Celebrating the 2014 Herb of the Year, Artemisia!

Yes, French tarragon is an artemisia!

Sweet Annie Waiting to be a Wreath!

Well, I thought I would come out of the herbal gate strong with a post on the 2014 Herb of the Year, Artemisia.  So here are two of my favorite artemisias, French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa') and Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua).   French tarragon is sterile and so if you find tarragon seeds, they are mostly likely an inferior form of Russian tarragon which has very little flavor.  You must buy a plant or take a cutting from a fellow gardener's plant.  One of the best ways to preserve French tarragon is in white wine vinegar.  Once you have flavored the vinegar for about two weeks, you can use the tarragon just as you would fresh.  It is very well paired with chicken and has a wonderful anise flavor.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Sweet Annie which gives me a headache and maybe that is why I haven't done anything with this bag yet.  I may even have to work with it on a "warm" day outside if I have to!  It can be a terror in the herb garden madly self-sowing everywhere.  It is a very upright plant which I like for the back of the border.  It is an half-hardy (If it self-sows.) annual herb.   

I'm going to try (If I remember.) to do a post about different artemisias maybe once a month.  Adelma Simmons wrote a whole entire chapter on artemisia in her book, Herb Gardening in Five Seasons.  So hopefully, I will glean some new information for you and me.  As maybe you can see, I have changed some things around and delete some unnecessary information.  I'm going to be doing a few more travel posts while we are out of the garden to finish some trips that were unfinished and some suggestions from you.  I'll be busy, but that's good, herbally speaking!  Hope you had a great new year celebration.  Very cold here, but it is January, 2014!  Talk to you later.