herbs: grow them.

part of what is getting me through this winter is looking at lots of vegetable porn. the seed catalogs started showing up in early january, and i ogled and read and cross-referenced and studied and compared and finally came up with this year's list of veggies and flowers that i wanted to start from seed. a few of my favorite sources:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - right here in missouri! started by the owner twelve years ago, when he was 17 years old, and selling seeds out of his bedroom. they have an enormous selection of rare, heirloom seeds from all over the world. this is your source for spiny african wild melons and squash of every color, shape, and lumpiness level you can imagine. the naughtiest and glossiest of the catalogs i received...

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - also specializing in heirloom varieties with lots of organic seeds. of all the catalogs and websites i have perused, they have the most complete information on the growing and seed-saving on each of the varieties they sell. plus, a very thoughtful selection of varieties that will grow well and taste good.

Seed Savers Exchange - based in Decorah, Iowa, this is a non-profit organization with the country's largest non-governmental seed bank! a great selection of heirloom seeds and seed saving supplies.

even if you don't have room for a veggie patch, you have no excuse not to grow herbs. fresh herbs make such a huge difference in your cooking, and you can fit several varieties into one container on your back porch or sunny window. i buy plants from the farmers market when i only need one plant of that type (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano). i start basil and parsley from seed so i can plant several and give some away. last year, i planted 30 basil plants which all grew into small trees. we froze lots of basil pureed with olive oil, and gave away what seemed like bushels.

if you plant parsley in the ground, it will overwinter and go to seed the second year. you can dig up your parsley and bring it in for the winter for fresh parsley year round. i was amazed when the snow melted after a couple weeks of temperatures in the teens and single digits - i went outside and found my thyme and oregano nice and green! (and i got them to pose for the photo) i forgot to mulch my rosemary so it probably won't make it, but some varieties of sage are nice and hardy and will continue to grow year after year.

don't cheat yourself with store bought dried herbs. life is too short.