Back in the 60s, Simon & Garfunkel sang about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Today, the list of herbs found in gardens would fill up the whole song. For centuries, herbs have been used for food and medicine. Today they are still used for seasoning food, providing pleasant fragrance, and even adding interest to the garden and beautifying the landscape. Growing herbs – both annuals and perennials \u2013 can be simple and rewarding. A wide variety of herbs can grow in our climate and landscapes. University of Georgia horticulturist Bodie Pennisi doesn\u2019t just study herbs in her research garden in Griffin, Ga. She also grows them at home to add flavor to her food. Here are a few of Dr. Pennisi\u2019s favorite herbs and tips for growing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Basil. \u201cYou can start from seed or purchase it in plant form,\u201d Pennisi says. Basil can vary from the most common \u2013 a wide-leafed variety \u2013 to the small-leafed lemon basil and purple opal basil, which has dark maroon-purple leaves. It should be grown in full sun and well-drained soil. As soon as its flower heads appear, these should be pinched back to prevent the plant from going to seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Thyme. There are more than 400 varieties of thyme, with English thyme being the most common. For the South, Pennisi suggests growing lemon thyme, caraway thyme and mother-of-thyme. Thyme varieties that creep make an excellent ground cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Sage. A perennial plant, sage varieties can be used interchangeably in cooking. Once it is established, it usually does well in well-drained soils. One particular variety of sage, known as pineapple sage, can be used to flavor drinks, chicken dishes, cheeses, jams and jellies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Rosemary. Rosemary can be enjoyed year-round from the garden, because it too is a perennial plant. The shrubby plant can grow to between 3 and 5 feet tall. It\u2019s drought-resistant after it\u2019s established, but should be planted in full sun. \u201cIf you see that the plant is not growing vigorously, it\u2019s a sign that it\u2019s not getting enough sun,\u201d Pennisi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Mint. Mint should always be grown in a pot, she said, because once it\u2019s planted in the ground, it can take over. \u201cThe same goes for oregano and marjoram,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re a little too happy to grow.\u201d The invasive mint can tolerate partial shade. Pennisi likes to grow peppermint and spearmint varieties to add to her tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Winter and summer savory. Winter savory has smaller, darker green leaves, a stronger flavor and is a perennial. It grows best from cuttings. Summer savory grows more easily from seed. Both require full sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Chives. Chives are a member of the onion family. \u201cOnion chives are planted each year. The garlic chives have flat leaves, and they\u2019re perennial\u201d says Pennisi. They are easy to grow, but require a balanced fertilizer to grow well. Onion chives have pink flowers, while garlic chives have white flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Lemon balm. \u201cI like lemon balm for tea,\u201d she said. Lemon balm is a perennial that can spread up to 3 feet. It will grow in partial shade. This is just a small list of herbs that can be grown here. Not all do well directly planted in our soil. Those varieties should be planted in raised beds or containers.\u00a0 Want more information about growing herbs, contact me at 706-795-2281 or clh@uga.edu<\/a>.\u00a0 Need information how to use these herbs and spices in cooking?\u00a0 Check out this blog post from our FACS Agent, Brad Averill, https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/2021\/04\/cooking-with-herbs-spices-and-seasonings\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Back in the 60s, Simon & Garfunkel sang about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Today, the list of herbs found in gardens would fill up the whole song. For centuries, herbs have been used for food and medicine. Today they are still used for seasoning food, providing pleasant fragrance, and even adding interest to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,36],"tags":[24,106],"class_list":["post-464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-gardening","tag-gardening","tag-herbs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":466,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464\/revisions\/466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}