Garden Jabber

Herbal Delights

EVERY GARDEN NEEDS A TASTE OF CLASSIC SEASONINGS

Abandoned last fall when its blueberry bush was transplanted into a more spacious container, the pot needed new tenants. Life intervened, I gave it scant thought, and the pot sat empty and forgotten.

After much procrastination, the pot was reborn in spring with one of my favorite plant families: herbs. Tarragon, sage and thyme now thrive in that old pot.

Every gardener should welcome herbs. Lavender and rosemary are not uncommon in Sacramento gardens. I grow four different lavenders and both upright and trailing varieties of rosemary.

I snip chives for my eggs, baked potatoes and salads. My basil mutates to pesto or shows off in caprese salads. Home-grown oregano, garlic, cilantro and Italian parsley are staples at the Vierria Rancheria.

The word herb has a generous meaning. Most herbs are herbaceous (soft, fl exible, green stems), but some are woody. Others are grasses, trees and even underground dwellers.

Fragrant and forgiving, herbs are easier to grow than fl owers and vegetables. They can thrive in pots, in the ground, indoors or hydroponically. They require little fertilizer, space and are water-effi cient. Once harvested, herbs can be dried, some frozen or used fresh in season.

Primarily utilized to season food, herbs have medicinal uses that date back 5,000 years according to accounts by the Sumerians. Archaeological evidence points to medicinal use of herbs to more than 50,000 years ago. Today, herbs are used in teas, salves and essential oils.

Growing your own herbs can save considerable money. Buying herbs at the grocery store is not cheap. After potting up my tarragon, sage and thyme, I checked prices of supermarket herbs. The trio would have cost more than $20 for the least expensive dried brand and much more for organic and high-end brands. A small bouquet of fresh herbs is pricey too and its shelf life is a few days.

All herbs require well-drained soil and a minimum of six hours of daily sunlight. Pruning herbs is another word for harvesting. Once pruned, herbs regenerate more leafy goodness.

To enhance your enjoyment of home-grown herbs and avoid common mistakes, these suggestions may be helpful:

Fans of Southeast Asian cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian and others, should consider growing lemongrass. Its citrusy fl avor is unique and delicious!

I have grown lemongrass just for the Thai coconut-chicken soup tom kha gai. Lemongrass spreads as much as 2 feet in a single season, so it requires maintenance if not planted in a pot. You will only use the bottom 4–5 inches of the stalk for seasoning dishes.

Mint is popular in the home garden and different varieties have unique scents: spearmint, peppermint, chocolate, apple, orange and pineapple, among others.

Mint is an escape artist and has an invasive growth habit. If you plant mint in the ground, expect it to take over the entire garden if not carefully monitored. Mint is best planted in a container placed on concrete, stone or pavers.

Basil, with its hints of sweetness and anise, is a summer favorite. Harvest leaves before it fl owers for the best fl avor. Pinch developing fl owers back to the next set of leaves to promote a bushier plant with more leaves. Basil is an annual so expect it to die when winter arrives.

Italian fl at-leaf parsley is essential for home cooks. Easy to grow, the versatile herb is best used fresh. Parsley is a biennial, which means it’s a robust plant the fi rst year, but will fl ower and die the second year. Treat it as an annual.

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By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

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Cilantro is a cruel herb. Just when it’s needed for summer salsas and fi sh tacos, our Sacramento heat forces it to fl ower and die. Like dill, cilantro grows best in spring and fall. To ensure summer cilantro, seed it in cycles. Once cilantro is big enough to harvest leaves, seed another, followed by a third seeding.

For more helpful information, visit sacmg.ucanr.edu and click “Herbs.” Soon, you will be snipping your own fresh and fragrant herbs!

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n VISIT

insidesacramento.com THEATRE GUIDE THEATRE GUIDE

CHARADE

Thru Sept 17 The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts 2800 Capitol Ave, Sac Bstreettheatre.org

Charade, the classic romantic whodunit that starred Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, is adapted for the stage in this whirlwind production spanning the globe. Brought to life by only 5 actors, recent widow Regina “Reggie” Lampert is drawn into a cat and mouse tale of hidden identities and government subterfuge, aided by the handsome stranger Peter Joshua. But is that his real name? Is anything what she thinks it is? This genre blending mash up will have you guessing until the end!

THE ROYALE

Thru Sept 25 Capital Stage 2215 J St, Sac Boxoffice@capstage.org

Jay “The Sport” Jackson dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905 and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion.

QUEER: DRAG, DRUGS AND A TICK TOCK CLOCK

Sept 9 - 11 Cal Cap Black Box Theatre 9845 Horn Rd, Ste 100, Sac 916 807-7429

The story takes you on a journey of selfdiscovery through the duality of human nature and evolution. Growing up in the barrios of Barranquilla, Colombia is not conducive for a queer person to thrive. The very few queer people Jair knew, lived in hiding and departed too early from this world. So, he tried to fit in, he tried to be like everyone else, he wanted to be an exemplary sample of society. But the truth always has a way of coming out. Accepting the truth is harder than knowing it sometimes. As shame and guilt weighed down Jair’s anxious heart, he discovered drag and drugs. Drag and drugs freed him, allowing him a higher level of self-expression previously self-suppressed. But drag and drugs were only a temporary fix to a much deeper problem. During the 2020 quarantine, he sat in complete isolation, and his healing process began as the Tick Tock Clock of life waved its arms.