Herbs.....everything you ever wanted to know about them

I have always loved growing herbs but for many years wasn't sure what to do with them after I had grown them.  I have slowly found many great uses for them but thought I would make a post using this great article I found from Better Homes and Gardens.  Maybe this will be as helpful to you as it has been to me.

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/herbs/easy-to-grow-herbs/?socsrc=bhgfb0319123#page=1
or
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/herb/

Rosemary - this is the one I grow.....Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp Rosemary' forms a sturdy shrub 3-5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. It thrives in average, well-drained soil. Zones 6-10  (Grows from stem cuttings)

Known as a symbol of remembrance and friendship, rosemary fills a garden with aroma, flavor, and activity -- busily pollinating bees love the blooms. This herb comes in various forms, from stiff and upright, ideal for a hedge planting, to mounded and spreading, perfect for scrambling along a slope or wall. The secret to beautiful rosemary is to give plants a hot, dry footing. Grow plants in well-drained soil or a raised bed and surround them gravel mulch for best results. Rosemary thrives in containers, too.

In coldest zones, overwinter rosemary in an unheated room with a fan. Protect overwintering plants from extreme humidity. Too low humidity can cause plants to drop leaves; too high can favor powdery mildew.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

6-10

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb,Shrub

Plant Height:

1-6 feet tall

Plant Width:

2-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

Shades of pink or blue

Bloom Time:

Blooms in summer in the north; can be everblooming in warm-winter climates

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Winter Interest,Dried Flowers,Attracts Birds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting:  Snip fresh rosemary stems throughout the growing season. To use rosemary, strip needles from stems and chop before adding to dishes. To store fresh rosemary up to one week in the refrigerator, place stems in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel.

To preserve, air-dry stems by bundling and hanging upside down in a dark place with good air circulation. Remove leaves from stems and store in airtight containers. Dried, whole rosemary retains flavor up to one year. You can also freeze whole stems in a plastic bag. To use, strip as many leaves as you need from frozen stems. Chop rosemary well before using.

Pulverize dry leaves before adding to dishes, herb blends, or sauces to release aromatic oils and to make them easier to chew. Rosemary texture and flavor varies throughout the season. Leaves are tender in spring, with fewer aromatic oils. By late summer, foliage packs a more potent flavor. Toss late summer stems onto grilling coals to infuse meat with delicious flavor.

Harvest rosemary flowers for a delicious addition to lettuce or fruit salads, pasta, or rice creations.

Basil - grows from seed

Basil dishes up classic Italian flavor in eye-catching bushy plants suitable for garden beds or containers. Grow this tasty beauty in a sunny spot, and you'll reap rewards of flavorful foliage in shades of green, purple, or bronze. Basil lends a distinctive taste to salads, pizza, and pasta dishes. Use small leaves whole; chop larger leaves. Add leaves to dishes just before serving for greatest taste and aroma. Basil plants are exceedingly sensitive to cold; start seeds indoors or sow outside after all danger of frost has passed.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

Annual,Herb

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-3 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting - Start snipping as soon as plants unfurl at least four sets of leaves. Pick only as many individual leaves as you'll use. To store fresh basil for up to five days, clip sprigs and treat them like fresh cut flowers -- in water at room temperature. Basil turns brown if stored in the refrigerator. When frost threatens, cut plants, plunging stems into a few inches of water in a clean bucket.

To store leaves, dry, freeze, or hot pack in sterilized bottles with vinegar and olive oil. Or preserve basil flavor in pesto, which stores in the refrigerator up to one month and can be frozen for up to two years. 

Chives

Chives grace the garden with bright green stems and pinkish-purple pom-pom blooms -- all of which offer a distinctly mild onion flavor. Versatile and easy-growing, chives thrive in containers and also form an eye-catching edging in planting beds. Place chives with convenient harvest in mind; a pot near the kitchen door keeps garden-fresh flavors close at hand. After chives flower, cut plants to encourage new growth, trimming a portion of the clump at a time. In wintry regions, as the growing season winds down, dig up a few bulbs to tuck in a pot for on a sunny windowsill.

Light:Sun,Part Sun

Zones:3-10

Plant Type:Perennial,

Herb 

Plant Height:8-18 inches tall

Plant Width:8-12 inches wide

Flower Color:

Pink to lavender globe-shape flowers

Bloom Time:

Pink flowers in midspring to early summer

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Attracts Butterflies,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting - Snip chives as needed with a pair of scissors or kitchen shears, cutting stems near soil. Fresh chives pack the greatest onion flavor; add them to dishes just before serving. Break up edible chive blossoms on salads for lively onion flavor, or sprinkle on egg dishes or cream soups as a garnish. Bottle blooms in vinegar for a lovely pink-tinted brew. To preserve chives, chop stems and dry or freeze in ice cubes.

DILL - grows from seed

For versatility in the garden, it's hard to beat beautiful, easy-grows-it dill. This herb fills a planting area with a fountain of graceful, delicate foliage. Flat flower heads beckon butterflies, bees, and other good bugs. Snip tasty foliage to flavor home-cooked fare, from potatoes, to soups, to egg dishes. Save seeds for seasoning bread, stews, root vegetable dishes, and pickles. Dill thrives in dry, sunny spots, and plants self-seed to keep the crop coming year after year. To ensure a steady supply of foliage for snipping, sow seeds every four weeks during the growing season.

Green lacewings, an aphid predator, frequent dill plantings, making dill a great companion for roses and other aphid favorites. Black swallowtail butterflies lay eggs on dill. Look for black, green, and yellow striped caterpillars munching their way along stems.

Light:Sun

Plant Type:Annual,Herb

Plant Height:1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:1/2-2 feet wide

Flower Color:Chartreuse flowers

Bloom Time:

Flowers in midsummer

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Fragrant,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

HARVESTING - Pick ferny leaves as needed or pull entire stems to thin plantings. Add fresh leaves to hot dishes just prior to serving because heating dissipates flavor. To preserve leaves, air-dry or freeze sprigs in air-tight bags. To use frozen dill, do not thaw; snip stems directly into dishes. Harvest seeds in fall as they start to turn brown. Clip flower heads and suspend them, upside down, inside paper sacks, so dried seeds will fall into bags.  

Garlic

Garlic's pungent bulbs have long been used for flavoring food and in medicines. It's even been grown with roses, where it reportedly repels aphids. Garlic grows in full sun or part shade. Plant cloves of garlic in late summer, and mulch over winter for harvest the following summer.

Garlic has been grown for thousands of years for its culinary and medicinal properties. It is a common ingredient in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Hardneck garlic is the hardiest form. Varieties in this group form cloves around a woody stem that sends up a curly flower stalk. Softneck garlic forms cloves around a soft neck or stem, which braids easily.

Plant garlic in the fall around the time of the first frost, and mulch well over winter to produce the largest bulbs. Spring-planted bulbs will be smaller at harvest.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

8-24 inches tall

Plant Width:

2-6 inches wide

Harvesting - When about half of the garlic leaves turn yellow, withhold water and knock over the tops. Allow the garlic to cure in the garden for a week. Harvest the bulbs, remove any soil, and hang them in a cool, dry place for two weeks. Once tops are dry, trim them off 1/2 inch above the bulb (or braid softneck types) and trim the roots at the base of the bulb. 

Last summer in Garden Valley they were selling the garlic tops and making pesto out of them.  This part of the plant is very useable as well.....don't just cut it off and let it go to waste.

Lavendar - grows from seed or stem cuttings

Lavender fills the early-summer garden with sensory delights: beautiful purple-tone blooms atop foliage that oozes fragrance on a sunny afternoon. Every part of the plant is infused with aromatic oil, making this a choice herb to place along pathways or near outdoor seating areas so you can savor the fragrance. Lavender varieties abound: The darker the flower, the more intense the aroma -- and the flavor in cooking.

Drought-, heat-, and wind-tolerant, lavender doesn't like poor drainage, waterlogged soil, or high humidity. Raised beds can enhance drainage; surrounding plants with a gravel mulch can help increase heat around roots. After flowering, shear plants to induce bushiness and subsequent bloom. Avoid cutting plants back to the ground. Dried blooms retain fragrance for a long time; crush dried flowers to release aromatic oils anew.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

5-10

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb,Shrub

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-3 feet wide

Flower Color:

Deep violet, lavender, white

Bloom Time:

Flowers early to midsummer

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Cut Flowers,Dried Flowers,Attracts Birds,Attracts Hummingbirds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant

Harvesting - Gather blossoms when they have just opened. Use individual blooms fresh, discarding the little brown or green caps that hold them to the stems. Or cut entire flower stems to dry for later use. Typically flowers are pressed into service in the kitchen, although some recipes from the South of France feature the fragrant leaves.

Pick and dry flowers for seasoning desserts, such as cookies, cakes, and ice cream, or use as an edible garnish on a salad or fresh berries. Lavender blends deliciously with mint and lemon to brew a refreshing tea. Or try blending your own Herbes de Provence seasoning mixture by combining dried lavender blooms with thyme, basil, fennel, and savory. Use this blend to season grilled meats, fish, or stews. Tuck lavender blooms into vinegar to create a deliciously fragrant and uniquely tinted flavoring. 

Lemon Balm - grow from seed or stem cuttings.....will spread and take over an area....smells great if you like lemon!

Lemon balm's quilted green leaves release a delicious lemony aroma when brushed, making it the perfect fragrant addition to plantings near patios and garden benches. Low-maintenance lemon balm thrives in beds or containers, as long as roots sink into well-drained soil. Bees can't resist this bushy beauty, so be sure to tuck it in a garden where you grow vegetables and fruits that need pollinating. Trim plants after flowering to limit seeds and subsequent self-sown volunteers. Take advantage of lemon balm's scent as an insect deterrent -- toss a few stems onto a hot grill to drive away mosquitoes.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Zones:

4-11

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb

Plant Height:

2-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

2 feet wide

Bloom Time:

Flowers in mid- to late summer and early fall

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Attracts Birds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting -  

Gather leaves as you need them for use in fruit salads, beverages, or tossed with steamed vegetables. Pair lemon balm with tarragon to spice up marinades for fish or lamb. Steep leaves in hot water for a tummy-taming tea; combine with lemon mint for a refreshing summer brew. Freeze lemon balm leaves in ice cubes for cooling lemonade. Leaves bruise easily; handle with care between picking and use in the kitchen. Preserve lemon balm by drying or stashing in vinegar. 

Mint - spearmint, peppermint and chocolate mint varieties.  All are rapid spreaders, making them suitable as groundcovers in confined areas, such as a parking strip or an area bounded by a foundation and sidewalk. Or grow it in a container to prevent it overtaking garden neighbors. Mint prefers partial shade but tolerates full sun. 

All are rapid spreaders, making them suitable as groundcovers in confined areas, such as a parking strip or an area bounded by a foundation and sidewalk. Or grow it in a container to prevent it overtaking garden neighbors. Mint prefers partial shade but tolerates 

Plant a patch of cooling, refreshing fragrance by adding mint to your garden. Undemanding and easy to grow, mint boasts a hearty constitution, often growing where other plants fail. Fragrance varies with variety, as does taste. Use mint fresh or dried to season a range of culinary creations including soups, beverages, vegetables, meats, and desserts.

Mint quickly scrambles to cover garden real estate; tuck mint where you don't mind its wandering ways, or corral its rambles by planting it in a raised bed or a pot sunk into soil. Plants readily cross-pollinate; keep your patch pure by planting mixed varieties as far apart as possible. This herb releases scent when you crush or bruise leaves. Place it near garden paths or benches so you can savor the fragrance frequently. All mint varieties thrive in containers.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Zones:

3-10

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb

Plant Height:

1-4 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

Flower color varies, but tends toward pastel or lighter shades

Bloom Time:

Flowers begin in midsummer and continue to fall

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Tolerates Wet Soil,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting - 

For the most intense flavor, clip topmost mint leaves before flowers form. You can also gather leaves at any point during the growing season. Frequent harvests cause plants to branch and become bushy, so cut growing tips of plants often. Give a boost to steamed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, white or black beans, or eggplant, by adding fresh chopped mint leaves just before serving. Mix fresh leaves from mint and basil to weave a cooling flavor into spicy Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Dry mint leaves and flowers by bundling stems and hanging them upside down in a dark place. When leaves are dry, crumble from stems and store in airtight containers. To preserve mint leaves with bright green color, freeze them in plastic storage bags. Capture the refreshing taste of garden-fresh mint for use in beverages and baked goods by creating a syrup. Boil 2 cups of water and 2 cups of white sugar in a pot until sugar dissolves. Add 2 cups of washed mint leaves; stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the mixture to cool; strain syrup and pour it into a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Store syrup in the refrigerator up to one year. 

Oregano - propagation = division or stem cuttings

Savor true Italian flavor with garden-fresh oregano. This sprawling herb pumps up the taste in tomato sauces, pizza, and Mediterranean cuisine. An easy-growing perennial, oregano thrives in planting beds or containers. Plant it in a pot with rosemary, sage, and thyme for a flavorful quartet you can place near the kitchen door, handy for snipping and sprinkling into dishes. In the ground, plants will flower and set seed, which shortens the harvest season. Pinch flowers from stems to keep plants in top snipping form.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

5-11

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb

Plant Height:

1-2 feet tall

Plant Width:

2-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

White to pinkish-purple blooms

Bloom Time:

Plants start to flower in summer and continue blooming into fall

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Fragrant,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Harvesting - 

Pick leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Flavor diminishes after plants bloom; for best taste, harvest leaves before flower buds open. Savor oregano's spicy taste on grilled meats or seafood, sprinkle it onto cooked vegetables, or stir it into pasta sauces. Gather fresh flowers to add to salads.

Oregano's flavor doesn't dissipate with drying. To dry a large amount of oregano, cut stems back to 3 inches (before flower buds open); cut again in the same way in late summer. Dry the stems by bundling them together and hanging them upside down in a dark place with good air circulation. When leaves are dry, crumble them from stems; store leaves in an airtight container. When cooking, if a recipe calls for dried oregano, you can substitute twice the amount of fresh for the same flavorful result. 

Parsley,  grow from seed

Garnish, breath freshener, and cooking spice, parsley is available in curled and flat-leaf forms. The flat-leaf type is preferred for cooking, while the curled version makes a more decorative garnish. The plant is a favorite of the swallowtail butterfly, so plant enough to feed your family and swallowtail caterpillars that feed on the leaves. Grow parsley in full sun to partial shade.
Perk up your garden and your mealtimes by adding parsley to your growing roster. The only maintenance this fuss-free herb requires is planting and harvesting. Give plants evenly moist, well-drained soil, and you'll enjoy fresh green flavors in no time. Curly leaf parsley brings a crisp taste to salads, vegetables, and herb butters, and it's a key ingredient in bouquet garni and fines herbes, an herb blend used in French cuisine. Flat-leaf Italian parsley boasts a stronger flavor that holds up well in cooking, earning this herb a place in soups, stews, and sauces.
In the garden, both parsleys thrive in beds or containers. Curly leaf parsley makes a handsome edging for planting beds, particularly when paired with a contrasting foliage texture, such as upright chives or fat-leaf basil. Black swallowtail butterflies lay eggs on curly parsley. Look for black, green, and yellow striped caterpillars munching their way along stems.

Light:

Sun

Plant Type:

Annual,Herb

Plant Height:

8-24 inches tall

Plant Width:

8-24 inches wide

Flower Color:

Flowers are cream to white

Bloom Time:

Flowers mid- to late summer

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies




Harvesting -

Cut parsley as needed throughout the growing season. Harvest by snipping outer stems to about 1 inch above soil. If you're not harvesting parsley regularly, rejuvenate leggy plants by pruning them midway through the growing season.

Use parsley fresh; cut stems keep in the refrigerator up to one month when wrapped in a damp towel. To preserve parsley, dry stems by bundling and hanging in dark place or spreading in a single layer on screens. When leaves are dry, crumble and store in airtight containers. Freeze fresh parsley in zipper storage bags, chopped in ice cubes, or formed into a paste with olive oil and placed in a flat layer in storage bags. 

Sage

Sage's textured gray-green leaves are perfect for adding a rich flavor to foods. The tubular blue flowers are also edible. More than 900 varieties of sage are available, and many havevariegated foliage that looks attractive in flower borders or container combinations. Grow sage in full sun with well-drained soil.
You just can't overdo sage in the garden. This perennial herb earns its keep with fast-growing ways, beautiful blooms, and a flavor deer find distasteful. Once established, plants shrug off drought, although it's wise to keep plants well-hydrated through the hottest parts of summer if you want a steady supply of supple foliage.
Some gardeners pinch out flower buds to keep leaves forming, but the blooms are beautiful. If you choose to let plants flower, when blossoms fade, cut plants back to beneath where flower buds formed. Don't cut back to woody stems that have no leaves; those most likely won't sprout again. Sage plants typically require replacing every 3-4 years, as plants become woody and produce fewer leaves.
The uses of sage are beyond measure. Besides its popular use as a culinary herb, sage is also commonly pressed into service in cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps. Some naturalists rub it on their skin as an insect repellent. Hanging dried leaves among woolen clothing deters moths. Burning sage removes unpleasant odors, such as lingering cigarette smoke or cooked fish smells.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Zones:

4-10

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb

Plant Height:

12-24 inches

Plant Width:

24-36 inches

Flower Color:

Flower color is typically mauve, a rose-purple blend, or white.

Bloom Time:

Blooms in late spring and early summer.

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Dried 

Flowers,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow




Harvesting - use stem cuttings for new plants




Pick sage throughout the growing season, removing individual leaves. Use fresh leaves when possible, or air dry leaves. If you plan to harvest stems for drying, wash plants the night before with a spray of water. Cut stems the following morning, after dew has dried. Harvest the top 6-8 inches of growth on plants.  

Bundle three to four stems together and hang upside down in a dark, dry place with good air circulation. Another drying method is to spread individual stems on screens. Sage leaves are susceptible to mold; keep an eye on drying stems. When leaves are fully dry, crumble them and store in airtight containers. Flavor will keep 3-4 months. Note that drying intensifies the flavor; use dried sage carefully.

In the kitchen, celebrate sage in traditional poultry and stuffing dinners, use it to rub meats before grilling, or add to egg or cheese dishes. Try blending a pork and bean soup seasoned with thyme and sage. Sage accents fruit-based vinegars, creating beautiful mixtures with delicate aromas and tastes. On the whole use dried sage sparingly in cooking; too much yields a musty flavor. Don't overlook edible sage blooms. Toss them onto salads for a splash of color, blend them into butter or soft cheeses for a spicy spread, or freeze them in ice cubes to give summer beverages a little zip. 




Scented Geranium


Close relatives of the brightly colored bedding geranium, scented geraniums are grown primarily for their textured, aromatic foliage. Fragrances range from fruity to spicy, and even chocolate. Those most used in the kitchen have a rose or lemon scent. Grow scented geraniums in full sun to partial shade. They also make great houseplants when grown in containers.

Thyme, propagation=division & stem cuttings


Ground-hugging thyme is an ingredient in hundreds of culinary and medicinal staples. In landscapes, it makes a wonderful groundcover, lawn substitute, edging plant in a border, or filler between cracks in pavers. Its trailing habit also works well spilling over the edge of container gardens. Common thyme grows about 1 foot tall and bears pinkish lavender blooms in summer. Grow thyme in full sun.
Introduce scenery from the Greek Isles to your garden with lush plantings of thyme. This sun-loving, drought-tolerant herb carpets hillsides in Greece, thriving in well-drained soil. Drought conditions concentrate the aromatic oils in thyme, so the drier your growing conditions, the better. In your garden, tucking plants into raised beds or mulching them with gravel will give thyme the conditions that cause it to thrive and be flavorful.
The flowers beckon honeybees, so add thyme near vegetable gardens to assure an ample supply of pollinators. Shear plants back after bloom, cutting off about a third of stems. With dainty proportions, thyme suits containers or the tight growing quarters between stepping stones.
Thyme introduces a savory flavor to dishes, such as roasted vegetables, soups, and sauces. It is also a key ingredient in bouquet garni, fines herbes, and herbes de Provence. Use thyme to enhance poultry, beef, pork, or seafood. This herb also adds a kick to cheese and egg creations. Thyme's oils take time to be infused into dishes; add thyme early in the cooking process to release the greatest flavor.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Perennial,Herb

Plant Height:

3-12 inches tall

Plant Width:

18 inches wide

Flower Color:

Blooms are bluish-purple to pink

Bloom Time:

Plants flower in spring

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant




Gather fresh thyme leaves as needed throughout the growing season. To dry thyme, cut stems after plants have flowered, waiting until new growth produces stems 3-4 inches long. Snip stems early in the day, after dew has dried, gathering stems into small bundles. Hang stems upside down in a dark, well-ventilated place. Check leaves for dryness; fully dry leaves crumble when pressed between fingers. Strip dried leaves from stems, and store in airtight jars.