Herbs

For me personally,  odor is important in the garden. Just smell can make my day. Running my hands in herbs is a fantastic experience. Especially basil. It is just so amazing. When I think about it, my garden is more than just the visual. I stroke plants all the time. I also rub my hands together to smell them. I rip apart leaves and scatter them for smell. I am against prickles of any sort. I do not want to work around them but I do have one gorgeous flower that I keep in a planter that is super prickly.
I grow basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano and  chives every year. They always produce and are useful and my meals are tastier and prettier! I have taken to adding fresh herbs to my salads. Like they are another type of lettuce. My girlfriend of Italian descent has always done that and it really improves a salad. Simple and fresh.
They self-propagate and provide some bug repellent especially the chives. Oregano and chive is always popping up here and there. I often throw the tops into the garden. Maybe that is why. I have also noted that deer do not eat them. I feel mean but I hate it when the deer eat my garden. I chase them (kindly, gently and with much positive encouragement) into the neighbour's garden. They like them to chow down on their garden! Ha.
I grow several types of each herb. Every single year I buy an oregano that looks like a succulent. It never ever does well which is why I have to buy it....but it is so pretty. Oh, and we never eat it.
Basil can be tricky. I buy it when I feel truly secure with our weather. It likes the sun and not too much rain. If it is cold....it dies.
For the last 4 years, I have been harvesting all of my herbs. I took some pictures to document the process this year. My frozen herbs last until the summer and make for a much better pasta sauce.
All of my herbs and vegetables are organic. I never add any fertilizer. I just use Seasoil and that is it.

I plant my herbs in pots. Just to look good.

So here is how I save my herbs for the winter. First of all, I pick them and wash them. I have basil, chives, oregano ( Golden oregano, I think) and parsley.

I then roll them altogether and chop them up as finely as I can without slicing a finger....off. I am not talented with a knife. And I used my husband's sharp cooking knives because I was feeling brave. Always dangerous. However, it was successful.

I then mix it all together in a bowl with good quality, organic olive oil. 

Actually, I bought the oil at www.spud.ca as well as my herb and tomato plants. (I trust the quality and they are delivered to my house). I do not add garlic but am thinking about it.

How much oil? Enough to soak all of the herbs and then some.

I then put the mixture into a Ziploc freezer bag. I used to put it into ice-cube trays until one year I didn't have enough and ended up using a Ziploc. The Ziploc freezer bags were way better. I could break off the amount of oil and herbs that I wanted. Lots or little. With the ice-cubes you are stuck with a certain amount that you can double, triple etc but you can't really do less then one cube. Plus, the storage of the freezer bags is less difficult. I roll them up and stick them into an available space in the freezer. Brilliant. Freezer space is at a premium with 3 sons and a husband.