Starting Your Herb Garden
First decide on the size; this will depend on the
number of varieties you choose to grow. A kitchen
garden can be planted into individual 12x18" pots,
or into windowboxes where you can easily snip them
with abandon when you fire up the stove or dress a
salad. You will find that herbs yield abundant
harvests all season if you tend to thier basic need for
good fertile soil and adequate moisture.An important
factor in growing successful
herbs is good drainage. A light well drained soil
is best for starting seeds indoors, be careful not to
cover the seeds to deeply with soil. Keep the seeds
moist during germination and water with a fine spray
to prevent washing away of the soil.Select a south
or west window when growing herbs indoors. You can
use grow lamps or fluorescent lamps to supplement
the light. When planting, mix 2 parts potting soil and 1
part coarse perlite, there should be an inch of gravel
on the bottom of each container to ensure good
drainage. Highly fertile soil will produce excessive
amounts of foliage with poor flavor.
Click here to view all of our herbs
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Harvesting Herbs
Drying and Storage of Herbs
Most herbs are at their peak flavor just before
flowering, so this is a good time to collect them for
drying and storage. Cut off leaves at the stems, with
cold water rinse off any soil and dust, wash herbs
thoroughly, then place them on absorbent towels or
hang plants upside down in sunlight until all water
evaporates. Strip leaves off the stalks once plants
have drained and dried, remove all blossoms. Herbs
MUST be completely dried before storage. Herbs with
high moisture, such as mints and basils need rapid
drying or they will mold. To retain some green leaf
coloring, dry in the dark by hanging plants upside
down in bunches in paper bags. Hanging leaves
down
allows essential oils to flow from stems to leaves. Tie
whole stems very tightly in small bunches, individual
stems will shrink and fall. Hang in a dark, warm, 70 to
80 degree F well-ventilated area. Leaves are ready
when they feel dry and crumbly in 1-2 weeks. Once
you are sure that the herbs are completely dry, place
them in the airtight containers, and store them in a
cool, dry place away from light. Never use paper or
cardboard containers for storage as they will absorb
the herbs aromatic oils.
Basil Herbs
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Top Quality Seeds
Our top quality seeds are foil-packed
for optimum garden performance!
Any gardener who has ever put in work sowing seeds
that don't sprout knows what a disappointing
experience it is. At 2B Seeds, our SowNSeal packet
has been specially designed to ensure that your time
spent in the garden is truly rewarding. Unlike the
paper packets used by most seed companies, 2B
Seeds packets prevent humidity and excessive
dryness from damaging those precious seeds and
you
can open and reseal the package as many times as
you need. Our family-owned company is committed
to bringing you the highest quality, top-performing
annual flower seeds, perennial flower seeds,
vegetable seeds, and herb seeds. Thank you for
making 2B Seeds a part of your beautiful garden
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The Most Popular Herbs
Basil- Surely one of summer's most
indispensable flavors, this Mediterranean native adds
bright green color and spicy sweet perfume to most
vegetables, it is easy to grow from seed when the
soil is above 60 degrees. Keep seeds evenly moist for
best growth, use seedlings in early salads and pinch
plants at about 6" to encourage early branching.
Basil is a standard for the culinary taste, use with
tomatoes, olive oil, feta cheese and onions, not to
mention all the pestos and soups.
Parsley-has a wonderful mild sweet
flavor with it's glossy leaves. Be sure to keep the
seeds evenly moist as parsley germinates slowly. You
can begin harvesting sparingly once the plants have
8-10 leaves. Use mellow or full flavored Italian
Parsley combined with fresh lemon to cut back the
use of salt. Use with most vegetable dishes to
enhance their flavor, or chop with garlic to add to
grilled fish. Thyme-is a low growing
herb that reaches 6-10" in height. This Herb grows
best in well-drained soil and it is easily grown from
seed. Cut leafy tops and flower clusters when first
blooms open and dry. Use in Gumbos, Clam
Chowders, Stuffings, Stews, and Beef Dishes
The Bee's Select Seeds
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Give Gift Certificates this Holiday Season for Someone Special
Give the gift of seeds with gift certificates for our
flower seeds, herb seeds, and vegetable seeds!
2B Seeds offers gift certificates in increments of $25,
$50, $75, or $100 To redeem your gift certificate
once you receive it from us, simply enter
the "Customer Code" printed on your certificate into
the first page of the shopping cart when you check
out, as seen in the example below:
Click here for Gift Certificates
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September's Recipe of the Month
Tomato with Blue Cheese and Basil
2 Ears corn, kernels removed
4 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
1 Pound Tomatoes, cored and
cut into 1" chunks ( or 1 pound cherry tomatoes, cut
in half)
1 Cup Arugula,Lettuce torn into 1½- inch pieces.
4 Scallions sliced thin and add 1/4 C Sweet Basil
¾ Cup crumbled blue cheese
Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot, add corn
and simmer 2 minutes. Drain and let cool. Whisk oil,
vinegar and salt, pepper to taste together in small
bowl. Place tomatoes, Arugula, scallions and corn in
large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss until evenly
coated. Gently toss in cheese and adjust seasonings
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Gourmet Herb Seed Collection
Enhance your meals with these popular Gourmet
Herbs. Includes Dwarf Basil, Onion Chives,
Rosemary,
and Thyme.
Herb Collection Selection
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