HERBS ARE A COLORADO GARDENER’S FRIEND
Cilantro to sage, herbs are a Colorado gardener’s friend
At Denver Botanic Gardens, the Herb Garden typically is one of the most understated spaces. The sun-drenched exApanse of hardscape is softened by about 200 herb species with beguiling scents and 50 shades of green.
“You don’t have to have blooms on everything,” said Loddie Dolinski, a botanic gardens senior horticulturist who has tended the Herb Garden for about 20 years. “Sometimes, the leaf is the most interesting.”
Currently, the Herb Garden enjoys limelight as a backdrop for one of the sculptures in “Calder: Monumental,” the garden’s latest art extravaganza.
“The structure of the Herb Garden offers a visually appropriate setting for ‘A Two-Faced Guy,’ ” said Lisa Eldred, director of exhibitions, art and interpretation. “The sculpture’s circular base fits nicely within the concentric circles of the garden plan.”
Working in the formally structured Herb Garden on a recent sunny day, Dolinski wasn’t wearing gloves, but she did wear a broad-brimmed hat — the bricks in the Herb Garden reflect the fullon sun many herbs require to flourish.
“Most herbs need a minimum of half a day of sun; but in Colorado, our half day equals a full day back east,” Dolinski said.
Dolinski also wore a jolly gardener’s grin, handed out Lindt Emoji chocolates and brewed a pot of coffee for the Denver Botanic Gardens Guild volunteers who were there to help maintain the Herb Garden.
The guild’s current president, Pat Trefry, showed wares made with the garden’s organic dried herbs. To raise funds for the gardens, the guild produces small batch herbal soaps, sugars, vinegars, culinary rubs and cat toys for the botanic gardens’ winter gift sale.
Herb gardens were the first gardens. Their ancient roots date to 2000 B.C. written records in Egypt, according to “Herbs: Leaves of Magic,” by Carol Riggs. Since time immemorial, herbs have provided humanity with food, medicine, and personal care products. Native Americans used lamb’s ear leaves as toilet paper and as a dressing to stop bleeding. An ornamental herb with a pretty purple flower, monkshood yielded poison for hunting, war and witchcraft. Shakespeare’s Romeo committed suicide with the herb.
“In medieval cloistered garden, plants weren’t grown for beautiful bouquets. Their purpose was medicinal,” Dolinski said. “They probably appreciated the nice blossoms, but they wanted the rose hips. We go to Costco for vitamin C, but 100 years ago, if you had some herbal knowledge or brought seeds, you survived better. We look at dandelions as weeds, but used it as a spring tonic.”
Trefry mentioned that her family didn’t view them as weeds. “I grew up on dandelion salad. In north Denver, the Italians just added vinegar and oil to the greens. We ate dandelion flowers, too.”
Dolinksi noted that herbs can serve as salt substitutes for people restricting sodium in their diets.
“You start out with the Simon and Garfunkel song ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.’ They’re the easy ones, almost no fail, and the flavors appeal to most people’s taste,” she said.
“But when your taste broadens, you move on to lovage — a celery substitute, a huge plant, stately and architectural. If you like to cook, go after culinary herbs. Fennel has a beautiful, airy leaf. You can use fronds on fish, but the seed heads also are a breath-freshener. They’re anise, so you have to like licorice.”
Herbs’ multipurpose nature lines up with 2017 landscaping trends identified by the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. The ALCC’s number one trend: putting the garden to work.
Another ALCC inclination is planting for climate change. Most herbs can survive the roller-coaster weather of Denver’s steppe climate. Herbs also fit the bill for the ALCC’s call for lowmaintenance, low-water, easyto-grow plants.
“Herbs can go dry. They are not difficult plants. Herbs are not divas. They’re not prissy. As far as pests — minimal. Herbs don’t require fussing. You don’t buy special fertilizer or a special container, and you don’t have to invest a lot of time,” Dolinski said.
“They’re not totally carefree, but they’re on the lower end of maintenance. Everyone wants low maintenance, but you have to do something.”
What Dolinksi does: Adds a light application of compost as a top dressing in spring and a spreads a thin layer of wood mulch in bald spots.
“Maybe the herbs in containers get fed with some kelp,” she said.
Otherwise, she and her volunteers weed. And weed. And weed some more.
“The weeding is relentless, but it’s your attitude,” Dolinski said. “You’re going to have weeds, so get out there and get your vitamin D.”
To help keep weeds down, she sprays brick pavers with vinegar. And she doesn’t allow most herbal flowers to go to seed lest they self-sow.
Basil and cilantro are good herbs to plant right now, she said. But wait until fall to plant perennials — it’s too tough to monitor their water in this heat.
“With herbs, you can mix them in. They blend so well,” Dolinski said. “You don’t need a strictly herb garden. Plant what you like. Stick in some calendula and nasturtium. Keep a mini garden of favorite savory herbs close to your kitchen so you can snip them. They smell so good when you brush up against them,” Dolinski said.
“Not everything grows. I had no luck with stevia. Maybe I’ll try it again.”