Visitors to my garden are often surprised to see my lettuce, mizuna and other veggies flowering and going to seed at the end of the season.

Why don’t you just rip them out they ask?

Lettuce in flower

Well, one of the reasons is that vegetables flower and provide a great food source for my native bees and other beneficial insects! They actually help to attract these beneficial insects into my garden!

Beneficial insects are great because they will attack and eat the bad bugs likely to be feasting on your veggies.

Besides, as a bonus, I get new seeds that are totally adapted to their environment. This means that they grow quicker, are more resistant to pests and diseases and taste better!

Lettuce seeds on the plant

Most importantly, I know that the vegetable seeds haven’t been coated in any fungicides or pesticides. This means they are organic and just as nature intended!

At the moment I am on my sixth generation of mignonette lettuces. The lettuces continue to happily self-seed in the vegetable garden and adjacent path. Therefore all I have to do is give them the occasional water, some organic fertiliser and then I get to pick the leaves as I need them!

Mignonette lettuce seedlings

The mignonette lettuces seem to be almost totally immune to any pests or diseases. And they taste so much better than anything you can buy in the shops!

So, why don’t you experiment on letting some of your vegetables flower and develop seeds for your garden?

You too can benefit from growing your own seeds and vegetables that have become conditioned to your natural environment!

Happy gardening

Rohanne, your Personal Garden Expert

The post Should I let vegetables flower and set seed? How to save seeds for next year’s garden appeared first on Delectable Garden.

I know I have!

It turns out that there is a really simple way of separating Herbs and Spices.

Basil is a Herb

Generally speaking a Herb is the green parts of the plant, and its mainly the leaves that are used.

A Spice is generally the berries, fruits, pods, bark and stems of the plant.

So Herbs are plants whose leaves we use such as basil, sage, thyme and even stevia. Meanwhile cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg are all spices.

Both herbs and spices can be dried, but most spices are used only when they are dried.

Herbs and Spices

Most herbs are better when used when they are as fresh as possible. Some of the essential oils that make them so valued in cooking can be lost during the drying process. They are often best added toward the end of the cooking process so that you don’t lose the essential oils and thus the flavour. There are exceptions to this rule, like with fresh rosemary which is added early on in the cooking process as it is fairly woody.

As a generalisation, spices are added at the start of the cooking process so the flavour can infuse through during cooking.

So, what is the difference between a herb and a vegetable?

A herb is used in small quantities to add flavour to a food, whereas a vegetable is used in larger quantities as part of the substance of the dish.

By this definition a vegetable can sometimes be a herb, or vice versa. For example, wild rocket used in a pesto is a herb, but used in a Rocket, Pear and Parmesan salad is a salad vegetable. Confused? I hope not!

Rocket

Below I have included one of my favourite recipes using the herb Rocket as a vegetable. I hope that you enjoy it!

Rocket, Pear and Parmesan salad

2 firm pears, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 Lemon
125g baby rocket leaves, washed
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shaved parmesan

Method: Sprinkle the pears with a little lemon juice to prevent them browning. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and cracked black pepper in a jar and shake well to combine. In a large bowl mix the rocket, sliced pear, pine nuts and dressing and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with shaved parmesan. Serve

Happy gardening 🙂

Rohanne, your Personal Gardening Expert

The post Herbs and Spices: The Difference appeared first on Delectable Garden.