Anethum graveolens (Organic Dill)

Organic dill is the same beloved culinary herb grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and for a kitchen plant that ends up in your food, the organic designation matters. Dill is an annual that grows quickly from seed into a feathery, aromatic plant 2 to 3 feet tall, with finely divided blue-green foliage and wide, flat flower heads packed with tiny yellow blooms. The entire plant is useful: leaves (called dillweed) for fresh cooking, flowers for garnish, and dried seeds for pickling and seasoning.

Direct sow in a sunny bed with good drainage after the last frost date, or tuck starts in now for a jump on the season. Dill establishes quickly and requires little care beyond occasional water in dry spells. It reseeds readily if allowed to set seed, which means a patch of dill can replenish itself year after year with minimal effort. The flowers are a reliable food source for beneficial insects, including parasitic wasps that help keep garden pest populations in check.

Fresh dill is best used soon after cutting. For storage, the leaves freeze well. The seeds can be dried and stored for a year or more and are a staple for anyone making refrigerator pickles or cucumber salads in late summer.