herb harvest

I got ahead of the bugs by harvesting my herbs to dry early this year. The herb spot in the garden bed was so full-

and starting to get insect damage- especially the oregano looks bitten and scarred. I don't disturb tons of whitefly out of the plant, so I suspect it's mostly aphids?

So I figured since it has grown so much already, why not cut what I want to dry for winter now? I did this several weeks ago (behind in updating the blog)- and already most of the herbs have grown back enough to use fresh again- dill in particular.

Here's parsley, oregano and thyme cut and stacked in a box. The thyme and parsley were mostly undamaged.

It's oregano that was riddled with bug scars. I stripped all these leaves-

Keeping just the best to dry. It's still plenty. I don't use oregano much- in fact, I think I want to get a different oregano plant. I used to have one with smaller, round leaves I preferred its flavor but not sure the variety name...

The pretty, ferny dill- so hard to get a photo of- see two attempts in different lighting above-

Was so prolific this year I got two big bunches this size. It doesn't have any pests aside from one or two caterpillars since removed- my daughter kept them for a "pet".

Thyme bundle.

Second-year parsley setting seed head- but this is one plant I have plenty of seed, so I didn't let it finish. Cut it down to the ground for drying, and already it has sprouted new leaves. I have two new young parsley plants still in the coldhouse to replace them with...

Here's before picture of the herb spot- left to right; borage, oregano, thyme, sage, parsley in front.

And after.