HERBS! (the life of a seed: part 1)

This morning I am happy to announce a little experiment I am taking on. With the official first day of Spring just days away, I am looking forward to the abolition of root vegetables from our every-day menu and the welcoming of fresh fruits, vegetables, and HERBS! I love cooking with fresh herbs, but so often the bunch we buy at the supermarket is too much for two people to consume before they go bad. It frustrates me to see an entire bunch of basil or parsley go to waste because we couldn’t use it fast enough. It frustrates me even more that I don’t have the option of purchasing just a few sprigs of herb from the store. This has lead me to try my hand at growing my own herbs.

One of the things I admire about successful homemakers is the practice of producing their own food. Living in an urban setting certainly puts limits on this for us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t garden in small scale ways and enjoy the fruits (and herbs!) of our labor. Learning this discipline will mean healthier cooking for our family, as well as economic savings for our pocket books. Little to no savings may be achieved with this small herb project, but the experiment is worth it to me, and I hope, in the end, to waste less food.

*photograph by Dan Bartz

The plan: My seeds just arrived in the mail (I ordered mine from the Seed Savers Exchange , a non-profit organization dedicated to saving heirloom breeds). These little seeds have been cozily planted in small cell packs and are living happily on my kitchen table by the window. Each seed has been noted on my calendar and their progress will be tracked for reference as my “crops” prosper or fail. I will keep close watch on these little seedlings, acclimate them to the outdoors when ther’re ready, and eventually they’ll be transplanted to window boxes outside my kitchen window. Hopefully this will allow for easy access pruning and watering, and, while cooking I can simply open the window and snip!

Eager chamomile sprouts pop up in just 4 days! *photograph by Dan Bartz

Why grow from seed? In my past experience with fresh herbs, I’ve picked up a plant from my local farmer’s market that has already started growing. These are great and I recommend them if you’re not crazy like me and interested in how all this stuff works. I am simply growing from seed in order to learn more about the process. I’m taking notes and hope to share with you what works and what doesn’t. Stay tuned and follow along with me as I observe the life of a seed.

Live Well, Annika