for:
Herbs provide a rewarding combination of usefulness, beauty and aroma. They are not difficult to grow and can be tucked away in little corners of your garden, grown in pots on a verandah or can make an attractive garden on their own.
When planning an herb garden there a few things to decide first:
- Where do you want to plant your herbs? - Do you want them spread throughout an existing vegetable garden or flower bed, or do you want them to be a garden on their own
- What aspect will they be planted in? - Consider things such as direct sunlight and shade
- Are you starting with a blank canvas or adding herbs to an existing area
- What type of herb garden do you want? - There are many types of herb gardens, including:
a small all-purpose herb garden - filled with herbs - it is amazing how many you can fit in to a small space! - a large all-purpose herb garden - a larger plot allows you to do separate areas with different themes
- patios, balconies and verandahs - tiers of pots or shelves, hanging baskets and trellises add balance to a balcony herb garden
- an indoor herb garden - indoor herb gardens add fragrance and because they are close at hand, encourage you to use them more
- a theme garden, such as a country kitchen garden, a roman cook's garden, an astrological herb garden, a garden for honey bees, and so on
- an aromatic herb garden - especially designed for its scent and perfumes
- a children's herb garden - a great learning experience, often filled with herbs with highly aromatic leaves that release the smell when crushed; plants that are edible; flowers that attract butterflies
- a moonlight herb garden - in dull light blue becomes white, white and light grey appear flourescent
- a culinary herb garden - there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh picked herbs in your cooking and salads
- a chinese herb garden - a combination of beauty and medicinal qualities, the chinese are experts at gardening in small areas
- a paradise garden - contains water channels, aromatic trees, fruits, fragrant herbs and colourful flowers - imagine the Garden of Eden
- a medicinal garden - individual herbs and combination of herbs make great alternative medicines
- a spice garden - asian, indian, african and other exotic spices are used more in our cooking
- What do you want to use your herbs for? - Herbs can be used for cooking, medicinal purposes or simply just for their beauty and aroma.
- How much room does each type of herb need? - how big will they grow
- What type of herbs are there? - ground covers, bushes, trees! Time to do a bit of research.
How to plan a herb garden?
After answering the questions above, sit down with paper, pencils and a ruler and start to draw up ideas. Start by drawing out pathways (existing or planned) and where you want your plantings to go.
The next step is to mark out the site. This can be done with garden stakes or even a spray can. You can lay cardboard boxes out where you want to plant each type of herb.
Now, purchase and plant your herbs and sit back and watch them grow!
How can I use my herbs?
For centureis, herbs were regarded as essential to daily life. They played a significant role in diet, were made into household products and cosmetics, and provided the main source of medicinal treatments. It seems we are moving more and more back to these ideas in our daily life. Some uses of herbs may include:
Herbal Decorations - in baskets, wreaths, floral arrangements and bunches throughout your home.
| The following plants will add colour, interesting shapes and fragrance to arrangements when used fresh | Those marked with an asterisk (*) also dry well |
||
|
Flowers |
Elecampane* Flax Forget-me-not Foxglove Honesuckle Jasine Lady's mantle Larkspur* Lavender* |
Lily of the valley Love-in-a-mist Marigold Marjorams Meadowsweet Melilot Mints Peony Pinks |
Poppies Primrose Pyrethrum Rosemary Teasel* Thymes Valerian Violet Yarrow* |
| Foliage Artemisias* Basils Bay* Eucalyptus* |
Fennel Lungwort Marjorams Mints Mullein |
Myrtle Parsley Pelargoinums Rosemary |
Sages* Salad burnet Santolina* Thymes* |
| Seed heads Alexanders* Alliums* Angelica* |
Fennel* Good King Henry Hops* |
Lovage Love-in-a-mist* Poppy* |
Sorrel* Sunflower* Sweet cicely* |
Herbs in the Kitchen
Herbs have been described as the soul of cookery and the praise of cooks. Used judiciously, they can transform a routine meal into a sensuous experience of tangy, spicy refreshing flavours and crunchy textures. Many herbs make foods more palatable by easing digestion and some herbs are used to preserve foods. Below is a list of the more commonly used culinary herbs:
|
Angelica |
Dill Fennel Garlic Ginseng Horseradish Kaffir Lime Leaves Juniper Lemon Balm Lemon Basil Lemongrass Lemon Mint Lemon Myrtle Lemon Thyme Lovage |
Marjoran Mints Mustard Mustard Seed Nutmeg Oregano Paprika Parsley Peppercorns Poppyseed Rosemary Saffron Sage Salad Burnet Savory |
Sorrel Spearmint Star Anise Sweet Cicely Tandoori Marsala Tarragon Tea Thai Basil Thyme Turmeric Vanilla Vietnamese Coriander Wasabi Watercress Wattleseed |
To see a more complete list of herbs visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herbs_and_spices
Herbs for the Household
It is not only historical interest or nostalgia that makes the idea of using herbs attractive to us today. Herbal dyes are still unsurpassed for sublety of colour, and aromatic herbs contain antiseptic oils useful in cleaning. Herbs can be used for the following around the home:
Controlling Pests
- Ants - place sprigs of pennyroyal, rue or tansy in cupboards
- Flies - Use elder, lavender, mint, mugwort, peppermint, pennyroyal and rue around the home
- Fleas and lice - burn the leaves of fleabane, ploughman's spikenard, mugwort or wormwood
- Mice - mint and tansy in your cupboards
- Weevils - place bay leaves in flour and rice
House Cleaning
- Disinfectants - 6 drops essential oil (lemon, rosemary) with 1 teaspoon isopropyl alcohol and 2 litres of tepid water (hot water evaporates the oil)
- Metal polishes
- Dyes - plant dyes including Nettle, Elder Leaves, Woad, Bramble Shoots, Alkanet Root, Weld, Onion Skins, Chamomile & Madder Root
Potpourri
A way of bringing the garden indoors. Potpourri can be crushed and scattered, used in arrangements or contained in fabric (pillowcases, coat hangers, bags). Use your fabourite scented and colourful herbs. Herbs such as lavendar, roses, citrus and woodblends are used.
Herbs for Beauty
Herbs can be used in cosmetics and creams. This may include:
- Skin creams and lotions - to adapt to your particular skin type
- Herbal Baths - there is nothing quite as relaxing as a herbal bath filled with such things as camomile, jasmine, lavender and roses.
- Facial Steams - providing a thorough cleansing using such herbs as fennel, camomile, dandelion and elderflowers
- Face Packs - to draw impurities from your skin using such herbs as fennel, juniper berries, sage and yarrow
- Herbal Soaps - soothing and aromatic soaps from herbs such as lemon, rosemary, rose and lavender
- Floral Waters - herbs in water are quite refreshing and can include herbs such as lavendar, lemon, rosemary and rose petals
- Hand Cream - hand creams made with natural oils, rosewater and herbs such as elderflowers, rose and lavendar are healthy and soothing
- Feet - hand creams can be used for the feet, and also foot baths can be made including herbs such as sweet marjoram, thyme, sage, lavendar and lovage.
- Hair Care - herbs make a fresh natural shampoo including soapwort, orris root and arrowroot. Hair rinses can be made from rosewater and your favourite scented herbs
- Eye Care - eyebaths can be made from herbs including eyebright, agrimony and camomile. Eye compresses can also be made in bags to place over tired eyes
- Teeth - teeth can be cleanses with sage leaf, dogwood or peppermint. Stains can be removed with strawberries and lemon peel. Chewing parsley is a natural mouth wash! Oil of cloves is brilliant for soothing a toothache.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have long been known to have healing properties. They are also wonderful to use for massaging. Such oils as geranium, jasmine, lavendar, camomile, sandalwood, rose, lemon, sage and so on can be used. Essential oils not only have a soothing affect but they can also normalise oily or dry skin, increase the elasticity of the skin .... and help lift depression.
The information in this article has been obtained from research and reference, primarily to the book "The Complete Book of Herbs" by Lesley Bremness
