Tarragon, basil, thyme, lemon thyme, marjoram, mint, rosemary. I grow enough for fresh herbs through the summer and dried through the winter.
We grew sage but used it so rarely that when it grew old we let it go.
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We have a big rosemary bush out front and also a large hyssop (anise) bush. Basil grows near the tomato plants. I built herb boxes for the back deck, and there lives thyme, chives, sage, oregano, lemon verbena, and tarragon. Two kinds of mint grow in their own pots, because mint will take over your entire garden if let off the leash.
“Is there a trick to basil? We’ve killed every basal plant that has dared enter this house.”
It grows best in a greenhouse in a warm and humid atmosphere, then the leaves are softer. It needs plenty of water. I assume that lemongrass is the same, given its origin, but have never tried to grow it.
Basil needs to be plucked regularly, do not let it go to seed. What to do with it? Home-made pesto, of course.
If you are growing tomatoes, put some basil between the plants to attract away tomato pests.
Most herbs are very easy to grow as they are hardy and need little water. Mint can get out of control, so it is best grown in a big pot.
A giant hedge of mint (two actually), cilantro, several varieties of basil (Genovese, Georgian, purple, cinnamon, lemon, opal), sage, parsley, a couple kinds of dill, and this year, also borage and lemon balm. What do I do with those?
Two herbs are mainstays of our ornamental garden this year- perilla and Basil herbalea ‘Wild Magic’.
Basil, mint, scallions, chives, parsley, thyme.
They are the only crops i can harvest. The critters easy everything else.
Take some of the lemon balm, crush the leaves slightly to release their oils and wrap them in a cheesecloth sachet. Allow to steep in tea. I usually use it when I make sun tea - just drop it in the pitcher with the tea bags and let it infuse on the table outside.
Huh. And apparently I have some epazote growing from … who knows where? I haven’t really been weeding my garden, but while picking tomatoes today, I ripped up some weeds, and as I went to throw them away, I noticed the very familiar smell of epazote. I looked at the weeds, and they had that jagged leaf edge that I recognize. I’ll have to positively identify it, but I’m 95% sure that’s what it is.
Down here in Melbourne, we grow chives, basil (annual only - the perennial doesn’t taste anywhere near as nice), rosemary, lemongrass (yeah, it’s a struggle - very thin stalks - but we get enough), marjoram, dill, thyme (2-3 varieties), italian parsley, there’s a bay tree in the garden, and we just chucked a mint plant somewhere out in the wasteground beside the laundry door a few years ago - it grows forever (and will even go under the fence into the neighbour’s, to keep them happy).
All these replies! I have only the sage and the basil, next year I have to grow more varieties. Oregano at least, rosemary, mint, parsley and thyme.
I once saw a recipe for something called Scarborough Bread. Seasoned with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme of course.
Fresh herbs are pricey. I’d suggest growing your own to anyone. Fun too.
One thing I forgot: every year we get volunteer dill growing in the front yard. We planted it several years ago, and pulled it up after the first year, as it didn’t do all that well. It keeps coming back.
Sounds about right for dill. My old house had dill just popping up all over the place moving from one side of the garden to the next, and it’s nothing we planted (just from years previous). Thankfully, I love dill, so no problem.