Thursday, February 9, 2012

Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme...


It's hard to believe I left Nashville over a year ago, heading to Knoxville in pursuit of more farm know-how. I still miss The Music City dearly, especially when I see how much the East side has developed. I love that there is now a butcher shop carrying local and humanely raised meats, an ice cream store with the best all-natural flavors ever (my favorite is Smoked Almond Brittle), and a local pharmacy. All within a year!

One of my favorite things about my mid-century rancher rental in East Nashville was the perennial herb garden that bordered the
house's front walk. Oregano, sage, chives, sorrel, mint, parsley, tarragon, and green onions were all a few steps from the front door and my cooking greatly benefited from such fresh seasonings.

I'm hoping to get a perennial herb garden started pretty quickly once we get settled into our Ardmore homestead. Last year in Knoxville we started herbs from seed with great results - they required very little extra added to the basic clay soil and most thrived so much that it was a shame we planted them as row crops to be plowed under at season's end.

Perennial herbs I hope to start with include:
Oregano
Sage
Rosemary
Chives
Dill
Chamomile
Mint
Catnip
Lavender
Parsley
Sorrel

Mint will be kept in its own container, as it can quickly overtake an herb bed if left untended. Dill and chamomile are not perennials, but will self-seed and come back year after year. All the rest are perennial herbs, which will remain dormant overwinter and grow like crazy in warm weather.

I can't wait to have fresh herbs right outside my kitchen again!

No comments:

Post a Comment