Herb | Characteristics and Uses | How to start | Best locatio |
---|---|---|---|
Basil | Sunny flavour, sweet. Use ongreen beans, potatoes, peas, tomato sauces,chicken dishes, salads. Add on prepared dishor at end of cooking time | Basil is best started from seed. Sow seeds generously in pots-don’t plant too deep- 1/4-1/2” | Basil needs lots of humidity and sun – cut the bottom off a litre bottle of pop and put over basil to create a “terrarium” effect- keep moist but not wet |
Bay Leaf | Mint like, pungent Used in gumbos,sauces, stews | Bay Laurel is a tree and will grow best if purchased as a seedling. Plant in a pot that will allow for a tap root-transfer when roots come out the bottom | Water deeply; allow soil to dry out slightly in between.Bring indoors before the hard frost and put outside after the frost period. Mine does best in my cold kitchen next to a window. |
Chives | Mild onion flavour. Use as final flavour or at end of cooking or garnish. Chop, snip Great with potatoes dishes, eggs, poultry,salads, sauces | Dig up clumps at end of season – let all leaves die back | Bring indoors in early winter-place in coolest part of house for a few days, then move to sunny spot |
Dill | Dominating- tangy & pungent Seeds have strong flavour. Salmon, cucumber yogurt sauces,peas, salads, picklingeggplant, cabbage | Start from seed or clumps -best time to plant dill inside is between October and early spring. Fern leaf dill is ideal or indoors | Fertilize every 6 weeks with a ½ strength liquid fertilizer or fish fertilizer. Dill is drought resistant; it will grow better if watered regularly. Water until soil is moist-do not water again until soil is dry. |
Mint | Sweet and strong Peppermint and spearmint Teas, lamb, fish, desserts, salads. | Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer | Needs full sun plenty of water – watch them grow! |
Oregano | Adds an earthy flavour Lamb, tomato sauces, seafood,chicken, pork, eggplant | Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer | Oregano likes bright light 6-8 hrs, medium watering |
Parsley/Cilantro (Italian Parsley) |
Bright, clean flavour Chicken, seafood, beef, sauces,potatoes, soups, salads | Startfrom seed; plant 1/4 to ½ deep; water deeply | Full sun-Keep soil moist as the seeds germinate Establish a watering schedule, allowing to dry some between watering |
Rosemary | Pungent, piney can overpower other flavours Chop finely Add to poultry, lamb,, fruit saladspotatoes, white beans, breads | Propagate from a healthy mother plant: Snip several 2 1/2” (6 1/3cm) stems.Remove bottom set of leaves from your cuttings.Dip the bottom of each cutting in water, thendip the bottom of each cutting into a rooting compound.Fix each cutting into its own container.Mist your plant. In 2-4 weeks, once rooted, you can transfer to a larger pot. | Pinch the top bud to increase the likelihood of your rosemary branching. Use neem oil to treat any pests. If powdery mildew develops, clean leaves with mild soapy water and place in front of a fan to circulate the air |
Sage | Slightly bitter- mint-like Overpowers easily Add whole stems to stews and soups-discard when done. Pork, sausages, veal, stuffing,poultry, sauces. Dried sage has a different flavour |
Start from seed or buy a small plant from organic grocer | Sage needs six to eight hours of full sun daily. If your sunny window does not provide this much daily sun, use fluorescent lighting when growing sage indoors. |
Tarragon | Liquorice flavour; strong. Use alone or combine with parsley -tomato dishes, vinaigrettesveal, chicken, potatoes, mushrooms | Best started from root stock that has been separated | Tarragon seems to perform best in a lower or diffused light situation-does not perform well when exposed to winter chill. |
GROWING AN AVOCADO TREE FROM SEED

Some Fun Fact about Avocados
Call them ahuacatl, avocaat, abogado, avocatier, agovago pears or alligator pear, from guacamole to sushi, the world over has enjoyed avocados in a variety of ways. Once considered to have an aphrodisiac effect in many cultures, avocado growers put a lot of effort into dispelling this reputation to increase its popularity. From guacamole to sushi, avocados have been enjoyed for centuries by all cultures. The fruit of the avocado has been reported to have healthy cardiovascular effects. Avocado oil is now used for many dermatological applications. It has also been reported to have beneficial effects against osteoarthritis
Most of all – they taste good!
Nutritional Benefits of Avocados
Nutritionally, each 3.5 oz. avocado averages 160 calories, 2 grams of protein, 15 grams of healthy fats and only 2 “net” carbs (9grams of carbs with 7 from fibre), making them a friendly low-carb food.
5 Easy Steps to start your avocado tree
Things you will need:
- A ripe avocado seed (preferably from a farmer’s market so they are not GM-genetically modified)
- A tumbler (preferably glass)
- Four toothpicks
- Water
The Set-Up
- Cut the avocado lengthwise, being careful not to cut through the seed. Twist the two halves, exposing the seed – remove the pit
- Wash the pit carefully-do not use soap, only warm water. Be careful not to remove seed cover. Wash until pit is no longer slippery
- Hold the pit with the narrow end up and insert 4 toothpicks about midway – these will support the pit when placed in the glass of water
- Make sure your tumbler is wide enough for your pit – set your pit, rounded end down, in the glass and fill it to rim with water
- Set in a well-lit, temperate area where it will be undisturbed
Tips:
- Ensure you replace the water every 1-2 days; this will prevent mould and bacteria from forming
- Keep the base submerged in the water
- Be patient for the roots to sprout – 2-3 weeks-the tap will form within 3-4 weeks – take care not injure
- The skin of the seed will dry out, wrinkle and slough off – this is natural
- The seed will soon sprout at the top, put out leaf-buds and a shoot bearing leaves
- When the stem reaches 15-18cm (7”) cut back to about 7-8cm (3”) to encourage new growth
- When it reaches 15-18cm(7”) again, it is time to plant your baby avocado tree
- Remove from water and carefully remove the toothpicks
Time to Pot your Tree
If your climate zone does not get below 50ºF (10ºC)at any time during the year, you can consider growing your avocado tree outdoors.
Things you will need:
- Potting soil
- Some river rock
- A terra cotta or clay pot – 20-25cm (8-10”) diameter-makes sure pot is deep enough to accommodate the roots without injury

Place some river rock in the bottom of your clay pot for drainage. Hold your avocado seedling centred inside the pot, being careful not to break the roots and fill the pot with potting soil, gently packing the soil, leaving the top ½ portion of the seed exposed-this will prevent the roots from rotting.
Tips:
- Keep your baby avocado tree hydrated- brown leave mean not enough water, yellow leaves mean too much water (if too much, let it dry out for 1-2 days)
- When the stem reaches 30cm (12”),pinch out the top two sets of leaves to encourage growth
- Low lighting and/or improper watering create weak stems and branches
- Maintain a constant temperature – keep away from cold breezes
- Do not fertilize for the first year – use a 10-10-10 mixture after that
- Wait until your tree is well-established before planting it in the ground

Tend to your tree regularly; within a few years (3-4), you will have a beautiful, low-maintenance tree. However, avocado trees are slow to bear fruit (5-13 years) so you need to be patient.