Growing spices. Top of the best outdoor perennial herbs. Thyme, or thyme

Herbs are often used in medicine and cooking. Unlike many garden plants, they can grow all year round. If you love to cook, having fresh basil, rosemary, parsley, or cilantro on your windowsill can both benefit your health and save you a significant amount of money. A culinary herb garden can be located indoors on a windowsill or outdoors in a sunny part of your yard.

Steps

Part 1

Decide what herbs you want to plant in your garden. The most practical way to choose would be to draw up complete list herbs that you usually use for cooking. It can be anything from garlic, basil to green onions. Choose only those herbs that you will use or can dry for later use. All culinary herbs fall into the following three categories:

• Annual herbs such as dill, cilantro, and basil that die after flowering need to be repotted every year.
• Herbaceous plants such as mint, onion, oregano, tarragon and dill that can be cut regularly and tend to grow on next year.
• Evergreen herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme that need to be pruned at least once a year they are also perennials.

1. Research the types of herbs that grow in your area. Most of these herbs thrive in a variety of climates if given proper care. If you want to grow a plant that needs special care, then you can plant it in a pot and keep it indoors, controlling the temperature around it.

   • Some perennials, such as rosemary, grow best in climates with mild winters and short, dry summers. You can grow rosemary during the colder winters in your area, however you will need to treat it as an annual plant and replant it every year.
   • Consider using separate plant pots that can compete with other herbs. Mint, lemon balm and comfrey can be invasive, growing rapidly, taking up space and competing with other plants for nutrients. Place these pots in the corners of your garden to water them at the same time.

2. Decide how many herbs you want to grow. Choose the amount based on the frequency of their use. For example, if you like to add rosemary to your meals, you may want to plant more than one plant so you can use it as often as you like. If you mainly cook Italian food, you may want to plant more basil and parsley.

   • The size of the grown plant may depend on the variety of herbs. For example, some varieties of rosemary grow in large bushes while others remain small. Take this information into account when planning your garden.
   • If you enjoy making pesto, plant at least two or three basil bushes. Required to make pesto a large number of basil, and the plant may die if you take too many shoots from its bush.
   • One bush will be enough if you only occasionally use grass as a side dish. For example, if you want to sprinkle potatoes with onions, then one or two bushes will be enough.

3. Buy herbal plants, seedlings or seeds. The easiest way to start your garden is to buy mature plants and transplant them into the ground. The roots will immediately begin to sprout into the ground, and you will soon have the herbs you need for cooking. If it is too early to plant mature plants, consider planting seedlings or sowing seeds.

   • Planting seeds should be carried out two weeks before warming, but only after the end of frost. Soak the seeds in water for 2 to 4 hours, as directed on the package. Plant the seeds in a tray and keep on a warm windowsill. Maintain soil moisture, and after 7 - 14 days you will see the first shoots. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the tray to create a "greenhouse effect" if the room is still cold.

   Part 2

   Planting a culinary garden

   1. Choose a location for your garden. Choose a location that is easily accessible from your kitchen so that you can quickly gather the herbs you need at the moment. Most herbs need sunlight to grow, so choose a location that gets at least six hours of light a day.

      • If you don't find a suitable site in your yard, you can simply plant the herbs in pots instead of in the ground. So you can place them in the most convenient place.
      • You can also make an indoor cooking garden if there is no suitable outdoor space. If possible, a south-facing window sill should be chosen for this purpose in order to optimize the amount of sunlight.

   2. Choose a planting plan for your garden. Plant herbs that need a lot of water on one side of the garden, and plants that need less on the other. For example, basil needs a lot of water, while rosemary likes drier conditions. Planting according to the instructions on the package will help you take care of them properly.

      • Close-to-ground herbs such as thyme and some varieties of rosemary should be placed on the south side of the garden so that taller plants won't obscure them on sunny days.
      • Place tall plants in the central or northern part of the garden to give shorter plants more access to the sun.

   3. Prepare the ground. Culinary herbs have similar needs, making it easy to plant them next to each other in the same garden. The soil should be well drained, fertilized with organic matter and fertile, regardless of the planting site - in the ground or in pots.

      • If the soil is not fertilized, add a layer of compost and mix it into the soil.
      • When planting in pots, use standard soil, as well as pour a layer of gravel on the bottom. This will help keep the roots moist and prevent mold.

   4. Plant the herbs. Seedlings and plants can be planted immediately after the end of frost. Plant the plants 31 to 46 cm apart, according to package instructions. Dig holes deep enough to strengthen the root system and place the seedlings in the ground. Lightly tamp the soil around the planted plant.

      Maintain moisture in your garden. The plant does not feel comfortable in dry soil. Water your herbs often enough to maintain even soil moisture; in the height of summer, watering up to two times a day may be necessary. There is no need to water after rain or if the soil is still wet.

      • Check the moisture content of the soil by sticking your finger into the soil next to the stem of one of your plants. If your finger is dry and dusty, it's time to water.
      • Water plants at the base, not from above. This will protect the leaves from damage.
      • Watering in the morning will give the sun more time to dry the patch of soil before nightfall. Evening watering will leave the plants damp all night, which can lead to mold growth.

   5. Practice natural methods of fertilization and weed control. Never use chemical substances or pesticides in your garden. Since most of the herbs will be eaten, this can have a detrimental effect on your health. Instead, grow garlic, mint, or onions around the perimeter of your garden to keep pests out.

      • You can get rid of aphids or other pests by washing the plant leaves every day with soapy water. Mix a natural insecticide with 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable soap, such as castile soap, and one liter of water. By spraying this mixture on your plants, you will protect them from soft-bodied insects.
      • Weed the garden regularly, uprooting weeds so they don't grow back.

   Part 3

   Collection of herbs

   1. Start picking herbs when the plants are already strong. When they have strong stems and a large number of leaves, you can start harvesting several times a week. During the height of summer, you can even pick certain types of herbs daily.

   2. Harvest with a clean and sharp knife. You can also use clean and sharp pruning shears. Make sure the tool is clean to avoid infecting your plants during harvest.

      • Leafy annuals, such as basil, can be pruned hard enough to keep growing for another week or longer. Trim new shoots and leave petioles about 10-15 centimeters long to allow the plant to continue to develop.
      • For perennials such as thyme and oregano, only the leaves or upper part to keep the bush fruitful.

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The eternal dream of all housewives is to always have on hand all the necessary ingredients for the next culinary masterpiece. Indeed, sometimes it is so insulting when there is no elementary trifle in the bins, like a certain seasoning or, for example, fresh parsley.

So website invites you to consider options for edible plants that you can easily start growing yourself so that you always have fresh crisp greens on hand.

cilantro

Light soil with neutral acidity is best suited for cilantro. Seeds in a flower pot should be sown in rows, it is important to ensure that it is regularly watered. Seedlings of cilantro will appear within a couple of weeks after sowing.

Dill

Growing dill at home, first of all, you need to remember that this plant loves light very much. It also needs to be watered regularly and once every two weeks it is recommended to feed it with a complex mineral fertilizer.

Parsley

Parsley seeds a day before sowing are recommended to be placed in a container with water. When sowing, the seeds should be deepened into the soil by no more than 0.5 cm and then sprinkled with a small layer of earth. After that, remove the pots with seedlings in a dark place and water every other day. But when the seedlings turn green, move the pots to the windowsill, closer to the light.

Rosemary

Rosemary seeds are best planted in moist soil in small pots about 15 centimeters deep. The seeds will germinate for about a month. It is important to keep the soil moist and do not forget to periodically ventilate the crops.

Sage

Thyme

You will need a small pot, up to 15 cm tall. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle and plant a few seeds. Spread another 1 cm of soil on top. Before the first shoots, do not let the top crust dry out. Water thyme, unlike, for example, cilantro, should be moderate. Each new watering should be carried out when the soil has already dried up.

To fully appreciate spicy herbs, they should be grown in your own garden - the good thing is that this is quite feasible! In addition, bright, elegant plants will be a real decoration of the garden.

Basil

Legends of many nations call basil a symbol of love and family well-being. This bright and spectacular plant will enrich the summer cottage atmosphere with a southern aroma.

What is useful?

All above-ground parts of basil contain a healing essential oil. In medicine, the plant is used as gastric remedy, for compresses and gargling. In homeopathy, basil is used in diseases of the kidneys and gallbladder. AT traditional medicine- for the treatment of wounds and as an antihelminthic.

How is it used?

Fresh young shoots and leaves are a popular spicy salad greens and a component of sauces, first and second courses. For the winter, basil greens are dried or frozen. Dried basil powder is especially good as a spice for minced meat. Green varieties with flavors of lemon (Freshness, Lemon Slices, Lemon), mint (Gourmet Mint, Velvet) and caramel (Pet, Caramel) are used to flavor tea, compote. Also, young shoots and leaves are used in canning and pickling.

Small-leaved basil with compact bushes (Naughty, Basilisk, Troll) is grown as a potted crop in open ground and indoor conditions.

Varieties

Basil comes with green and purple leaves (from light to almost black varieties). By aroma, varieties with pepper, clove, bay, anise, caramel, lemon, mint, cinnamon and other olfactory shades are distinguished.

Fans of purple basil with a high anthocyanin content should pay attention to Ararat, Yerevan, Red Rubin, Sharm. Green-leaved varieties Tonus, Russian Bogatyr, Stela are distinguished by a more intense persistent aroma.

Conditions

Basil has higher requirements for heat and light than many southern crops. Seeds germinate only when high temperatures(not lower than +20 °C). Plants must be placed in places protected from cold winds and well lit by the sun. In shaded areas, the yield drops sharply and its quality decreases.

A high yield is obtained on fertile black earth, loose loamy and sandy loamy soils with a sufficient amount of humus. Basil is also demanding on moisture, especially during flowering and at a young age (before flowering).

How to grow?

The main secret of success for basil is that sowing or planting seedlings in the ground should be carried out no earlier than mid-May, when the soil and air warm up to a temperature of at least +15 ° C.

With the seedling method of growing, sowing begins 35-45 days before planting in the ground.

Remove flower buds from basil. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov

In order for the plants to be thicker and more magnificent, it is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots and regularly remove all flower buds. This technique will allow you to collect greens until the frost.

Also, during the growing season, 1-2 fertilizing with complex fertilizer at the rate of 15-20 g / m 2 will be useful.

Flatbreads with cheese and potato filling

Ingredients: milk (or kefir) - 250 ml; wheat flour - 2 cups; a pinch of salt; ground black pepper, ground red bell pepper (to taste); hard cheese (brynza, feta or any other) - 200 g; potatoes - 200 g; herbs and basil to taste; garlic - 2 cloves; butter - 50 g.

Cooking. Knead the dough (a little softer than dumplings) from kefir, salt and flour. Wrap in cling film and leave for 30-40 minutes.

For the filling, boil the potatoes in their skins.

Grate cheese on a fine grater, add crushed garlic, finely chopped dill and basil, other spices and mix. Fold the boiled peeled potatoes there, mash into mashed potatoes and cool.

Divide the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Roll each into a cake and place a portion of the filling on it (also about the size of a walnut). Pinch in the form of a bun, then flatten with the palm of your hand and roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of no more than 4-5 mm.

Fry in a dry frying pan without oil on both sides. Grease the finished cakes with melted butter and stack them in a pile.

Coriander, or cilantro

Due to the combination of spicy aroma and rich taste, it is always popular among lovers of herbs and spices.

What is useful?

Coriander leaves (cilantro) contain many vitamins, contain tannins and fatty oils.

How is it used?

Fresh leaves are used as a vitamin seasoning in salads, apple compotes, and for preserving fruits. Greens are added to soups, meat, fish, vegetable dishes.

Coriander fruits are mixed into bread, confectionery, marinades, sauces, sausages, cheeses, meat products. They improve the taste of dishes from peas, beans, lentils, they flavor dishes from cabbage, beets, carrots ... and even applesauce!

Varieties

Coriander Stimulus, Borodinsky, Caribe, Taiga, Shiko are distinguished by high productivity, rich taste of greens and unpretentiousness.

Conditions

For good growth Coriander requires a moderate amount of moisture, heat and light to grow and develop. It is best suited to cultivated fertile soils.

How to grow?

Coriander is an early crop, it can be sown several times a season from late April to early May. Interval - 2-3 weeks. Coriander does not cause any particular difficulties for gardeners. The most important thing is to monitor the uniform moisture of the soil and the absence of a crust in the interval from sowing to germination. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, the seeds can be soaked for several days in warm water.

Parsley

It seems that this culture has always been with man. But this is not so: in Europe it began to be cultivated only in the Middle Ages, and in Russia - even from the 18th century. Moreover, for a long time, parsley was considered not a food, but a medicinal plant.

What is useful?

Parsley leaves and roots contain vitamins B 1 , B 2 , C, carotene, potassium, calcium and iron salts, inulin, proteins, essential oils. They can be dried, frozen, salted, and beneficial features are not lost even after heat treatment. Fresh leaves, juice, parsley seeds are widely used in folk and traditional medicine, for the preparation of cosmetics: creams, lotions, nourishing masks.

How is it used?

The young leaves and roots are eaten fresh as a spice or condiment and added to soups and main dishes. The leaves go into sauces, marinades and serve as an excellent decoration.

Varieties

Existing varieties of parsley are divided into several types: root, leafy with an ordinary leaf and curly, universal, forming both a large root crop and a large number of leaves. To date, about 60 varieties of parsley have been zoned. When choosing, you must consider for what purposes it will be used.

Leaf parsley ‘Italian giant’ Author photo: Oleg Elizarov

To obtain a high yield of early and abundant vitamin greens, the following varieties are best suited: Titan, Sandwich, Italian Giant, Ordinary Leaf. Varieties Alba, Pikantnaya, Sakharnaya differ in large leveled root crops. To use both tops and roots, sow Bogatyr, Universal, Bubka varieties on your garden bed. Curly parsley leaves will be a wonderful decoration for both the garden and cooked dishes: salads, vegetable, cold cuts, main courses. Attention should be paid to the varieties Kucheryavets, Mooskrause 2.

Conditions

Parsley is a cold-resistant plant, but with early sowing and under the influence of cold weather, flowering is possible in the first year to the detriment of leaves or root crops. Root crops are relatively frost-resistant and almost always overwinter in the soil in the middle lane, the leaves tolerate light autumn and spring frosts. Shoots withstand up to -9 ° C.

Curly leaf parsley ‘Kucheryavets’. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov

For sowing, choose illuminated areas with fertile non-acidic soil. Placement in the same place is desirable not earlier than after 4 years. Parsley is not grown after parsley, nor after other crops of the celery family.

How to grow?

To obtain a high yield of greens and large root crops, plants require moderate temperatures (18-20 ° C) and a sufficient amount of moisture, especially during the germination period.

When growing parsley, you should pay attention to some important points. Since the seeds are not large, they are buried to a depth of no more than 1.5-2.0 cm, especially on heavy clay soil.

Tender and plentiful ‘Sandwich’. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov

Shoots appear only on the 10-14th day. All this time it is necessary to ensure that there is no soil crust that prevents the emergence of seedlings, the soil must be moistened all the time.

In order not to accidentally damage young sprouts when weeding or loosening, parsley seeds can be mixed with seeds of fast-growing crops: radish, watercress, lettuce, mustard.

In the early stages of life, fragile plants develop slowly. Given the light-loving culture, do not be late with weeding and thinning thickened crops.

many varieties leaf parsley grow well after selective cutting, they can be harvested several times over the summer. But even under optimal conditions, individual branches of parsley are cut only 55-60 days after sowing the seeds. Parsley plants left before winter in the garden will delight you with young early greens next year until the end of May.

In root varieties, to obtain a large root crop, leaves should not be cut or plucked during cultivation.

For lovers of a mini-garden on the windowsill, it is best not to sow parsley with seeds, but to start forcing greens from root crops or leaf parsley plants grown in advance (that is, in summer).

Variety 'Universal': both tops and roots. Author photo: Oleg Elizarov

Oil "Emerald"

Ingredients: parsley, cilantro, basil, dill in approximately equal proportions; vegetable oil (preferably olive).

Preparation: rinse the greens well, dry on a clean napkin and finely chop with a knife (or in a blender). Transfer to a clean, dry jar up to the shoulders, pour oil, mix, compact. Keep in the refrigerator on the coldest shelf (it is stored no more than two weeks, then you can make the next batch). It is used as a seasoning for salads or hot dishes (soups, stews).

Celery

One of the oldest cultivated plants gained fame in Russia only from the 18th century. However, since then, the popularity of this vegetable has been growing all the time. Behind last years recipes for delicious dishes that promote weight loss, recipes for increasing potency and healing are widely distributed among the people - and all this with the use of celery.

What is useful?

Celery is a valuable vegetable crop rich in vitamins. In addition, celery has a high content of salts of potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and a number of valuable amino acids. All parts of the plant are rich in essential oils, which give it a specific taste.

Celery is widely used in folk and official medicine. Root vegetables and leaves excite appetite, enhance digestion, stimulate work nervous system, improve sleep, have a mild laxative, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.

A decoction of leaves, root crops and especially seeds is the first remedy for gout and urolithiasis, has good diuretic and antimicrobial properties, which is important in the treatment of cystitis and urethritis. Celery normalizes the endocrine system, which is why it is indispensable for people suffering from diabetes or obesity. This vegetable is useful to include in the diet for nervous exhaustion, overwork, asthenic conditions.

On a note

How is it used?

Raw root vegetables are added to salads, fried, and boiled in soups or mashed potatoes - just like potatoes. Celery root is easy to prepare for the future: it can be dried, frozen and canned.

Juicy petioles are eaten raw in salads, included in the first and second courses. The low calorie content gives special value to petiole celery: more energy is expended on chewing and digesting this product than is extracted.

Fresh fragrant celery leaves are used as a spice, added as a seasoning to first and second courses, sauces, pickles and marinades. Petioles and leaves are dried or frozen for future use.

Celery fruits contain a lot of essential oils - this allows them to be used for flavoring in various dishes, as well as in the preparation of sauces, ketchup and marinades.

Varieties

To obtain a large root crop without voids inside and a large number of lateral roots, it is better to stop your choice on varieties: Diamant, Iskander, Strongman, President RZ.

The abundance of delicate greenery, which does not turn yellow and does not coarsen for a long time, will please the varieties Samurai, Vigor, Zakhar, Lekar.

The largest, juiciest and fleshy petioles are formed in the varieties Utah, Groom, Atlant, Pascal.

Conditions

Most willingly, celery grows on fertile soils with a deep cultivated layer. It is best to plant this crop the next year after cabbage, tomato or cucumber, under which a lot of organic matter was added.

How to grow?

In the middle lane, growing root celery is possible only through seedlings. It is advisable to sow seeds from mid-January to mid-March. It is also desirable to grow leaf varieties through seedlings (sowing in February - March), but it can also be sown in open ground as soon as the ground warms up (late April - early May). Celery seedlings are planted in the ground in early - mid-May.

For optimal development of root celery, the distance between plants in a row should be 25-30 cm, and the row spacing should be 40-45. For sheet and petiole celery good scheme planting 25 × 25 cm.

To obtain tender petioles from petiole celery, they are bleached by hilling plants 3-4 weeks before harvesting.

Celery is a late ripening crop. A large root crop is formed in 120-170 days from germination, leaf and petiole varieties are ready for harvesting on the 100-120th day from germination.

Leaf and petiole celery can be harvested at any time once the first leaves have formed. But do not cut off the leaves of the root varieties - otherwise the root crop will grow small.

Leaves and petioles in plastic bags in the refrigerator can be stored for a month.

Celery roots are harvested for storage before autumn frosts. Although short-term freezing does not harm the plants, harvesting can be done in early October.

Dried, healthy, without mechanical damage, the roots are placed in boxes lined with film from the inside, and poured with wet sawdust or sand. Store celery in a cellar or refrigerator at a temperature of +1 ... +4 ° C.

Salad with petiole celery

Ingredients: petiole celery - 2 pcs.; salad cucumber - 1 pc.; sweet pepper - 1 pc.; green onions - 1 bunch; Beijing cabbage - a small head of cabbage; cheese - 100 g; vegetable oil and vinegar (can be replaced with lemon juice) to taste.

Cooking. Wash and clean vegetables. Chop the cabbage into strips, finely chop the green onion and rub everything lightly with salt. Cut celery into slices, cucumber, pepper and cheese into cubes. Mix everything and salt to taste. In a bowl, beat the vegetable oil with vinegar or lemon juice, dress the salad with the resulting sauce.

Thyme, or thyme

A perennial plant grown as a spicy-aromatic crop from ancient times to the present day.

What is useful?

Thyme essential oil has powerful antiseptic properties. Plants contain flavonoids, tannins, mineral salts and organic acids.

How is it used?

Fresh and dry thyme leaves are an excellent seasoning for various dishes. It is used in the preparation of marinades, sauces, marmalades, and is used to flavor liqueurs and vinegar.

Varieties

The most fragrant and abundant greens are obtained when using thyme Medok, Raduzhny, Bogorodsky Semko.

Conditions

Thyme is an unpretentious culture. Relatively cold-resistant, drought-resistant. Plants are photophilous, not tolerant of shading. Soils prefers medium-fertile, dry stony, with a neutral reaction. Grows poorly in moist clay soils and loses its aroma.

How to grow?

In the middle lane, thyme is cultivated as an annual crop through seedlings or by direct sowing into the ground at the earliest possible date. In areas with mild winters, it can be grown as a perennial crop.

For seedlings, thyme is sown in March - April in light neutral soil. Since the seeds are very small, sowing is carried out to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. Shoots appear after 15-20 days; at this time it is very important to keep the area clear of weeds.

Too thickened crops must be thinned out in 1-2 doses, leaving 10-15 cm between plants.

Thyme is practically immune to diseases and pests, making it easy to grow.

Chicken and potatoes with thyme

Ingredients: chicken - 1 piece; mayonnaise - 1 small package; garlic - 1 head; potatoes - about 0.5 kg; ground thyme - 1 tbsp. the spoon; salt and pepper fragrant to taste.

Cooking. Mix peeled and crushed garlic with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cut the chicken into portions and grease them well with the resulting marinade. Sprinkle evenly with ground thyme.

Cut the peeled potatoes into large wedges and mix with the chicken. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 40 minutes. Put on a baking sheet, put in a preheated oven and bake until cooked.

Tarragon

The second name of this perennial spicy plant - tarragon - came from the Caucasus and is familiar to gardeners from the green lemonade, of which it is a part. Although this plant is most popular among the Caucasian peoples, its homeland is Siberia and Mongolia.

What is useful?

Young tarragon greens contain a large amount of carotene, vitamins B 1 , B 2 and C. In folk medicine, tarragon is used as a diuretic and antiscurvy agent. Tarragon is able to improve appetite, stimulate digestion. Young greens have a calming effect, improve sleep. In addition, it can simply be used as a general tonic.

How is it used?

Tarragon has a delicate spicy aroma and a tart, spicy taste. In small quantities, young greens are added to rice dishes, boiled fish, and light sauces (for example, mayonnaise). Tarragon is also appropriate in salads, soups and seasonings.

Fresh herbs go well with other spices (such as mustard). Its taste and aroma will be more distinct if the dish is lightly sprinkled with lemon juice. Tarragon is a good preservative, so young leaves are added to marinades when canning vegetables, sauerkraut.

Varieties

The most productive and easy to grow: Monarch, Goodwin, Gribovchanin.

How to grow?

In the middle lane, tarragon is propagated mainly by vegetative means: by dividing rhizomes, root offspring and cuttings. But you can sow it with seeds both directly on the garden bed and through seedlings. Since the seeds are very small, do not plant them deep into the soil.

Tarragon is a very cold hardy plant. Its growth begins immediately after the snow melts. It can be planted in the ground in a permanent place as soon as the soil warms up: in late April - early May. At the same time, in a permanent place, the tarragon bush can grow up to 4-5 years, increasing in diameter up to 1.0-1.5 m.

You can start harvesting tarragon greens in the fall in the year of planting, little by little, so as not to weaken the "youth". From the 2nd year, the green mass can be cut off throughout the summer as needed.

Fragrant "kitchen" plants in your garden - a harmonious union of usefulness and beauty. they look very decorative, while most of them practically do not need care.

And what opportunities these heroes open up for creating culinary masterpieces! After all, the taste of the same dish can magically change depending on what spice you add to it. Finally, one cannot fail to pay tribute to beauty - here, fragrant pets are able to give odds to many. The world of spicy herbs is incredibly diverse, and there are a great many options for decorating the site with these representatives of the flora.

Addition to the aroma kingdom!

(Agastache) with purple and white inflorescences - a bright accent in a fragrant garden. The leaves of the plant can be used to make tea. For the same purpose perfectly suited (Monarda).

You can purchase seeds of these and other plants suitable for brewing in our market, a selection.

Herb gardens have a high patron - Saint Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). The abbess was an eminent expert in medicinal plants, her knowledge is still used in medicine today.

Herb gardens have a high patron - Saint Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

The reverse trend is also noticeable: flower plants, which until recently were considered exclusively decorative, were declared edible! But subject to their environmental cleanliness. So, flowers, and are able to decorate any salad. Advice: if you do not want to run around the garden in search of the right ingredient, set up a flower garden with ornamental and fragrant plants near the kitchen (always in a sunny place!)

Most herbs grow well in pots and balcony boxes. These plants combine well with their long-flowering tub counterparts, for example, with pelargoniums and caliberhoa. However do not forget: during the warm season, this fragrant-variegated company, as a rule, needs to be watered every day.

Advice: to protect the wood from moisture, line the inside of the box with foil.

2. Chocolate-smelling dark blood red flowers float above the basil. Lavender blossoms in the foreground, and openwork fennel serves as a background.

Advice: to create a beautiful composition, it is not at all necessary to plant several plants in one container. Alternatively, plant, for example, sun-loving species such as, and, in terracotta pots of various sizes, put them in a group - and admire the Mediterranean-style ensemble!

3. Mediterranean charm is distinguished by a composition of potted plants arranged around a vertical support. The ensemble is complemented by and.

4. An elevated flower bed in a sunny location is ideal for most herbs. Among the thyme, sage and chives, the horned violet blooms.

An elevated flower bed in a sunny location is ideal for most herbs

Thyme (thyme) honey aroma 17 rub
Russian Garden

Creeping thyme (thyme) Rainbow, 0.05 g 27 rub
seedspost.ru

Thyme (thyme) Colchis, 0.05 g 23 rub
seedspost.ru

Creeping thyme (thyme) Medok, 0.25 g 19 rub
seedspost.ru

Divide a large root ball into several parts with your hands

Distribute the plants

3. Dig small holes, plant thyme slices and press them into the soil a little.

Plant thyme delenki, water abundantly

4. In conclusion, water the "new settlers" abundantly. In order for the grass to take root well, water it regularly in the first few weeks after planting. Later, the fragrant "rug" is content with a small amount of water.

Dry or freeze? Stocking up for the winter

Tip: To keep your spicy stocks as long as possible, put the herb in a glass dish with a screw-on lid.

Herbs that are very crumbly when dry, such as parsley or chives freeze better. In this form, they can be stored for months. Advice: chop the aforementioned plants, place them in the cells of an ice mold, pour in a small amount of water and put in the freezer - this will allow you to defrost the aromagrass in portions.

Herbs that are very crumbly when dry should be frozen.

Company in a tub

Many spicy herbs grow well not only in open ground, but also in pots.

Important: in no case should water stagnate in the tub. If there are no drainage holes in the container, pour a layer of expanded clay on the bottom and already on it - the substrate. Speaking of the latter, ideally you should use special ground for herbs. Alternatively, just mix universal substrate with sand in the ratio 1:2. Since water and nutrients do not stay in the tub for a long time, do not forget to water and feed the fragrant pets regularly.

Such a "medicine" save green friends from leaf aphids and provide them with minerals such as iron, silicic acid, potassium and calcium. In addition, on the basis of which the mash is prepared, it is an excellent source of nitrogen.

1. Cut fresh nettles, chop and fill with water (1 kg of greens per 10 liters of water).
2. Place the container for 10 days in a sunny place. Important: Stir every day. To reduce the unpleasant smell emanating from the liquid during fermentation, mix in stone meal or ash.
3. At the end, strain the mash, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10 and water the plants under the root.

We propagate herbs ourselves

1. To begin with, fill several pots with a substrate (preferably not too saturated nutrients).

First, fill a few pots with substrate.

Strip the leaves at the bottom

3. To make the cuttings root faster, dip the tips in powder that stimulates rooting, and only then plant in pots.

To make cuttings root faster, dip the tips in powder that stimulates rooting.

4. At the end, water well and cover the cuttings with a plastic bag or place the pots in a mini greenhouse. The cuttings will take root in 3-5 weeks, then they can be planted in separate containers. Plant young plants in open ground in 2-3 years (in spring), when they get stronger.

At the end, water well and cover the cuttings with a plastic bag or place the pots in a mini-greenhouse.

Useful beauty: mulching plantings

Important: many herbs grow well on poor soils, so you should not mulch the flower garden with organic materials.

Haircut gives energy

What herbs grow in your garden?

Photo: Marion Nickig, Alamy/Steffen Hauser/botanikfoto, Brigitte & Philippe Perdereau, Friedrich Strauß, Mein schoner Garten archive.

Spicy herbs add spice to the usual food. Usually a standard set is grown in the country - dill and parsley, sometimes you can find borage (borage), celery. In fact, the choice is much richer.

Agastahis wrinkled (Korean mint)

He is a Tibetan lofant. A small shrub up to 1 m high and up to 60 cm wide. It grows well on drained sandy loamy soils. Frost resistance - up to -30 C.

Young leaves have a pronounced anise aroma. They are often used as a seasoning for salads, as a spice in canning. Suitable for brewing medicinal tea.

Sowing for seedlings - from March 20 to April 15. Landing at a permanent place - from May 25 to June 5. Landing pattern 20x30 cm.

Anise ordinary

An annual from the Celery family. Plant height is about 50-70 cm.

Anise well complements fish and meat dishes, salads, desserts. Moreover, all parts of the plant are used - fruits, leaves, twigs, seeds. Many housewives use anise to make marinades for cucumbers and zucchini.

Sowing in the ground in the second half of April in fertile loose soil. Essential oils best produced when planted in sunny areas.

Basil

Herbaceous annual from the Lamiaceae family. It is added to meat, pizza, fish, vegetable salads, sauces, soups, egg dishes. It goes well with tomatoes, seafood, cheese, butter.

You can grow seedlings (sowing in early April) and seedless methods. Transfer of seedlings to the beds - at the end of May. The soil should be light and fertile, the selected site should be sunny.

Borago (borage)

An annual herbaceous plant from the Borage family. The leaves smell strongly of cucumbers, so they are often added to salads, sauces, okroshka, side dishes, soups, vinaigrettes as a substitute (or in addition, for smell).

Seeds are planted in a permanent place in late April - early May. For an earlier harvest, it can be grown through seedlings (planting in March). The plant adapts well and can further propagate by self-sowing.

mustard salad

The main purpose is the preparation of vegetable salads. Young leaves are rich in vegetable proteins, carotene, vitamins B, C, PP. Often used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes, for making sandwiches. Young succulent shoots are used in conservation, seeds - for the preparation of mustard powder.

This early maturing cold-resistant crop can be planted almost immediately after the soil has thawed. Seeding every 2 weeks. Seeding rate - 2 g per 1 m2, depth - up to 1 cm, row spacing 20 cm.

Oregano

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Lamiaceae family. Height - up to 50-70 cm. It is often used as a seasoning for meat dishes (instead of marjoram). It harmoniously complements seafood, vegetables, boiled chicken eggs. Healing tea is also brewed from oregano.

Seeds are sown in autumn or early spring. The soil can be almost any in composition, the main thing is that there is no stagnation of moisture.

Hyssop

Semi-shrub from the Lamiaceae family. Young shoots, leaves, flowers (fresh and dried) exude a ginger-sage aroma. As a seasoning, it is suitable for various first and second courses (with meat, fish, beans, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese), cold appetizers. Used by housewives in the preparation of marinade.

Seeds are sown in the ground in late April - early May. When grown through seedlings - sowing is carried out in early March. Hyssop can grow up to 10 years in one place.

Common chervil

An annual from the Umbelliferae family. It has a sweet taste, reminiscent of parsley, and an anise aroma. Often served with boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, fish and meat dishes, mashed potatoes. Used in vegetable salads.

Sowing in April, almost immediately after the ground warms up. Planting depth - up to 1 cm, scheme - 20x30 cm. The culture is cold-resistant and extremely unpretentious (including the length of daylight hours). On the windowsill you can grow all year round.

Coriander seed

Commonly referred to as "cilantro". Harmoniously complements dishes of meat, fish, cheese. Used to make marinades, added to baked goods. Young leaves are good in vegetable salads.

Sowing - in late April - early May, when the threat of frost has passed. Loose fertile soil is preferred. Embedding depth - 2 cm, step in a row - from 10 to 15 cm, row spacing of 25-30 cm.

lovage

A perennial herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family. A good spice for grilled meats, sauces, soups, salads, gravies. The root complements poultry dishes and vegetable stews.

You can sow almost immediately after the snow melts, as soon as the ground warms up a little. Some summer residents prefer winter sowing. Any soil is suitable, but this crop grows better on fertile soils. The site can be both open and shady.

Marjoram

Perennial herbaceous plant from the Lamiaceae family. The spice is added to soups, salads, vegetable and fish dishes, used for canning.

The seedling method is practiced. Sowing seeds for seedlings (mixed with sand 1 to 5) is performed in April. Seedlings can be planted from the second half of May, when the threat of return spring frosts has completely passed.

Melissa

Essential oil perennial herbaceous plant from the Lamiaceae family. Leaves cut before flowering and young shoots are used in salads. They go well with grated cheese, fish and meat dishes, mushrooms. Can be added to tea. Some summer residents use lemon balm when pickling cucumbers and tomatoes.

Seeds mixed with sand are sown to a depth of 1 cm after the soil warms up (May). When grown through seedlings, sowing is performed in March.

Mint

A plant from the Lamiaceae family. In cooking, fresh and dried leaves and flower buds are used. Mint is added to vegetable and fruit salads, sandwiches, soups, meat and fish dishes, tea. Fresh mint is sometimes used in canning tomatoes, added to sauerkraut and pickled apples.

You can plant mint in late April - May, as well as in August in sunny areas. The soil must be fertile and loose.

Perilla

An annual herbaceous oil plant from the Lamiaceae family. This fragrant spice with an anise-liquorice taste is used in salads, soups, vegetable and meat dishes.

Can be planted from seeds or grown through seedlings. The most popular among Russian summer residents is the Rosinka variety.

Parsley

A plant from the Umbelliferae family. Leaves and roots are used as a seasoning for salads, meat soups, sandwiches. Finely chopped greens will improve the taste of poultry, fish, potatoes, complement the taste of mayonnaise.

This sun-loving culture prefers loose fertile soils. You can plant from mid-April. 0.5 g of seeds are consumed per 1 m2. Sow parsley in grooves up to 1 cm deep.

Purslane

A plant from the Purslane family. Raw and boiled stems and leaves are used to make spicy salads, purees, soups, meat dishes. For the winter they are salted and marinated.

Rosemary

An evergreen semi-shrub plant from the Lamiaceae family. This fragrant spice has a sharp bitter taste with a slight aroma of pine and citrus fruits. Dry crushed leaves and fresh twigs are used as seasoning. Suitable for vegetable and meat dishes, sweet and fruit salads. Add to baked goods.

Seeds for seedlings are planted in March. Seedlings are planted in May, when the threat of return frosts has completely passed. Landing pattern - 50x50 cm. The site should be sunny. Prefers loose calcareous soils.

Arugula

An annual herbaceous plant from the Cabbage family. Used to make salads. It is often served as a side dish for festive meat dishes (grilled meat, kebabs), used in the preparation of marinades, when pickling mushrooms and vegetables. Arugula goes well with hard cheeses. It can be added to sandwiches, finely chopped into soups.

Arugula is sown in April (by sowing seeds or through seedlings), when the soil warms up to +5 ... +12 C. It can be grown both in open and protected ground.

Ruta

Perennial evergreen semi-shrub plant from the Rutaceae family. It is bred to obtain young leaves. Used as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes, vegetable salads, often added to tea.

Seeds for seedlings are sown in December. They take several months to root. Use a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand. Sowing depth - no more than 2 cm. Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place not earlier than the end of May - the beginning of June.

Celery

Herbaceous plant from the Umbelliferae family. There are 3 varieties: leaf, petiole and root celery. The plant is rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin A.

The application is very wide. Seasoning is used in the preparation of sauces, salads, soups, second courses, juices, green cocktails.

All types of celery prefer to grow on fertile, loose soils with a neutral Ph. The site should be sunny, partial shade is acceptable.

Seeds of leaf and petiole celery are planted for seedlings in March. Landing on a permanent place is carried out in late April - early May according to the scheme 25x25 cm.

Root celery for seedlings is planted earlier - in early February, as it has a longer growing season.

Thyme

He is a thyme. This spice has a pronounced spicy taste and a pleasant aroma reminiscent of cumin and anise. Fresh and dried leaves are used.

In order for thyme to fully “open up”, it is added to dishes at the initial stage of heat treatment. Pairs well with meat, poultry, cheese, potato and tomato salads.

Seeds are sown in early spring or late autumn before frost, planting them 0.5 cm into the ground. The soil should be light.

Caraway

A biennial plant from the Apiaceae family. Cumin fruits, leaves and young shoots are used in cooking. It is a good seasoning for soups, pates, cheeses, salads. The fruits are used to add flavor to bakery products, pickling cucumbers, and sauerkraut.

Cumin is sown in open ground in the second half of April. Sometimes autumn sowing is practiced (in the second half of October).

Dill

An annual herbaceous plant from the Umbelliferae family. It is used as a spice in dried, salted and fresh form. Improves the taste of the vast majority of hot and cold dishes. It is widely used in pickling, salting and pickling.

It is possible to produce winter (late October - early November), early spring (April) and regular sowing (May to August).

fennel root

A plant from the Umbelliferae family similar to dill. In cooking, the fruits and greens of fennel are used. Can be added to salads, meat broths. Juicy leaves, stems and umbrellas are good for canning, pickling vegetables. Seeds give a special piquancy to homemade cakes.

Planted 2 times a year - in early spring (end of April - May) and autumn (August - September). Embedding depth - 2 cm. The soil should be nutritious and loose.

Savory (pepper grass)

An annual fragrant semi-shrub from the Lamiaceae family up to 70 cm high. Perfectly complements and maximizes the taste of meat, fish and poultry dishes. It is used in the preparation of traditional Bulgarian ketchup. It is used for salting and pickling vegetables.

Seeds can be sown immediately in open ground (in late April - early May), but growing a crop through seedlings (sowing in March) is much more effective. Shoots do not tolerate frost.

Cheremsha

Another name is bear bow. Perennial herbaceous plant from the Amaryllis family. Leaves, stem and bulb are eaten. Ramson is rich in vitamin C. It tastes like garlic. The spice is good for soups, salads, vegetables, meat and fish dishes. Wild garlic is fermented, marinated, salted.

Planted with seeds or bulbs. Seeds germinate well at a temperature of about +20 C. Retreat 10 cm between adjacent plants.

Sage

Herbaceous plant from the Lamiaceae family. The leaves have a strong spicy aroma and a bitter taste. Suitable for adding to soups, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, salads. Gives a piquant flavor to grated cheeses, fillings for pies.

Seeds are sown before winter or early spring. The area should be well lit. The soil should be loose, fertile, with neutral acidity. In one place, the culture grows up to 8 years.

Tarragon

Another name is "tarragon". Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. Looks like wormwood. It is widely used as a spice for meat dishes, for canning and salting. Many people know the drink of the same name.

Sowing seeds of this frost-resistant plant is carried out in early spring or autumn. The most popular cultivation is through seedlings. The seed is very fine, so it is mixed with sand.