More Thoughts While Weeding: Herbs shine in high summer

Growing fresh herbs did not launch my gardening career. It was the 1970s, and the back-to-the-land movement was underway, with its drive towards self-sufficiency and a simpler life style. Growing food crops and livestock was my focus then, and there was nothing simple about leaving the suburbs behind and trying to make a go of farming in the mountains of New Hampshire.

Fast-forward 50 years, and there remains the continuing commitment to eating local and cooking with the freshest ingredients available, for myriad reasons both practical and political. Tomatoes, beans, squash, root vegetables and greens occupy most of the rows and beds, but at the core of my cuisine are fresh herbs. There is deep pleasure in growing basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, rosemary, tarragon and thyme, and they shine in the garden as July gives way to August.