loadlump:
I have NEVER been able to get tarragon to grow, even when I buy plants from the garden store. Any tips you'd like to share?

Tarragon is one of those things that comes up every year for me - along with chives, garlic chives, mints, marjoram (maybe self-seeding), epazote (self-seeding), and rosemary (evergreen, with pampering this year). We had some 4: nights, along with some single didit fays, and the tarragon is still coming up! The only thing I can tell you about the bed that it is in that is unusual, is it is raised, so it has good drainage. Otherwise, I do nothing to it. I put peppers in the rest of the bed every year, and put a soaker hose on them, but it isn't even on the tarragon-it just gets runoff. And they don't get much watering, so maybe that's it-it's too wet where your trying to grow it?

> Hopefully you'll braid some. I just love the sight of
> a braid of pungent garlic. Mmmm.


I only have one variety that you can braid - the only soft-neck one out there. I can't stand peeling 50 cloves from one head!

LOL - I know what you mean. But I don't peel those heads. I use them in soups, stews and sauces and simply cut off the tops and the enough of the root clump to get rid of the roots but not to have it fall apart. Then I toss it right into the pot. I remove it later after the flavor has been freed.

Well,

The top 5 list finally got me to start planting. A little late. But, the plants are in small pots. Will give them the light they need and then bring them inside to avoid over exposure.

I only have 3 herbs. Cilantro, Italian Sweet Basil, Curley Leaf Parsley. I also have planted Flak Seeds. Not sure what I intend to do with though. Just felt like growing them.

I have small numbers of all of these seeds to trade. I would like other herbs (Especially interested in Italian Flat Leaf Parsley and other Types of Basil. Others I would like are Mint, Oregano, Tarragon, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, etc.

I also have seeds from several peppers that I intend to grow in the coming weeks. I can't identify the variaties so I will be surprized if and when they show up. None for trade of the peppers seeds though.

If limited to five now-
1. Sage (Common)
2. Garlic (since it seems to be allowed)
3. Oregano (usually Greek, but also Mexican)
4. Parsley (Flat leaf)
5. Bay leaf
Pretty old school I guess. Lavender, but not for cooking. And something rather strange for one who likes herbs so well, I have aversions to the tastes (sensed in the sinuses mainly), of both fresh Basil and fresh Cilantro, no problem with dried the versions. There seems to be a disagreeable chemical reaction happening between my sense of taste and these leaves. Any body else suffering from this condition?
jo

garlic, summer savory, marjoram, parsley, basil. Oh too many, I love them all!
Jan

bump.

Basil - sweet & Thai purple
Rosemary - what's foccacia without rosemary?
Lemon balm - tea!
Peppermint - tea!
Catnip - I'm the neighborhood supplier. There's a tunnel under my wooden fence next to the catnip bush.
Thyme - tea and chicken
Sage - cold remedy chicken soup (which also includes 2 cloves of garlic to start)
Lavender - aah!

I grew tarragon once, but couldn't figure out how to use it.

KJ

Another addition to my favorites since I posted on this thread is the kaffir lime leaves I use in my Thai food, which would not be the same without it. 2 trees are a bit much, however, even for me...

Dave

Thanks, there are great ideas here. I will try some lemon balm tea for my DW when she has a bout with insomnia. Lavender sounds excellent too. Which lavender has the longer bloom period? I live in zone six. Thank you much.

I love in mostly herb teas:
Rosemary
Lemon verbena
Lemon tea tree
Lemon Balm
and combinations of the above.

My favorites are
Basil
Chives- what I like about chives is that they are the first thing to come up and the last thing to die back. Some years I've even had chives stay until after Thanksgiving and come back up in February!

Oregano

Rosemary