Summer and winter savoury are 2 of the most aromatic and easy to grow Mediterranean herbs that should be in everyone's's garden. Both have hints of thyme and oregano, with a little pepperiness. Traditionally these 2 plants were grown near bee hives, providing nectar for honey production. Both plants have little pale purple flowers that the bees love. They also are great companion plants, because their aromatic essential oils help mask the scent of other plants, making it hard for pests to find their targets.
Summer and winter tasty are dissimilar in life cycle and appearance, so are sometimes grown separately. Summer tasty, a yearly herb, grows best in rich soil, full of humus and with good drainage, so is often grown together with veggies in the garden. It can fit in at the ends of your rows of vegetables, where it'll grow into a fuzzy plant about eighteen inches tall. With its lanky stems and narrow leaves, it is not one of the most lovely herbs. its texture will complement bigger leafed annual herbs like basil. If you've a separate annual herb bed, plant it there, alongside basil, marjoram and parsley. Across the summer, harvest this herb as needed, taking off the growing guidelines to encourage expansion.
On the other hand, winter savoury is a hardy evergreen herb, surviving in areas with temperatures down to -20F. It appreciates a less fruitful but well drained soil, and can handle a decent drought. With needle-like foliage that covers the stems quite densely, it will grow into a thick mound about 12 inches tall. This neat fuzzy expansion habit it creates a good edging plant. It can be planted with other perennial herbs like thyme and sage, or with your low growing perennials like dianthus and thrift. It even works really well in rock gardens.
Start summer savory from seed, inside in early Apr. Don't cover the seeds, since they need light to sprout. The seeds will sprout quickly and the seedlings can be toughened off and planted outside when the weather is reliably frost-free. Winter tasty is slow to germinate from seed, so you may find it more practical to get a healthy nursery plant or two. They can be transplanted into the garden in either spring or early fall. Once growing in the garden, winter savoury is easy to propagate from cuttings or layering, and as it ages and becomes woody, it will need dividing.
Neither savory wants much upkeep if you have supplied the right growing conditions. They're infrequently bothered by insect pests or illnesses. Summer savoury will like a watering with fish emulsion to jump-start regrowth after harvesting, but winter savoury will thrive quite nicely all summer with a little compost top dressing each spring.
Both savories are easy to harvest and preserve. Harvest summer savory across the summer and fall, and if you are going to save it for winter use, do so just prior to the plant flowers, when essential oils are at their peak. Winter savory can be sheared any time, and the trappings used immediately or dried. Both savories are straightforward to dry, either in a dehydrator or by air drying. You can also take away the leaves from the stems and freeze them in bags. One other preservation method is to make a savory pesto by pureeing the leaves in a mixer with olive or safflower oil. Freeze the paste in ice cube trays, and pop the frozen cubes into refrigerator bags. You can then drop them into soups, stews or sauces.
Author Resource:
Tracy Mascali is a herb garden expert. For more great information on home herb garden , visit ." target="_blank">http://www.herbgardeningtips-tracy.com/home-herb-garden/ .
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