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[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" border_style="solid" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" flex_column_spacing="0px" type="legacy"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" center_content="no" target="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" hover_type="none" border_style="solid" border_position="all" box_shadow="no" box_shadow_blur="0" box_shadow_spread="0" background_type="single" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_position="left top" background_repeat="no-repeat" background_blend_mode="none" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" filter_type="regular" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" last="true" border_sizes_top="0px" border_sizes_bottom="0px" border_sizes_left="0px" border_sizes_right="0px" first="true" min_height="" link=""][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_text rule_style="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]If you love your herbs, we know you've already started to grow a few common favorites, like thyme, mint, rosemary, and basil. For the record, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the classics: these are all staples in any herb garden and are easy to grow seasonally or year-round indoors. However, there are also quite a few herb options that aren't as commonly talked about, but which add some incredibly unique flavors and perfumes to any garden. Here's a list of lesser-known herbs you need to try in your Arkansas garden this year for a bounty of taste and aroma!
With a taste similar to that of black licorice, anise is one of the strongest and most aromatic herbs in the world, making it the perfect herb garden addition for anyone who enjoys bold, punchy flavors. When crushed, anise seeds release a powerful aromatic oil, making them an incredibly popular ingredient for curries, baking, and liqueur flavoring. Meanwhile, the anise plant itself is a gorgeously bushy ornamental shrub that adds a beautiful flair to the garden with its abundance of white flowers. Anise thrives in a warm growing climate with full sun and well-draining alkaline soil. When the plant goes to seed, collect, dry, and store them in a sealed container. You can then use the seeds to cook with or add to soaps and potpourri.
Also known as French parsley, chervil has a unique flavor similar to licorice, parsley, and fennel all combined into one! Though it's not used as commonly as its cousin parsley, chervil's complex flavor makes it a staple of gourmet European cuisine that is entirely worthy of a spot in any Arkansan herb garden. The best part about chervil is that it grows quite well in containers on your windowsill thanks to its low light requirements, but only if you keep this potent plant moist. Be sure to plant it in a container that's at least 12" deep to accommodate the taproot. Chervil can also be grown as a microgreen from seed! In 20 days, you should have plants 2-3 inches tall that are ready for harvest.
A beautiful, fragrant flowering plant, caraway is another must-have for your gourmet herb garden. This biennial produces seeds that are commonly used in dishes for their intense licorice and anise-like flavor, but the leaves and stems of the plant are edible, too! Caraway seeds are best planted outdoors due to their long taproot, which can make transplanting difficult. If you start your seeds indoors, move your caraway plants outside into your herb garden before their roots become too developed. Like many herbs, give caraway plants full sun and rich, well-draining soil for optimum plant health.
A leafy perennial herb with an irresistible lemony smell, this member of the mint family is a great addition to your Arkansas herb garden that provides a fresh twist to lemonade, tea, cocktails, cooking, and even potpourri. However, beware that lemon balm is also a very fast-growing plant that will spread quickly through your garden if not properly controlled; we recommend removing its flowers before they seed if you don't want to be overrun!
This ancient herb was once well-loved by both Egyptian and Chinese cultures as a natural medicine. Nowadays, however, cooks around the world love fennel for the wonderful licorice flavoring it lends to egg and fish dishes. A little picky in the garden, fennel likes to stay put and doesn't respond well to dividing or transplanting as well as other herbs. Plant fennel seeds outside immediately in the spring at the back of a garden or herb border and give them full sun. The only restriction with fennel is not to plant it near dill, as cross-pollination can result in some weird-tasting seeds!
You're going to love lovage; we guarantee it! You can eat every part of this plant, from root to leaf tip, making it a super resourceful addition to your garden this summer. This large, hardy herb grows relatively fuss-free and reseeds easily for continual enjoyment year after year. Its flavor profile is kind of like a citrusy celery—if that makes any sense—and it's packed with vitamins and medicinal properties.
This low-grower is a member of the mint family but is also related to rosemary and thyme. An excellent addition to any herb garden, summer savory grows up to 18" and blooms small lilac, white or pink flowers that produce tasty little seeds soon after. Once considered an aphrodisiac by ancient peoples, you'll definitely want to plant this in your herb garden or containers this year.
