Getting Distracted by Cleaning Birdbaths & the Dogs, and How to Prune & Preserve Herbs
Hey guys, it's Shannon, your Garden Girl from Georgina Garden Centre! Today, I’m finally getting to a task I’ve been putting off: tidying up my herb garden before the rain hits. Here's how I handle overgrown herbs and keep them fresh for future use!
Bird Bath and Water Fountain - Check!
Yes, I got sidetracked before I even started with the herbs!- Cleaned out the bird bath (it was a bit... green)
- Gave my solar-powered fountain a scrub—although it’s cloudy, so no dramatic spurts today
Tackling the Herbs
My herb garden was seriously overgrown. Some herbs have gone to flower, but I’m pinching them back to get them back on track.
Here’s what’s growing:
- Parsley – Smaller, but that's because I use it a lot.
- Purple basil – It's flowering, time to cut it back.
- Greek & Italian oregano – Overgrown but manageable with a good trim.
- Thyme, rosemary, sweet marjoram, lemon basil, lemon balm, and dill – The dill’s gone to seed, but no worries, I'll collect those seeds for next year.
Why You Don’t Want Your Herbs to Flower
- When herbs flower, they focus energy on producing seeds, which can make the leaves less flavourful.
- If they’ve gone too far (like my dill), let them flower for beneficial insects and collect the seeds for future planting. Win-win!
How I Harvest and Store My Herbs
Pruning Basil (Mint, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, etc are pruned with the same technique):
- Pinch off basil stems just above where new leaves are sprouting. This encourages more growth and thickens the plant.
- You’ll get 2-3 new shoots where you cut—so it’s like multiplying your basil!
How to Store It:
- Use fresh if needed, or keep it in a cup of water on the sink to use later.
- I’m dehydrating mine this time around because, let’s be real, I won’t get to it fresh, and I hate wasting good herbs.
Dehydrating vs. Other Storage Methods
- Dehydrator: My go-to, but you can also hang them in a cool, dark place or pop them in the oven on the lowest setting to dry.
- I might mix them into a herb medley—or dry them separately. Decisions, decisions!
How to Harvest Dill Seeds
Collecting seeds is super easy:
- Grab a paper bag, pop it over the seed heads, snip them off, and let the seeds fall into the bag.
- Store them in a cool, dark place for next year.
- Dill is especially easy to propagate—I’ve got an entire 10-gallon pot of dill grown from last year’s seeds!
Quick Harvesting Tips:
- Use pruners or fingers: Whatever works best for you—just be prepared to smell like herbs!
- Cut back often: It keeps the plants bushy and productive. You can even cut thyme like a "ponytail" and it’ll grow back happily.
So there you have it! Fresh herbs now, seeds for next year, and a well-tamed herb garden (until next time).
Happy gardening!