Dill is the Best of Herbs: Fragrant and Persistent Dill

Dill qualifies as a top-notch herb in my garden, without question.

I am a pragmatic gardener. To survive in my yard, a plant has to take care of itself, come back year after year, and be durable.

Well, when I planted my first sprig of dill, I had no idea how beautiful it would look - but especially how it would smell. I'm afraid that I'm in love with a plant.

First, dill smells fresh and clean and wholesome, and its fragrance carries on the breeze and really brings joy to a garden. I am not an aroma therapist, but dill is one of those garden smells that makes you stop and take in deep breaths. Yes, it smells like dill pickles, but not as sharp. It is a more whole smell. If you brush it as you walk by or mist it with water or if it rains, it really smells good.

Second, dill is beautiful. It can grow tall, perhaps three and a half feet, on willowy stalks, and it develops a real crown at the top, which has a nice yellow tinge. It's symmetrical and dramatic looking, and the green varies from dark to almost a light yellow. It is easy to knock over, but that hardly matters because there will always be more growing somewhere else. It is a soft plant. It's not going to scratch you when you walk by, but sweep along your arm and tickle it.

Third, dill comes back year after year. It is not a perennial, but that crown at the top is where the seeds develop, and all you have to do is leave it to dry a bit and the seeds fall and do their job. I planted one silly plant years ago and have had plenty of dill all over the garden for the last several years. If it pops up in the wrong place I just pick it and mulch it. Even the mulch pile smells good.

Fourth, dill is an herb that should be clipped and used in the kitchen in various dishes. I am admittedly no cook, but even I find a use for it with the occasional fish or even in tuna salad.

The dog loves to munch on it, and whether I am mowing the lawn or pulling weeds, the dill lets me know that it's there. It makes me hungry just to smell it.

Finally, if you love pickles, well, growing some dill is going to make you want to try to grow your own, so be prepared.