Dill, Delicious as it is Beautiful!

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 04/13/2012 ♦ Leave a comment

I have made it my goal over the past several years to not only change my landscape to primarily edible plants, but to find the most interesting flowers from those plants to use in the perennial beds.  I have always been organic, well “always” meaning as long as I have known better.  I must admit there were some years back when where I was guilty of using chemical fertilizers fooled by the instant gratification and not really understanding the long-term disadvantage.  (Please read this article by Fred Pierce for more info on the subject  http://lisalapaso.com/2010/07/10/the-over-use-of-chemical-fertilizers/)  Once I realized that compost can save the world, my mission changed, I wanted to be able to eat my way through the yard and delight in all my senses in the garden. Touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. So now it is compost and liquid seaweed all the way…

What I found over the years by experiment and in some cases pure laziness was that when you allow many of your vegetables and herbs to go to flower, you end up with a pretty spectacular flower bed!   Planting enough to allow this process is the trick, so when I plant herbs now I plant in bulk and throughout my perennial beds not just in my herb garden. That way each year the seed spread and I have some volunteer plants to share with neighbors and friends as well as plenty to allow to flower in my beds.  Here is an example :  This bed is part of a herb garden where I have allowed Dill, Cilantro and Savory Sage to go to bloom and eventually go to seed.  Pretty awesome huh?

Today we are focusing on Dill because I think most people do not realize what an awesome plant it is in your beds.  Dill Weed is a delicious herb that originates from the Mediterranean and Russian regions and is used both for culinary and digestive properties.  Dill plant possess both antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.  In some area’s it is a perennial, but here in Central Texas is considered an annual.  This is a cool weather plant so planting in late Winter and late Summer will produce a bumper crop.  I save the seed each year and just throw it in the garden and wait and see where it will come up.  It has a beautiful fern-like feathery foliage and the flowers of Dill are like a Golden fireworks, it is an explosion of bright color in the landscape and the foliage has an inviting softness that is admiringly contrasting to other natives in the garden.  This plant is fabulous with an assortment of other colors and foliage in the perennial beds, but as it dies out in the  hot Summer, you may need to occupy that space with a pot or something temporary until the Fall.

     As you can see, the flower is pretty spectacular, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the number of glorious flowers you are missing out on because you have been eating them!  So this season, plant a few extra and enjoy the ride…

Now check out my video, then go get your garden on! 

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape & Design                                                                                                                                                                         

“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”

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