Herbs put the zest in pasta sauces, the essence in a hearty soup, the zing in a refreshing cup of mint tea. Wanting to enjoy their sensory qualities is only a prelude to the satifaction and thrill of growing your own herbs, harvested at their fresh peak.
Herbs, both the historic and newer cultivars, are used to flavor food, make a soothing tea, or add fragrance to the landscape or home; some have medicinal value. Whatever their uses, herbs embrace a large and varied group of many diverse kinds of plants.
The group as a whole includes some very easy plants, enjoyed for centuries with little or no care, and others which are all but impossible to grow in Mississippi by even the best gardeners. Traditional herb gardens are collections of many of these unique plants; most contempary gardeners simply grow thrm without fuss alongside other plants, much like flowers.
GOOD GARDENING
The typical idea most gardeners have of growing herbs is based on stuff written in New England where herbs seem easier to grow. Some herbs do have a harder time in Mississippi because of our fickle climate and lack of reliable information.
Many popular herbs cannot tolerate our typically heavy spring rains, hot summer nights, intense humidity and fickle winter temperatures (sudden hard freezes following weeks of sunny days). Our weather, coupled with heavy soils, also creates perfect conditions for root and leaf diseases.
You can get around some of these problems bygrowing herbs in soils which are porous and well-drained, such as in raised beds and pots. Lighten up heavy soils by working in sharp sand and lots of organic matter. Natural mulches of pine straw, bark, or compost are helpful and recycle organic matter into soil.
Most herbs grow best in at least a half day of sunshine. Too much shade, like overwatering and high levels of fertilizer, reduces the aromatic oil content.
Where herbs are grown alongside vegetables or flowers, be sure to protect them from insectide or fungicide sprays. Luckily, few major pests affect herbs. Pull weeds by hand, or cultivate very lightly around plants being careful not to damage shallow roots. Just to be sure, it is best to avoid all chemical pesticides around herbs. Try just good gardening instead.
ANNUALS vs PERENNIALS
Some herbs will "come back" for many years as hardy perrenials. Others are annuals,and must be replanted every year. Summer annuals, planted in the spring and summer, are killed by frost; winter annuals, sometimes called "biennials," are planted in the fall, grow over the winter, and are killed by early summer heat. A great many popular herbs may be perrenial in some parts of the world, but suffer occasionally in our unpredictable winters or hot, humid summers. These "half hearty" plants may be grown in pots to be moved around seasonally.
SEEDS vs PLANTS
Many herbs are easily started from seed sown directly onto prepared soil or in small pots which can be transplanted later. Some can be started from stem or root cuttings, or from dividing mature plants at their crown. Tips on propagating herbs and other perennial plants are covered in all basic gardening books; there's really not much to it, with a little experience. However, most popular herbs may be found ready-to-plant from garden centers and through reputable mail order nurseries.
For success with herbs(or any plant for that matter), keep in mind that each is an individual with it's own needs and tolerances. Starting out with tried-and-true plants will help build confidence for trying those which are more difficult.
HERBS FOR THE POT
The most common use for hebs is for flavoring foods. In general,culinary herbs are not used in great quantities,so not many plants are needed. If lots are required(garlic,or basil,for example),most can be grown in garden rows jusy like peppers,tomatoes,leafy greens,and other vegetables.
Keep in mind that flavorful oil content is usually highest just before plants flower. Harvest culinary herbs often,to keep them bushy and productive. Snip what you need and the plants will put out new growth. Note: Because the oils are not very concentrated in fresh herbs,it takes one tablespoon of fresh herb to give the impact of one teaspoon of dried
herb(a "three times dried" rule of thumb).
You can make a believable salt substitute by crumbling together several dried herbs, along with powdered garlic and onion, and a little pepper. They all work-create your own mix.
The following list of herbs by no means includes the only ones favored by chefs, but they certainly are assembled in many dishes. Herb growers agree that they are all easy to grow in Mississippi. Have fun starting with these, and add others as you like.
WINTER ANNUALS
Dill
SUMMER ANNUALS
Basils
PERENNIALS
Chives
HALF-HARDY PERENNIALS
Rosemary
OTHER USES OF HERBS
From the minty flavor of modern day medicines to the age-old wrapping of wounds with yarrow, herbs have been used to help heal people for thousands of years. Many, including purple coneflower and foxglove(digitalis), are still produced commercially world-wide for medicinal uses.
Other easy-to-grow herbs have unique places in gardens for their special uses. For example, Saponaria (soapwort) was introduced to America by Europeans who valued the soapy lather made from it's leaves for washing hair and clothing (without lye). Artemisia is beautiful as both a silver-gray groundcover and as a wreath material; pennyroyal, another hearty groundcover (even in shade), is also a mosquito repellant. Potpourri, a mixture of dried fragrant herbs,can brighten a room, and the heady bouquet released by herbs after a rain can fill a garden with aroma.
REFERENCES
Few herbal books deal with the peculiar challenges of the deep South. By far the most useful to date is:
SOUTHERN HERB GROWING
Others worth looking into include:
HERBS
RODALE'S ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS
GROWING AND USING THE HEALING HERBS
A BOOK OF POT-POURRI
Parsley
Coriander(Cilantro)
Garlic(from cloves)
Fennel
Sweet basil
Lemon basil
Purple Ruffles basil
Spicy Globe basil
Borage
Winter savory
Thyme
Lemon balm
Mints
Oregano
Mexican tarragon (mint marigold)
Sage
Thyme
Bay(woody shrub)
Lemon grass
Ginger
Madeline Hill
Shearer Publishing, Inc.,1987
HP Books
Rodale Press,Inc.,1987
Gaea and Shandor Weiss
Rodale Press,Inc.,1985
New and Old Ideas for Fragrant Flowers and Herbs
Gail Duff
Beaufort Books Publishers,1985