GARDENING
by Jack Hardy
Well, folks, if your vegetable garden is not thriving by now, you've missed the boat. This should be the time of year when home gardeners pass by the produce section of the local supermarket nose in air without even a sideways glance.
OK, OK - maybe you are still waiting for your onions to plump up and your Brussels sprouts to get to full size, but your eggplants, tomatoes, squash and peppers should be overwhelming your capacity to keep up with them.
The theme for this month, however, is herbs. I could cry when I see people buying dried bottles of herbs at an astronomical price when just about any herb you can mention thrives like a weed in our climate.
If I have to expiate on how superior fresh herbs are to dried, then my cause is lost. For those of you who have not realised that herbs are easy to grow, you don't have that excuse any more. In my own yard I have thyme, basil, rosemary, curly parsley, flat-leafed parsley, cilantro, Mexican oregano, Spanish thyme, Mexican marigold (a tarragon substitute), lemon grass, oregano, spearmint, garlic chives and onion chives. They've all been around for a long time - I haven't bought a packet of herb seeds in years.
Many of my herbs came originally from Pine Woods Nursery as small pot starters. Just about all herbs will re-seed themselves. I am giving away seeds and seedlings regularly while keeping plenty for my own purposes.
Even if you are a winter resident you will find herbs rewarding. Start now and put down a loosely-planted herb garden. Many of the plants like mint, tarragon, oregano and chives will look after themselves quite happily. Those annuals, like basil and cilantro, that are short-lived will re-seed themselves while you are away. Perennials like thyme and rosemary will merely grow bigger and more vigorous. Biennials like parsley will need a new planting every year but will give you a double harvest while they are enjoying their first or second year.
If you are a winter resident and would like some Mexican oregano or Spanish thyme cuttings, give me a hail while you are on the island.
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