Fantastic
Fall Herbs
The sun is starting
to set and I cannot see as clearly as I’d like to. I still need to
water my transplants in. I’d better stop gardening, clean up, water and
get inside to write this article and fix dinner. I can hardly tear
myself away from Fall Gardening. No matter how many times you
hear it, it’s TRUE, the best time to garden in Austin, Texas is in the
fall. The mornings are cool, the whole day can be spent outside without
sweating and the plants love this time of year. You can plant small
transplants, seeds, shrubs and trees and just about anything green can
be planted now. Of course there are exceptions and as you garden more
you will learn those.
If you think ahead
you can have fresh herbs and vegetables just about all throughout the
winter. Of course, if we have some hard freezes you will have to
protect some of your plantings. I use a thin white row cover, cut to
the size of my vegetable bed. Everything else tender in the garden is
cut back and mulched and will hopefully survive any freezes. Fall is
the best time to plant
Parsley, Petroselinum sativum,
either curly or the flat Italian kind. For the last two years I’ve had
curly so now I’ll plant the flat. I hear flat Parsley tastes better,
we’ll see. Parsley lasts for two years, then it bolts (goes to flower)
and it’s done. Plants such as Parsley are called Biennials. I keep one
Parsley plant right outside on my deck in a planter box, so while I’m
cooking I can just step outside and snip what I need. The other plants
are in my garden. I do the same with Basil in the summertime. Parsley
seeds can be difficult to germinate (they take quite a long time), so I
recommend buying a four inch transplant and planting it in part sun/part
shade. Although I planted an entire border in one bed with seeds and
they all came up. I use Parsley for soups, stews, tabouli, salads,
etc. Fresh Parsley is not only delicious but quite healthy and
medicinal as well. Parsley is high in Vitamin C, the leaves and root is
used for urinary tract infections and all parts of the plant are good
for digestive weakness.
Another great herb to
plant now is
Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum. Many people
love the flavor of cilantro, and some do not. I like it in salsas,
salads, with beans, on vegetarian tacos and I even make a pesto from
fresh Cilantro leaves so you can enjoy pesto in the wintertime as you do
in summer with Basil. Cilantro is easily grown from seed, planted in a
sunny location in well -draining soil. After enjoying Cilantro all
winter, come springtime the plant will begin to bolt forming a lovely,
delicate white flower (wonderful in flower arrangements) and finally go
to seed. These seeds are Coriander seeds and can be used as a spice in
chili powder, curry powder and the ripe green seeds can be pickled and
used like capers. So interestingly, the entire aerial parts of the plant
are used for our culinary enjoyment.
Another favorite fall
herb of mine is Borage, Borago officinalis. Borage seeds
can be planted now in full sun and will thrive through the cool months.
Borage leaves can be used as an acute treatment for lung congestion, the
flowers eaten as an anti-depressant and the oil in the seeds are high in
gamma linolenic acid, which like Evening Primrose Oil, is helpful in the
treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The leaves and seeds of Borage are
also helpful in increasing the milk supply of nursing mothers.
Calendula,
Calendula officinalis, is probably my favorite fall herb. Seeds
planted now, in full sun, will quickly produce plants that flower rich,
vibrant orange flowers in the late winter, early spring. Calendula
flowers are edible, act as an anti-depressant (who could stay depressed
just looking at these bright, sunny flowers) and an oil and/or salve can
be used to treat a large variety of skin disorders. Applied externally
calendula salve will effectively treat burns, soothe pain of injuries
and irritation and promote the healing of wounds, insect bites and
bruises.
Two other herbs best
planted in the fall are Dill, Anethum graveolens, and
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare. Dill grows well from seed,
planted in full sun, and I usually find a transplant for Fennel. I have
both green Fennel and Bronze Fennel in my garden. Dill leaves are used
for cooking fish, in breads and the seeds are used for pickling
cucumbers. Both Dill and Fennel have excellent digestive properties,
calming flatulence, heartburn, colic and indigestion. Both these herbs
are also hosts, or the food plant, to the Eastern Black Swallowtail
caterpillar, which will eat the aerial parts of the plant but soon grow
to be outstanding butterflies in your garden. Once these critters
occupy my Dill or Fennel I just let them be and they don’t seem to
bother the rest of my bounty.
So if you have a
Texas hankerin’ to have any particular plant join your garden, now is
the best time to get them in the ground. We still have some time before
a first frost, so if you get your planting done now the root system has
a chance to establish itself and get ready to hold on for the winter.
Besides our beloved herbs, now is the time to scatter our wildflower
seeds, water them in, and sit back and enjoy springtime full of
luscious, native Texas wildflowers full of color and magic and delights
for our wildlife. Have a great season of fall planting and before you
know it we’ll be preparing our garden beds for spring. Have fun in the
garden.
