A larger plant than common chives with white flowers that are a wonderful addition to the herb garden. Perennial
Chives are the easiest herbs to grow. They can be grown in pots, in the ground, in sun or mostly shade. They are part of the onion family but they do not form a bulb like garlic or even green onions do. They stay slender and fine and have a nice mild flavor which can easily be used in cooking.
Chives grow in a clump like grass sending up new sprouts or shoots as they grow to maturity. They can get as large as 8-12" across at the base. Their water requirements are low but they can be in soil that is moist all the time. The roots of Chives are thick and sturdy.
Garlic chives are a slightly different version of the common or onion Chives with flat leaves instead of tube shaped and a more pronounced garlic scent. They are sometimes called Chinese Chives and are used primarily in Asian cooking. Pink flowers appear on the common Chives and the Garlic chives have white flowers. They are also edible and can be used to garnish salads.
To harvest Chives, always cut across the plant, only 1/2" from the ground. This tells the plant that new sprouts need to be sent up and they will regrow within two weeks or so. You can cut only a portion of the leaves or cut off the whole plant. Any extra leaves can be snipped and stored in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
For cooking, use Chives with cheeses, dips, salad dressings, potato salads, pasta salads, chicken and tuna salads, stuffed eggs and quiches, or on baked potatoes.
