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!

Where Can I Buy Waterwise and Xeric Plants In Utah? Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm

There are several great places to buy waterwise plants for your garden and landscape in the Salt Lake area.  One really excellent one is Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm, located at 5750 West California Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah.   To get there go west on 1300 South until you pass 5600 West.  Look for the Nursery on the north side of the street.
Grown right there at the nursery, the plants at Deseret are all either moderate or low in their water needs.  You will find a great selection of ground covers, flowering perennials and ornamental grasses, all of which will grow well in our harsh Utah climate.
The prices are good and the plants are high quality, healthy and beautiful!  They also have an awesome website loaded with helpful information on waterwise landscaping and perennials.

View of the Wasatch Mountains from Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm, Salt Lake City, Utah

Thyme ground cover for sale at Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm, Salt Lake City, Utah

Waterwise plants for sale at Deseret Nursery Perennial Farm, Salt Lake City, Utah

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!

Ground Cover Thymes For Utah

ground cover thymes in a park strip in Salt Lake City, Utah

Ground cover thymes can be a great choice for water wise park strips, patios and pathways.  Regular thymes are like tiny shrubs and are used for culinary or ornamental purposes.  Ground cover thymes are fragrant like regular thymes, but they creep and spread out and can fill the spaces between stepping stones and pavers.  While they can tolerate some foot traffic, they are not as durable as turf grass so they are not recommended as a lawn substitute unless you can guarantee that no people or dogs are going to run and play on it.  Some varieties will bloom in spring and summer and will create stunning carpets of TINY pink flowers.  Ground cover thymes stay almost flat on the ground and will continue to spread year after year.  They need water only during the hottest times of summer; June through August, maybe once a week.  Plant them in full sun or part shade.  Sometimes the older parts of the plants die out and need to be replaced.  There are many varieties of ground cover thyme to choose from and your local independent garden center should carry several:  woolly thyme, elfin thyme, pink chintz thyme, etc.

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

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!!