Hattie's Garden

Use for dill weed and grow for seeds. For the best dill in our area, grow in partial shade during our hot summers. But dill is not as difficult to grow in heat as cilantro is. For spring and fall growing, it is especially easy. If you like dill weed, you can cut it young and dry it, and plant more in August for fall and winter harvests. Allow your dill then grow back and flower and you will have tons and tons of dill seed for pickling, etc. Dill is a delightful herb with many culinary uses. Native to southern Europe, it is a staple in Greek cooking. It is common in Scandinavian and German food as well. Fresh or dried, dill leaves add a distinctive flavor to salads, fish, vegetable casseroles and soups.

Those who love it can’t do without it and those who abhor it can’t get far enough away! If you are of the former disposition when it comes to cilantro, this is the variety for you to grow in this region.

Excellent eating quality and lots of leaves on this variety and it is slow to bolt for cilantro. But all cilantro is going to go to seed in the summer–that is just the nature of this plant, set to go to seed when days are long and nights are short. Plan on multiple plantings knowing the most productive plants will be those planted early in the season and those planted again in August. Mid-summer plantings will be difficult–always. Provide partial shade for cilantro except for your fall planting. Let your plants flower and grow and you will not only provide an attractive plant for beneficial insects, but you can harvest your coriander seed from its spent flowers.

Hardy perennial. 1–2′ hollow grasslike leaves enhance any dish with their subtle onion flavor. Lilac-colored flowers bloom in June and July, can be eaten or enjoyed in arrangements fresh or dried. Chives are used in Asia as a remedy for colds and flu. For best production, grow in well-drained soil and divide clumps every few years. Nearly indestructible even with neglect in extreme conditions. I have found they do like shade during at least part of the day if you have it. They are not too fond of our summers.

There is much confusion concerning the difference between oregano and marjoram. To many, oregano is more of a flavor than any one individual plant. However, if you want to “true” oregano, Greek oregano is the one to plant. It grows to 20 inches, with purple flowers and spade-shaped, olive-green leaves. Most frequently used with roasted, fried or grilled vegetables, meat and fish. Oregano also combines well with spicy foods.

Very prolific and cold hardy. Stems are also very sweet, thick, solid, crunchy. Larger than many curly parsley varieties, this dense triple-curled medium-green parsley holds its color without developing spots. It can also stand the heat and give you plenty of parsley from spring into the fall and winter.

The nicest curly parsley I have grown, plants easily grow a foot tall, giving you large bunches for repeated cuttings. Remember that parsley is a biennial. That means it will overwinter before it goes to seed, although extremely hot weather can cause it to flower prematurely, but Krausa has some resistance to this tendency. One it does get through the winter, you may get another cutting from it, but then it will go to seed. You may save this seed as this is an open-pollinated variety.

This northern Italian heirloom grows 12-18″ tall (always on the taller side for me). Tall Gigante plants are vigorous growers and have very big, deep green shiny leaves with an exceptionally mellow and sweet fuller flavor than standard plain Parsley. You will find that curly parsley is hardier than flat parsley, so be sure to have some of both in your garden. In the middle of winter, you’ll almost always find a few sprigs of the curly variety waiting to be harvested. Enjoy your flat parsley before the coldest weather of the winter–although it should be fine through Christmas.

Berggarten means “mountain garden” and this sage is a special selection of common garden sage. The flavor of this common sage is excellent and the leaves are larger and more rounded. Berggarten also flowers less readily than regular common sage giving you more of an opportunity to harvest. Grows up to 3′, with fuzzy grey-green oblong leaves and blue flowers. Used fresh or dried. Tasty in stuffing blends, with eggs, cheese, poultry, pork. Sage leaves can be fried and are delicious as an appetizer or garnish for meat.

Sage tea dries up mothers’ milk and helps reduce hot flashes. Sage is used medicinally for many ailments, including brain health, women’s reproductive issues and digestive issues. Likes well-drained rich soil with good nitrogen content. Perennial sage plants grow woody with age; replace every 3 years or so. Sage is also very hardy and will easily survive the worst of our Delaware winters.

A favorite for cooking. This savory herb is a versatile seasoning for soups, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and sauces. Leaves are easy to use since they are small enough you don’t need to cut them. The flowers of the thyme plant are very attractive to butterflies and bees and the plant will bloom in early summer. Really enhances meat, cheese and egg dishes. Thyme is a hardy perennial.