Seven must-have herbs to grow

Learn how to grow, cook and even clean with herbs during the 23rd Annual Herb Day next Saturday, May 6, at the Sedgwick County Extension Office.

Herb Day is also a great time to buy plants to replace the annual herbs you love or the tender perennials that didn’t make it through the winter, or to ask questions of master gardeners and vendors about what to grow.

Lisa LaRue, president of the Herb Society of South Central Kansas and a master gardener who often gives public talks about herbs, shares her list of must-have herbs to grow in your garden or in containers.

Basil. This is usually people’s favorite herb to grow and use, LaRue said. It’s excellent in Italian dishes, makes a great pesto and is a nice addition to soups and salads. A large-leaf Italian-style basil can easily substitute for lettuce in a sandwich to add flavor.

There are several varieties of basil, with the sweet Genovese being the standard most people grow. Purple and red leaf varieties have a similar taste.

If you’re looking for a basil with more of a spicy flavor – some liken it to anise – try Thai basil. It’s used frequently in Asian dishes.

Basil is easy to grow, with one caveat: It doesn’t like cold nights below 60 degrees. Hold off planting it until later in May, LaRue said.

Fernleaf dill. LaRue prefers the fernleaf variety of dill because it doesn’t get as tall and spindly as the variety more commonly used in pickling.

Fernleaf dill has delicate foliage and can easily be chopped up to add flavor to eggs, chicken and fish, and add a little zip to a dip.

Be prepared, however, to share this herb with swallowtail butterflies, which feed on it in their caterpillar and mature stages. Plant extra to ensure you have enough for your use, too, LaRue said.

Lemon verbena. There are several lemony herbs, from lemon balm to lemon thyme, but lemon verbena is LaRue’s favorite.

“I like to use it to flavor a simple syrup and pour over fruit,” LaRue said. “It makes a wonderful ice cream, too.” Infuse the syrup or cream with the leaves to create desserts.

It’s also suitable for savory dishes, such as chicken and fish.

LaRue suggested placing fresh lemon verbena leaves on the grill and cooking your meat dishes atop the leaves. (Don’t try this with dry leaves as they will catch on fire.)

Although lemon verbena is technically a perennial, it performs as an annual in Kansas because this is not a frost-free zone.

Thyme. There are several varieties of this perennial plant that also makes a great ground cover.

LaRue prefers the lemon for its brighter flavor.

A small, delicate plant, thyme can often just be crushed when adding it to soups, salads, chicken or fish.

Try some chopped in blueberry muffins, she suggested. Just add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup, depending on how strong a flavor you want, to the batter.

The plant can be a slow grower.

Rosemary. This herb has a strong, piney flavor, and you only need a small amount to add flavor when cooking.

Two reliable, popular varieties are Arp and Hardy Hill, LaRue said. There is also a barbecue variety that has sturdy stems that can be stripped of the leaves and used as skewers.

Make a rosemary butter by adding some chopped leaves. During Herb Day, the Herb Society will sell a rosemary salt, made by grinding the herb together with salt. It’s good for flavoring entrees or making rosemary roasted potatoes.

Chives. If you don’t want to cry over adding onion flavor, chop some chives instead. An easy-to-grow perennial, chives add an onion flavor to salads, soups, eggs, baked potatoes, dips and butter.

Even the purple flower blooms are edible – just chop them up and add to a soup or salad.

Lavender. “I love lavender and so do a lot of other people, but it’s not the easiest to grow in Kansas,” LaRue said.

It likes well-drained sandy soil, so if you have clay soil, consider planting it in a pot.

Goodwin Creek is a good variety to overwinter in a pot, she said. LaRue’s potted Goodwin Creek plant just went through its fourth winter in her office.

Used in French cooking, lavender can also be added to a chocolate cake; try a piece at the Herb Society’s sale during Herb Day. It can also be used in sachets and bath and body products.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Seven must-have herbs to grow."