Italian Herb Garden

You can open up some wonderful opportunities by growing herbs in an Italian herb garden. Italy has some of the best and most well known herbs in the world.  Some of the best cuisines come from Italy and are famous in part for their herbs.

One well known Italian herb is Basil and it is useful in many recipes. Not only will it add flavor to many menus it is also very useful to other plants in your garden. Planting Basil next to your peppers and tomatoes will actually improve their flavor. In addition it will also help to keep away annoying flies and mossies. Click here for more: 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. Fresh parsley also used to be used for refreshing the breath after an appetizing meal. 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.

Oregano is as decorative as it is flavorful.  When it is fully mature it will sprout pretty little purple flowers.  Remember that Oregano should not be freshly used until it has  fully blossomed because this is when it is at it’s flavorsome best.

Next is Fennel. whose seeds enhance the zest of many a sauasage.  The interesting thing about fennel is that the plant looses its flavor as it matures. To get the best out of this perennial, every few years it should be divided and replanted to enhance the taste. For more visit our blog: Herb Gardening Blog

Rosemary is another Italian herb, much like Basil, that is valuable to other garden plants.  It grows into a large shrub that spouts pretty little blue flowers. It helps the garden by attracting bees. However, it is sensitive to sharp frosts even though it is a hardy evergreen perrenial.

Garlic is of course one of the most used herbs in Italian cusine. 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.

Sage is used in a variety of Italian dishes from meats to salads. New shoots of the plant contain the most flavor so it is recommended not to let sage plants to get to woody by keeping them trim. Therefore, new shoots will be encouraged to grow.  Sage can be harvested after it blooms.

While there are many more herbs that canbe 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. Take their scenic role in landscaping. 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 taking a stroll on a Italian hill side. Click here for more: Herb Garden Information