The Italian Seasoning Herb Garden
by Faith Draper aka "byfaithonly"
Italian Seasoning is a combination of
several different herbs. While most people would
use it for dishes such as spaghetti or lasagna it
is a versatile combination that is great on most
any meat dish, eggs, stews, and sprinkled on
garlic bread for added flavor. While many people
are happy purchasing their Italian Seasoning at
the grocery store in a jar or bottle others may
me interested in going back to nature and growing
their own herbs to use as Italian
Seasoning.
Herb gardens come in all shapes and sizes and can
include a multitude of herbs for as many
different uses. Most processed Italian Seasonings
found contain Thyme, Parsley, Oregano,
Rosemary, Marjoram, Basel, and Sage. All
of these grow nicely in most areas of the country
and don’t require a lot of attention. And
each of these herbs can be used for different
purposes alone or together.
When growing herbs you really should look at them
as more than just something to add to food. The
majority of herb plants make spectacular
additions to landscape designs also. Herbs
don’t have to be grown just in a herb garden
and can be planted among other plants and
flowers. Many herbs also flower
during the season so can be used for an
additional display of color as borders or in
beds.
Yet another great aspect of herb gardens or herbs
in general is the aroma, not just when used in
cooking but just walking near some herbs can
bring a wealth of smells that will linger in the
air. If planting an Italian Seasoning
herb garden you will be able to enjoy
the smells all through the growing season as well
as into the winter months when you dry your
herbs.
Thyme is a herb that is
great with lemon, garlic, and basil, or can be
used as a garnish in salads and chowders. You can
use Thyme with any meat, casseroles, soups,
vegetables, soups and stews. The Thyme plant
grows to between 6 and 12 inches tall and sends
out many side branches so likes space to grow. In
mid summer thyme will produce
small pink to lilac colored flowers and is very
aromatic – you can smell it several yards
away from the plant.
Parsley is great in
Middle Eastern and French dishes as well as
Italian foods but also makes an attractive
garnish to any plate. The Parsley
plant doesn’t put off any flowers or smell
but most varieties offer an attractive mound of
green that is attractive planted with flowering
plants.
Oregano is probably best
known for its use on pizza and in spaghetti but
it also works wonderfully adding flavor to
vegetables, meats, and egg dishes. The Oregano
plant can grow to as much as 3 feet tall and with
regular cutting will become quite bushy. The
attractive flowers of the oregano
plant come in shades from white to purple last
for several months in the summer.
Rosemary is a very
versatile herb that goes great with many
different types of meat, fish, cheese,
vegetables, and eggs. In the best of conditions a
Rosemary plant can grow to the height of as much
as 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Rosemary
is an evergreen so can add color to your garden
or landscape year round.
Marjoram is very similar
to oregano but has a bit milder flavor. The
Marjoram plant grows to about 2 feet tall but the
branches cascade over so this herb is an
excellent choice for container gardening or in
raised beds. If grown in beds when the branches
touch the ground they will also take root so the Marjoram
plant will spread and spread covering a large
area in time.
Basil is a herb with a
variety of uses. Not only as a garnish, Basil is
wonderful on meat, vegetable, pasta, and egg
dishes. Of all the Italian Seasoning herbs basil
is probably the most temperamental to grow it not
as much so as some would have you think. The Basil
plant doesn’t like too much heat or to be
too dry so may take some extra watching but is
worth it as basil produces beautiful white
flowers that attract bees which are beneficial to
the garden. Basil does however make an excellent
herb for the window sill in the winter so you can
have fresh basil year round.
Sage can be used in
cooking meats, poultry, and a wide range of
vegetables. The sage plant offers flowers in
shades of blue, pink, and also white. Sage makes
an excellent container plant and can be
attractive in a pot setting on a porch or deck.
The sage plant also likes to be
pruned so having it close to the kitchen is a
convenient place to regularly harvest fresh
leaves for cooking.
As you can see the herbs in Italian seasoning
have a variety of uses and can be grown in a herb
garden, flower beds, or individual containers.
Once you have your herbs growing there are a
variety of ways you can preserve the herbs to use
year round. Some people prefer drying; either
with a dehydrator or hanging, while others simply
freeze the herbs in plastic bags and take out
what they need as they need them. No matter what
you do with your herbs there is no doubt you will
find a great use for the herbs in Italian
Seasoning.
| Faith Wright-Draper (aka
byfaithonly) has been writing for over 40
years as a journalist, ghostwriting, and
freelancing. She currently writes for
several blogs, freelances, and on her own
website www.byfaithonly.com
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