Retirement Misadventures: The Spices of Life

Although my travel and other plans have been siderailed this year I still have many home based hobbies I enjoy. One of these is herb gardening. I LOVE planting and using my herbs. I began years ago simply with some basic culinary herbs: rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley and thyme. Since that time I have branched out into other less common herbs and this year I went a little further into foraging a few wild plants.

Herb gardening is so versatile. You can incorporate herbs in your vegetable garden either in a separate area or used as companion plants. Container gardening is a good option for anybody that does not have the space for even a small garden and herbs work very well in containers. I also mix herbs in with my flowers and shrubs in my landscaping borders around the house. In fact, anywhere I find a bare spot where I used to plant perennials I now plant herbs.

rosemary and basil growing with annual flowers

container of rosemary, basil and cherry tomatoes

I still grow those same culinary herbs I started with but now I've added savory, sage and chives. I have 4 kinds of mint as well as lemon balm for making teas or adding a sprig in water or lemonade. My grandkids love picking fresh mint leaves to munch on. I've never been as good growing vegetables and they can be very time and space intensive so I grow a limited number of vegetables. So I usually stick some onions, cherry tomatoes, peppers, leeks and/or leaf lettuce in some of my herb beds. I have a patch of sorrel also which is a perennial green that can be used in soups or salads.

container of mint

Other herbs are planted for medicinal uses. Currently I have a large patch of comfrey, yarrow, feverfew, echinacea, lavender, chamomile and horehound. Various parts of the plants can be used depending on the plant. Usually I dry what is needed and then make herb infused oils which I make into salves or ointments. The dried herbs can also be infused in alcohol (vodka) or vinegar to make a tincture. There are many health problems that can benefit from herbal preparations but they shouldn't replace modern medical health care and you shouldn't ingest anything without knowing about the plant's benefits, possible side effects and interactions with medication. Personally I like to grow these more for demonstration purposes when I'm talking about health in the 18th century.

Foraging has been new to me this year. I haven't found a good place for harvesting many wild herbs yet but I keep looking. One thing that anyone should be able to find is plantain. This is a very abundant weed found everywhere in the US. It is not native to the US but has been here for centuries and spreads easily. There are two main types: narrow and broad leaf. Both types are good for bug bites. Again, I dry the leaves and then infuse oil with them for making a salve. Lacking that ability you can pull a leaf and chew it or crush it before applying fresh to a bite or sting.

narrow leaf plantain

When foraging for any plants make sure you are in areas that are not sprayed with chemicals or at the side of the road (exhaust fumes). Always leave enough plant that it can continue to grow. Native Americans had beliefs about harvesting plants. One belief was to never take more than one third of the plant. In the plant world there are many look-a-likes, some poisonous. So make sure you know what you are gathering whether you are ingesting it or using it on your skin. If you aren't sure leave it alone.

My culinary herbs are still my favorite and most useful. Some I gather and dry to use throughout the year. Some I chop fresh and freeze in olive oil in ice cube trays. Basil works very well this way. This week I made a bunch of herb salt. This has become one of my favorite ways to preserve my herbs. I begin with garlic chopped very fine. Usually one head of garlic is a good amount. Once it is chopped I add about an equal amount of sea salt. I continue to chop and work the salt into the garlic and then begin adding my fresh herbs. I have not ever measured these and so far I've not noticed a bad batch of herb salt. Sometimes I have more of one herb or another. My favorite combination always consists of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and savory. You could add other spices, peppers or grated citrus fruit peel also. By the time all the herbs are chopped into the garlic and salt it looks more green than white. I spread this out and let it dry for several days before putting it up in small jars. This makes a very coarse herb salt so if you want something finer you can run it through a spice grinder or grind with a mortar and pestle. I use this on so many foods: meats, soups, and vegetables. One of my favorite uses is sprinkled on corn on the cob! I give it as gifts and always get requests for more.

I love the perennial herbs that return year after year but it's not hard to find the usual culinary herbs in the spring at your local nursery to plant those that are annual. Seeds are also available but I prefer to get plants to set out. The less common herbs you will have to find from a mail order company. These are usually perennial so you shouldn't have to reorder them every year. Some people move their annual herbs inside to continue growing during the winter. I try to get what I need dried or otherwise preserved so that I don't have to keep them all winter. In my region the perennials will be available throughout the winter for harvesting. Basil being my favorite herb tends to get away from me about this time of year. I've found I can stick some in water until it roots and start with a fresh plant for later in the year or even to grow indoors in the winter since it is annual.

Whether you have a green thumb or not I'm sure you could grow herbs. You'll be surprised how easy they can be to grow and how much better your food is when cooked with fresh herbs.