HERBs ....Glorious Herbs.... Herbs 101...

Herbs....gifts from the gods and goddesses..or the deity of your choice...I'm flexible... Herbs are not only tasty additives bought from McCormick. They are wonderful magical creations. All you need is a little knowledge and a couple of pots, or a patch of dirt in a sunny spot. When you are thinking about growing plants, nothing is easier then herbs. They are truly the gift that keeps giving. They love crappy soil, are mainly drought resistant and not only are tasty additives to our cooking, but have terrific medicinal uses as well for both us and our pets. Now is the time to cut back any growing herbs to about 2 inches (many herbs are perennials and with just a little tlc will come back for years if not decades.). Then I just take the grass/leaf cuttings from the mower bag and make a nice little mound over top. This provides both nutrients and a little extra winter protection. This is one of the few times I bag the grass cuttings and make sure to mow up some of those nutrient rich fall leaves. I like to take the herbs, and tie little bundles together and hang them upside down to dry. (my cats like this also, not only have I hung fun little toys for them, but many herbs such as catnip, catmint, oregano, lemon balm and the mints are tasty to the little furry pests, I mean pets...). I dry about 1/2 of my last harvest. the other 1/2 I put into food bags and vaccum seal them and pop them into the freezer. lean tip....although the initial purchase of a food vaccum sealer seems expensive, it saves thousands of dollars in keeping food fresh, usuable and allows for bulk purchasing, so it is an investment well worth making. The bags can be microwaved (okay, granted, NOT too green there...) or dropping into boiling water to cook your meal right in the bag for quick easy family dinners. so...my favorite easy grow herbs... catnip catmint peppermint oregano greek oregano chinese chives nasturium (not perennial but do reseed if you pluck the seed pods) lemon balm (but WAY invasive so I recommend pot or sectioned garden growing for this) sage tomorrow we'll discuss the "ready" aspect of these herbs and their usuage in more then just meal preparations. What's your favorite herb?