CULINARY HERBS

State Route 256 between

Main Street and Livingston Ave.

In Olde Reynoldsburg

614-861-5700

Your source for:

Fisher’s

Gardens

1. •Flowering Annuals
   

2. •Flowering Baskets
   

3. •Geraniums
   

4. •Container Gardening
   

5. •Tropical Plants
   

6. •Hanging Baskets
   

7. •Vegetables
   

8. •Herbs
   

9. •Perennials
   

10. •Trees
    

11. •Shrubs
    

12. •Roses
    

13. •Pansies
    

14. •Fall Mums
    

15. •Custom Container Planting
    

16. •Gardening Information
    

17. •Flowering Cabbage & Kale
    

18. •Poinsettias
    

19. •Fresh Cut Greens
    

20. •Houseplants
    

21. •Ground Covers
    

22. •Chemicals & Fertilizers
    

23. •Garden Supplies & Tools
    

24. •Unique Garden Gifts
    

25. •Pottery
    

26. •Seasonal Holiday Items
    

27. •Potting Soil
    

28. •Classes
    

29. •Seeds
    

30. •Garden Art

A few basic rules for herbs are:

    *at least four hours of sun per day

    *good drainage (no wet feet)

    *good soil (amend Ohio clay soil with a composting agent such as Posy Power) or use a lightweight potting soil (such as Fisher’s brand) for potted herbs.

BASIL: Annual (12-24”) Sweet Basil is the most common and versatile.  A must with fresh tomatoes.  Also good with eggs and fish and in soups, stews, salads and sauces.  Many, many varieties to choose (Thai, Lemon, Green Globe, Cinnamon, African Blue, Purple).  Pesto (a blend of Basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil) is an easy and tasty way to capture the flavor of Basil.

CHIVES: Perennial (12-15”) Great onion flavor.  You should have several plants in order to fulfill all the recipes chives can fit into.  Garlic Chives are similar (except with the obvious more garlic flavor) but are flat leaved.  The early spring pink blossoms are edible and attractive in salads.  BE CAREFUL: Garlic Chive mashed potatoes can become addictive.  Chop leaves and add to omelets, salads, soups, dips.

PARSLEY: Biennial (8-12”) Parsley is underrated because of it’s history as tasteless, dried leaves and as a limp garnish on a restaurant dinner plate.  Try fresh chopped Parsley in any dish to perk it up.  Curled Parsley has more of a bite to it than the flat leaved Italian Parsley.  Use in potato salad, rice, soups, tomato sauce.

OREGANO: Perennial (10-24”) The definitive taste of pizza here in America!  Oregano is stronger than Sweet Marjoram even though there are similarities in looks.  Greek Oregano has larger leaves (one of my favs!).  Beef, chicken, eggs, and soup also benefit from the addition of Oregano.  Pair with Parsley, Garlic, and olive oil for a great sauce for fish.

CILANTRO: Annual (18-30”) What Oregano is to Italian cooking Cilantro is to Mexican fare.  It looks almost identical to Flat Leaved Parsley until you get your nose involved (it’s actually called Chinese Parsley).  There’s no denying the unique scent of Cilantro.  Pairs well with seafood, rice, chicken, and a must for all salsa.  Don’t let it “bolt” or “go to seed” (which means flowers appear) otherwise you’ve missed the great taste of Cilantro.  It’s best to harvest when this plant is about 6-8” tall.

SAGE: Perennial (10-30”) Most of us think of using Sage in Thanksgiving stuffing or in sausage, but this herb does well in stews, teas, with fish or other meats.  Lots of different varieties too -- Clary Sage as large leaves, Tricolor and Purple Sage add color.  Pineapple Sage is an annual here in Ohio, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as it is a great addition to fruit salad, sorbet and other desserts because of it’s tropical taste.