Frostbite, and other musings

I mentioned yesterday that it’s too early to plant outdoors because we’re still at risk for frost. I thought I’d share a picture of my frostbitten Golden oregano to show you what can happen if you get too anxious to plant. (This one was planted last summer.) Poor baby. Luckily, it’ll be okay. With something hardy like oregano, it’ll look shabby for a little while, but once new leaves start growing you won’t even be able to tell it ever got zapped. If your plants look like this (coincidentally, they’ll have similar brown edges in high summer if they get sunburnt), trim off affected leaves so that they don’t rot and harm the other, healthy leaves.

My garden will be undergoing some major changes this year. I planted most of my plants at the same time, and didn’t take very good care of them last year. Most of the plants were probably 7 or 8 years old (I had them growing in large planters for several years before they went in the garden), and many kicked the bucket this winter. So I’ll be starting over, trying out new varieties, and learning from my past mistakes.

For example, ‘Grower’s Friend’ sage gets really big. I didn’t quite comprehend how big, until it crowded out several other plants. Here’s one with my sandal next to it for comparison, and a snazzy pink outline:

If I’d kept it cut back it would have been smaller, and would not have that unsightly dead spot in the middle. Something similar happened to the thyme next to it, there at the bottom right. The branches are about 10 inches long but only have leaves on the last 2-3 inches.

And on a more positive note, here’s one of the lavender I planted last summer. Look at all those fresh green leaves! The silvery leaves are dead; if they don’t fall off on their own you can gently brush them off.

Cooking Medley mixed planter

This planter has been a long-standing favorite among customers! It’s chock full of cooking herbs, and the flavors are well-suited to Italian and French cooking.

Contents:

Thyme: either ‘Tabor’ or English

Sage: ‘Grower’s Friend’

Oregano: Greek

Rosemary: either Prostrate, ‘Taurentius’, or ‘Tuscan Blue’

French Tarragon

Chives

Care:

This planter is relatively small, but contains a lot of plants; water daily so that nobody dries up!

All the plants in this planter require sun. It’s been very popular as a windowsill garden, and would work equally well on a wide railing or on a patio table. Keep it somewhere handy, so that you can harvest it easily for use in the kitchen. Using it is actually better for the plants– trimming off topmost leaves and stems will encourage growth further down the stem (ie more branches), increasing the amount you’ll be able to use!

Using the herbs in this planter:

Most recipes will tell you what herbs are needed. However, if you’re freestyling or just looking to spice up a bland dish, here are some hints on matching flavors.

Oregano is great on pizzas and combines well with tomatoes, olives, onions, and garlic. Pair with basil for a simple but effective seasoning blend. Oregano’s flavor changes as it dries, and it is typically used dried instead of fresh.

Rosemary is superb for flavoring meats and works well in soup or stew. Add to stuffing. Bake into bread. Infuse in oil or vinegar for a flavorful dressing or sauce base. Add flowers to salad. Drink as tea.

Thyme can be used to flavor fish, meats, stuffings, cooked vegetables, and soups/stews. Infuse in oil or vinegar. It’s an ingredient in classic spice blends like bouquet garni and herbes de Provence. Thyme has a somewhat similar flavor to oregano; use it instead of oregano on pizza for a subtly different taste.

Sage is another great herb for flavoring meats, especially pork. Also good for stuffing, soup/stew, for flavoring cheese, and absolutely delicious as tea.

Tarragon goes well with chicken and egg dishes, can be used in dressings in sauces (such as Béarnaise and tartar), and infused in oil or vinegar. Try in omelettes and potato salad. The flavor is quite strong even though the leaves are small– use sparingly, and add more to taste if needed.

Chives are incredibly versatile. They complement potatoes and eggs; add to baked potatoes, potato salad, omelettes. Good for flavoring butters and cheeses. Chop finely and use as a garnish. Mix with sour cream for a simple but tasty dip. Try substituting for garlic or onions if you want a milder flavor or a bit of color. Flowers can be used whole or in pieces atop salads and other dishes (and they’re a delicate purple, great for making a tasty dish pretty as well). Best used fresh; a better alternative to drying is to chop finely and freeze.

*Use fresh or dried, although if using dried you will need to use more. Why? In most cases some of the oils that are responsible for flavor will evaporate during the drying process, resulting in decreased flavor.

*When adding herbs to hot dishes, you’ll get better flavor by adding them towards the end of cooking than at the beginning. Adding them at the beginning gives those oils more time to dissipate.

Some great recipes: AllRecipes.com> Herbs

Sage

Perennial?

Yes:  Salvia officinalis (common sage) varieties-  ‘Elephant Ear’, ‘Grower’s Friend’, ‘Hybrid #4′, Golden bicolor (‘Icterina’), Purple (‘Purpurascens’), ‘Tricolor’

No (annual):  S. elegans (pineapple sage) varieties-  ‘Honey Melon’, ‘Scarlet Pineapple’, ‘Scarlet Tangerine’

Four Salvia officinalis varieties visible

Sun vs Shade?

Full sun, all kinds.

Recommended for cooking?

‘Grower’s Friend’ is an all-around terrific plant and my favorite sage. Classic, strong sage flavor is a little sweet, and not at all bitter. It gets big and should be able to keep up with all your kitchen needs and favorite recipes. Purple sage probably comes in second with flavor. The other two green varieties, ‘Elephant Ear’ and ‘Hybrid #4′, seem to have a more bitter, almost medicinal taste.

Great for flavoring meats, cheeses, soups/stews, and stuffing; wonderful new flavor when added to tea.

Other recommendations?

Golden Bicolor, Tricolor, and Purple look great planted together in the garden and are perfectly suitable for cooking. I love pairing Purple sage with Golden oregano– the yellow/purple contrast is amazing.

left to right: Purple, Golden Bicolor, Tricolor

S. elegans varieties have bright red flowers and may attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The leaves are fruit-scented and can be used in tea.

'Scarlet Pineapple' Sage-- 'Honey Melon' and 'Scarlet Tangerine' have rounder leaves

Descriptions of size and scent/flavor by variety:

Top: 'Grower's Friend'; center: 'Hybrid #4'; bottom: 'Elephant Ear'

Salvia officinalis varieties have light blue or purple flowers and will grow to about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.

‘Elephant Ear’:  Elongated leaves that come to a rounded point. Green, decent flavor. So far it looks like it will be a sizeable plant with large leaves; I’ll be planting it in my garden this summer and will be able to tell you more after that!

Golden Bicolor/Icterina:  Leaves are gold with light green splotches down the center. Really pretty!

‘Grower’s Friend’:  Smaller leaves, much more round than the others. Green, and my recommendation for culinary use. Very sweet and sage-y, not bitter.

‘Hybrid #4′:  Leaves are elongated but with a rounder tip, very finely textured and a fuzzy silver-green. Slightly bitter, most medicinal-tasting. Still a nice plant for the garden!

'Hybrid #4' ~ the flavor isn't as nice as 'Grower's Friend', but it has lovely flowers.

Purple: Purple! Younger leaves are more vibrant, with older leaves fading to green (gives the plant a two-toned look). Strong flavor, great for cooking. Note: Since we grow our sage inside the greenhouse, it can look a little washed out. Planting outside in full sun will darken up the purple within days.

Purple sage, growing next to oregano. Notice the great contrast between the sage and surrounding green plants, and especially with the gold oregano behind it.

Tricolor:  Leaves are green with cream/white edges. Younger leaves have an additional pink/gold tinge.

Tricolor sage: green centers with white edges and a pink cast to new leaves

S. elegans varieties have shocking red flowers, and according to my favorite herb book will get 2 feet tall and about three feet across. I’ve seen it get quite large in planters but haven’t planted it in my garden (since it’s annual and I mostly trial the perennials).

‘Honey Melon’: Leaves have a sweet honeydew-cantaloupe melon fragrance.

‘Scarlet Tangerine’: Crisp citrus scent and rounded, bright green leaves. This plant tends to get leggy and should be cut back regularly to encourage branching. If you get long lengths of stem that are bare, cut back to just above the set of leaves directly above the bare stem; the bare parts should get some leaves and side branches, and you can repeat the process, gradually cutting it shorter, until the plant is looking more full lower down.

‘Scarlet Pineapple’: Scent is very similar to ‘Tangerine’, but slightly sweeter and more pineapple/lemon-y. Longer, skinnier, pointier leaves than ‘Tangerine’ or ‘Honey Melon’. Shocking red flowers. Has a more compact, branching habit than ‘Tangerine’, but if it starts getting leggy, follow the same directions for cutting it back.

Flowers are slender, shocking red tubes

New varieties for this year:

‘Elephant Ear’ and ‘Honey Melon’

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To see all 2010 plants, check the Complete List of Varieties.