Top ten must have's for your Garden

Alittle Simon and Garfunkel to help you get in the mood..

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
For she/he once was a true love of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Without any seam nor needlework,
And then she'll be a true love of mine.


Tell her to wash it in yonder dry well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Which never sprung water nor rain ever fell,
And then she'll be a true love of mine.


Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
And then she'll be a true love of mine.


Ask her to do me this courtesy,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And ask for a like favour from me,
And then she'll be a true love of mine.

Have you been to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me from one who lives there,
For she/he once was a true love of mine.

Ask him to find me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Between the salt water and the sea-strand,
For then he'll be a true love of mine.


Ask him to plough it with a lamb's horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And sow it all over with one peppercorn,
For then he'll be a true love of mine.


Ask him to reap it with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
And gather it up with a rope made of heather,
For then he'll be a true love of mine.


When he has done and finished his work,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Ask him to come for his cambric shirt,
For then he'll be a true love of mine.

If you say that you can't, then I shall reply,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Oh, Let me know that at least you will try,
Or you'll never be a true love of mine.


Love imposes impossible tasks,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
But none more than any heart would ask,
I must know you're a true love of mine


I was hoping to get some ideas of what to add to our Herb garden, Be have the basics and a few, splashes of different.

I can't live without, basil, rosemary, thyme, cilantro,and chives.
Would you like to share what you can't live without.....

If you are a tea drinker, I grow stevia ,(sweet herb) lemon verbenia , and mint .
I use a lot of sage and oregano in cooking,and always have bronze fennel for the butterflies.

Sage, gotta have sage. Regular curly parsley for pasta salad. Dill for potato or cucumber salad, and the seeds for pickles. Do chives count? They're in my herb bed, so they do! Mint has to be kept FIRMLY controlled in pots here or it will run amok, but what's a Georgia girl to do without mint in her iced tea?

For a light lunch in the middle of the worst of the hot summer here I'll grab a selection of herbs, leaning towards whatever flavor I'm in the mood for, chop them up and stir them into a dish of icy cold cottage cheese. Yummy, refreshing, and not too much to deal with in the heat.

Gardengus, I've heard about stevia but I've never seen it for sale here in Savannah. Do you grow it from seed? Is it annual or perennial? I'm a tea drinker too...

Stevia is one I have read alot about, I have looked so far our area doesn't have any, I do grow lots of mints(Thanks to Kathy-Ann) and the Fennel is caterpillar only food..LOL

Thyme, love thyme. Sage. French Tarragon. Dill. Lavender. Calendula. Chamomile. Flat-leaf parsley. Black-stemmed peppermint. Skullcap. Arnica. I could go on....

Lavender, Lemon balm, Fennel, Tarragon, Marjoram, Lemon Verbena, Cilantro, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Chives, Spearmint, Valerian! Ooops. More than 10. My favorite is lavender because it smells so good and grows very well where I live.

What no basil?Feverfew,borage,oregano,wintergreen,soapwort,st john's wort,sweet cicely,lovage,angelica,castor bean,lemon grass.

I actually purchased my stevia this year from Walmart I think it is becoming more popular around here.
I have never tried to grow it from seed, but I read here on DG it was very difficult if not impossible .
Last year it flowered but I never found any seed.

Hmm... maybe I can do a top 10 if I don't think too much about different varieties... but they won't be in order, because I don't know what I'd do if I only had room for 3 herb plants, LOL.

Basil (especially my favorite Italian basil from Italy, and Thai basil for the blooms)

Greek Oregano (the more powerful, the better!)

Lavender (one of my all time favorite fragrances)

Thyme (French thyme for cooking, lots of others for fragrance, foliage, and pretty little blooms)

Rosemary (for cooking & bouquets)

Mint (especially 'Kentucky Colonel' spearmint & 'Chocolate Peppermint')

Sage ('Bergarten' for culinary use)

Catnip (for the kitties)

Scented Geraniums (Pelargoniums)

Lemon Verbena (a new favorite)

I guess that's 10! LOL, and I didn't get to Tarragon... hmm, why don't I have a tarragon plant? I don't know! I'll have to rectify that. :-)

top ten I won't live without

Basil
oregano
thyme
chives
sage
rosemary
tarragon
mints
costmary my fave for teas
comfrey
chamomile which I lost, and need to replace.
golden feverfew
celeriac which I also lost boo hoo

wow! so many different herbs, After making my new wish list. and successfully shopping I have added Greek Oregano and Tarragon, and I found 2 Stevia's at Lowes (little guys but they will grow) and i am till on the lok out for Lemon Verbena.

While I was researching the Stevia, I found a site that said stevia could become outlawed in the states. Had anyone read anything about it?
http://www.stevia.net/

This message was edited May 16, 2008 11:43 PM

Only one vote each for Cilantro and Lemon Grass?

Those are both in my top 10! errrrrr top 25 now after reading all these great suggestions. =)

I do have lemon grass ,just not sure what to do with it. Plus it got so out of hand last year DH set fire to it. Don't tell him but it actually looks and smells better this year.LOL

Yes, it grows very well in GA. (I'm formerly from Atlanta and Columbus) I use it to flavor soups alot, but its not edible.

My aunt is from Thailand so we learned to make coconut soup and a few more dishes that calls for lemon grass. To me it's a pretty plant. I just havent found any locally.

Like everyone else, I'm having a hard time limiting myself to just 10...but I'll give it a whirl:

(in no particular order)

French tarragon
Genovese basil
comfrey
calendula
lavender
rosemary
skullcap
lemon balm
motherwort
and...because I love showing them to people and I'm terribly proud that I got them to germinate: my European mandrakes!!


and even as I "finish" this list---I just have to add garlic chives. The flowers, especially, are INCREDIBLE in herb butter. Okay..one more...sage. Especially white sage (for smudging) but also the good ol' culinary type.

I'm going to stop now. :)

Oh, how could I have forgotten garlic chives! They're more important to me than lemon verbena, much as I love it, so that one will have to be bumped from my "top ten" list. I like to snip them into cottage cheese, especially early in spring when I'm just hungry for a taste of "green."

I've grown lemon grass in a pot but found I wasn't using it much (OK, ever) and switched to galangal... I use stems of the galangal occasionally in tea, but I haven't dug any roots yet (it's similar to ginger, with a sort of flowery scent/flavor also), and I think it's a pretty plant. I didn't list it in my "top ten" though, because it's one that I would miss but could live without.

I just realized I didn't list my sweet bay tree in my top ten, either! I guess I'd do without it if I really didn't have space (it lives inside over the winter), but I really like having it. I use bay leaves infrequently (stews, roasts), but when I do it really makes a difference to have fresh ones rather than dried.

Ya'll have great tastes!

Critter...I love bay leaf too. I usually buy it and anise from the Amish farm nearby. sheese, I've never given bay leaf a thought as to whether it was a bush or tree.

Is there an Herbs 101 book?

( I'm changing my 'need' list as fast as I can write ) =)~

gracious, I just eighteen herbs to my 'want' list.

Also, I thought of Rue; it was in my first raised bed - herb garden and I recall that it was a pretty plant....used in fish, but I can't remember for the life of me what it looked like. (I'm having a senior moment)

Maybe I am spelling it wrong.

Tom DeBaggio & Arthur Tucker coauthored The Big Book of Herbs -- it's got all the info that's in the friendlier-sized "little book" plus great information on more herbs than I knew existed.

I'm horribly allergic to poison ivy, so I'm leery of growing Rue because it's said to raise a rash on sensitive skin.

yup, I saved that title from another thread =) I haven't had the chance to look for it yet. It looked like a handy book. I think I found used copies on Amazon.

You know, when I take the time to look, this site could probably tell me all I would ever use.

Oooh..
Basil
Thyme..lemon and regular
Sage
Oregano
Dill (although I have none at the moment, lol)
rosemary
lavender
mint

I have both the lemon grass and cilantro, but I don't cook with them much so their not on my top l0. LOL

You know.....I think they are in my top 10 as far as flavor....but I don't cook with them enough to warrant a top 10 position. But, when we make a thai coconut soup, as we did today, it's just not complete without them. And they can spice up an ordinary pack of ramen noodles.

I planted cilantro today...from seeds. Wish me luck

Good luck! I'm not a big fan of cilantro, so it didn't make my list. I think the trick is to keep starting new plants, since it bolts so readily.

Basil, oregano and garlic (is garlic considered an herb?) are of course on the top for me.....good Italian girls ALWAYS have at least these in their kitchens. I also like rosemary, thyme and mint. Those are the ones I grow pretty much every year. I have to find uses for anything else that I would grow.

I'd like to try and grow some lemon verbena because it sounds wonderful, but I don't know what I would use it for. I guess I'd have to get some recipes from my guy and gal pals here at DG.

I bought some more oregano today even though I have some growing from seed....but it's so tiny still. Does anyone else find joy in just digging in the dirt and putting in a new plant? So relaxing.....

Yes, Noobie, digging in the dirt is 'Joy' in my book. These days I cook less and less, but I still want the plants in my garden in case I do. Or enjoy how pretty the plant is. Or how it rolls off your tongue....verbena. see what I mean? more joy.

Critter, something told me not to plant the whole pack =). I really hope I can plant a 2nd garden of the rest of my veggies also.

Fun to read all the Top Tens! Lots of good ideas ...(-:

I just realized I forgot to start a number of my herbs seeds I ordered last winter--will have to get to it right away! Also, someone reminded me on the Butterfly Forum that some herbs can be easily propagated by cuttings, which I had never thought to do before. Would save lots of $$ on making more plants!

Anyway, let's see...my top ten herbs are:

parsley (for the swallowtail butterflies
fennel (for the roasted trout)
garlic (is that an herb?)
chives
basil
rosemary (a must for grilling veggies this summer)
thyme
dill (for the grilled salmon)
tarragon (for the baked chicken)
chervil (I love it with carrots)

Wait! I forgot cilantro! We have to have cilantro! Sadly, will have to omit basil I guess...

Fun thread! Lots of good ideas.

Nannie....you are so right. Verbena....does roll right off the tongue, doesn't it?

I am upset with myself. I bought a mexican cinnamon basil plant and broke it. GRRRRRR. I tried putting it in a pot to see if it would maybe root but no luck. It's in the compost pile. I may go back and buy another one.

Don't go buying more basil, greek oregano, etc until after the swap... silly... ;-)

Critter, after I walked my better half this morning, I sat on the front porch, enjoying the sun on my ol' body, listening to the birds, looking around my yard. glancing over at my snowball and lilac bushes with brown, dried up blooms...a new thought for me popped in my head...can I save seeds from them? =) it was a good thing.

off I go to read about cold treating and seed saving =)

I'll try and resist critter....really I will *hides plants behind back*

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Plus also MUST HAVE lovage and monarda (beebalm). Beebalm is not for me but for the hummers!!!!

For a list of 'Ten Must Haves', how come my list is "20 Must Haves" and thats not including the ones I already have !

This is fun, but I see a lot of mine in the lists above, so I hope you don't mind seeing again:

1. Thyme (French Provencal, English & Lemon, especially!!)
2. Greek Oregano
3. Rosemary
4. Basils (Genovese, Lemon, Italian, & Thai)
5. Sage
6. German Chamomile
7. Italian Parsley
8. Mints (Kentucky & Peppermint)
9. Lemon Balm
10. Burdock

I love lavender, but as you can see, I eliminated it in the top 10 because I don't always have it and can get by without it. Right now, I have several lavender plants and they are doing fine but the flowers look weak.

Thyme
oregano
winter savory
Basil
Dill
marjoram
rosemary
bay
sage
chives, garlic chives

Garlic, mints, (I have 5 of 'em; is that cheating?) lemon verbena, nettles, rosemary,St. John's Wort, lavender,thyme,chamomile,basil.
As if I could, or would, confine myself to those few....!

Okay, I'll chime in here, just for fun.

In order of most use to least use, culinary speaking

#1 Chives
#2 Lime Basil
#3 Italian Basil
#4 Dill
#5 Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
#6 Cilantro
#7 Lemon Thyme
#8 Mint
#9 Lemon Grass
#10 Borage

There are a few others I grow for other reasons and some that just fall lower on the list.

Speaking of Italian flat leaf parsley I was stunned that I lost it in the latest cold snap in early May as its always been in leaf by late March and survived everything nature throws at it after that. I seeded some more of course. now back to top 10s.

Lime basil is your second most-used herb, Mrs Ed? Wow! I love the scent but can seldom come up with much to do with it in the kitchen... spill! What do you put it into, that you go through so much of it?