Chives

Chives are a well-known, slender kitchen herb that is easy to grow. Chives are commonly used with cheese, in soups, or as a garnish over dishes.

Latin name: Allium schoenoprasum
Height: 15–20 cm
Flowering period: June – July
Life cycle: Perennial

Description:
Chives originally come from Europe and Northern Asia. They can still be found growing wild in the Netherlands and Belgium. Chives belong to the Alliaceae family, which also includes wild garlic, onion, leek and garlic.

Chives have beautiful green shoots. In the months of June and July, the plant produces lovely purple flowers. Eventually the plant dies back, but it will reappear again in spring.

In the kitchen:
Chives are widely used in the kitchen, in fresh cheeses, soups, or as a garnish over dishes. Cut the shoots as finely as possible to release as much flavour as possible.

Garnishing works beautifully with long shoots and, of course, the flowers. The flowers of chives are also edible. In short, you can hardly ever have too much of this herb at home.

In the herb garden
Chives grow well both in pots and in open ground. If you bring the pots indoors, you can enjoy them all year round. Caring for chives is simple; just make sure the soil does not dry out.

When harvesting chive shoots, it is important to cut or snip them at the base. This allows the plant to regrow quickly, so you can harvest several times throughout the season.

After 3 to 4 years, the plant can be dug up and divided. This keeps the plant young and allows it to be easily propagated.