Planning for next year
I’ve been thinking about what herbs I would like to grow next year. I grow my herbs in containers, reserving garden bed space for plants that only occupy space for 1 or 2 seasons, or that need more room. I don’t have a lot of room for containers, so I want to make sure I’m getting the most out of what I do have.
In thinking about what herbs to grow, I have just one principle: I want to grow herbs that are significantly different or better fresh than they are dried.
Obviously this is very subjective. For example, I see no use for fresh rosemary or fresh oregano. In my own cooking, I can’t tell the difference between fresh and dry for those two herbs. Although I am growing oregano this year (it was an impulse purchase), I won’t grow it next year.
Since I buy my dried spices by mail order (http://www.penzeys.com rocks!), most dried herbs are quite easy for me to find and aren’t all that expensive, so availability and price aren’t issues. I would dearly love to grow saffron (http://growingtaste.com/herbs/saffron.shtml ), but that will have to wait until I have more space. Wouldn’t it be great to give saffron as a Christmas or birthday gift?
So where does all that leave me? Next year, I plan to grow the following:
Annuals
Genovese Basil: I find this to be a good, all-around basil.
Epazote: I cook a lot of Mexican and Mexican-inspired food. I wish I’d thought to grow it this year.
Perennials
Lemon thyme: it’s so cute and I love it so much, I’d grow it even if it didn’t taste good.
Garlic chives: I’m growing regular chives right now, but I’d like to replace them with garlic chives next year (I’m being careful to not let these go to seed!)
Sage: I find the difference between fresh and dried sage subtle, but significant enough to want fresh.
Lovage: I like the flavor of celery, but not the strings. Lovage is perfect for that. Dried lovage is icky.
Tea Herbs
I’m thinking of planting these in my front yard. Some of the culinary herbs above also have uses as tea herbs. The distinction I’m making here is that these are only tea herbs.
Bee balm: Minty tea herb that attracts bees. I’ve never seen dry bee balm available for purchase.
Lemon Balm: Attracts bees and tastes good in tea. Dry lemon balm doesn’t attract bees.
Scented geranium: I’m not sure what scent, perhaps apple or orange?
Mint: definitely in a container. Not sure which one though.
Stevia: I have issues with sugar, and even bigger issues with artificial sweeteners. I really want to grow stevia, most likely in a pot so that it can winter indoors.
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This entry is about Katxena's 
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Slmorgan wrote:
Stevia is really becoming the big “thing” lately. I am wanting to plant some next year as well.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Vera Marie wrote:
Planning ahead, what a concept! I know I need to put more thought into my herbs next year and it helps to see how you made your decisions. Thanks.
Plus, Penzeys does totally rock. I love how they send their shipments in edible packing materials.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
I’m trying very hard to avoid collecting plants like postage stamps. I don’t have the space or resources for the impulse that tells me I must have every different kind of every different plant! :)
Slmorgan, I think you are right about stevia, I’m seeing it everywhere. I’ve been using store-bought extracts, but I want to try growing it myself. It’s also a nice-looking plant.
Vera Marie, we have a Penzeys store in my area, which is fun to visit — but you don’t get the edible packing materials that way!!! I still end up ordering online, because the store is in an area I don’t get to very often.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Cmagnus wrote:
I’ve been itching to grow saffron as well. But I’m zone 5 and it’s zone 6. So I’m wavering back and forth between telling myself that I just might have the right microclimate and plunking down money for a bunch for plants, and behaving myself and resisting the urge.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
Cmagnus — check out the link in my journal entry. That couple grows it in zone 4. Of course, they don’t leave it outdoors for the winter OR the summer.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Nax wrote:
I hate to break it to you, but you’ll be growing oregano next year whether you plant it or not. That stuff is a weed ;)
I tried rue this year after reading about companion gardening. It supposedly keeps the beasties away, and indeed, the slugs seem to be leaving the basil alone this year (although something is still nibbling the rosemary). If anyone knows what else you do with rue, let me know because I’ve got a great big plant and no clue.
I like to grow herbs whether I use them “herbishly” or not— there’s no way I can possibly dry/use the whole plant as flavorings so what I do is make jars and jars of pesto with different herbs, nuts and oils. Some I freeze and some I jar up and give as Christmas presents. Oregano makes a wonderful pesto.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
Thanks Nax, I’ll chuck the oregano in my next batch of pesto! :)
Luckily, the oregano is in a pot, so I don’t think I’ll have problems getting rid of it — I’ll just make sure the roots are well-composted. I have no idea what to do with rue, although I saw some at a Cathedral garden recently and was enchanted by the scent.
Posted on 23 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Cmagnus wrote:
I can’t handle digging them up every year and storing them over the winter; if they can’t survive on their own, I wouldn’t be able to keep them.
Posted on 24 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
Wouldn’t it be great to have them on some sort of cart with wheels? You could wheel them in and out of the house (or, since this is a fantasy anyway, greenhouse) as often as you liked.
Posted on 24 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Cmagnus wrote:
Once we’ve got fantasy, I just want to be able to wave my magic wand and have different areas of my garden be different zones. No greenhouse necessary; I’ll just have a little zone 10 right outside the kitchen, please.
Posted on 25 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
That would be awesome!
Posted on 25 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Lucykate wrote:
I’m a basil freak and like to grow several kinds of it each year. This year I tried Thai Basil for the first time and it’s fantastic! It’s my new favorite basil to season all my cooking with!
Posted on 26 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
I’ve heard that many people like Thai basil — can you describe how the flavor differs from Genevese?
Posted on 26 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Armorel wrote:
Apple and orange scented geraniums are nice but the lemon and rose ones are even nicer – Attar of Roses and Lady Plymouth are both pretty indestructible, root easily, attract bees with their small flowers and taste delicious – what more could you ask for?
By the way, it’s not the oregano roots you need to be concerned about – it’s the seeds. I got Greek oregano a few years back and now it pops up in all sorts of places, happily self seeding into pots occupied by other plants and growing well. But it is lovely and I use a lot so it doesn’t bother me too much :-)
I’m seriously impressed with your forward planning!
Posted on 26 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
Thanks Armorel. I’m trying to think of something to add to the mix that’s not lemon flavored. I’ll look into attar of roses.
It looks like chamomile is out. It’s a member of the Aster family, which I am very allergic to, both in pollen (ragweed knocks me out) and food (I’m allergic to lettuce). So planting it outside my front door and drinking it in tea seem like bad ideas.
So far, I’ve managed to keep ahead of all my herbs and I’ve cut all the flowers off. Let’s hope I can continue to keep ahead of the oregano!
Posted on 26 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Lucykate wrote:
@ Katxena- The Thai Basil seems to be much more spicy! You can definitely tell when you have Thai Basil in a dish, there’s no missing it! It was very easy to grow as well… very hardy!
Posted on 29 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Katxena wrote:
That’s interesting LucyKate, thank you!
Posted on 29 Jul 08 (about 3 months ago)
Glittertrash wrote:
I grew thai basil and genovese basil this year and the flavours were quite different- the thai basil is ‘spicier’ and maybe a bit more intensely aniseed, without the slight sweetness of genovese.
But I’d also recommend thai basil because it’s gorgeous! The flower spikes are beautiful and very bee-attracting (I had stacks of thai basil plants, so let about half of them run to seed to enjoy the flowers and pollinators), and the purple-ish, smaller foliage looks lovely.
Posted on 30 Jul 08 (about 2 months ago)