The Italian Herb Garden

You can open up some wonderful opportunities by growing herbs in an Italian herb garden. Italy has some of the best and most well known herbs in the world.  And herbs have an important role at least in a small way to contributing to popular Italian dishes.

Basil is a well know Italian herb and useful in many Italian recipes. Not only will it add flavor to many menus it is also very useful to other plants in your garden. Planting Basil next to your peppers and tomatoes will actually improve their flavor. In addition it will also help to keep away annoying flies and mossies. Click here for more: italian herb garden

Parsley is a relatively hard herb plant to grow but it is useful in not only Italian dishes but many other types of cuisines. Fresh parsley also used to be used for refreshing the breath after an appetizing meal. The tradition arose to serve parsley on a small dish after the meal.  That is why today many of us use parsley as a garnish to our food.

Oregano is as decorative as it is flavorful.  The mature plant will show little purple flowers.  Oregano should not be harvested until it has flowered because this is when the plant is most flavorful.

Next is Fennel. whose seeds enhance the zest of many a sauasage.  Fennel, unlike Oregano, looses its essence with age. To get the best out of this perennial, every few years it should be divided and replanted to enhance the taste. For more visit our blog: Herb Garden Blog

Rosemary is another Italian herb, much like Basil, that is valuable to other garden plants.  It grows into a large shrub that spouts pretty little blue flowers. It helps the garden by attracting bees. Although it is a tough evergreen perennial, it is sensitive to frost.

Garlic is of course one of the most used herbs in Italian cusine. And no Italian herb garden would be complete without garlic.  Garlic cloves 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.

Another herb used in Italian dishes from salads and meats is Sage. New shoots of the plant contain the most flavor so it is recommended not to let sage plants to get to woody by keeping them trim. This will encourage new growth.  Harvest Sage after it has bloomed.

While there are many more herbs that canbe put to good use in your Italian herb garden, it is important to think about which ones you will use. Think about the growing conditions each plant needs and consider whether or not you can provide them. Yes, Italian herbs add flavor to food but they should also be looked at as more then that. Take their scenic role in landscaping. They can be particularly useful for their smell and color.

By planting Italian herbs amongst other plants, you will be graced with the sweet aromas straight from Italy. It will be like taking a stroll on a Italian hill side. Click here for more: Herb Garden Facts