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Show ID Vernal Express Wednesday, March 20, 1996 o m Herbal gardening blossoms in Uinttah Basin jjj J ----- "If"" ' JL-ii by Vicki Feldt Staff Writer Now that the snow has melted away and the sun is quietly teasing the Uintah Basin with the promise of warmer weather, that unused strip along the yard and the empty patio seem to be calling out for the color and scents of spring. Herbs are a fragrant and colorful alternative to lava rock or bulky plants which require a lot of water. Herbs grow well in full sun and dry soil conditions along garden borders, bor-ders, walkways, walls or containers. contain-ers. "Herbs are so easy to grow," says Ilene Haslem of Searle's Greenhouse and Nursery. "Anybody can grow them. They can be dried in the fall and stored in a tight jar or bottle and used all year long." These reasons make growing herbs a popular springtime hobby. Soil conditions "When preparing garden or yard borders for planting, use sand, more sand, and mulch," explains greenhouse green-house owner Roland Searle. "We have two major soil problems here in the Basin; alkali and clay-type soil. Alkali is high levels of soluble mineral salts. When moisture sits, it pulls alkali to that area. Sand will allow drainage of excess moisture, which will help prevent alkali build-up in the garden or border areas. ar-eas. Mulch, compost, leaves or peat moss will make the soil more pliable. pli-able. Composting is beneficial as it prevents the soil from packing in tight around the plant's root system, while providing a base of nutrients to promote plant growth." The same rules apply when planting plant-ing in a container. Since the space is considerably smaller, some may prefer to use a pre-mixed soil. The cost of a soil mix is slight, and is balanced out by the amount of work saved by not having to find a proper nutrient balance. Fertilizers are also recommended to help the young stock adapt and grow in their new environment. A slow release pellet fertilizer is used by many greenhouse growers, but suitable fertilizers are also found in the garden section of area retail and grocery stores. Seeds or plants? A beautiful herbal garden can be created on a shoestring budget. Starting with seeds and basic equipment equip-ment is the least expensive path to garden glory. Basic cooking herb seeds and seed starter kits are currently cur-rently available at most greenhouses greenhous-es and garden supply stores. A popular pop-ular item for beginners and seasoned sea-soned gardeners alike is a plastic seed "greenhouse" which has its own lid and tray. It comes with easy to follow instructions and allows for many varieties to be planted in one convenient tray. However, not all herbs are easy to start, even with directions. For a little lit-tle more cost, young plants are available at greenhouses and garden gar-den shops. Specialty herbs such as lemon thyme and variegated sage cannot be produced from seed, but are grown from plant cuttings only. Choosing herbs "The difficult thing about herbs is that everything was once used as an f .9 f I Js. -. .mm, J-ua fc S ' ft r I 5 TF 9 p ll. Tim 1. r m jafW ' a r herb," says Heather Campbell of Split Mountain Nursery. Choosing which herbs to plant can be overwhelming over-whelming for a novice gardener, and Campbell recommends sticking with the basics, and offers, "I would put into the garden things I like to use." Taking her advice narrows nar-rows the list of hundreds of herbs down to a manageable few to choose from. The more popular cooking herbs are: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, fen-nel, garlic, sweet marjoram, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage, summer savory, French sorrel, French tarragon and thyme. Some herbs for homemade teas are: German chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint and pineapple sage. Herbs more suited for crafts and potpourri include: costmary, rosemary, rose-mary, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, sweet woodruff, lavender, jasmine and heliotrope. For the area of the yard where there is little activity, why not plant an herb garden for honey bees? Clover, catmint, lavender, thyme, sage, rosemary, hyssop and winter sage are especially attractive to bees, and their activity can provide natural beauty and entertainment for kids and adults alike. Designing a border Knowing how tall the herbs can . grow will help to plan an attractive, ' low maintenance garden. Herbs that are known to grow over three feet are saved for the back row; these may be rosemary, fennel, and roses. Herbs which grow from one to three feet tall are: dill, lavender, curry plant, comfrey, costmary, caraway car-away and tarragon. The front rows may include anise, catmint, chamomile, coriander, cumin, hyssop, hys-sop, marjoram, mints, summer savory, sa-vory, thyme and parsley. The same rules apply to container gardening. Trailing herbs like woolly wool-ly thyme need to be planted close to the edge of the container or wall so that it may grow in a wave over the edge. Leave plenty of room between be-tween each plant so that the herbs can spread. Some herbs like mint, Carrie Thompson waters plants that were grown in the greenhouse for spring planting. - V f - V'''' ,tv-" "' " ' Colleen Hamaker and Carrie Thompson create their own herbal container gardens. take tarragon and woodruff will over an area, so these herbs may work best in a container. Herbs that won't over-winter well in this area can be planted in a container for easy transition into the home before frost. Some herbs, such as mint, whether winter hardy or not, are. pleasant to have inside during the winter. For spring, the attentions will be on sketchings of the garden site, planning, planting and shopping for suitable containers. An attractive and functional herbal garden can be created and enjoyed by young and old alike, whether it takes up the entire yard or is simply in a pot on the windowsill. Persons who are interested in-terested may find a wealth of information infor-mation on growing and using herbs at the county library, county extension exten-sion office, and area greenhouses. 4 - I 1 B Tf it'i'.-" Heather Campbell prepares to add chives with me rosemary planted in a container. ::::::::::W:""": :;n rn iv . , mm ' ' ..I I'D J y-'lti"" Diffofnt tyres of N?rt can be ponied Wo lh same po to create an appealing coiairer gaflJen. 9-Cer6aL favorites Pesto Sauce from Split Mountain Nursery 2 cups fresh basil leaves 2 lo 4 medium-sized cloves garlic, depending on your taste 1 cup walnuts, pine nuts or raw sunflower seeds 1 cup olive oil , I cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated if possible 14 cup freshly grated Romano cheese, if available Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to lasie 1. Process the garlic and basil in a food processor filled with a Meet blade, or in two batches in a blender, unlit finely chopped. 2. Add the nuls and process unlil ihcy arc finely chopped but not a paste. 3. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream. 4. Add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt, and a liberal grinding of pepper. Process briefly to combine. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use. Makes two cwps. Use as a sauce over pasta or combine wiih etc m cheese for a wonderful spread. The pesto will keep in a jar in the refrigerator for several weeks of it can be frrven for up to sic months. To freeze small quantities, put wk paper on a cookie sheet, drop pesto by tablcspoonful onto the sheet and freeze for several hours. The individual portions can then be removed and stored in the freezer in a plastic bag. Rose Petal Jelly 2 12 cups red or pink rose petals, trimmed lo remove white tips 1 78 cups water , generous 3 cups superfine sugar 12 cup bottled while grape juice 12 cup bottled red grape juice 2 ounce package of powdered fruit pectin 2 Tbsp roscwatcr 1. Place the petals, wafer and about one-eighth of the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for S minuics. Remove from Ihc heat and leave to stand overnight for the rose fragrance to infuse. 2. Strain the flowers from the syrup, and put the syrup in a preserving pan or suitable saucepan. Add the grape jukes and pectin. Boil hard for one minute. Add the rest of the sugar and slir well. Boil the mixture hard for one minute more. Remove from heal. 3. Test for selling; it should make a soft jelly, not a thick jam. Do this by placing a tcaspoonful of the hot mixture on a saucer. Leave it to cool; the surface should wrinkle when pushed with a finger. If il is still runny, return the pan lo the heal and continue boiling and testing unlil Ihc jelly sets. finally add the roscwatcr. Ladle Ihc jelly into sterilized glass jars and seal wiih waxed paper circles and cellophane lids secured with rubber bands. Decorate the lops of the jars with circles of fabric held in place with lengths of ribbon. Herbal Oil 12 cup chopped parsley 18 cup chopped sage 14 cup chopped thyme 2 12 cups sunflower, safflowcr or olive oil, depending on personal preference. 1. Pour the oil and herbs into a clean, dry bottle. Cork Ihc boiilc and store al room temperature for six lo seven days. Remember lo shake bo! lie occasionally. 2. Strain off the oil into a second boiite and add fresh sprigs for decorative purpose. Scat Ihc bottle and store in cool place, Oil should last up to six months, Rosemary flair Rln I cup fresh rosemary leaves S cups water, boltlcd if so desired Bring ingredients to a boil in a non copper saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes and allow to cool. Strain the mixture and store in clean bottle. This rinse is designed for oily hair and can be applied to hair and scalp after shampooing. Firming Mask I tsp honey I Tbsp dried chamomile flowers 1 cup boiling water 2 Tbsp oal or wheal bran Pour boiling walcr over dried chamomile flowers and let stand for 30 minutes. Sirain the walcr inio a separate howl. Mix 3 Tbsp of the liquid wiih the honey and bran. While avoiding the eyes, apply the mixture to the face and neck and leave on for 10 minuics, Rine off with warm walcr. Scenlrd coasters and hot pads When sewing padded coaster and hot pads, add favorite dried herbs lo the padding. Cinnamon and spices are popular scents which will create a soft aroma under a saucvpan ot hot cup of tea. Miniature quill bkuks tot the top of the pads make a nice priced fot kids whkh they can give as gifts. Herbal kt tvtwt Many herbs sush as mini, borate Mmom, ot pany IWers can he set in ice cubes to make cleat drinks ot water pitchers a little special. 7 |
