Here in the U.K., alongside the crazy year it’s been already with COVID-19, the weather seemed to join the party so unfortunately the grand plans for our garden and allotment didn’t go entirely to plan BUT we did have a wonderful array of herbs!
A vast array of herbs are very hardy and we have grown them in our garden at home for years- (some a little more needy than others but either way – there is always something sprouting around) – at least we have an endless supply of fresh leaf teas and flavourful food!
Year on year, we have always said we would dry the herbs before they die off and this year we stuck to it (finally).
In our garden we have the following:
Evergreen herbs (which also double up as ornamental plants) – Bay trees, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Lavender.
Then we also have Coriander, Mint, Lemon balm, Chives, Basil, Parsley, Fennel, Angelica, Oregano and our new found favourite – Lemon Verbena.
We are lucky to have a shed at the end of our garden that we use to hang our fresh herbs to dry but anywhere that isn’t damp would work.
We start by gathering the plant into a bundle whilst it’s still in the ground and then use garden twine to twist around the base of the stems then just a pair of garden scissors or secateurs to chop away. Ensure that your twine is long enough to allow you to hang the bundle, hang up the herbs so they have enough air flow to dry evenly and not mould or rot.
Let nature do its thing and within a few weeks you’ll have some fab dried herbs!
Once dried, we get a glass pot or container for storing the herbs and just scrunch up the leaves (or pick them whole if you want pretty leaf tea) taking them off the stems and then store in an airtight container. They would made beautiful hanging decorations around the house or in a little vase for autumn too!
Happy drying everyone!
D.O.A.N.G
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DIARY OF A NEW GARDENER 