Enjoying the taste of summer from your own back yard
Gardeners agree that growing edibles every summer is about as good as life gets. (OK, it could be better if hail would forget our addresses.)
Beyond enjoying popular homegrown tomatoes, peppers and squash, there’s more to eat in your backyard if you are growing some of these delicious plants:
• Some of the easiest plants to grow in the garden all summer are culinary herbs. They blend easily into any landscape style. Plus, many are pollinator magnets.
• Lemon is one of those scents and tastes that everyone seems to enjoy. Lemon balm, an attractive perennial that looks like oversized mint, grows to about 24 inches tall in sun or part shade and containers. It won’t spread everywhere like mint, but the clump will grow larger each season; cut it back often through the summer to keep it looking good. Toss cut leaves into green salads, fruit salads or over vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup. Grow lemon verbena, a tall, woody, tropical plant, as an annual. It’s ideal for containers and can be brought indoors for the winter. Use fresh leaves in water for a quick lemony drink or dried for tea. Lemongrass, native to the tropics, lends wonderful seasoning in Thai dishes, marinades, soups and on seafood or chicken. Grow as annuals in containers or anywhere in the garden for vertical, grassy interest. Once the plant is
established by mid-summer, harvest the white leafstalks at the base or clip leafy parts and mash to release the oils before adding to dishes.
• Perennial to Zone 3, both onion and garlic chive leaves can be cut when they reach 6 inches tall. Leave at least 2 inches of green at the base of the plant to grow back. Snip over salads, stir-fries, soups, butter, eggs and potatoes. Cut several leaves and combine with parsley to make an oniony or mild garlic pesto. The flowers add color and flavor to any dish. Onion chives bloom pink early in the spring. Garlic chives bloom white in late summer. Separate flowers into individual florets first— one bite of a full flower will not make for a happy guest. Purchase chive plants in stores or they can be easily started from seed outdoors (even now). They grow best in full sun but can take some shade. Both plants easily reseed if left alone, so share baby plants next year or keep them for more eating.
• Stevia looks like an average green plant — sort of like a not-in-bloom salvia plant. Grow it for its calorie-free, naturally sweet leaves — your children will thank you. Stevia is an annual and grows to about 2 feet tall in a season. Try in containers or in the ground in full sun — it doesn’t like shade. A container plant can be moved indoors to a sunny location or greenhouse for the winter. (Cut back to 4 inches and reduce watering, then pot up before reintroducing next spring after frost.) Use the leaves fresh or dried — they have a very intense sugary flavor, so use in small amounts until you get the right balance of sweetness.
• Tarragon may not be the prettiest herb, but it makes up for its shrubby looks with a delightful flavor. Look for French tarragon — a perennial hardy to Zone 4, it can take heat and dry conditions once established. Divide the plant every few years to keep it vigorous. Small green flowers may appear, but they rarely set seed. A little goes a long way, so add fresh or dried tarragon the last 15 minutes of cooking. Try this: Let a stick of unsalted butter (4 ounces) come to room temperature. Mash with a fork to soften, then fold in two tablespoons of minced fresh tarragon, a bit of lemon or orange zest and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Refrigerate once mixed. Try it on bread, or melted over fish, chicken or a grilled filet.