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CULINARY HERB PLANTINGS

Here is a list of common culinary and fragrant herbs whose leaves are frequently used: basil, borage, burner, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rose geranium, sage, summer and winter savory, tarragon, and thyme. A few herbs whose seeds are often used in cooking are anise, caraway, dill, and coriander.

Rather than start with all of these, you may prefer to try just a few of the ones that you would normally buy at the store such as basil, chives, marjoram, mint, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme.

The number of plants of each herb you grow will depend on the amount of garden or container space you have and the ways you intend to use their leaves, flowers, and seeds. Some of the more popular culinary herbs such as basil, chives, marjoram, mint, rosemary, and thyme can be used in many different foods and recipes. All of them except basil and parsley are perennial and can grow large enough in the garden in warm winter climates that 2 or 3 plants of each should provide enough leaves for use throughout the year. In colder regions where perennials die back in the winter, you probably will want a few more plants to provide leaves to dry for winter use in addition to those plants which will furnish fresh leaves during the summer. You also might want one or two plants to grow in containers indoors during the winter.

The annual herbs will die after flowering, and unless you plan to raise a crop indoors in the winter, your supply for the year must be grown during the summer. If you intend to cure a crop of leaves and also want some to use fresh, plan to grow about 10 - 12 plants of each. Otherwise, about 4 - 6 plants should produce enough leaves for summer use.

A large number of culinary herbs are easiest to raise and care for when they are planted in rows in a single, well-prepared bed. The size of the plot depends entirely on the space you have available and how many plants you intend to grow. Spacing requirements for many of the herbs are given in their description on seed packages. The ideal location for a garden of this sort is a sunny spot that will receive 6 - 8 hours of full sun each day. The soil's pH should be neutral or slightly alkaline for most of the herbs, and above all it should be well drained. Directions for preparing the bed and sowing the seeds are here.

There are, of course, many other ways to grow culinary herbs. Small plantings can be raised in a flower border, out-of-the-way corner of the yard, or any convenient location where they will receive adequate sunlight.

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