Obtaining the herbs
It's most economical to start your own seedlings inside in early spring with the help of containers, seedling mix and a sunny windowsill or fluorescent lights. Buying plants, rooting cuttings or planting divisions from other gardeners is a faster way to get started and is sometimes a necessity (a few herbs, such as French tarragon and some mints, cannot be grown from seed).
Maintenance
Water newly bedded herbs until they are thriving, then water only in dry weather (weekly at most). Gerry recommends edging beds at least twice each season to keep them neat. Weed as required, especially in spring and early summer. Trim the hedges in spring; repeat as necessary. Gerry says, "Put the effort in early in the season and in the long run it's less work." After the first hard frost in fall, mulch with a 30.5 cm layer of straw or leaves.
Fresh herbs for tea time
Harvest herbs when the morning dew has just dried. To make fresh herb tea, snip off leafy stem and steep in hot water for about 5 minutes. To dry and store herbs, pick off leaves; spread single layer over baking sheet and dry in 120F (50C) oven, checking at 10-minute intervals, until dry enough to crumble between thumb and finger. Let cool completely on rack. Store in airtight, labelled glass jars.
Some herbs to try: mint, chamomile, lemon balm, lemon verbena, bee balm and anise hyssop.
Online seed sources
Whether they are everyday or exotic varieties, herbs are easy to order online. Here are some Canadian sources you can try.
Borghese Gardens
www.borghesegardens.com
Cottage Gardener
www.cottagegardener.com
William Dam Seeds
www.damseeds.com
Dominion Seed House
www.dominion-seed-house.com
Halifax Seed Co. Inc.
www.halifaxseed.com
The Herbal Touch
www.theherbaltouch.com
McKenzie Seeds
www.mckenzieseeds.com
Ontario Seed Co. Ltd.
www.oscseeds.com
Richters Herbs
www.richters.com
Stokes Seeds Ltd.
www.stokesseeds.com
Sunshine Farms
www.sunshinefarm.net
Vesey's Seeds
www.veseys.com
And, to find a comprehensive listing of sources for heirloom, rare or
endangered varieties, visit Seeds of Diversity, Canada's Heritage Seed
Program, at www.seeds.ca.
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