Content
- Which herbs are best for the herb garden?
- One and two year old herbs
- Other kitchen and wild herbs
- Mediterranean herbs
- artemisias
- Tips
Different herbs have different requirements
Which herbs are best for the herb garden?
There are hundreds of different garden herbs, which are wonderful for growing in the herb garden. Of course, not wanting to put them all in a bed does not work - so the gardener has to make a selection. How this turns out depends entirely on what the herbs are to be used for. The range of species and varieties varies depending on whether you want to create a kitchen garden, an exotic herb garden, a fragrance or aroma garden or just plant a few herbs in the flower borders.
One and two year old herbs
This group includes many of our traditional culinary herbs such as parsley, chervil, savory, dill, marjoram and cress, as well as ancient crops such as the garden or purslane. They are usually quite robust and can be seeded directly into the bed in spring. When is the best time to do it depends on the specific type: In March, you can start with parsley, chervil and cress. From April, dill, garden notification and arugula followed, in May nasturtium, purslane and savory. Only with the sowing of marjoram you should wait until after the icy saints.
Other kitchen and wild herbs
Many herbs of this group are native or naturalized in Central Europe and are well adapted to our temperate, rainy climate. As a rule, they can also cope well in partial shade, with species such as woodruff or wild garlic even loving shady spots under trees. Also chives and lovage, ancient medicinal plants such as valerian and lemon balm, strong herbs such as horseradish and some forgotten species such as wild rocket, sorrel, pimpinelle or watercress need a good, deep and moist soil.
Mediterranean herbs
The exact opposite, namely sun-hungry and more ascetic in relation to the soil, are many herbs from the Mediterranean. Thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, hyssop, the aromatic curry herb or the lemon verbena prefer very warm, sheltered locations on barren and stony soils. Many varieties are very susceptible to frost - especially rosemary, laurel and lemon verbena - and should therefore be better cultivated in pots.
artemisias
Artemisia is the botanical genus name of a whole range of ancient herbs and medicinal plants such as wormwood, mugwort, barberry or tarragon. The latter is best known for its fine cuisine, with its sweet, anise-like taste, which gives it a flavor and refinement to fish dishes and delicate sauces. This herbal family contains many bitter substances, but also substances that are toxic in higher concentrations - a well-known example is the alkaloid absinthe. Artemisias promote fat digestion and help with numerous other complaints. Previously, they were considered strong "protective and magical herbs" and were used primarily for smoking.
Tips
Anyone who wants to grow something special in his herb garden will surely find something for the Asian exotics. Here grow different types of coriander, shiso, Thai basil, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, kaffir lime or even wasabi.