Find out about 4 herbs that grow in the hot climate of the ‘Desert of Portugal’.
When we first found our house in the Alentejo, the garden had been neglected for years. There were lots of weeds and the soil was in a bad state. I love having herbs around my home to use in cooking, crafts and homemade remedies so it was a high priority to start growing my favourite herbs as soon as possible. As you may know from my previous posts it’s difficult to grow many things here. The main problem is the sun. Our garden is roasted from dawn to dusk and the heat of the sun in the summer can be too much for many plants. Never-the-less I was determined and have had some successes.
Rosemary
Rosemary is one of my favourite culinary and medicinal herbs which is also abundant in our area. It is used for hedging and borders around us as it survives well out here with just a little care. I have two plants which I planted by our garden gate (in keeping with the old saying).
We make tea out of it which is good if we have overindulged in the wonderful Alentejo wines the night before and are feeling delicate! In the kitchen I use it with chicken, roast potatoes and white beans. I soak the stalks and use them as skewers on the barbecue. I also like to make herb wreaths with rosemary and lavender. A lovely idea is to scent the house by putting a few sprigs of rosemary and sliced lemons in a pot of boiling water on the stove. This makes the house smell wonderful, but you need to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil dry!
Lavender
Lavender grows very well in the heat of the Alentejo. We are surrounded by wild Spanish or butterfly lavender which grows on scrubland and hillsides everywhere. I also planted English lavender in the garden which has really taken off. I started one plant from seed and one I bought from a local garden centre. Planting lavender in your garden is said to bring luck. I also just love the flowers and scent of English lavender, both fresh and dried. I have used them in wreaths, scent sachets, flower arrangements and other DIY projects. I’ve also used the leaves for rosemary-lavender roast potatoes, and the local make tea out of the wild flowers.
Parsley & Chives
Who can live without parsley in their kitchen? I scatter torn leaves liberally through couscous and salads and use chopped stalks in pasta sauces and marinades. I haven’t seen it growing wild here, but there are large patches of flat leaved parsley in the vegetable gardens locally. My patch was started when a Portuguese friend casually scattered some seeds on the ground. He assured me I would have plants in a few months, and he was absolutely right! They have been flourishing ever since. They do have a tendency to bolt, so I keep an eye on them but that is all the work I have had to do to keep them happy and healthy.
Chives are another culinary herb I use a lot. I have taken a slightly different approach with growing my chives. I planted seeds in a pot outside as sometimes the heat here can be too much for them. When the temperatures start to soar in the summer I move them to a shaded spot and make sure they are well watered. They took a little while to establish but once I got up the nerve to cut them back well they have come on leaps and bounds. The more I cut and use them, the better they grow. If they do get too much sun the tips of some leaves get a little singed. If I see that I snip off those leaves and move them to a different area in the garden.
It’s lovely to have these herbs growing so well here – I can pop outside and pick handfuls of herbs, chop and mix them up then add them to omelettes made from our hens eggs.
If you live in a hot climate, what herbs do you grow well and how do you use them?
