Growing herbs in the Rockridge district of Oakland, California.

by James K. Sayre

Although I have lived in the Rockridge district of Oakland, California for only three years, each spring I have tried my hand at planting and cultivating some herbs. Here are a few notes on my efforts:

Parsley (Petroselinum sativum)

- a great topping for a tossed salad; This true biennial plant takes up to a month to germinate. Best to plant in marked, straight rows. Slow growing, but tough has very few if any insect pests. Who else but humans would want to eat it? Plant some seeds every spring to ensure a steady crop.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

This perennial shrub is a member of the Mint family. I was lucky enough to inherit two large Rosemary shrubs (two different varieties) that were happily growing in the backyard. Untrimmed Rosemary shrubs can become quite large: to six feet high and about twice as wide. Rosemary broccoli is quite delicious: saute the rosemary herb and black pepper in some butter and olive oil before adding the chopped broccoli stems; toss in the tops last; fry for a few minutes; then add some water and cover with a lid; cook/steam for several minutes and yer done. A New Orleans recipe (they toss in some bread crumbs). It may also be cooked in bacon fat for more flavor.

Peppermint - (Mentha piperita)

This member of the Mint family is a perennial shrub. I was lucky enough to inherit some large Peppermint shrubs that were happily growing in the backyard. Nice for mint tea.

Spearmint (Mentha viridis)

This member of the Mint family is a perennial shrub. I was lucky enough to inherit a couple of small Spearmint plants that were growing in the shadows of the large Peppermint shrubs that were happily growing in the backyard. It has smoother leaves than those of the Peppermint. Nice for Spearmint tea.

Chives (Allium schaenoprasum)

This member of the Onion family is a perennial. I planted two clumps of Chives near the base of the Saturn Peach trees in hopes of warding off the peach leaf curl disease; I have no way of knowing whether this will actually help or whether it's just an old gardener's tale (I read about it on the Internet, which sometimes web sites of doubtful value). We shall soon see if the close proximity of Chives helps protect the Peach trees.

Fennel (Ferula communis) (Common Giant Fennel)

- one of the culinary herbs. This herb usually volunteers somewhere in the backyard garden. In Foster City, there is a very large field of mostly Fennel, which is called, naturally, the Fennel Field. It covers several acres of vacant land between Beach Park Blvd. and the shore of the San Francicso Bay. It is guard religiously by local birdwatchers against any development. Great spot for birdwatching.

Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) (Hemp-tree) (Monks Pepper-tree)

- or one could say, Chaste tiny shrub. Another medicinal herb. Transplanted in the summer of 2003, this deciduous shrub has grown a little. No signs of flowers or fruits yet.

Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium)

This member of the Daisy family is a perennial. the Feverfew came up, but its not an eatin' herb, it's a medicinal herb: the flowering tops are an ancient and successful folk remedy for migraine headaches. It produces masses of small white daisy-like flowers each summer

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

This member of the Daisy family is an annual and is another medicinal herb that grows to about three feet high. It grows quite easily from seed and reseeds itself freely. It has very sharp spiny leaves (wear gloves when handling).

My big dud herb:

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

This member of the Mint family is a perennial shrub. Well, that's about it: the catnip never came up; - tried twice, but no germination to date. Will try again this spring. Cheers,

End.

Return to the home page of Bottlebrush Press: The homepage of Bottlebrush Press

This web page was recently created by James Sayre.

Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com

Copyright 2005 by Bottlebrush Press. All Rights Reserved.

Web page last updated on 8 March 2005.