The Blue Ribbon Herb Contest hosted by Garden Bytes from the Big Apple closes at midnight on August 5th. So there are still three days to submit your entries. Herbs in a garden context. If your garden is a fire escape, so be it.
The herbs on my terrace are on the edges, where they receive the benefit of full sun. So, strictly speaking, they expand the 66 square feet on the terrace floor by about another 14 square feet.The count so far:
Purple basil, Thai basil, Greek basil (on the terrace proper), sage - common and purple, calamintha, hyssop, chives, Italian parsley, summer savoury, catnip, mint (growing in the gravel on the floor), thyme, common and lemon, bronze fennel, oregano, tarragon.
That's lot of different menus to choose from.
Simple, raw green sauce for tuna steaks/chicken paillard/boiled potatoes:
These herbs: purple and Thai basil, a little tarragon, Italian parsley, a garlic clove, some lime zest, a lime's juice, half a cup of EV olive oil, salt, sugar and pepper. Dissolve the salt and a little sugar in the lime juice. Add zest. Chop the herbs and garlic very finely. Add to juice, pour olive oil over and mix thoroughly. It's ready.
"sneef" your herbs put my entire garden to shame...everything looks stunted 'cause of fighting with the trees for sunlight and water...and weedy 'cause of busy/lazy gardener. Yours look gorgeous!
ReplyDeletemarie, how many basil plants do you put to a pot? they look so bushy. i plant two plants in 12" pot & pinch but they are nothing compared to yours.
ReplyDeletemaybe getting only morning sun is part of problem? would they benefit with a summer vacation to the sunny side of the house? (my porch plants live on the northeast side).
btw, your version of watermelon salad for us tonite--with 3 types of basil. we love it.
Hi Paula - BUT you can have wonderful woodlandy stuff!
ReplyDeleteHey Donna - The basil, um, I think I stuffed them about 3-4 plants per 6" pot, with much pinching early on, and more now that they are trying to bloom...maybe I can find a "before" picture to verify. If you can, move them to asunnier spot - I guess mine get sun from 7am to...late afternoon? Mint would be fine with morning only, and even parsley. My basil tends to dry out fast because of the small pots and may even wilt after every day, then they are soaked and perk right up again. They hate having wet feet.
you completely win. hands down...
ReplyDeleteYum! Being a "grazer" this garden would be my idea of heaven.(I have to tuck extra basil and flat leaf parsley in various spots or my munching would denude them!)
ReplyDeleteDinah - having trouble with ID