From bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!amiserv!vpnet!smith!leah Wed Apr 13 07:59:52 EDT 1994
Article: 29412 of rec.gardens
Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!amiserv!vpnet!smith!leah
From: leah@smith.CHI.IL.US (L.A.Z. Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Herb Gardening
Message-ID: <1479@smith.CHI.IL.US>
Date: 5 Apr 94 21:01:14 GMT
References: <2nle20$459@search01.news.aol.com>
Reply-To: leah@smith.chi.il.us  (L.A.Z. Smith)
Organization: R. H. E. Smith Corp., Wheeling, IL
Lines: 32

Most herbs are easy.  They just need lots of sun and good drainage.
Don't water or fertilize too much or you will have green, leafy herbs
with no flavor.  For the best production of essential oils, it's
best to keep the plants a little dry and hungry.

The exceptions are parsley, chervil and mint, which can take
moisture and a little shade, and sweet woodruff, which likes it
really shady.  And watercress, which likes it really wet, but sunny.
And probably some others that I'm forgetting, but the common
culinary herbs do like it sunny and dry.

I recommend growing the annuals and biennials (basil, parsley, etc.)
from seed, and buying plants for most of the perennials.  If you are
just growing plants for your own culinary uses, you probably don't
need more than one or two of each kind.  One sage plant gives me
enough to use fresh all season and enough to dry to use all winter.
(If you want to make sage wine, or are a devotee of sage teas or deep-
fried sage leaves, then obviously you'll want more.)  But I like
lots of basil, to use fresh and to make into pesto.  I have a couple
of thyme plants, but I use a lot of it, and am thinking of putting
in a couple more.   But the perennials row and spread and can be
divided.

Two cautions: be sure to get _French_ tarragon (Artemesia dracunulus
sativa) and _Greek_ oregano (Origanum heraclioticum).  The other
varieties have little flavor.  For the tarragon, you will have to
buy plants; it doesn't grow from seed.  Also, I find it's a good
idea, before buying any herb plant, to taste a leaf to be sure it's
what you expect; seedlings don't have the same intensity of flavor
that mature plants do, but you'll be able to get an idea.

Leah Smith		leah@smith.chi.il.us


From bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!inxs.concert.net!taco.cc.ncsu.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!newsserver.jvnc.net!netnews.upenn.edu!iat.holonet.net!totembbs!leonard.adolph Wed Apr 13 08:02:43 EDT 1994
Article: 29359 of rec.gardens
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From: leonard.adolph@totembbs.com (Leonard Adolph)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Herb Gardening
Date: Sun,  3 Apr 1994 15:35:00 GMT
Message-ID: <940405031308782@totembbs.com>
Organization: The Totem Pole BBS (810) 238-1178
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 Ds> I am just starting on an Herb Garden.  What should I be aware of? Are
 Ds> there Herbs that are better for a novice to start with?  Or do I just
 Ds> dive in.  How big is too big to start?  Thanks.

I went through a period of years of herb growing and still have a number
of favorites. Dive right in but pick up a book on herb gardening first.
You will be disappointed if you try to grow cumin outside in an area
like Michigan. :-)
How big is too big to start? Grow what you can tend to, the same as any
other garden. I usually plant about 3000 square feet of garden which
takes at least an hour a day to properly care for after the initial
plowing and planting is done. You also need to take into account the
time needed for the final mass harvesting and preserving.
Basil is a good start. It grows well in a variety of soils and the bugs
don't mess with it much. There also is a wide selection of varities to
play with and it is good for experimenting with in the kitchen.

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