Herbs

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, combines ornamental beauty and the usefulness of a culinary herb in one attractive plant. It is often sold during the holiday season as a small pine tree-shaped tabletop plant or in variously shaped topiary forms. It’s not surprising they are so popular, given their beauty and fragrance. Their fresh piney fragrance is refreshing, especially during the dreary winter months.  

The culinary use of flowers dates back hundreds of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. Flowers have traditionally been used in many types of cooking. Edible flowers can be used fresh as a garnish or as an integral part of a dish, such as a salad. Some flowers can be stuffed or used in stir-fry dishes. Edible flowers can be candied; frozen in ice cubes and added to beverages; made into jellies and jams; used to make teas or wines; minced and added to cheese spreads, herbal butters, pancakes, crepes, and waffles.

A cold frame or hotbed is an easy and inexpensive structure to create. It functions as a small greenhouse, enabling gardeners to extend their growing season in both spring and fall. It can be used to harden off seedlings in spring or grow late season crops of cold tolerant plants like greens.

Do you have beautiful herbs in your garden and want to preserve them for use this winter? August and September are the time to get started drying your herbs.

Harvest herb stems for drying from stems that are in the bud stage, but have not yet flowered. This is the stage at which leaves contain the highest amount of aromatic, essential oils. If your plants are blooming, cut the blooming stems back about six inches, then let new growth develop. Harvest the new growth when it is at least six inches long. Remove any dead or damaged leaves.

Holiday cooking, and it's wonderful aromas, are one of the best parts of the holiday for me. Culinary herbs such as cinnamon, rosemary, oregano and sage, are major players in holiday cooking. Cinnamon comes from tropical or subtropical plants, which are not winter hard in Nebraska, but have been grown and harvested in east Asian countries for thousands of years as a cooking spice. But three of these herbs - rosemary, oregano and sage - are easy to grow in the home garden or indoors throughout the winter, providing a source of fresh herbs for cooking year-round.

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, although not as popular as poinsettias, is common during the holidays. It combines ornamental beauty and the usefulness of a culinary herb in one attractive plant. It is often sold as small pine tree-shaped tabletop plants or in variously shaped topiary forms. It’s not surprising they are so popular, given their beauty and fragrance. Their fresh piney fragrance is refreshing, especially during the dreary winter months.

While most gardeners are familiar with spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, many don't realize that some bulbs actually bloom in the fall. These fall-blooming bulbs make unexpected, colorful additions to the fall garden.

If you're planning to plant bulbs this fall, it's time to decide what you need and get them ordered. Fall bulb planting begins in late September and continues into October.