by steve stamos

French Tarragon is a native of southern Europe. It is used today as culinary herb although had been used for the treatment of toothache in the past. It has a delightful flavor when fresh or dried. Given the right conditions and some attention it can be quite productive plant. Propagation is by rhizomes. It grows to90 cm tall and produces clusters of grey green or white flowers. French Tarragon is easily killed by heavy frosts. However, it does not seem to thrive in very hot summers either. Tarragon likes mild cool climate, full sun and good drainage. It makes a great addition to the home garden.

French tarragon has an impostor. The Russian Tarragon is not worth growing. Fresh French Tarragon has a strong aniseed flavor while the Russian is vaguely aromatic. Russian species are more vigorous and they will set seeds while French Tarragon never does.

Harvest the plant before the flowering stage. Drying the herb is difficult as the young tips will discolor if dried too slowly and the leaves of the drying herb will turn brown if exposed to even slight moist. Artificial dry heat of no more than 35C will achieve the best results. At the end of harvest cut stems near ground to encourage new vigorous regrowth.

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

by steve stamos

Basil is an annual aromatic herb introduced from the East in the sixteen century as a culinary herb and it is still very popular today. Several types of the herb are in cultivation including, Bush Basil, Sweet Basil, Holy Basil, Creek basil, Lettuce-leaf Basil, Thai Basil, Purple Basil….

Basil is propagated from seeds in spring. It likes a fertile well-drained soil and a warm sunny site, so get such a site in your garden to plant it. Acid soils will need a dressing of lime and a liquid fertilizer given once a month will keep the plants happy. Basil makes a good pot plant in cool climates and an excellent companion plant. It repels fruit fly and aphids from other plants and rubbed onto the skin repels mosquitoes.

Pick leaves throughout the season to use fresh or dry. To improve bushiness and keep leaves coming keep flowering tips pinched out. Dried powdered leaf once taken as snuff. Basil oil is used as a commercial flavoring and in perfumery. Add fresh chopped leaves in salads pasta dishes, meat dishes; particularly compatible with tomatoes. The fresh leaves aid digestion.

basil

Visit my other site

Fruit and Nut Trees

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

Lemon grass is an annual herb that flourishes in the tropics. It reaches a height of 1.5 m and a spread of 1 m. It is used extensively in Asia, India and Thailand for a very long time. Lemon grass has a strong lemon flavor due to citral, essential oil it contains. It is now grown commercially for its widely used essential oil. The herb can successfully grow outside, in the garden, in temperate climates but rarely flowers. In cool climates, grow as a pot plant.

The best flavored leaves are obtained from the lower 12cm part of the plant. This part is white and thick and is used fresh or dried wherever fresh lemon flavor is required. Lemon grass is used in many dishes especially fish and seafood dishes, curries, vegetables, drinks and sweet dishes. Harvest the stems during the summer months. The taste of lemon grass complements those of coriander, onion and chili. The stems are cut into 2 cm long cooked with the food and then removed before serving.

A tea made from the fresh leaves of the herb is a tummy and stomach relaxant.

lemon grass

visit my other sites

Fruit and Nut Trees

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

Parsley is without doubt the most well known herb and it has been cultivated for thousands of years. It is a hardy biennial that reaches a height of up to 60cm and a spread of 30cm. There are two types of this culinary herb in use, the curly leaf and the flat leaf or Italian parsley. A third type of parsley the Hamburg or Turnip-rooted parsley is a relatively new species grown for their roots.

Grow parsley plant in your garden in sun or partial shade in moist fertile soil. Only a few plants will serve the needs of most families. Pick the fresh leaves as required during the growing season. Parsley cuts should be kept in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to extent freshness. Parsley is a rich source of vitamin A, C, iodine and iron and has high chlorophyll content.

Many foods are served with chopped parsley sprinkled on top. It is an essential ingredient for tabbouleh and bouquet garni. Parsley is frequently used as a garnish.

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

Dill is an important medicinal herb in the Middle East since biblical times. It is known nowadays as an ingredient for dishes with fish, to flavor potatoes, green vegetables, salads and many other dishes. Seeds can be steeped in vinegar to make dill vinegar. Dill is a hardy annual or biennial plant with blue-green color thread-like foliage. Its height reaches from 60cm-1m (2-3ft) and may be grown for foliage or seeds from sowing made in spring or summer.

Grow dill in your garden in full sun and add organic matter to hold the moist in the soil. Dill it tends to ‘bolt’ in poor soil. Good drainage is important but keep the soil damp at all times. It can tolerate soils with a wide range of pH. Dill should be raised only from seeds and should be sown direct into the soil, as it does not transplant well.

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This