Why Grow Perennial Herbs by the Kitchen Door?

Herbs thrive in sunnier areas with well-draining soil. Most perennial herbs will go dormant during the winter, only reviving again in spring. To learn more, check each herb page.

Lavande and tarragon belong to the classic French “fines herbes” used in salads, sauces, and fish dishes – they can survive up to zone 4.

Chives

Chives are perennial cool-season herbs that add mild oniony flavors to soups and salads. Chives can be grown either in the ground or containers and make an attractive addition to garden beds, raised beds and herb spirals. Once established they require only minimal attention; underground bulbs should be divided annually using a hori hori or small shovel; additionally their rapid growth makes chives an excellent way of filling gaps between other ornamentals or low-growing vegetables in your garden beds or spirals.

Most herbs thrive best in full sun; however, evergreen varieties like rosemary, thyme and oregano may tolerate partial shade. All plants require well-drained soil with organic matter amended for friability in order to support proper root development; herbs have coarse roots that need oxygen; too dense of an environment prevents them from getting it. If your herbs are growing in pots, move them once the weather warms to brighter locations once temperatures increase.

If you prefer growing herbs in the ground, a three-foot by three-foot area will easily accommodate 8 to 10 perennial herb plants. Aim for rich, loamy or sandy soil that drains well for best results; amending it first may help improve quality while decreasing watering needs; group herbs together that have similar requirements to simplify maintenance.

Many herbs can attract pollinators while simultaneously repelling insects from your garden. Chives, fennel and lavender attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies while thyme, sage, lemon balm and anise hyssop can deter mosquitoes, ants and other pests from coming close.

Lovage

Like its relatives celery and parsley, lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a finely-branched umbelifer capable of reaching 2m (6ft). However, unlike them it does not spread via vigorous runners but instead forms large clumps which can easily be managed and weeded out.

Leaves of Lovage can be harvested during spring and summer for use in soups, stews, salads and potato dishes for their mildly aromatic flavor. They can also be dried out although this does not replicate their fresh counterpart. Flowers can also be eaten or used medicinally to numb toothache pain as a mouthwash and make a soothing tea to ease throat issues; and seeds can even be roasted and ground into powder for use as flavoring cocktails or make Lovage vodka!

Lovage thrives in light shade to partial sun conditions and requires rich, free-draining soil that has been amended with compost or manure at planting time. Water should be applied regularly throughout its first season of growth to encourage root establishment and leaf production; drought-tolerant but preferring consistent moisture supply is preferred for optimal performance. Seeds or nursery starts can be planted directly; harvest before flowering occurs to ensure sweet leaves!

Gardeners frequently include lovage among cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower crops as its height provides shade-loving herbs like chervil. Lovage’s deep taproot mines subsoil nutrients before cycling them upward, providing benefits to shallow-rooted neighbors. Lovage also has an offensive scent which deters cabbage moths while its umbel flowers attract parasitic wasps that help regulate insect populations in a vegetable patch.

Loveage, unlike most herbs, can withstand frost without needing much maintenance once established. A regular application of compost or manure will keep its health at its optimal levels; regular division and removal of spent flowers will extend its life and prevent congestion.

Good-King-Henry

Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus), commonly referred to as Lincolnshire spinach, is a perennial plant from the same family as quinoa and lamb’s quarters. Harvested during spring harvest season and cooked like regular spinach leaves as well as raw, this plant acts like an efficient dynamic accumulator by drawing nutrients up through deep underground roots before flowering with edible red-orange berries in autumn which produce edible blooms.

Josh: Another benefit of perennial herbs is their versatility as medicinal and culinary plants; these versatile perennials can aid with respiratory or digestive conditions as well as skin conditions. Easy to grow, perennial herbs add to a balanced food supply if it is impossible for you to keep a vegetable garden.

Garden plots are also an effective way to engage newcomers to gardening, particularly younger generations. Nothing beats the thrill of going out into their yard and picking fruits grown right outside their own house year after year – almost like having access to your own pharmacy!

Shallots, those mild mini onions we use in vinaigrettes, can actually be grown as perennials in Zones 3-9. Although part of the allium family, which must be treated as annuals by many home gardeners, shallots can thrive with just some additional protection in winter.

Sweet potatoes, tropical delectable vegetables often considered annuals, can also be grown as perennials in Zones 8 to 10. As harvest from your perennial plants continues, their productivity will increase – so be sure to regularly thin out clumps for optimal productivity!

Sweet Cicely

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) was once widely grown as an ornamental and medicinal plant in herb gardens for its anise flavor and medicinal properties. Its ferny leaves feature distinct whitish flecks or blotches, while its compacted 2-inch compound umbel flowers produce small seeds reminiscent of licorice in taste; their compacted umbel flowers produce seeds similar to licorice as the plants mature, adding decorative value to borders or woodland gardens as their ornamental fruits turn brown and grow to approximately 1-inch length; its natural sweetness also makes this perennial herb perfect for kitchen gardens or allotments due to its potential reduction of sugar requirements within stews or omelets dishes!

Keep the herbs you use most close to the kitchen door so they can easily be reached when garnishing or chopping food. Ideally, this approach works best if the herbs have been well established for at least two years – that way they’re more likely to survive your climate and grow strong and vigorously.

Herbs thrive almost anywhere, though ideal conditions would include rich, fertile soil that drains quickly. Their coarse root systems should be amended with plenty of compost before planting to ensure optimal performance.

As another tip for cultivating herbs, remember to water when the soil feels dry to touch rather than overwatering them. A good rule of thumb for doing so is sticking your finger into the soil about an inch down and feeling it; if dampness exists then watering should begin.

When starting herbs from seed, full sun exposure is ideal as most perennial varieties require the extra lighting. Planting them in shaded locations could result in lower production or even death; once an herb flowers it becomes difficult to return it back to leafy growth.

Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an aromatic perennial flowering herb that adds color and fragrance to herb gardens. There are 39 species and cultivars within the Lavandula genus; their fragrant blooms come from oil glands embedded in star-shaped plant hairs called trichomes that cover flowers, leaves and stems; it also makes an excellent culinary and medicinal plant, drawing bees into bloom! Lavender boasts both culinary and medicinal uses; bees especially enjoy its scent!

The University of Tennessee Gardens Knoxville features lavender in their Herb Spiral display along with other herbs, berries and vegetables. Lavender thrives in sunny environments and containers can also be used to grow this aromatic perennial.

Lavender makes a perfect companion plant in any garden, protecting tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and other fruit and veggies from insects that damage them as well as drawing bees and pollinators to your flowers and vegetables. Furthermore, lavender makes an attractive border or container plant.

Water retention and fertilization requirements vary for different herbs; adding sand or gravel as top dressing will aid the water-retaining ability. As for fertilization needs, naturally rich soil usually only requires minimal amendment; compost or leaves added directly into planting beds are an effective way to enrich it further, often eliminating any additional fertilizers altogether due to microorganisms and insects helping break down organic material into the ground.

To save seeds, wait until blooms have faded before hanging stems upside down in a dark cool location until their seeds have fully dried and can be shaken off and stored in an airtight glass jar.

Lavender plants should be fertilized annually with organic liquid fertilizer in spring, and regularly pruned for neat and tidy results. Once dry, lavender can also be dried for use in sachets or potpourri. Lavender can become susceptible to pests like aphids, spider mites and whiteflies and should be monitored closely – an occasional spray with organic insecticidal soap or neem oil can keep these pests under control.