What do you think is MY favorite use for dill? Find out at the ends of this blog. But first, let me “farmsplain” why you should be growing it. I’ll think you’ll find a favorite use for it too.
1) It’s just plain pretty. Can’t you tell from the picture? Dill is ethereal. It grows five feet tall. It’s gorgeous.
2) It’s easy to grow. Dill is planted in October in North Texas. It grows over the winter, which means less bug and weeds pressure. It’s the easiest thing to grow and great for beginner gardeners. Fail proof.
3) Great for canning. Who doesn’t love pickles or pickled okra? My grandma used to make the best pickles. She would pick them all tiny because the grandkids loved them snack-size. Every time I think of canning or dill, I think of her.
4) Great for cooking. Dill bread. Dill dip. Watermelon gazpacho. Salmon with dill. Need I go on? I’m getting hungry just talking about it.
5) It seeds itself. You don’t even have to plant it. Just let it head out, seed out, and do its thang.
6) It’s hardy. Dill on my farm survived Snowpocalypse of 2021 without any special care. We had subzero windchills in North Texas and freezing temps for a week. It can survive anything with little or no help.
7) Beneficial for insects. Did you know that dill is the host plant for the swallowtail caterpillar? Swallowtail caterpillars turn into beautiful black swallowtail butterflies.
8) Throw it in your chicken coop. Have you ever heard of using herbs in your chickens nesting boxes. It makes the coop smell better. And chickens can even snack on them. Dried or fresh works fine. They even say it will give a hint of herbiness to your eggs.
9) It’s multi-purpose. Use the seeds (dill seed). Use the foliage (dill weed). It’s the give that keeps on giving.
10) Looks great in bouquets. Duh. I couldn’t get out of here without discussing its benefits as a cut flower. It provides so much textural interest to a bouquet or arrangement. Makes them smell great too.
So, what’s my favorite use for dill? Butterfly habitat. While I love to pick it for bouquets, I always relocate the caterpillars to several plants I don’t use for harvesting. That way, they can chow down, make their chrysalis and turn into beautiful butterflies. We even just brought some in the house so that we could watch them during the whole process and do a butterfly release at the end. Isn’t nature great? Dill is too. Believe me now?
