I’ve written blogs on my two favorite herbs (chives and dill) and the Queen of Herbs (basil). So it’s time to cover some of the rest of the Royal Court of herbs.
So Many Herbs – Some Are Annuals and Some Are Perennials
There are lots of herbs to choose from—thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram, mints, tarragon, rosemary, lavender, chives, dill, chamomile, fennel, cilantro, catnip, lemon balm, and more. Some herbs are annuals—they grow throughout the season, set seed, and then die in winter. You need to plant those every year.
There are many herbs, however, that are perennials, meaning they may die back for the winter but come back every year. And there are a few that are biennial—they grow well one year, survive the winter, but then bloom and go to seed the following year. Be sure to find out when you buy an herb which one it is.
Basil, Dill, Parsley, and More…
Basil is one of the best annual herbs. My blog last week was about that. Dill and chamomile are also annuals. Parsley and cilantro are biennials. While they make it over the winter, as it warms up the following spring, they go to seed and die. Fennel is considered a short-lived perennial. It will usually survive the winter, but does not tolerate hot summers well and goes dormant quickly.
How Much Sun is Too Much? It Depends…
A lot of your perennial herbs will do well in only a half day of sun. There are some, however, that will need all day sun so keep that in mind when selecting herbs for your garden. chives, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, and lavender all prefer full sun. A special word about rosemary and lavender—not all varieties are winter-hardy, so double-check the variety you buy.
A Word of Warning
Another special word about mints—there are LOTS of mints—lemon mint, peppermint, spearmint, applemint, even catnip and lemon balm. They will tolerate only a half-day of sun and are very easy to grow. However, a word of warning—most mints spread like crazy, so I strongly recommend growing them in containers and cutting off flowers before they go to seed.
Some Herbs Are Pollinator Friendly
Do remember that you can pinch herbs back to prevent blooming. For herbs like basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, for example, once they bloom, they begin to die back. For some perennial herbs, blooming can change the flavor a bit. You can allow marjoram, chives, oregano, thyme and sage to all bloom with no problems. As a matter of fact, some of these are actually pollinator friendly. Rosemary and Lavender are often grown for their flowers so let them do it. Remember to cut off mint flowers unless you want them to take over.
Mint in Your Iced Tea – Um, Um Good!
By the way, sipping on iced tea with a little mint in there is delicious!