I have a fairly large patch of very old lavender growing in a bed that NEVER gets watered - and only a few hours of sun every day. It's pretty leggy and not a prolific bloomer but certainly fills the bed nicely and never needs watering (rain is plenty). RainyPNW Here is a link that might be useful: My 2010 Garden Blog - please check it out!

Glad to see Daisy joined this thread! I need to make my way over to the herb forum myself, I am under-utilizing my herbs. I find herbal information in books hard to interpret, sometimes because the books are really old. So I question goggle and out pops the great responses from Daisy and/or Fatamorgana! See? you two are better than books! Luke_oh I see that Dave answered the question for you. I would only add that I use the peels because I know that nothing has been sprayed on my fruit. Hey I do wash them very well (bird poop on organic fruit is still bird poop....LOL). A couple of other ways to preserve the rind is to use them to make a syrup and filter the rinds away from the liquid, you get candied rinds that way. Just like what you use in marmalade minus the marmalade. I use those in baked products. To use in tea, I just let them sit, cut into convenient size pieces. If your climate is humid maybe a dehydrator would be better, try without and see what you get. I got the idea from the orange flavor in one of my favorite commercial tea blends, all they did was add orange peels! Timing for dill/cucumbers and tomatoes&peppers/cilantro is a real bummer indeed. I freeze a lot of my winter cilantro since I do not want to go to the store just for cilantro when I have everything else for salsa. This works, but as you folks already know, there is no substitute for fresh cilantro. Frozen works pretty well, it looses some flavor, so I just add a little more....;-) I know of another herb named CULANTRO. It is tropical, so it should not require cold weather at all. If you come across it just remember that a little bit goes a long way, it is VERY strong, but has the cilantro taste. I will plant some when i find seed for it. As far as dill goes, well it is my one problematic herb. The rolly pollys (or slugs?) do a number on it usually at night. So I do go to the store for dill when I make dilly bean pickles or some cucumber pickles. This year I am trying another dill variety and so far it seems to be doing better, but still too early to tell. I make pesto (minus the parmesan) and freeze flat in ziplock bags. When I need some I can easily brake a chunk of it. Basil does dry reasonably well too. zabby, the citrus is a mixed blessing. I walk to work, and have been carrying a day pack full of citrus a couple of times a week. I could probably get rid of more, I work in two separate buildings...my coworkers are appreciative of it, so why not? I have also considered calling a food pantry, I might do that if the giant minneola is still loaded by April. Don't get me wrong, I love citrus! I have also been eating citrus fruit every day. Tsatsuma tangerines, navel oranges, and the grapefruits are tasting a lot better this year.

I don't know....it's always been my experience as I harvest herbs for cooking and whatnot that it always encourages new growth, if not bushier growth. Perhaps you're talking too much off? My experience with all thymes and oreganos and sages, rosemary, et al have been that whatever I seem to harvest is replenished three-fold. It doesn't happen right away, but give it a month with proper light and water and they thrive. I cut my onion and garlic chives back twice and they are now bigger than ever. Same with the cilantro. I trim them back and they're thicker and more lush and dense than before. I don't grow parsley. It's too easy to pick up what I need at the grocery store and lasts in a cup of water in the refrigerator til the next time I go to the grocery store. I planted cilantro on a lark, not expecting much, and it's one of my biggest plants. The tough part is keeping it pinched back and growing normally, and not bolting. But so far, so good. And it's been several months. I've put up lots of cilantro pesto!!!

I dry basil in the microwave, as it stays green and retains more flavor that way. Simply put several stems on a plate, nuke for a minute, turn, nuke for another minute, continue until dry and crisp. Store in jars or zip lock bags. Same with Rosemary. However, depending on where you have it planted it MAY overwinter for you. When I lived in Columbia Heights, it overwintered for me every year. But, then, the houses were less than 15 feet apart, and I had it in a bed on the south side with the neighbor's house right there. Have never been able to get it to overwinter anywhere else. Oregano is a perennial in every garden I have ever had. But again....just nuke what you harvest and it'll be good for the rest of the winter. Cilantro....well, that's one that I have never been able to get to go. It bolts before it's time and I get nothing. Linda