Hurray for Herbs!

That's Farming, by Jeffie Hardin – April 9, 2012

I love herbs.  Unfortunately, I rarely have time to use them for anything other than throwing a few into some recipes.  Even so, the various shapes, colors and scents fascinate me.  The bonus to my addiction is that herbs will grow with very little attention.  Herbs thrive on dry, rocky conditions. It’s been noted that they die more from too much TLC than from being ignored.  When things around here get wild and wooly, especially in the vegetable garden or with farm animals, it’s nice to have something pleasant to look at when I collapse on the porch.

Here are a few of my absolute favorites:

Spanish Lavender 

This is a gray-green perennial shrub-like herb that produces maroon flowers in the shape of little pineapples. It’s a wonderful fragrant landscape addition that, in my opinion, is easier to grow than the purple French lavender. Spanish lavender is used for flower arrangements or potpourri while the French variety is the choice for cooking.

Lamb’s Ear

I love to pair lamb’s ear, which has fuzzy, silvery-gray foliage, with the shape and color of lavender. Lamb’s ear will have flowering spikes early in the spring, which bees love. Again a very easy plant to grow – it will multiply and thrive in the full sun or partial shade. Frontier families would use this plant, which freely grew in the wild, for their own brand of TP! Softer than even Charmin.

Rosemary

Our rosemary bush has taken over a quarter of my herb garden, but I don’t mind because it’s my favorite herb for potatoes, meats, bread, asparagus …well, for everything. Love it!  Rosemary will grow in full to partial sun, good drainage and good air circulation. 

Now I’m off to cut some more asparagus for dinner … and of course … more rosemary.  Bon Appétit! 

About Jeffie and Chris Hardin – The Hardins left suburban life in 2001 for an 8-acre farm near Mountain Island Lake. Now the Hardins and their children seek to grow half of their family’s food and help others grow food, too.