Norann Oleson, Editorial Director of Food Gardening Network

Welcome to the delightful world of dill!

Light and feathery leaves topped with lacy, umbrella-shaped heads—dill is a delightful presence in the garden. An annual that readily reseeds itself, this herb is beloved by people around the world and brings a delicate, but unmistakable flavor to your culinary creations. From dilly beans to salmon with dill, cucumber-dill salad to dill seed bread, dill not only tastes good, but contributes visual interest with its fine green leaves or golden brown seeds mixed into dishes or used as a garnish.

Dill has been valued for centuries as a digestion aid, a breath freshener, and protection against witches! Dill will attract butterflies to your garden and seeds can be used in soapmaking. Dill and fennel taste similar, and you can swap one for the other in recipes, but keep in mind that dill has a milder flavor. The same is true for dill seeds and caraways seeds.

Now that you have a hint of dill’s versatility, it’s time to discover all this herb has to offer.

First is the collection’s Introduction, where you’ll learn some of the basics about dill and how to choose the right variety to grow. You’ll also get the history of this easy-to-grow herb!

Next, in the Feature Articles, you’ll get specifics about dill growing—from planting to watering, fertilizing, and harvesting dill leaves and seeds depending on how you want to use them.

There’s a lot to know about dill growing, so even if you’re a veteran, you might learn something new. We aim to gather everything there is to know about dill growing into this single collection!

We have six fun Plant Profiles with the more popular varieties listed, including options for gardeners around the country and those who want to grow dill in containers.

While the number of dill varieties is not vast, the six we’ve chosen are all tops for flavor, production, and beauty. If you’d like us to include another dill variety that appeals to you, please let me know by commenting below.

After all, this is Food Gardening Network, and we want to include the knowledge of all our gardening readers in everything we do. Your input is just as important to us as anything we come up with on our own!

We do think you’ll love the dill Recipes we’ve compiled for enjoying the fruits of your labor. They cover many traditional uses of dill, plus some variations on traditional dill recipes you might want to try.

Make a savory salmon dish enhanced by the grassy, slightly anise-tasting flavor of your own homegrown dill. Or put up your homegrown green beans with dill-flavored vinegar. Friends and family will love the wide variety of ways you can put your dill to use—ways that go far beyond basic garnishes.

After that, you’ll be interested to learn how dill can benefit your health in Nutrition Facts about Dill. This herb is high in vitamins A and C and rich in antioxidants.

Then there are the Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Dill where you’ll learn how dill is are thought to help heart health, prevent cancer, and contribute to better digestive health.

Because we want you to have everything there is to know about dill at your fingertips, we’ve included a Resources section that’s complementary to this collection. Learn more about tools specific to dill growing, and kitchen tools that will come in handy after you’ve harvested your dill.

As always, we’ve included a brief Glossary in case you need a deeper explanation of any key terms. Be sure to let us know if there’s something else you need explained!

I’m off to make some Dilly Beans right now, but I hope you’re ready to dive in and become a master dill grower!