The Herb Snapshots is meant to provide quick glimpses of selected herbs at various times of year. I will add more detailed plant profiles as time goes on.
By mid August we begin to learn which of the traditionally-grown Mediterranean herbs have a chance of surviving another humid summer. This has been an especially wet season in Central Florida, which is bad news for herbs that prefer a drier climate.
Fortunately, there are many interesting herbs that come from climates closer to our own.
For the first of my herb snapshots, I selected examples of some challenges and successes this time of year. I have a real passion for growing herbs, and am always looking for new varieties to try.
Herb Snapshots: Mid August
My cardinal basil is just starting to bloom. This is such a great plant to grow among vegetables for color, fragrance and to attract pollinators. It is slower to bloom than most of my other basils, but the show it well worth the wait. It looks so fresh when other basils are looking straggly and spent. The leaves have a licorice flavor that I really find refreshing when chewed while gardening.
Like many herbs in Florida’s August, this poor stevia is leggy and bedraggled. I will take some cuttings and give it a good trim, and then repot.
Lavender does not like our wet, humid summers. I keep them out of the rain on my covered porch, but the humidity is starting to take a toll.
Sage that I started from seed last summer. I keep it on my covered porch out of the rain, but the humidity is taking a toll. I will dry most of it for Thanksgiving, repot the plants and see if any survive for another year. Sage is rarely more than an annual in Florida because of our wet, humid summers.
The mushroom herb plant, Rungia klossii, is new to me. This is a fast growing bushy herb from New Guinea that really does taste like mushrooms. So far it is doing really well in my garden. The leaves can be used fresh in salads and sandwiches, or added to stir fries and other dishes. If included in cooked recipes, add at the last minute to preserve color and texture. The plants grow well in shade. New plants are easy to start from cuttings.
Vicks Plant, Plectranthus tomentosa. This somewhat succulent plant really does smell like Vicks Vapor Rub. While it prefers drier locations, it is doing just fine on my covered porch, safely out of the rain.
As though the heat and humidity wasn’t challenging enough, these giant Eastern lubber Grasshoppers won’t leave the herbs alone. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I do not use pesticides. But neither do I hesitate to squish these pests.
