown for its flavour, fragrance and digestive properties in our part of the world, the Florence Fennel variety is grown for its bulbs in the western world
- Sow Fennel best in well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter in Autumn
- It prefers a mildly cold, frost-free climate. It’s happy in sunny days and thrives in temperatures15–20°C. Broadcast the seeds a centimeter deep in a pot or beds filled with well drained soil slightly on the acidic side
- Water delicately as the foliage is tender growth
- Keep pruning to use the leaves to add your soups or deserts
- Or let it grow and go to collect dried seeds at the end of the season
Flavour profile: Fresh, sweet and aromatic
Suggested use: It’s popular as mouth freshener, flavouring agent in teas, drinks, curries and also pickles
Coriander
Coriander is the most common winter herb in Indian kitchens and is added to almost any dish.
- Rub the seeds to break into two halves and soak overnight in water
- Select a sunny spot and sprinkle the seeds in well drained fertile soil either in a flat tray pot or beds and cover with little soil.
- Coriander takes a little longer than other herbs to sprout
- Water regularly and increase watering as temp rises near spring.
- Regularly harvest bunches of coriander to make it bushy and avoid flowering.
- Let it go to flower in late spring and collect dry coriander seeds for your spice box.
Flavour profile: Sweet- bitter
Suggested use: Add it to any Indian savoury dish specially cutlets, kababs and gravies. Also makes an excellent garnish.
Dill
An annual herb with soft feathery foliage that is mainly grown in colder days of the year. It is easy to grow and loved to be a companion plant in every garden as it repels pests and host to butterflies.
- Sow seeds in 10” deep pots or beds when temp goes below 30° C
- Find a sunny spot, place seeds at an inch deep and 6” apart in well drained fertile soil.
- Water regularly increasing as temp rise nearing spring as it’s prone to bolting.
- Regularly harvest to use and make foliage bushier.
- You may freeze excess harvest in cling film to use in summer.
Flavour profile: Mildly raw and bitter
Suggested use: Perfect for dips; kneed into breads; drizzle on baked potatoes, salads and soups; sprinkle as garnish.
Parsley
Though there are both flat and curly leaf varieties of Parsley but the latter is more commonly grown because of its stronger flavours. It can be easily started in pots or even perfect as garden borders.
- Grows best in well-drained soil that is rich and in organic matter and has a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0
- Select a sunny spot and grow from seeds directly or from ready saplings when temp is below 30° C
- Prepare saplings from seeds buy saplings and sow them an inch deep and 8-10” apart.
- Water regularly to keep soil moist.
- Harvest parseley by snipping off the outer stalks to generate new growth.
- For excess harvest dry or freeze to use in off season.