Home as a Hobby ~ Cilantro Bouquet

Every kitchen garden needs a healthy combination of both herbs and vegetable plants, and nothing beautifies the homestead like flowers. Cilantro is a great annual herb with memorable fragrance, flavor, and flowers. This old-time herb sprouts from coriander seeds, grows compact, flowers prolifically, sets seed gladly and reseeds with ease, offering a perpetual, perennial-like performance in the kitchen garden. The whole cilantro plant, from fresh leaves, flowers, root to seeds have valuable roles in the kitchen and many culinary uses.

I noticed that cilantro loves warm and humid Houston weather. I let my cilantro bloom this spring and then fruit. When seeds are plump, I removed the plants and arranged them in a flower vase to air-dry. They made a beautiful arrangement and filled the home with wonderful coriander fragrance. It makes me happy to think that in about a week when they are dried, I could harvest home-grown coriander seeds.

Cilantro in Bloom
Cilantro in Bloom

Fresh Dania (Coriander Seeds)
Cilantro with Plump, Green Dhania (Green Coriander Seeds)

Cilantro with Seeds
Cilantro with Coriander Seeds

Cilantro Bouquet
Celebrating Mother Earth’s Generosity with Cilantro Bouquet

Share

21 Responses to “Home as a Hobby ~ Cilantro Bouquet”

  1. Harini says:

    I totally agree about the beauty, fragrance and medicinal value of cilantro …but living in the north has its disadvantages pch..

  2. Lavanya says:

    Hi!

    I’ve just started growing my own little herb garden and was wondering if I could just germinate and use the regular dhania seeds we use in our masala dhabba? Looking forward to your advice!

  3. Cilantro says:

    Lovely Indira,
    I am just admiring the first pic with all the fresh Cilantro. I just love Cilantro. You know more about Seattle than I do, it is difficult to grow them outdoors so I grow them in small pot in my kitchen.

  4. Sudha says:

    Hi Indra, I always visit your blog once a week to get new recipes and inspiration 🙂 I’ve just started growing my own little herb garden (in pots, since i live in an apt.) Can you grow cilantro and methi from the normal seeds that we use for cooking and do they need direct sun light? It would be great if you could advice me on this. Thanks in advance.

  5. Minu says:

    Beautiful :-).

  6. Srimathi says:

    Hi Indra,

    I just have a bunch growing in my back yard. The rains in San diego has made them spread all over. I just love to go grab a bunch and add to my rasam or any other dish. the aroma from the fresh ones are out of this world.

  7. Kalyani says:

    wow it looks beautiful……

  8. aparna says:

    You can grow them from the seeds we use in cooking. I did that many times.
    But when u use fertilizer u need to check whether the fertilizer is for increasing the blooms or for increasing the foliage based upon ur requirement (more seeds or leaves).

  9. Kay says:

    Your dining area looks like a picture from a catalog. Love everything.

  10. Might be a fresh bunch of flowers would not have bought such a beauty to the room 🙂 Looks very nice and pleasing 🙂

  11. Indira says:

    Lavanya and Sudha: I always plant our regular, Indian grocery dhania and methi seeds. But before planting, I soak the seeds in water for a day or two for easy germination. It works. They do need some direct sunlight for healthy growth.
    Goodluck with your herb gardens.

    Cilantro: Dhania does well in containers. Love the amma’s rasam recipe you have posted at Cilantro.

    Aparna: Herbs are hardy plants and they generally do not need any fertilizer, particularly for cilantro. Cilantro bolts with profuse blooms whenever there is increase in the temperature and also during summer months. Cold months usually produce less flowers and more fresh leaves.

  12. Apu says:

    I manage to get a good cialntro harvest in the late summer here in the north. It seems to do really well in my little herb garden.

  13. deepti says:

    Lovely Pics …Truly admiring efforts from ur garden !!

  14. madhuri says:

    lovely pic Indira! I have my own herb garden too in pots in my apt..So far have curry leaves plant, Mint, Tulsi and Basil….REst of em are flowers:) hibiscus, kanakambaram, anuals,perinials…..marigold…zynia….and couple of indoor plants 🙂 I love my garden!

  15. Sudha says:

    Thankyou so much Indra. Will try it out 🙂

  16. kanthi says:

    Inti ni chusi illalini chudamannaru kada mana pedda vallu,mee intini chusi chhepeya vachhu meeru entha theeruvaina manishi ani.

  17. kanthi says:

    Thank you for dropping on to my blog,feel free to visit when u are free.

  18. Resh;) says:

    Simple yet breathtaking, thanks for making the humble corriander take centrestage.

  19. Greg says:

    I just found this post. Wonderful. I like to add the fresh plump green seeds to salads.

Leave a Reply

Staypressed theme by Themocracy