Planting an Italian Herb Garden
There is an endless amount of possibilities when you start your own Italian herb garden. Some of the most famous and tastiest herbs in the world come from Italy. Italy is internationally known for its best cuisines partly because of the herbs used in cooking.
Many Italian recipes use basil, one of the best known Italian herbs in the world. Basil will not only add flavor to many Italian cuisines, it is also useful in the garden to other plants. The taste of peppers and tomatoes will greatly improve if they are grown right next to basil. Plus, basil will also repel flies and mosquitoes in your Italian herb garden.
Parsley is a relatively hard herb to grow in an Italian herb garden but it is very useful in both Italian and other types of cuisines. Before breath mints were popularly used, it was a tradition to eat fresh parsley after a meal to remove bad breath. The tradition arose to serve parsley on a small dish after the meal. This practice of using parsley as a garnish on a variety of meals continues to this day.
Besides being flavorful, oregano is also ornamental. When it is fully mature it will sprout pretty little purple flowers. Oregano should be harvested after it blooms because this is when the plant is at its best.
Fennel seeds are known for spicing up the flavor of Italian sausages. The interesting thing about fennel is that the plant loses its flavor as it matures. It is a perennial plant that should be divided and replanted in an Italian herb garden every few years to savor its flavor.
Like basil, rosemary is an Italian herb that is beneficial to the garden. It grows into a large shrub that sprouts pretty tiny blue flowers. It attracts bees, which in turn helps the Italian herb garden. Although known for being a tough evergreen, it is extremely sensitive to frost.
Garlic is probably the most popular herb in Italian cooking. No Italian herb garden would be complete without this useful herb. Garlic gloves can be planted and will thrive in just about any garden with very little attention. They can be stored to be used at a later time after they are harvested by freezing them or pickling them to store in the refrigerator.
Sage is used in a variety of Italian dishes from meats to salads. Shoots of the sage plant contain the flavor of the herb, therefore they should be trimmed regularly to prevent them from growing into mature woody plants. Young shoots will begin to sprout. Sage can be harvested after it blooms.
Although there are so many more herbs that can be included in an Italian herb garden, you really should consider which herbs you will use. You need to determine whether or not you can provide the conditions necessary to grow these plants.
Italian herbs should be considered as more than something that just improves the flavor of food. They also make amazing additions to landscape designs. They are widely used for their color and aroma. Planting Italian herbs among other plants will give you the sweet smell of Italy. Having an Italian herb gardenwill be just like taking a walk along an Italian hillside.
Tags: Italian Herb Garden
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