Which herbs are best for the herb garden?

Which herbs are best for the herb garden?

Annual and biennial herbs

Many of our traditional culinary herbs such as parsley, chervil, savory, dill, marjoram and cress belong to this group, as well as ancient cultivated plants such as garden almond or purslane. They are usually quite robust and can be sown directly into the bed in spring. When is the best time for this depends on the specific species: In March you can start with parsley, chervil and cress. From April, dill, garden log and rocket follow, in May nasturtium, purslane and savory. You should only wait until after the ice saints to sow marjoram.

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More kitchen and wild herbs

Many herbs in this group are native or naturalized in Central Europe and are ideally suited to our temperate, rainy climate. As a rule, they also get along well in partial shade, although species such as woodruff or wild garlic even love shady places under trees. Chives and lovage, ancient medicinal plants such as valerian and lemon balm, strong aromatic herbs such as horseradish and species that have since been forgotten such as wild rocket, sorrel, pimpinelle or watercress need good, deep and moist soil.

Mediterranean herbs

The exact opposite, namely sun-hungry and rather ascetic in relation to the soil, are many herbs from the Mediterranean region. Thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, hyssop, the aromatic curry herb or lemon verbena prefer very warm, sheltered locations on barren and stony soils. Many varieties are very sensitive to frost - especially rosemary, bay leaves and lemon verbena - and should therefore be cultivated in pots.

Artemisias

Artemisia is the botanical generic name of a whole series of ancient aromatic and medicinal plants such as wormwood, mugwort, rowan and tarragon. The latter is best known from fine cuisine, where it gives fish dishes and delicate sauces aroma and sophistication with its sweet, anise-like taste. This family of herbs contains a lot of bitter substances, but also substances that are toxic in higher concentrations - a well-known example is the alkaloid absinthe. Artemisia promote fat digestion and help with numerous other complaints. In the past they were considered strong “protective and magic herbs” and were mainly used for smoking.

Tips

Those who want to grow something very special in their herb garden are guaranteed to find what they are looking for in the Asian exotic. Different types of coriander, shiso, Thai basil, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, kaffir lime or even wasabi grow here.