Harvesting Dill!

Fresh Homegrown Dill

It's that time of year again.  Time to harvest the dill.  Dill is one of my favorite flavors of summer!   All parts can be used for cooking or making dill pickles.  It's easy to cut the whole plant and put it headfirst into a paper sack and let it dry with the sack open.   Check out this post about dill that I wrote a few years ago.

Top Seven Herbs To Grow In Utah - Herb Gardening For Beginners!

June is a great time to start an herb garden.  If you are a beginner gardener and you feel a little overwhelmed by all of the possibilities, herb gardening is a great place to start.  And, if you like to cook, you need an herb garden.  There are many herbs that will grow well in Utah - here is a list of seven of the easiest and most useful.  They are available as small plants at your local independent garden centers.  You can use these herbs in your kitchen this summer and throughout the year if you dry them!  Herb plants are beautiful;  incorporate them into your perennial beds.  They produce flowers that create food for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

Basil - Ocimum basillicum:  Basil has been cultivated for over 5000 years.  It's possible that it originated in India but it has become a major component of the cuisines of Southern Europe and Southeast Asia.   There are many flavors and varieties.   I like to grow some Thai basil for Asian dishes and lots of Italian (Genovese sweet basil) for pesto, tomato sauce and eggplant parmesan.   Experiment with several varieties to see what you like.  Basil gets 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.
TWO THINGS to remember about basil.  No, THREE THINGS.
1.  Basil is an tender annual so you need to plant it every year.  It will not survive frost.  You can buy plants or grow it from seed.
2.  Snails and slugs love basil.  Keep them away.
3.  Snip off the flower buds of basil. Don't let it flower.  Basil goes bitter when it flowers.

Sweet Basil

Mint - Mentha:  Mint is a versatile herb!  It is used in marinades, desserts, Indian dishes, Greek dishes, sauces for lamb and as a flavoring for iced tea.  A sprig of mint in an icy gin and tonic on a warm evening is awesome. There are many varieties of mint available at the nurseries.  If you want to grow a few different mints to see which ones you like best, plant them in pots and taste test them all summer.  If you grow mint in the ground - !!Caution!!  Mint plants are perennial and they will spread aggressively under ground.  This is why it's best to grow mint in large pots.

mint grows in Utah

Chives - Allium shoenoprasum:  Chives are members of the edible Allium genus like garlic, onion, shallot, leeks and scallions.  Perennial and easy to grow, chive flowers are lovely and they will bloom all summer with deadheading.  They grow in clumps reaching about 10 or 12 inches tall and the purple flowers make wonderful garnish for food or additions to floral arrangements.  The green chive leaves are delicious on potatoes, soups and salads of all kinds.  Chopped chives garnish deviled eggs perfectly.

chives grow well in Utah!

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis:  Rosemary is a Mediterranean herb.  It's cold hardiness is borderline in Utah.  However,  there is one variety called "arp" that will survive here.  If it is planted in a sunny spot and given some mulch in the fall, chances are excellent that you will have rosemary year after year.  It can get quite large (2 - 3 feet tall and wide), so plant it where it has room to grow.  Rosemary is great in marinades for grilling pork, chicken or beef.  It also goes into the Thanksgiving turkey stuffing.  It can be easily dried and used all year.

rosemary 'arp' will grow in Utah

Thyme - Thymus vulgaris:  The Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming and many cultures through the centuries used thyme to promote courage.  I like to use thyme in soup or with chicken.  There are lots of varieties of thyme - some creeping and some with different colors and flavors.  For cooking,  I like just the plain English Thyme.  It's low-growing (6 or 8 inches tall and 10 or 12 inches wide).  It is perennial but it sort of wears out after a few years so you might need to replace it.

thyme grows in Utah

Parsley - Petroselinum crispum:  Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region.  It is a biennial which means that it lives for two growing seasons.  The first year, parsley grows only foliage.  The second year, parsley grows some foliage and some tall thick stems that produce flowers and seeds.  Then the plant will die.  So they need to be replaced.  I like to plant one or two every year so there are always some plants at each stage of their life cycle.  Try the curly parsley and the Italian flat-leaf parsley.  Great for garnish, salad, soups, most Italian dishes and juicing.

parsley - easy to grow in Utah

Sage - Salvia officinalis:  This handsome mediterranean herb is a perennial and will survive our cold Utah winters.  It gets large (2 - 3 feet tall and wide!), but you can trim it back all summer long.  Just don't trim it in the fall.  Use fresh in soups and stews or cut and dry the leaves  to use in your Thanksgiving stuffing.  This plant loves sun and heat.  Great for the water wise perennial bed.

Sage grows in Utah!

Another Excellent Seed Catalog!

The John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds catalog is AMAZING!  They do lengthy write-ups on the many vegetable and flower seeds that they sell.  You can learn a lot from this catalog about how to create and cultivate a successful garden!  If you visit their website you can request a free catalog and sign up for their eNewsletter.
Here is a gorgeous pic from their homepage:

If You Garden, You Need This . . .

Ok.  There are seed catalogues and more seed catalogues.  But this seed catalogue is a work of art.   It's arrival in the winter mailbox is an event.  It is a dense book of ideas, imagery, color and information that keep hopes and dreams alive through the dark and cold days of winter.  Loaded with inspiring photos and write-ups about the many heirloom fruit, vegetable, herb and flower seeds that they sell,  The Whole Seed Catalogue From Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is well worth the $9.95 price (they also offer a free catalogue, but it's different from this one.  Get this one.) .  This is a must have for all gardeners - an excellent gift!

When Is The Best Time To Harvest Dill?

Dill is a flavorful herb that grows very well in Utah.  It looks a lot like fennel but it is not nearly as large - only 2 or 3 feet tall.  Dill is not perennial, however it will reseed itself readily.  If you're lucky you will only have to plant dill once.  Let some go to seed by not harvesting it and you will have dill every year in your garden.  It is a very pretty plant - green ferny foliage with yellow flower heads. Dill attracts pollinators and it looks great in summer flower bouquets!
Plant dill in full sun and give it  moderate amounts of water.  It is easy to grow from seed and can be planted any time from March through May.
Harvest dill weed (the ferny leaves) anytime up until the plant flowers (around July).  You can use dill weed fresh or dried in salads, soups or sandwiches.  Dill always goes well with cucumbers!
Harvest dill seed after the plant is finished flowering and the seeds are beginning to dry out and turn brown.  Watch the plants carefully (every few days) because if you wait too long, the seeds will all fall off the plant and you won't harvest any.
*When I harvest dill for dill pickles, I use the whole plant.  I cut them almost to the ground when the seeds are turning from green to brown.  I let the plants dry out on some newspaper or paper towels for a few days in a dark, warm, dry place.   When making the pickles I use stems, foliage, green seeds and brown seeds.

Dill Flowers In Utah

Harvesting Dill For Dill Pickles - stems, foliage and seedheads

Will Rosemary Grow In Utah?

Oh, yes, you can grow rosemary in Utah!  Rosemary is a perennial culinary herb that is native to the Mediterranean region.  Used in poultry stuffing and for grilling meats, rosemary is an essential part of  the herb garden.  It is also an attractive water wise plant - evergreen leaves, tiny blue flowers in summer and it can grow to be about 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide if left unpruned.  Rosemary likes full sun and only needs water during the hottest parts of summer, maybe a deep soaking once every 7 to 10 days.
**Many varieties of rosemary will not survive the winter in Utah, but there is one variety that will, most years.  It is called "Arp".  You can find small rosemary "Arp" plants in most local garden centers in the spring and early summer.  Harvest rosemary leaves in small amounts throughout the summer.  Use it fresh or dried.
Here is more info on rosemary.

Rosemary "Arp"  - hardy and waterwise in Utah

Fennel - A Drought-Tolerant Herb For Utah!

Fennel Plants - Waterwise Herbs for Utah

 There are quite a few perennial herbs that are water wise and will grow well in Utah.  Fennel is a favorite for its ferny foliage and yellow flower heads in early summer.  Aside from being an awesome culinary herb (seeds used for Indian cooking, sausages, on pizza or in pickling;  foliage for flavoring salads or tea), fennel is an excellent ornamental plant for a spot where you need some height and greenery.  It's also a must-have for a butterfly garden.  Native to the Mediterranean region, fennel can withstand drought and heat when grown on the Wasatch Front.  It dies back in the winter but returns in the spring.  Here are some things to know about growing fennel:
 * It will re-seed readily if some of the flower stalks are left on the plant in the fall.  I see this as a good thing, but just know that it might sprout up all over.  It's easy to pull out if it gets out of hand.
 * Harvest fennel foliage anytime.  Harvest fennel seeds when they are green and plump.
 * Fennel attracts pollinators, ladybugs and is a host plant for butterflies!
 * Regular fennel is grown for the seeds and foliage.  Florence fennel is the variety that is grown for the bulb that is used as a vegetable.
Here is a link for more info on fennel.

Fennel Grows Well In Utah!

Catalogs For Seeds And Plants

It seems like this winter has been particularly cold so far - at least here in Utah it has.  Luckily there are little bursts of warmth, color and sunshine that arrive in the mailbox every few days.  Seed catalogs are gifts that start showing up just after the solstice to remind us that winter won't last forever.
Catalogs are a great resource for learning about gardening.  There is usually a lot of helpful information in the descriptions of the seeds and plants.  Most catalogs include some useful "how to" blurbs as well.   I just like to look at the pictures.
Here are a few of my favorites.  You can go to the websites and ask them to send a print version of their catalog:

Botanical Interests is an excellent source for organic vegetable seeds.
Seed Savers Exchange is another great catalog for heirloom seeds.
Seeds of Change provides organic heirloom seeds for herbs and vegetables.
Territorial Seed Company is a catalog that has everything you need for gardening!
The Cook's Garden provides seeds and plants for gourmet gardeners.
And one of my favorite catalogs for waterwise plants is from High Country Gardens.  This catalog is loaded with information about drought tolerant plants and xeric gardening.  A "must have" for gardeners in the West.

Should I Cut Back My Perennials In The Fall?

Some gardeners like to cut down their perennials in the fall.  This way the garden is nice and tidy when spring comes.  However, it might be better for the plants to leave them (maybe trim a little if they are  floppy and messy) and let them die back over the winter.  The energy from the plants will be drawn back into the roots.  The crowns of the plants (the part from which the foliage grows at ground level) will be covered by the dead foliage and protected from the winter cold.  Early spring is the best time to  cut the dead foliage from the perennials and allow them to grow back.
*Don't trim or prune lavender or culinary sage in the fall.  It will likely kill the plant.

Salvia officinalis 'Berggarten' - culinary sage - waterwise in utah

Salvia officinalis 'Berggarten' - culinary sage

It's Time To Order Garlic For Fall Planting!

It's not quite time to plant garlic, but it is time to order it.  If you wait, sources might be sold out.  There are two types of garlic: softneck and hardneck.  Either will grow here in Utah;  the hardneck are a little more hardy in colder climates.  The best time to plant is in mid October.  It's easy to do - just break apart the bulb into cloves and plant the cloves 8 inches apart, about 4 or 5 inches deep.  The flat end goes down and the pointy end goes up.  Then, winter will come.  And then spring.  In March or April, you will see green garlic shoots coming up!  The garlic is ready to harvest around the end of June or the first part of July - when the green tops start to turn brown.  Dry garlic in a warm dry place, like the garage, for a few weeks.  Then, cut the tops off and store in dark dry place in the basement.  A basket with airflow is good - not ziploc.  If kept dry, garlic will last all winter.
Garlic Sources (for planting):
Green Mountain Garlic
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
Sandhill Farms - located in Utah!

Home Grown Garlic!

Time To Make Pickles!

The pickling cucumbers are here and it's time to make pickles!  My mother taught me how to make these dill pickles.  It was part of every summer of my childhood.  I get a little nostalgic over the smell of boiling vinegar, garlic and dill.  It is a lot of work, but the reward is well worth the effort!  I grow my own pickling cucumbers because that way I can pickle them when they are fresh.  Pickling cucumbers are different from salad cucumbers, which are sweeter and milder - and they have smooth skin.  Pickling cucumbers are bumpy and warty and sometimes can be too bitter to eat raw.  I also grow the dill and the garlic, both of which grow easily here in Utah.

Pickling Cucumbers

July Fireworks! Dill Flowers!

The dill is flowering at the community garden!  When it starts to go to seed in a few weeks,  it will be ready to harvest for dill pickles.

Dill Flowers 

Dill Flowers

How do I trim lavender?

Somebody recently asked me how to trim lavender.  You can prune it back every year to keep it the size and shape you want.  Or you can let it grow bigger by never trimming it.  The important thing is this:
 - prune lavender in the Spring
 - don't prune out more than about half of the plant (I've killed lavender pruning it too much in one go)
 - don't prune lavender in the Fall.  Like most Mediterranean perennials, it resents Fall pruning.
 - after lavender is finished flowering (usually by the end of June here in Utah) shear off all of the flower stems and it will bloom again.

I Love Lavender!

Lavender is one of my favorite perennial plants.  It is blooming right now and it's fragrance is like perfume and the bees are going crazy for it!  It's easy to grow here in Utah - it likes our dry climate and high elevation.  Lavender is an excellent choice for a waterwise garden anywhere on the Wasatch Front.  It likes full sun and is not fussy about soil.  In fact, it seems to prefer soil without anything added to it.  Lavender flowers can be harvested and dried and used in various cooking and craft projects.  If you don't have lavender in your garden, plant some today!!