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Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
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| Yates Association |
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and
Thyme |
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August 29, 2001 Herbs have captured people's attentions over the centuries. Invariable they have turned up in everyone's life at one time or another; in your garden as a weed, in your food to enhance the flavor, literature whether it is fiction or fact, medicine and vitamins and as a purposeful part of your landscape. The list can go on forever. My family enjoys going out to the garden and picking lavender, yarrow, mint, sage, savory or oregano for flower arrangements. Herbs can add color, foliage and fragrance to any flower arrangement. My two young children enjoy chasing butterflies and petting the bees as these tiny creatures indulge upon the flower's sweet nectar. I enjoy scented geraniums and keep them on an entrance porch so I can enjoy their fragrance as I walk by or as the wind blows. In addition to their scented presence, their foliage is warm and welcoming. The possibilities and discussions surrounding herbs are too numerous to include in an article of this nature. But as the title may imply, I would like to touch down upon the four herbs mentioned in the 1966 song Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel. Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals, aids digestion, cleans the palate, prevents flatulence, makes a nice garnish and can be an essential ingredient in a recipe. Parsley is treated as an annual by most gardeners, but parsley is a biennial and will self-sow the second summer. Parsley enjoys full sun and well-drained soil and would enhance any flower or vegetable garden if planted as an edging. When it comes time to use parsley, harvest the older leaves or cut the whole plant, leaving one inch about the ground, trying not to damage the growing point. The leaves may be used fresh, dried and frozen in or on a variety of foods. Sage is a beautiful bush or shrub like evergreen that comes in an array of colors. Sage's foliage can range from a deep green to a deep purple to a green, white and pink variegation with stems of lilac sometimes pink or white flowers in June. Sage could be the perfect plant for any garden either for its ornamental texture or for its culinary delight. The flowers can be cut for dry or fresh flower arrangements. Full sun and well-drained soil are the conditions most varieties enjoy and with an annual spring pruning, sage will become bushier. Sage can be used to flavor any type of food and is especially complimentary to meat. Rosemary is native to the hillsides along the Mediterranean Sea. In its native warm and dry region this perennial will grow up to six feet tall. Rosemary is another evergreen herb and will not withstand cold temperatures and so should be brought inside during winter months. Indoors, rosemary will need a cool, sunny, humid location to thrive in and does well in a container. Outdoors, it does well in full sun and dry alkaline soil. Rosemary can be used to flavor a wide range of foods including lamb, poultry, pork, vegetables, bread, vinegar and jam. I
know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, Have you ever walked on a lawn with thyme growing wild in it? It's presence is so captivating. The soft canopy invites you to sit in, the smell is relaxing and the flowers dazzling. An herb garden is not complete without the one or more thyme plants growing in it. Choose from shrubs, creepers, different flavors, and light to dark leaves. There is thyme to please every gardener. This evergreen shrub typically grows three to fifteen inches tall and enjoys full sun, dry soil and sandy locations. Thyme like parsley, sage and rosemary has a similar place in the kitchen and is found in many recipes and dishes. The French use thymus vulagris (common thyme) to make bouquet garni, the traditional flavoring for stew, stock, meat, stuffing, sausage and cheese. Bouquet
Garni Although uses and needs have evolved over the years, herbs will always have at least one unique quality that may make it attractive to a gardener who wouldn't ordinarily choose an herb. Take another look at herbs and consider them for your garden. For more information on herbs call the Yates County Master Gardeners at 315.536.5123. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
