Culinary Herbs

Lesson Structure: Culinary Herbs VHT242

There are 8 lessons:

Introduction
Scope and Nature of Culinary Herbs
Herbs and Horticulture
Accurately Identifying Herbs
Plant Classification, binomial system
Finding the group a herb fits into -Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons, Plant Families
Pronouncing Plant Name
Resources - information contacts (ie. nurseries, seed, clubs etc.
Culture
Overview
Soils
pH Requirements
Improving soild
Potting mixes
Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers
Water Management for Herbs
Diagnosing Plant Health Problems
Pests, Disease and Environmental Problems
Planting, staking, and establishing herb plants, etc.
Growing Herbs
Propagation of herbs
Seed Propagation
Cutting Propagation
Potting Media
Division, Separation, Layering
Rejuvenation of Perennials
Designing a Culinary Herb Garden
Creating a Kitchen Garden
Planning a Fragrant Herb Garden
Companion Planting in Your Design
Cooking With Herbs
General Guidelines for Using Herbs in Cooking
Harvesting Herbs; roots, leaves, seed, fruits
Handling after Harvest
Drying Herbs
Hints for Using a Range of Selected Herbs in Cooking
Herbs For Garnish
Herbal Teas: What & how to use different herbs
Herb Vinegars, oils, butters, cheeses, salts, sugars, honey,, etc
Herb Confectionary, Cakes, etc.
Selected Herb Recipes
Using Herbs with Fruit
Most Commonly Grown Varieties.
Review of many Common Culinary herbs, including their culture and culinary use
Over 20 herbs reviewed in detail, incl. Alliums
Many additional herbs summarized
Other Important Groups.
Lamiaceae (mint family) herbs
Lemon Scented Herbs and their uses
Hyssop
Mints
Bergamot
The Basils
Origanum species
Rosemary
Salvias
Thymes
Lavenders
The Lesser Grown Varieties
Agastache
Agrimony
Visnaga
Apium
Arctium lappa
Bundium
Capparis; and many more
Using Australian Native Plants as Flavourings
Special Assignment
A PBL Project on a selected genus of culinary herbs

This course is taught by:

Katie Freeth
BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, (University of Bath); RHS General Examination; FI Hort; MIfpra.

An experienced and professional horticulturist with extensive management skills gained internationally; experienced in landscape management, staff supervision and management, written and oral communication, horticultural knowledge and application, supported by organisational and administrative skills and attention to detail.

Katie brings 20 years experience in Horticulture and is an accomplished lecturer, horticulture consultant and freelance writer. Katie is a judge for the International Awards for Liveable Communities in the Whole City Category.
Katie also worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France for approx 5 years first as a Sector Manager and then as an Area Manager; management of the cemeteries, peripatetic teams of gardeners (UK & French nationality) for the constructed cemeteries and memorials and static French nationality gardeners for small town/village plots.

Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

Susan is a Professional Associate and exam moderator and holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

She also supervised the Area Arboriculture Team and was Exhumations Officer€“ in charge of collecting discovered remains and arranging identification (if poss) and interment of same.
Learning Goals: Culinary Herbs VHT242

Describe the plant naming system, the major family groups that herbs fall into and the resources available to the culinary herb grower.
Describe how to manage the cultural requirements of culinary herbs.
Describe the various methods of propagation, both sexual and asexual, the treatments generally used for seed storage and the handling of cutting material.
Explain the way in which herbs are used in cooking and which herbs best suit various dishes.
Discuss the most common herb varieties used in cooking.
Compare a range of culinary herbs in a single plant family.
Discuss a range of lesser grown culinary herb varieties.
Explain the uses of a range of culinary herbs within a specific group of herb plants.