Herbs

An herb is a type of plant with flavorful, fragrant, or medicinal properties. Herbs are one of the easiest and most useful edible plants to grow. Some popular herbs are Mint, Oregano, Cilantro, and Rosemary.

Growing Successful Herbs

Flowers: For annual herbs such as cilantro, the growth of flowers is an indication that it is time to pull out the herb and plant during the next planting time. Once flowers have popped out, the flavor of the leaves may turn bitter. Cutting flower buds with scissors as soon as they appear and composting/discarding them will encourage the plant to focus energy on leaf growth.

• If you touch the flowers to take them out, the scent will rub off on you. The smell can become nauseating if you smell it too long, so you may want to wear gloves while handling herbs.

• If some plants in a batch are allowed to bloom and dry up, they may self-seed in the garden.

Recipes

Herb Butter

While some people use herbs as garnishes for drinks and meals, you can include herbs in just about anything, including butter. You can make herb butter, which is made using normal butter and some herbs, to give your food an extra punch of flavor! The fat content of the butter intensifies the herbal aromas and flavors.

References: Unspash, BoulderLocavore

Fun fact: Herbs have been used for various purposes as far back as ancient Egyptian times.

Pests: Spray your herbs in neem oil to scare away pests such as whiteflies. This is an environmentally safe method to keep your plants healthy and thriving.

Harvesting: Cilantro fares best in the cool weather of spring & fall, so make sure to collect all your yields before the summer & winter. Basil can be harvested until temperatures drop in the fall, and mint and rosemary can be picked year-round.