Herbs
All home cooks know that fresh herbs are essential if you want to turn your dish into something delicious. Get rid of those jars and bags, and grow your favourite herbs yourself! Enrich your kitchen garden with basil, mint, parsley or thyme. Near the end of winter, Ahern Nurseries & Plant Centre has herbs in small containers in different shapes and sizes - each with its own delicious taste. What is your favourite herb?
Taking care of your herbs plants
Nothing is more delicious than a fresh mint leaf or a sprig of thyme from your garden. Planting and growing your own herbs is a super fun and educational thing to do with the whole family. It gives this rich and earthy feeling. Herbs have been grown in gardens for hundreds of years: most have a long history, handed down from generation to generation, with uses from medicine to cosmetics and beauty products to flavouring cooking. They're easy-going plants that can be tucked into almost any corner of the garden, but to plunge yourself into their fascinating world, dedicate a sunny spot to a herb garden. You'll find it's full of fragrance and flowers all summer: and best of all, it'll quickly become part of your daily routine to pick peppermint for your tea, marigolds to brew up some face cream, or a bay leaf or two for the evening meal.
A few of our favourite herbs?
- Basil
- Mint
- Rosemary
We love basil! The fresh basil leaves are delicious with tomatoes, meat dishes, in dressings, and sauces. It is best to place this annual herb in a pot in as sunny a spot as possible. Remove the flowers consistently, as the basil loses its flavour when it blooms. Basil also likes damp feet, so water them regularly. Mint is also a lovely and easy plant to have in the garden. It is a strong plant that grows quickly. Place mint in a sunny location and make sure it stays damp, especially in summer. Rosemary is an easy plant that does not have high demands. Be careful not to overwater the plant and put it in a sheltered spot in winter. Rosemary can withstand drought well and even gets a stronger taste from it.
How to use herbs in drinks and dishes?
All kinds of Mediterranean herbs give your cooking flavour and colour. These include rosemary, bay, thyme, marjoram and parsley. Peppermint, chamomile, echinacea and lemon balm are perfect herbs to use in teas and tisanes to boost your health and well-being. Herbs are also the ideal garnish for many cocktails. Why not have a summer barbecue and use all those herbs from the garden in your food and drinks? The tastebuds of your friends will thank you. Please ask the staff in our garden centre in Limerick for more information and advice about growing herbs. We hope to see you soon at Ahern Nurseries & Plant Centre.
