Herb Gardening and Planting Tips - Chives, Peppermint and Parsley

Herb gardens are vastly becoming a popular hobby among garden enthusiasts all over the world. Each of these amazing miracles of nature can be used for medicines, cooking or just beautifying the landscape. Herbs offer a delectable scent, lush greenery as well as lavishly delightful flowers.

Whether you are a beginner or a novice, herbs are very easy to grow. These plants are a hardy species that have the ability to grow and thrive in many varieties of soil. However, it is important to note that each variety of herbs comes with some degree of special care requirements. A few simple guidelines will help ensure a bountiful and tasteful crop.

Chef’s from all over the world will tell you, that these three varieties make for a beautiful addition to your garden and an essential tool for creating fabulous cuisine.

Chives
This delicious herb is a member of the onion family. Not only does it make for a fantastic addition to any recipe, it also creates a wondrous vision of beauty for any garden. The Chive plant is a tall stalk growing about one foot in height. These stalks can be lined in a row like sturdy soldiers or bunched together in a chaotic group. Each stalk displays a fragrant and elegant violet colored flower.

With the leaves properly dried and chopped, the result is a tantalizing and spicy zing to soups, salads and omelet’s. These dried leaves also make for a tantalizing addition to potpourri.

As an easy plant to grow, you can choose to start from seed form or from the hardy bulb. The Chive is a perennial, and as such, promises to return year after year stronger and hardier than the last. It is important to note however, that these herbs should be divided every couple of years to avoid over crowding.

Peppermint
This delightful plant is one whose fragrance and flavor is synonymous with the tidings of Christmas. The Peppermint plant is also a perennial and has a distinct and flavorful taste and aroma. The Peppermint plant displays a beautiful purple flower and can typically grow anywhere from two feet in height or higher.

For many centuries, this highly regarded plant has been used for cooking and medicines as well as eau de toilette, soaps, lotions and even candy and chewing gum. Another popular use for this spicy herb is as a tasteful zing in a hot soothing cup of tea.

There are a few specific care requirements for this herb however, but the result is well worth the effort. The Peppermint plant must be grown in soil that is moisture rich and a regular trimming regiment will help ensure a hardy growth. The Peppermint plant can thrive in either sun or shade, but having access to a little bit of both is best. Every few years, you may need to renew the plant beds in order to ensure optimal growth potential.

Parsley


A traditional tool in the world of cooking, the Parsley plant is very easy to grow and maintain. Not very many people know that this plant is a Biennial. This means that the Parsley plant blooms every two years. For this reason, this herb works well in both containers and gardens. Each plant develops into a dense mound that can sometimes reach a height of one foot, so long as each plant is spaced about eight inches apart. There are a couple of different varieties of Parsley; one is more of a mossy type leaf, while the other is more along the lines of a flat leaf variety. Both of these species make an excellent and delicious addition to any recipe.

The Parsley plant can be started from seed form however, if this method is chosen, they will need to be started indoors in containers, just before the winter season ends. This hardy plant requires a few weeks of development at room temperature in order to thrive from seed form. These plants develop well in full sun, but do quite well in partial shade as well.

The process for using this delectable herb in scrumptious cuisine is very easy. Simply dry the leaves in air and then crumble them. You now have a tantalizing spice of flavor perfect for soups, salads, casseroles or any other of your favorite recipes.

         

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