Herbs tempt our senses in various ways: with a fresh aroma, fruity or spicy taste.If we use sophisticated recipes from around the world in our kitchen or we like experiments with unusual additives, we certainly like to use a variety of herbs.Growing plants that would suit our preferences and needs, we can set up both in the garden, and on the balcony.
Recently, our herbal beds were quite poor.Most gardens grew chives, parsley, marjoram, dill, lovage and mint, less often lemon balm, thyme, marjoram and tarragon Sometimes there was also basil, which gives tomato salad a perfect Mediterranean flavor. Today we have access to more and more varieties of many species with various flavors and smells.
For example, varieties of basil with a lemon, cinnamom or anise flavor, or a strong pepper smell were bred.We usually grow basil from seeds.The sprouted plants are most often perennial varieties, such as 'Afrikan Blue' basil, which should overwinter in a frost-free room. For basil to grow well, it needs full sun. To protect it from snails, it is best to grow it in pots.
Thyme with many faces
We may have a problem with the choice in the case of thyme. The most famous is Thymus vulgaris with a resinous aroma that enriches many dishes of Mediterranean cuisine. Fruit fragrances are also becoming more and more popular.Thymus x citriodorus already has different varieties with leaves with yellow or white edges.
The leaves of Thymus herbabarona have an unusual caraway flavor, and Thymus thracicus 'Pine Wood' tastes like pine nuts. Both plants are also perfect spices for Mediterranean dishes. The taste of Asian cuisine will be enriched by the Thymus species coconut thyme 'Kokos' and the ginger thyme 'Ginger'.
The different forms of thyme are 5 to 30 cm high and grow in carpets.The plant likes full sun exposure and in such conditions it collects the most essential oils.The soil should be permeable, not very fertile, with an alkaline reaction. In colder regions, the thyme should be covered with, for example, a tunic.
On the flower bed, thyme goes well with other Mediterranean herbs. It can be planted next to Salvia officinalis, Origanum sage, Satureja montana mountain savory or Santolina viridis green sage.
Plants to diversify the herb garden
- Sage'Nazareth' is a new variety that astonishes with its delicate marzipan aroma.
- The spicy aroma of the leavesthyme'Ginger' is very similar to the aroma of the dried rootginger .
- Mexican oreganoPoliomintha longif.webpolia has a dense habit and leaves a peppery flavor.
- Corianderis becoming an increasingly popular spice. It is especially suitable for Asian dishes.
- Orange flowers and the scent of mint are distinctive featuresearwigAgastache aurantiaca.
The leaves of the Greek origanum heracleoticum are a perfect pizza spice.Its tiny whitish flowers, which open from June to September, are also very aromatic.It is worth knowing that the leaves of the Mexican Poliomintha longif.webpolia have the taste of spices in the pizza, although the shrub is not related to Mediterranean plants .
Native to the southern part of the USA, the plant grows to a height of 60 cm and blooms from May to September. The developing flowers are white and then turn pink. The American shrub grows perfectly in a container with good water drainage.
The herb bed is best to start in spring.All spice plants need is a sunny place with loose, permeable soil through which rainwater quickly seeps through.As the air temperature rises, the herbs will develop quickly and will soon be harvestable.
