chickensense

Catmint

The brutally hot and humid summers in the South make it difficult to grow many of our favorite herbs. Ladies Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) and Lavender (Lavandula), for example, both just fade away in the summer humidity. Other herbs, such as Monarda (also know as Bee Balm, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, or Bergamot), suffer from severe mildew due to the heat and moisture.

Lemon Balm

Some perennial herbs that are very easy to grow in this region (borderline between zones 7 and 8 ) are Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), Catmint (Nepeta xfaassinii), Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea), Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and of course all types of Mint. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium),  Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and Sweet Violet (Viola Odorato) like it so well here that they grow wild all around. (Violets, Tansy, and Comfrey can be particularly invasive.)

Herbs that do well if given a little extra care are Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Rosemary needs to be covered if the temperature falls below 30 degrees, and due to its shallow roots, it needs frequent, light watering. Parsley will do best planted in the fall to be used throughout the winter because it thrives in cooler weather. Sage does not like “wet feet” (it develops fungal root problems) so it doesn’t survive the spring and fall rains unless grown in very well-draining soil. Thyme needs rich soil and regular watering.

As for annual herbs such as Basil, Borage, Chamomile, Calendula (Pot Marigold), Coriander, Savory, and Dill, we have been successful only with Borage. Our Basil plantings, especially, seem to always turn crispy brown and die. (I’ve read that this may be due to tainted seed.) Calendula and Dill, like Parsley, prefer cooler weather and should be planted in late summer or fall, which we often forget to do.

Tansy

Northern Mississippi has mostly hard, clay soil. Most plants, including herbs, have a hard time in clay soils, but some actually seem to do best in clay, and many others tolerate this soil type quite well. German Chamomile, Cilantro and Caraway do especially well in clay soils. Lemon Balm, most varieties of Mint, Chives and Fennel all tolerate clay soils. In general, herbs that like a lot of moisture are most likely to take well to clay, because clay soils tend to become waterlogged after heavy rains.

HERBAL TEA RECIPES
Created by Straight from the Farm

Iced Lemon Balm & Pomegranate White Tea

1 c. boiling water
4 tea bags (Pomegranate White Tea or other)
½ c. packed fresh lemon balm leaves, washed
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh lemon balm
Honey or other sweetener to taste
Ice cubes

Place tea bags in a medium size bowl. Crush lemon balm leaves lightly with your hands to bring out the oils (and give your hands a lovely smell) and place in bowl with tea bags. Pour boiling water over bags and leaves. Let steep for several minutes. Depending on the variety of tea you are using, I would recommend leaving it steep for up to 15 minutes to really pull out all of the flavor. Remove leaves and bags, squeezing to get out the concentrated tea. Stir in sweetener to taste. Fill pitcher with a tray of ice cubes and place lemon balm sprigs inside. Pour tea from bowl into pitcher. Fill remainder of pitcher with cold water.

Floral Fantasy Tea

3 parts Lavender
3 parts Yarrow
1 part Chamomile
1 part Stevia

Combine herbs and pour hot water over. Let steep several minutes. Strain out herbs and enjoy.

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