Meemaw’s Tropical Herb Garden…A Work In Progress!

There are many reasons why I love our winter home…and my tiny herb garden is certainly one of them. Every year I am anxious to see which of my mostly-perennial herbs have survived the tropical sun and heat of the long summer in Fort Lauderdale.

This year when we returned, I was greeted by only two of the many herb plants I left behind in May. My garlic chives and my huge rosemary plant were the only survivors this year. And our palm tree had become completely overgrown. If left untrimmed it provides too much shade to allow most of my herbs to grow and thrive.

For my first few years of gardening attempts in Florida, I simply stuck new herb plants into the existing “soil” outside our back door. That soil is almost all sand, so it’s no wonder those herb plants were lacking nourishment and usually failed to grow properly. But in recent years I have begun to amend the soil in my tiny herb garden, adding bags of garden soil laced with a moisture retaining product.

I then mix in a healthy handful of granular plant food, and I work it into the soil. Then I water the garden well and allow it to drain before adding my new plants.

I also give our palm tree a significant “winter haircut” to allow more sunlight to reach the herbs. (It’s a balancing act to give the plants enough sun, but to leave enough shade to keep our tropical temperatures from burning the delicate herbs

And what do I do with those palm fronds?

Since I am not a year-round resident, I have no green growing plants in the house since no one is there to water them when we head back up North. So I simply stick some of those beautiful fronds in vases around our condo, and I add some water. And those pretty green leaves last for weeks! And when they finally look bedraggled I simply cut more fronds from our palm tree and replace them. Again…waste not, want not!

After I have amended the soil, I head to my favorite place to buy my herb plants…the Publix grocery store down the street! 

Now I’m sure a grocery store isn’t the first place you think of when it comes to purchasing potted herb plants. You probably expect me to buy my herbs at one of the big “box” stores with their rows of fresh flowers and plants. But most of those herb plants are so small it takes too long for them to produce enough herbs for my daily (and I mean DAILY) use. You see, I add my fresh-cut herbs to almost all of my cooking projects since fresh herbs add so much flavor that I can cut back on the amount of salt I add to my dishes…and that’s a win win for both Peepaw and me.

This year I will replant clumps of basil, Italian parsley, dill, thyme, sage, onion chives and mint to my small herb garden….and I’ll post some photos of the finished project. And even though I can recognize all of these herbs by sight, I place little signs near each one…and I encourage all of my condo neighbors to pick what they want from my herb garden to flavor their meals too. It’s just a neighborly thing to do.

And how do I use all of those herb plants all winter?

I use basil in many tomato dishes…and instead of lettuce on some sandwiches. I use Flat leaf Italian parsley to add a pop of color and a mild herb flavor to almost any dish. I add thyme to many potato and chicken dishes. I use sage in pork, chicken, and potato dishes. I add onion chives to any dish that uses onions. I use almost all those herbs with some roasted garlic to make my famous garlic herb butter…and almost any of these herbs will work wonders to enhance the flavor and appearance of any pot of soup. And what’s a Mojito without a sprig of mint! (But I will plant that mint in a pot since it can spread all over if left to it’s own devices!)

And speaking of spreading herbs…it’s a funny thing. In Iowa my garlic chives have taken over one end of my herb bed. (I neglected to weed it for most of one season….and now I’m paying the price!) But my garlic chives here in Florida? They haven’t spread out at all! Go figure.

So my new herb plants will all soon find a happy home outside my door. And who knows how many of those will still be around by next winter?  Only time will tell.

And now? I would love know…what herbs YOU grow! And where? And when? Winter? Summer? Indoors? Outdoors? In the ground? In rows of pots? 

Please share your comments and stories with me…and I’ll share them with all of you! 

Let’s make 2017 the year we all skip the salt shaker…and sprinkle on some fresh delicious herbs instead! No matter where in the world we live!