{"title":"All-America Selections Winning Herbs","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e#html-body [data-pb-style=GKEP2UT]{justify-content:flex-start;display:flex;flex-direction:column;background-position:left top;background-size:cover;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-attachment:scroll}\u003c\/style\u003e\u003cdiv data-content-type=\"row\" data-appearance=\"contained\" data-element=\"main\"\u003e\u003cdiv data-enable-parallax=\"0\" data-parallax-speed=\"0.5\" data-background-images=\"{}\" data-background-type=\"image\" data-video-loop=\"true\" data-video-play-only-visible=\"true\" data-video-lazy-load=\"true\" data-video-fallback-src=\"\" data-element=\"inner\" data-pb-style=\"GKEP2UT\"\u003e\u003cdiv data-content-type=\"text\" data-appearance=\"default\" data-element=\"main\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTired of half-wilted, flavorless grocery store herbs?  Herbs are easy to grow, and if you’ve ever tasted herbs picked fresh from the garden, you know nothing compares to homegrown. And the All-America Selections Winners below are some of the best tasting and most reliable varieties you can grow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"cleopatra-organic-oregano-seeds-52951-pk-p1","title":"Cleopatra Organic Oregano Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDays to Maturity: 100 direct sow; 30 transplant \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAll-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2015\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAn organic variety, Cleopatra Oregano is an aromatic herb in the mint family, grown for culinary, crafting, and ornamental purposes. Cleopatra Organic Oregano is a highly popular herb with a distinct mildly spicy peppermint flavor. It is used fresh or dried to season soups, sauces, vegetables, and meat dishes. The leaves are also used in potpourris and crafts. \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAn \u003ci\u003eOriganum syriacum\u003c\/i\u003e variety, commonly called Syrian oregano, zaatar, or Bible hyssop, Cleopatra Organic Oregano is a member of the Lamiacea family, which includes highly fragrant plants that secrete essential oils. Cleopatra Organic Oregano is an herbaceous tender perennial (Zones 9-10), typically grown as an annual. The plant has a compact, low growing, spreading, and trailing habit dense with tiny, rounded, silver-green leaves that are highly aromatic. Tiny pale pink flowers bloom in mid to late summer. Pinching or pruning back stems before flowers appear will encourage denser, bushier growth. The plant works well when massed in beds and borders but is also suitable for patio pots, widow boxes, and even hanging baskets. \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e Oregano is easy to grow from seed, growing best in locations with full sun and average, medium to dry, gritty sandy loams. Good drainage is extremely important because the roots will rot in saturated, poorly drained soils. Plants are heat and drought tolerant. \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eDirect sow oregano seed about two weeks after the last frost or start seeds indoors about 5 weeks prior to the last frost date and transplant in the garden after all threat of frost has passed and temperatures range between 60° and 70°F. \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIf you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.parkseed.mom\/collections\/bio-domes\"\u003eBio Dome Seed Starter Kit\u003c\/a\u003e. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"parkseed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42354519965755,"sku":"52951-PK-P1","price":4.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/files\/Product_MediaImage_52951-PK-P1_1.jpg?v=1753891810"},{"product_id":"geisha-garlic-chives-seeds-52501-pk-p1","title":"Geisha Garlic Chives Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDays to Maturity: 75 from direct sow\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAll-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2015\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAn absolute must-have for the well-dressed herb garden or container display, Geisha is an elegant garlic chive with long, slender stems that are wider and flatter than others. And the flavor is \"more refined,\" according to the All-America Selections judges, who awarded Geisha top honors in 2015. Although highly aromatic and robustly flavored, it has a delicate, gourmet taste that isn?t too garlicky.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eChives go well with almost any savory dish, and the flowers can even be used as edible garnish. Cut the stems at the base or just snip the bit you need from the top. It grows back quickly and keeps the plant looking fresh and trimmed all season.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eA member of the Allium family, Geisha grows easily in full sun. The plant reaches 12 to 15 inches high and spreads about 8 to 10 inches wide. It grows well in containers and makes perfect edging for borders and beds because it keeps pests away from the more delicate flowering plants within. Its beauty can stand alone or hold its own in large plantings. It buds and blooms quite late (extending your season), but you'll scarcely miss the chives when you see the butterflies flocking to the pure white flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eSince Geisha is a perennial, the seed you start in early spring or summer will produce plants for many years to come. To direct sow, place several seeds together in the planting hole. The slender green shoots will appear within a few weeks. Don't forget to plant a few around your roses—garlic chives are a rose's best friend for keeping pests at bay.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"parkseed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42354544508987,"sku":"52501-PK-P1","price":2.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/files\/Product_MediaImage_52501-PK-P1_1.jpg?v=1753891807"},{"product_id":"fernleaf-dill-seeds-00775-pk-p1","title":"Fernleaf Dill Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDay to Maturity: 55 from direct sow\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAll-America Selections (AAS) Winner 1992\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIf you love the tangy flavor of fresh dill weed with fish and vegetable dishes, Fernleaf Dill is the variety you must grow. Just 18 inches high, this dwarf is perfect for the kitchen windowsill or the sunny garden. Its feathery leaves are so lush and tasty that this hardworking little plant won a All-America Selection. Easy to grow and delicious.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eFernleaf Dill blooms from midsummer into fall, with flattopped blooms that may remind you of fennel. You don't have to wait to harvest the leaves, however just snip them with nail or kitchen scissors as soon as the plant has a few branches to spare, and enjoy them fresh for months on end. Fernleaf Dill is very slow to set seed, so if you want to harvest dill seeds, grow full-size dill as well.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIf you want to freeze the leaves for winter flavorings, snip off the entire branch at the base and place it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Whether cutting it fresh or frozen, take just what you need, for once cut, dill does not last long in the fridge without losing much of its flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIn the garden, Fernleaf Dill is a nice companion to cabbage, onion, and lettuce. It is best direct sown right into the early spring soil after all danger of frost is past. Space seeds about 10 inches apart, or closer together if you plan to thin the seedlings. Enjoy this vigorous, absolutely scrumptious seasoning all year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"parkseed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42354608209979,"sku":"00775-PK-P1","price":5.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/files\/Product_MediaImage_00775-PK-P1_1.jpg?v=1753891713"},{"product_id":"dolce-fresca-basil-seeds-52489","title":"Dolce Fresca Basil Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDays to Maturity: 70 from direct sow\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAll-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2015\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAh, the name says it all: sweet, fresh basil for your garden, patio, and kitchen windowsill. This award-winning variety combines intensity of scent and flavor with a super-compact, vigorous habit. The result is a bushy large-leafed plant less than 2 feet high and rarin' to set new leaves all season long.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eDolce Fresca won the All-America Selections award for its compact habit, strong scent and flavor, and vigorous growth. It's easy to see why this is becoming America's go-to basil: no matter how little space you have, what a challenging climate you live in, or how important ornamental beauty is to your garden design, Dolce Fresca fills the bill.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eJust 10- to 14-inches high and not more than a foot wide, it flowers very late, so you don't spend all summer pinching off new buds. Dolce Fresca is a Genovese type, setting large, flat leaves simply packed with delicious flavor. And it makes such a bushy, well-branched ball of foliage that it looks like an ornamental addition to the garden or patio, instead of the workhorse herb it really is.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAnd if you're designing a parterre, knot garden, or simply using herbs to edge or fill in among ornamental plants, Dolce Fresca is going to become the star of the garden. Its fresh green foliage always looks bright and full. Cut all you like for pesto (it makes heavenly pesto), Italian cuisine, soups, and more—Dolce Fresca sets new leaves all season. Or harvest the whole plant for its essential oils.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBegin the seeds either indoors in late winter or direct-sow in spring. To start indoors, sow about 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost. The seeds will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Transplant when they have 2 sets of true leaves, spacing the plants 12 to 15 inches apart in the garden, or in your best containers. If you are direct-sowing, wait until the soil has thoroughly warmed up in spring. Then cover the seeds with about ¼-inch of soil, and thin the young plants to 12 to 15 inches apart when they are about 2 inches tall.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAs your basil plants grow, pinch off the central stem when they are about 6 weeks old, and prune back each stem when it has more than 8 sets of leaves. (Cut it back to the first or second set of leaves, harvesting the rest.) If you keep your plants well pinched and pruned, you should be able to harvest half a cup of fresh leaves every week during the growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBasil loves hot weather and plenty of sunshine, but it needs consistently moist, rich soil. Mulch the plants to retain moisture, and water heavily during dry spells.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eHarvest the plant before the cold weather sets in, as this will affect the leaves' texture and flavor. Freeze entire stems, with the leaves still attached, for best flavor retention, or dry the leaves for seasoning. You will love this award winner.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"parkseed","offers":[{"title":"Pkt of 100 seeds","offer_id":42354643468347,"sku":"52489-PK-P1","price":2.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Pkt of 1000 seeds","offer_id":42354643501115,"sku":"52489-PK-1000","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/files\/Product_MediaImage_52489_1.jpg?v=1753891857"},{"product_id":"siam-queen-thai-basil-seeds-00305-pk-p1","title":"Siam Queen Thai Basil Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDays to Maturity: 72 from direct sow\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAll-America Selections (AAS) Winner 1997\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSiam Queen is as gorgeous in the garden as it is delicious on the dinner plate! The sturdy stems support extra-large, 4-inch-long and 2-inch-wide bright green leaves. Clusters of small, intensely colored deep purple flowers appear on the very top of the plant, for a highly ornamental effect. Redolent of licorice, this basil is to delightful, your only problem will be whether to grow it for cuisine or for beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eUnlike the sweet basils you may be familiar with from Italian cuisine and pestos, this Thai basil has a strong anise flavor and a good spicy bite. You can still detect the familiar basil taste beneath these elements, but it adds an entirely new and delicious level of seasoning to any dish. The aroma carries the spiciness as well, perfuming the warm summer air magnificently.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSiam Queen can be grown two ways: as a seasoning for food or as an ornamental plant. The way you grow the plant is slightly different for each. When you grow this, or any, basil for food, you do not want it to bloom until it absolutely must, so you will be pinching off the central stem when the plant is 6 weeks old and removing any buds the minute you see them. You will harvest the ends of any stem that has more than 8 leaves, removing all but the set of leaves nearest the stem to encourage quick regrowth. And you will harvest the entire plant before the seriously cold weather sets in, because that can kill the leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eWhen you are growing Siam Queen as an ornamental, you may still want to pinch back that central stem at 6 inches, just to stimulate the plant to grow more side-shoots, but other than that, you will welcome the development of buds and blooms. Deadhead the spent flowers quickly and this vigorous little plant may just set new ones before the season is over!\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eEither way, this basil is easy to start from seed. Sow the seeds either indoors in late winter or direct-sow in spring. To start indoors, sow about 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost. The seeds will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Transplant when they have 2 sets of true leaves, spacing the plants 12 to 15 inches apart in the garden, or in your best containers.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIf you are direct-sowing, wait until the soil has thoroughly warmed up in spring. Then cover the seeds with about ¼-inch of soil, and thin the young plants to 12 to 15 inches apart when they are about 2 inches tall.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBasil loves hot weather and plenty of sunshine, but it needs consistently moist, rich soil. Mulch the plants to retain moisture, and water heavily during dry spells. Enjoy Siam Queen as a flavor addition, an ornamental, or both.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"parkseed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42354652053563,"sku":"00305-PK-P1","price":2.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/files\/Product_MediaImage_00305-PK-P1_1.jpg?v=1753891713"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/8580\/4859\/collections\/Product_MediaImage_52489_1.jpg?v=1767664867","url":"https:\/\/www.parkseed.mom\/collections\/aas-winner-herbs.oembed","provider":"Park Seed","version":"1.0","type":"link"}