Italian Herb Garden
ITALIAN HERB GARDEN – SENSORY DELIGHT OF SENSUOUS TAPESTRY
Just the thought of Italian herbs smells divine and throws up an image of the mouth watering Italian dishes flavored with wonderful herbs such as thyme, basil, sage, and oregano. There is a long list of the most famous and the tastiest herbs that have originated from Italy. Is it any wonder then that growing your own herbs in an Italian herb garden has innumerable possibilities? Italy is known for its culinary delights that are in part due to their herbs.
Basil is one such Italian herb that has a place of honor in most of the Italian recipes. Apart from adding flavor to the Italian cuisines, it also improves the flavor of your peppers and tomatoes when planted next to them in the garden. In addition, basil is known to repel flies and mosquitoes.
Parsley not only adds flavor to Italian dishes but other cuisines as well. However, it is a relatively hard herb plant to grow. Ages ago, before the advent of breath mints, fresh raw parsley was eaten after a meal to get rid of bad breath. Therefore, it became a tradition to serve a sprig of parsley on a small platter after the meal. This tradition continues in the form of using parsley as a garnish for various dishes.
Oregano is just as beautiful as it is flavorful and is widely used for decoration purposes. Fully mature oregano sprouts pretty little purple flowers that add a dash of color to any ornamentation. The plant is most flavorful once it has flowered, so it is best to avoid harvesting oregano until then.
Fennel seeds help enhance the flavors of Italian sausage. One of the fascinating facts about fennel is that it loses flavor as it matures. It is a perennial plant and should be grown by dividing and replanting it every few years to savor its flavor.
Rosemary is an Italian herb that is extremely valuable to the garden as it attracts bees. It is a tough evergreen perennial plant, which is sensitive to frost. Rosemary grows to become a large shrub that sprouts delightful little blue flowers.
Garlic is the most used herb in Italian cuisines and takes a pride of place in all Italian herb gardens. Garlic cloves can be planted and can be assured that it will thrive under any condition, as it needs very little attention. After harvesting, they can be stored for later use by either freezing them or pickling them and storing them in the refrigerator.
Sage is an essential ingredient in most of the Italian dishes ranging from simple salads to delectable meats. New shoots of the plant have the most flavors. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the plant trim without letting it get too woody. The best time to harvest sage is when it blooms.
There are several herbs that can be included in your Italian herb garden, but it is essential for you to know which herbs you want to use. Also, take into consideration, the growing conditions required for each of the herbs in your list and see if you can successfully provide them. Italian herbs not only add flavor to your food, they are also amazing additions to landscape designs with their vibrant colors and their heavenly aroma. The display of the riot of colors and the sweet scents can actually transport you to the land of Italian herbs, nothing less than the feeling of taking a stroll on a hilly Italian countryside.
