Growing Herbs - Cliff Notes from Class Two of the "First & Third" Fall Gardening Classes

Making tea with fresh herbs is good for body and soul. You can make fresh tea with any herb or spice. The rule of thumb for using fresh harvested herbs or spices versus dried herbs or spices is to use three times the amount of fresh as you would dry. For example, if a sauce recipe calls for 1 tsp of dried oregano, include 3 tsp of the fresh herb in the mixture.

With any tea, the stronger you'd like the flavor, the more you should steep. In class, we brewed a fresh pitcher of thyme tea because thyme creates an excellent elixer that is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, improves circulation, and is good for digestion.

We also sampled a variety of in-season apples and a delicious Apple Dip. The recipe is on the site's Free Printables Page.

Since we had covered our sweet teeth, the class was also introduced to Radish Crackers. A favorite in my household, this simple snack consists of a crunchy cracker, radish slices (cut to resemble large coins), a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt.

Herbs fall into two categories; 

Annual: crops around for one growing season can grow simultaneously each year.

Perennial: plants that persist and grow multiple seasons. These crops can stick around for various years if they are also pruned and cared for.

Families

Within the plant kingdom, plants are classified into different families. A couple of different predominant families contain herbs, and understanding the characteristics of the crops within that family is important because if you know how to care for one plant in a family, you learn how to care for most of the plants within that family.

Mint Family

The most well-known herbs are within this perennial family. Native to the sunny Mediterranean coast, these herbs are somewhat drought tolerant and prefer to dry their roots out between watering. It's best to water less frequently but deeper to reach the roots growing far below the soil's surface.

Popular herbs within this family include Mint, Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, Oregano, Sage, and Lemon Balm. Their leaves often have a square, symmetrical pattern, which makes them easy to identify.

The flowers of these annual plants resemble umbrellas. They prefer cooler (fall and spring) temperatures, and their roots need more consistent moisture. Plants within this family include Fennel, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, and Celery.

This family includes both annual and perennial crops, and the flowers, rather than the leaves, are often used. Popular Aster Family crops are Chamomile, Tarragon, and Stevia.

 

Common Onions and Garlic are considered annual plants due to harvesting this root crop at the end of the season. However, Scallions, Chives, or Leeks are considered perennials because their roots contain smaller bulblets, and the greens can be harvested and regrown to enjoy multiple seasons.

After all the instruction, the class moved to the garden to plant our Mint Family herb planters. We used a mixture of two parts raised bed soil, one part Perlite, and one part Worm Castings.

The herbs we included within the planters were Lemon Variegated Thyme, Rosemary, and Italian Oregano. Students were also invited to harvest fresh herbs throughout the garden at the end of class!

That's the end of Class Two. The next class focuses on Plant Nutrition, Pest Control, and Watering. Thank you for reading and learning along with me!