Fritz brought some of his favorite herbs such as rosemary and basil but also less familiar herbs like calendula and lemon verbena that grow well in Utah. These herbs look good and smell great too.
Best places to buy
Twice a year Red Butte Garden has a plant sale to benefit the Garden. It is the best place to buy herbs because our staff is on hand to talk about ideal growing conditions and to match your yardscape; sunny, shady, rock garden or planters, with the right herbs. Spring Benefit Plant Sale is Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
How to grow your own herbs
Most herbs need full sun, well-draining soils, good air circulation and fresh water on a regular basis. Utah has the perfect climate for growing herbs. One approach is to plant your culinary herbs among vegetables or in a separate herb garden for one-stop harvesting. Another option is to incorporate them into a flower garden. The foliage color, shape, and texture are great additions to the flower garden. Some herbs, like creeping thyme and Chamomile make fragrant groundcovers.
Herbs will tolerate alkaline soils but prefer a soil pH between 6.3-6.8.
Storage and expiration
Cut herbs as you need them right from the garden for use in green salads, potato salads, marinades, salsa, even scrambled eggs. Herbs also make lovely foliage arrangements. Cut herbs stay fresh stored in a shallow cup of water for several days or can be bound with string and dried allowing you to crumble the leaves as needed for seasoning. Use the dry herbs often enough that the dried bundle does not collect house dust.
For more information on growing herbs got to: http://www.redbuttegarden.org/gardening/growingherbs
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