Growing herbs at home can be a great way to add freshness to the home and flavor to your cuisine. When you are just starting out and looking for an herbs guide, you will probably get all kinds of advice from friends and read conflicting information in magazines on what herbs you should grow from seed, what herbs you can buy already grown, and what herbs are acceptable dried.
Depending on whom you talk to, this advice will vary greatly and sometimes it can be baffling and confusing. I felt that way when I became interested in growing my own herbs a few years ago. I often searched for a beginner herbs guide to help me through the first steps. It was overwhelming trying to decide which herbs to grow.
A tip is to take into account your style of cooking because depending on your cuisine your herbal needs will vary. Here are three herbs that have amazing flavors and are the ideal choice if you are just starting out and need a herbs guide.
Basil is a must have in any new herb garden and on top of the list in any herbs guide. Fresh basil is the perfect topping for almost all Italian and Mediterranean dishes. As a general guide, basil is an annual plant; if you decide to plant it outdoors it will last for a season and then it has to be replanted the following year, that's why some herbs guide suggests that, since it takes basil approximately three months to mature, if you keep three or four pots of basil in continuous rotation, you will be able to have fresh basil all year round. Basil is best grown in small pots on the kitchen windowsill where it is known to keep flies away. In the kitchen basil is used to make delicious pesto ‘genovese’ or to top pasta and pizza.
Any beginner herbs guide has to include sage. This herb grows in the shape of a shrub and can reach around two feet in height. Sage is hearty enough to withstand most Northern Hemisphere winters, however many people will take their sage indoors after the first frost and return it to the garden after the snow melts. Some herbs guide say that some varieties of sage can be grown from seed, but it is easier to grow sage from a cutting. In fact once you have your sage plant, take cuttings from it at least once a year and start a new plant; sage is rather short-lived and you will want a good supply of new plants. A medicinal herbs guide would indicate that sage can be used for headaches and coughs. I use sage mainly in my cooking as it adds a robust flavor to any roast. It can overwhelm other spices, so it is best added at the beginning of the cooking. It also aides the digestion and so is often paired with fatty food like pork.
Parsley is never missing in a beginner herbs guide. It has a germination time of four to six weeks and takes two years to mature (flower) but it is well worth the effort. Parsley does best outdoors and can handle all but the hardest of frosts. As an herbs guide for beginners I would suggest that if you are going to plant your parsley in a pot and leave it indoors, consider putting it near a well-ventilated window or on a porch so that it does not get too hot. In the kitchen, parsley can be added to soups or curries to add both color and flavor and it is used often as a garnish.
Other popular herbs like oregano, tarragon, fennel and coriander are not quite as robust and universal as the other three, but they add unique qualities to your food, teas, and medicine chest and should certainly be part of a beginner herbs guide
Lisa Summerfield is an herb garden lover and author of "Secrets To A Successful Home Herb Garden" - compulsory reading for anyone considering to grow a thriving herb garden. Her website is a great herbs guide and contains valuable information on using and growing herbs... Even if you have never grown a garden before!For a FREE 10 part mini-course on "The Secrets To Growing Delicious Herbs at Home!" go to http://herbgardensolutions.com
