Earth Day, Earth Week, Earth Year - Growing one's own herbs for cooking is a way to avoid buying herbs in traditional supermarket packaging that includes plastics and jars.On this wet and foggy Earth Day, here in Hunts Point on Nova Scotia's South Shore, I took the above picture of the plant pots on the kitchen window sill.
Chives, on the far left, are used often for flavor and color. When a bit is needed for a garnish, or to add flavor to scrambled or devilled eggs, I pull out the kitchen shears and snip a couple of blades.
Last fall, just before the ground froze, I removed a few of the chive bulbs from the clump growing outside in the patch near the kitchen door, and put them in a plant pot and brought them inside.
Next to the chives are two pots with young
sweet basil plants which I grew from seeds, planted a couple of months ago in the house. Sweet basil leaves can be used in salads, especially those with fresh tomatoes, and for making pesto.
Next to the sweet basil is a pot of garlic chives. A few years ago, a relative shared some of the bulbs from her clump of garlic chives and they have been thriving in my outdoor garden. In the fall of 2008, I put some in the pot for indoors. They are a great garnish for casseroles, chowders, etc.
The last pot contains two thyme plants, started a couple of months ago from seed.
About a week ago, I planted parsley which I expect to be adding to the outside garden and will keep one inside on the windowsill garden.
Now that garden centres are gearing up for the season, and farmer's markets are springing to life, look for seeds, seedlings, or even mature plants ready for use in the kitchen or to add to a little herb garden outside but near enough to the kitchen for easy access when needed.
