
Annuals are plants that grow, reproduce and die in a single summer. Biennials grow leaves and roots the first year, then flower and set seeds the following summer. Most people grow biennial herbs as annuals, since the foliage is often the part used in the kitchen. These temporary herbs are often more succulent, more delicately scented and flavored than many perennial herbs.
Familiar herbs that fit this category are basil, parsley, chervil, chili peppers, coriander (also known as cilantro), dill, fennel, celery, marjoram, and summer savory. Many of these herbs, such as parsley and basil, can be used by the handful for delicious results. Just think of pesto and tabbouleh – two dishes that use great quantities of these two herbs. Very often, the dried version of these herbs is different from the fresh, fine in a pinch, but with not anywhere near the flavor of the fresh herb.
Some annual herbs are excellent choices for containers, since they can be placed for maximum sun. At the end of the season, it is easy to clear them away. However, it is also possible to grow some of these plants in smaller containers and place them in a sunny south facing window for an extended season. Basil can easily be grown in pots indoors, as can chili peppers, marjoram and parsley.
Others, like dill, fennel, celery and coriander are too large to be grown indoors. Dill is grown for its feathery foliage by some, and for the seed heads by others. It generously self seeds, new plants springing up all over the garden. Coriander is another that can be grown for both foliage and seeds. The parsley-like foliage is known as cilantro, and prized in Mexican cooking, When the plant flowers and goes to seed, you can harvest the seeds for cooking. It also self-seeds readily.
There are two types of fennel – Florence fennel that is grown for its anise-flavored bulbs, and sweet fennel that is grown for the fine leaves. Both types of fennel go well with fish dishes. Fennel can grow to six feet, and with its feathery foliage, sometimes bronze, and its umbels of yellow flower heads, it is a handsome and decorative plant. The seeds are used, either whole or crushed, like aniseed. It makes a calming tea, that can also aid digestion.
If you want to extend your season for annual herbs, then do not transplant specimens from the garden. They will be picked over, perhaps flowering or seeding and even chewed by insects. Instead in early August sow a few seeds in a large pot and water it well. The plants sprout quickly in the summer heat and sun, and will require thinning as they grow. Choose four or five strong plants, and discard the rest. In mid September bring the pots indoors, to the sunniest spot in your home. If your light is not adequate, you can supplement it with artificial lighting. Harvest the leaves as you need them, but do not take too much foliage at one time.



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