Growing An Italian Herb Garden

You can open up some wonderful opportunities by growing herbs in an Italian herb garden. Some of the most famous and tastiest herbs in the world come from Italy.  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. Did you know that planting them beside tomatoes and peppers will improve their flavor?. Plus, basil will also repel flies and mosquitoes. Click here for more: mixed italian herbs

Parsley is a relatively hard herb plant to grow but it is useful in not only Italian dishes but many other types of cuisines. Many generations ago before there were breath mints it was found that eating fresh, raw parsley after a meal eradicated the bad breath left over from enjoying a flavorful cuisine. 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.

Equally tasty and appealing is oregano.  When it is fully mature it will sprout pretty 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. It is a perennial plant that should be divided and replanted every few years to savor its flavor. For more visit: Herb Gardens Blog

Like basil, rosemary is an Italian herb that is beneficial to the garden.  It sprouts little blue flowers and grows into a large shrub. It helps the garden by attracting bees. Although it is a tough evergreen perennial, it is sensitive to frost.

Probably the most used herb in Italian cuisines is garlic. 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. With sage, it is the new shoots that are the most tasty so it is recommended to trim the plant regularily. Therefore, new shoots will be encouraged to grow.  Harvest sage after it has bloomed.

While there are many more herbs that can be 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. They also make amazing additions to landscape designs. They can be particularly useful for their smell and color.

Plant them among other plants and think of them as bringing you the sights and aromas straight from Italy itself. It will be like wandering through the Italian countryside. Click here for more: Herb Garden Information