Fall is here and there’s nothing better than fresh herbs and veggies from the garden.

Ann: I love our floral garden borders, but really prefer to grow herbs in pots for ease of use. And you can pack quite a variety together. In just a few pots, I have parsley, chives, a Malabar spinach, rosemary, mint, basil, broccolini, and sweet bay leaf. Many of these will do great all through the winter, but a dehydrator comes in handy to dry and save the more tender varieties for later use.

Donna: I only recommend mint be grown in pots because it’s a bully in your flower bed. Not only are herbs great in cooking, but you can make a fragrant sachet with herbs like rosemary, lavender, mint, thyme and dried spices. Put them in a mesh bag and hang it in your closet or place in a drawer. I like to grow dill and fennel which the butterflies love and herbs like mint, lavender, citronella and lemon grass repel mosquitoes. Rosemary is a great companion plant for your vegetable bed because it keeps away a wide variety of bugs.

Ann: It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but I especially love fresh basil which I do grow in my kitchen garden bed because it re-seeds and comes back year after year. Basil is great in chicken salad, and I love fresh dill and bay leaf when cooking green beans. A family favorite for holidays is my mother-in-law, Pat Harder’s, “Green Rice” which features fresh or dried parsley.

Donna: We eat a lot of fish which is great when cooked with rosemary, dill and chives. And Tex-Mex cuisine is perfect for cilantro which is very easy to grow here. But cilantro isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people love it and others find it has a soapy or bitter taste. Let’s not forget the medicinal uses for herbs. Chamomile steeped as a hot tea is good for sleeplessness, and anxiety, and mint tea may ease digestive issues. There are indeed countless ways to enjoy your home-grown herbs.  

Ann: And now is a good time to pick a few and start your own herb collection. Be sure to check out our Villages at Twin Rivers Gardening Group where we share more ideas and plants.