Category: Herbs & spices

Sages (Salvias) are a large group of plants including annual, biennials, perennials and shrubs that are found in many gardens. Some are hardy, others that come from the tropics are greenhouse plants. The common sage, Salvia officinalis, and its varieties has been the best culinary herb for centuries and was formerly used in herbal medicine to treat many diseases.

An evergreen perennial or subshrub the leaves are often dried and stored for use and it is the main ingredient in sage and onion stuffing, a traditional accompaniment for roast poultry. It is also used to flavour fish, meat and cheese dishes.

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Known as common garden chives, Allium schoenoprasum, can be grown indoors and out. They are one of the earliest herbs to come up in spring and an attractive garden plant and versatile herb in the kitchen. Chives are rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium. Chives are one of 300 species of Allium, which is in the Lily family. They are closely related to garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and garlic chives. Though the leaves off all these plants have the distinctive onion smell, the flowers do smell like their sweeter lily relatives. They are grown for the flavour of their leaves, which is reminiscent of onion, although much milder. Both the stems and light purple flowers are used in cooking and the snipped leaves are an addition to many dishes. Chives lose their flavour with long cooking so it is best to add them to dishes at the last minute. For chopping stems, a pair of scissors is the best tool.

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There are many different types of herbs which can be grown easily and are also very popular for gardens. They include herbs such as Basil, Parsley, Mint and Sage. Herbs are very beneficial plants as they provide us medicines, flavors for food and some fantastic fragrances.

Herbs don’t need to be grown in a garden of their own. You can tuck herb plants anywhere in your existing beds and borders. But there are times you’ll want to have certain herbs handy for harvesting or you’ll need a large space to plant the herbs you’ll need in large quantities. However you choose to plant your herbs, keep in mind that herbs can be rampant plants. Many spread by seed and by runners. The iconic four-square herb garden can be very high maintenance and a knot garden takes ongoing dedication.

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