Herbs have a way of becoming overlooked in the garden. Totally necessary, totally delicious, they are the first things people gravitate to due to their familiar form and their evocative scents. But at some point in one’s gardening life, they become relegated to supporting roles, humdrum foils to the Brandos and Streeps that are heirloom Brandywine tomatoes and Japanese eggplant. But you still gotta have ’em, you’re still gonna have to make dinner in June, and anyone starting out in gardening will have at some point in their tenure started with a windowsill full of these tasty gems.
I put them in the giant hops planters on the east and west beds. Close to the kitchen and prolific mostly, we probably hit them up four times a week in the high season. I will say, the chives were first to reappear in the following season of any of our perennials–though they didn’t see much sunshine before ending up in our omelettes. First to the party means a few extra points in my book. I like the enthusiasm– that ain’t no chive.
Our friends and guests to the garden often ask about mint. Great in mojitos, lemonade, heck even in ice water, it’s a great herb to have around. Yes–grow mint–just don’t plant it in the ground. Keep it in a pot. And keep the pot away from the beds–don’t let the roots grow through the bottom and into a bed. Many a garden has been taken over by this guy and its mouthfreshening ways. It’s pernicious and hard to get rid of once established. Pluck it out of the bed and stick it in a pot. Hopefully it will recover and flourish. Reward yourself for your mint-separating skills with a garden mojito.