A New Leaf on Life
I enjoy growing my own herbs for two reasons. First, you can’t beat the freshness of herbs from your own backyard. Second, fresh herbs — heck, even dried herbs — are awfully expensive in the supermarket.
That second reason is even more important now that grocery prices are increasing so much.
I have always grown an assortment of fresh herbs. This year, I have a new one: bay leaf.
Fresh bay leaf put those dull dried specimens to shame. The fresh leaves have a refreshing, piney, resinous flavor all but obliterated when the leaves are dried.
Bay leaves are actually from a bay laurel tree, which is native to Asia Minor. We’re talking Turkey, literally.
As you might expect with a tree, it’s a perennial. It’s also an evergreen, so in theory you can pick fresh bay leaf while it’s snowing in February if you want.
Notice that I said “in theory.” In fact, I was told when I bought it that it would not survive the winter. The person who sold it to me recommended keeping it in a pot and moving it indoors in the winter.
Then I happened to be in Reynolda Gardens not long ago, when the staff pointed out its bay laurel tree.
Mine is a spindly little thing about 12 inches high.
Reynolda’s is a comparative mountain of bay leaves, about eight feet high and four or more feet wide.
In short, Reynolda’s bay laurel has about a lifetime supply of bay leaves for a family of 12. In contrast, I could completely defoliate my plant with about a dozen soups or stews.
David Bare, the Journal’s gardening columnist who also works at Reynolda Gardens, told me that Old Salem used to have a bay leaf that it moved in and out like I was told to do. Then one winter the staff left it outdoors and it did just fine.
Now I’m a little nervous about losing my investment to winter frost. But I have visions of this megatron bay leaf growing in my yard. I just need to find a big enough space to put it.
