Herbs are rewarding for gardeners and gardens
Whether you are a first-time or a seasoned gardener, homegrown herbs will reward your palate and benefit your garden plants. Herbs provide an instant flavor boost to grilled meats and vegetables, salads, dressings and summer drinks. Many herbs are helpful in attracting beneficial insects and pollinators and repelling pests. And most are easy to grow!
One of the most versatile culinary herbs is sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). An annual, sweet basil grows from a taproot, with paired oval leaves branching from a central stem. In bloom, small white flowers are clustered on a spike, where they are visited by pollinators such as honeybees (Apis mellifera). Common diseases affecting sweet basil are fungi and molds, and common pests are aphids and cutworms.
Use sweet basil to flavor seafood, pasta, pizza, salads and sauces. Pair basil leaves with lemon ice for a refreshing summer treat. Sweet basil freezes well, maintaining its flavor and extending its use throughout the winter. Sweet basil is a popular companion plant for tomatoes, peppers and root vegetables. In addition to its utility as a flavor-enhancer, basil deters pests, such as mosquitoes and houseflies. Crushed basil leaves release eucalyptol, an essential oil, which may be used in some natural insect repellents.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is another pest-deterring herb that packs a flavorful punch in Mediterranean, Italian and Latin American recipes. Oregano is a creeping plant with small leaves that produces purple or white flower clusters visited by pollinators. In Greek, the word oregano means “joy of the mountain.”
A perennial in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 12, oregano is a resilient and drought resistant must-have for your kitchen garden. Use oregano as a companion plant for tomatoes and peppers.
Another herb that repels insects such as cabbage loopers, flies, mosquitoes and slugs is rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus). Rosemary boasts dark green spike-type leaves, with a white underside and curled margins. Their small bluish flower clusters are attractive to bees and hummingbirds.
Use rosemary to season meats such as lamb, duck, chicken and sausages, as well as stuffings, stews, soups, potatoes and tomatoes. As a bonus, rosemary attracts predatory insects that eat harmful pests. While rosemary is resistant to most pests and diseases, it can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
Kitchen sage (Salvia officinalis), a fuss free and flavorful herb grown in ornamental and container gardens, is a perennial in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. The purple, pink, white or red spiked flowers of kitchen sage are attractive to a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Kitchen sage has a longer growing season compared to other mints, allowing a harvest well after the first frost. Flavor foods such as poultry and pork stuffings and sausages with dry or fresh sage.
Delicate in appearance, garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a hardy perennial and a staple in French cuisine. Its small, fragrant leaves erupt from thin, woody stems. There are more than 300 species of thyme. Garden thyme, also known as English thyme, is used in culinary preparations. Use thyme with summer soups, grilled meats and vegetables.
Thyme deters both tomato hornworms and cabbage moths and worms; use it as a companion plant for roses, as it also discourages aphids. Plant thyme in the ground or in containers.
Herbs require little care and reap large rewards. Penn State Extension offers a wealth of information about growing and using herbs. Learn how to plant herbs by visiting extension.psu.edu/growing-herbs-outdoors.
An interesting history of herbs is found at extension.psu.edu/herb-and-spice-history. For ideas on using herbs to season foods, visit bkc-od-media.vmhost.psu.edu/documents/HO_PE_foodherbspicepairing.pdf. Suggestions on growing basil and treating basil diseases and pests is available at plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/basil/infos.
If you have questions about herbs, call the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County Garden Hotline at 724-287-4761, ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.
Renea Pomeroy is a Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardener.
