I am new to edible gardening and was thinking of starting to grow some herbs. Any suggestions? TS

In reality, herbs are some of my favorite things to grow. They are tough, have been around forever, and have changed very little over the centuries. As a rule herbs do not require a lot of attention which means more time for you to do other things. If you are a new gardener, herbs are a great place to start.

The earliest writings of many a civilization have included information on herbs being used to prepare and preserve food as well as being used to treat wounds and illness. The reality is that the roots of modern science can be found in the herb gardens of medicine men and healers in history. But what I enjoy most is walking out to the garden to harvest rosemary, sage, or basil to add some flavor to our nightly meals. It doesn’t get much fresher than that. And if you want to talk “local”, that’s about as local as it gets.

Some people like to intermingle their herbs with other garden crops but due to the fact that most herbs have a longer growing season, I like to dedicate certain areas of my garden to herbs since their watering needs are going to be different than say a tomato or cucumber.

Some herbs are annuals here and can be grown from seed such as basil while others like thyme or oregano are perennial.

For the most part, herbs like well drained, sunny locations. Herbs that can tolerate a little shade are cilantro, lemon balm, mint, nasturtium, ginger, lovage, chervil and parsley. Sun loving herbs would include lavender, dill, fennel, lemongrass, sage, thyme, tarragon, garlic, purslane, and rosemary. If you would like to grow some mint for teas etc., you should think about putting those in containers because mint spreads and can be difficult to get rid of.

Of the annual herbs, basil has to be my favorite and who doesn’t love that smell. You can grow basil in your raised bed or in-ground garden, but it also works well in containers. It’s relatively pest free and its flowers will attract pollinators to your garden. One thing about the flowers though, when your basil starts to flower, pinch those flowers off to encourage leafy growth. At some point in the season, you can just let them flower and enjoy that stage of development as well.

Rosemary is another one of my favorites. While traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I was so jealous of their large rosemary shrubs. Unfortunately keeping rosemary alive during the winter here is hit or miss. It just depends on the year. Varieties such as Arp give you a better shot at winter survival, but it all depends on the winter. Either way, a single rosemary transplant can grow to provide your rosemary needs for most of the year. In the fall I always gather up some rosemary to freeze so I have a year-round supply.

Sage is another good addition to your garden. It is perennial and grows to a height of between 12 to 24 inches. Sage loves the sun and well drained, slightly acidic soil. Frequent pruning will keep the plant less leggy and bushier. Cuttings will root easily just in case you need more sage in your life. One of my favorite stews has sage in the recipe so I like having sage nearby when the mood strikes for stew.

Chives are a hardy perennial plant that is a member of the onion family. It also produces beautiful purple flowers in the late spring. Chives like full sun but will need some water during dry spells. To harvest, just snip off a portion of the leaves. Be sure to leave at least 2 inches of leaf to encourage re-growth.

A lot of people like dill, I’m not sure I can join them because a little dill for me goes a long way. But dill is another easy to grow annual herb, plus you get flowers. If you plan of growing fennel as well, plant them in different areas of your garden since these two can cross-pollinate, giving them some unique flavors. In addition, dill and fennel serve are great host plants for pollinator caterpillars. So, if you do grow these two herbs in your garden, maybe grow enough to share with our insect friends.

Oregano and thyme are planted in part my vegetable garden. Both are pollinator insect magnets and are covered with them during warm summer days. Plus, they serve as “bait” (if you will) to attract pollinators to my vegetable garden, helping minimize any pollination issues that might arise during the season.

There are a host of other herbs to grow. Even if you don’t have an in-ground or raised bed garden, you can still grow a variety of herbs in containers on your deck or balcony. We have more information on growing and harvesting herbs on our website (www.tulsamastergardeners.org) in the Lawn and Garden Help section. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org