Growing Herbs for Health and Home

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Every herb grown was once a wild plant. Growing herbs is a rewarding practice that has been used worldwide for thousands of years. Only five percent of the entire worlds plants have been tested for their medicinal properties while 85 percent of pharmaceutical drugs are linked to plants. Over 80 percent of the worlds population still relies on herbs for medical treatment.

Herbs for Beginner Gardeners

Growing herbs suitable for container growing are perfect choices for the beginner gardener, which include basil, chives, dill, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Spreading your herb plants around the garden keeps disease and pests at bay. Growing herbs encourage growth in other plants. Check herbs often to keep them free from dust and dirt. Wipe leaves clean with a damp cloth or use a paintbrush.

Grow herbs as near to your kitchen as possible for the aroma and convenient harvest. Mint is an excellent insect repellent that deters flies from entering the house. The mint family includes thyme, sage, lavender, rosemary, and basil.

Indoor Herb Gardening

Protect your indoor herb garden from insects without resorting to chemicals by providing them with adequate food, water, and sunlight. Pots of lavender, thyme, and basil repel most flying pests.

Keep them in an appropriately sized and type of pot. Potted herbs prefer snug containers. Signs a growing herb needs repotting are roots growing out from the drainage holes, wilting, and producing small and yellowing leaves.

If you are growing herbs indoors, remember that the humidity is often low in centrally heated homes. Lessen the dehydrating effects by placing plants close together on the windowsill.

Harvesting

An ingenious method to preserve herbs is by freezing them. As soon as basil and chives are picked, freeze the leaves in ice cubes. When frozen solid, transfer into freezer bags. Larger leafed mint and parsley can be frozen directly into plastic bags.

Uses

Which came first, herbs for healing or for food? Traditionally, often the two uses overlapped. Common herb oils with antiseptic properties are lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Basil, chives, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage are used to make flavored vinegars.

Begin growing herbs with these 10 favorites

Basil

Basil, Ocimum Basilicum, grows better indoors. Many plants such as basil thrive on regular trimmings to keep them from becoming straggly looking. Keep all herbs trimmed in summer to make them prosper longer before flowering and going to seed. Do not let your basil flower and pinch off the tops to ensure continued growth. A leaf of basil placed on a mouth ulcer will ease the ache.

Chives

Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, are the smallest and easiest to grow of all its onion relatives. The herb will do fine with a bit of shade. Its benefit is the garden by keeping pests off rose bushes and is a delicious garnish. Whooping cough sufferers who eat egg or cheese sandwiches filled with chopped chives are said to find relief from their sickness.

Dill

Dill, Anethum graveolens, is tolerant of partial sun but prefers full sunlight. It is used to flavor fish and pickles. In days of old, St. Johns Wort and dill was supposed to rob witches of their will. Wort is an Old Saxon word for herb. Early settlers to America chewed dill and fennel seeds to ward off hunger during the long church sermons.

Fennel

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is handy if troubled by gas pains. Crush three teaspoons of fennel seeds in water and drink before each meal. Herbalists use a fennel seed infusion to help colic in babies. The tea helps stimulate breast milk and can be added to baby bottles in aiding digestion. The herb is used to treat chest congestion and coughs in children and adults. It is a popular addition to salad. Greek athletes ate the herb to build up their stamina. The Greek word for fennel is marathon.

Lavender

Lavender,because its oils were often used to clean clothes. The old-fashioned lavender bag was filled with dried herbs to bring a fresh smell to clothes hung up in wardrobes. The small bag typically included lavender, thyme, and mint. Lavender lemonade is a refreshing drink for a hot summers day.

Mint

Mint, Mentha Piperita, grows best in partial shade and moist soil. Plant in a container sunk into the ground to keep its roots from spreading. Use compost for best results. The herb is used in making savory jellies, served with lamb, and cooked in dark chocolate sauce. Mint freshens breath and is even more effective chewed with anise. Mint also relieves mouth pain caused by gingivitis.

Parsley

Parsley, Petroselinum Hortense, makes a tasty flavoring for sauces, butters, and garnishes. There is an ancient saying that parsley goes to the devil and back seven times before germinating, possibly stemming from the fact its germination is highly unpredictable. Parsley seed must be fresh for sowing. Hot water poured on the soil thirty minutes before planting will help the seeds germinate.

Rosemary

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, loves the sun and is an excellent flavoring for vegetables and meats. Folklore tells that gardeners who plant rosemary will never lack friends. Folk tales also suggest that it only grows where the woman is boss in the marriage. William Shakespeare wrote rosemary was for remembrance. In the olden days, pillows were filled with lavender and rosemary to cure insomnia by filling the room with a relaxing scent.

Sage

Sage, Salvia, officinalis, grows well in hot dry climates and has been acclaimed as a rejuvenating tonic for centuries. It stimulates appetite and aids digestion. Sage became an important ingredient in stuffing for turkey to prevent indigestion. In olden days, sage was used to predict the future. Sage advice was, where the herb flourished, so would the family fortune.

Thyme

Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, is a real sun-lover. Long ago, the Greeks used thyme as sweet burning incense in their temples. Today, it is well known as a culinary herb. Growing herbs such as thyme make attractive garden borders. The tender young leaves, either fresh or dried, season seafood, cheeses, poultry, and other delectable foods.

For more herb gardening articles visit the pages below

ARJUNA HERB: The Arjuna Herb Has Been reported To Improve Cardiovascular Health

ARTEMISIA HERB: Discover why Artemisia is one of the most valued healing herbs in the world

Ashawagandha: All parts of the Ashawagandha herb can be used for medicinal and food applications

Astralugus Plant: The Astralugus Plant Is Widely Used In Chinese herbal medicine For Good Reason--Here's Why

Avena Sativa: Avena Sativa Is Used In Breakfast Cereals As Well As Treatment for Drug Addictions

Barberry Plant: Egyptians use the Barberry herb as a fever remedy as it relieves thirst and lowers abnormal body heat.

Bay Leaves: Bay leaves are also commonly known as Laurel leaves or Sweet Bay leaves.

Bilberry Herb: Can Bilberry sharpen vision; relieve diarrhea, and sooth a sore throat?

Birch Herb: The leaves of the birch herb can be made into strong tea drank for treatment of urinary tract infections, cystitis, gout, rheumatism, an as a laxative for constipation.

Bitter Orange: Bitter Orange is one of the most sought after herb in the world due to its amazing ability to increase metabolism.

GINSENG PLANT: The amazing ginseng plant:

GROWING BASIL: Who else wants to begin growing basil today with these proven methods?

GROWING CILANTRO: You Can Laugh At Growing Cilantro Problems--If You Follow This Simple Plan

GROWING CHIVES: Want to grow chives in your herb garden? Just try these methods

GROWING DILL: Advice to anyone growing dill

GROWING FENNEL: How to get started growing fennel in your herb garden

HERB GARDENING: Herb gardening for health and family?

GROWING GINGER: How to grow, care and harvest ginger

GROWING HERBS INDOORS: The many benefits of growing herbs indoors

GROWING LAVENDER: How to grow lavender in your herb garden.

GROWING MEDICINAL HERBS: what every herb Gardner should know

GROWING MINT: Growing mint is a hardy perennial, reproduced from roots or runners

GROWING ROSEMARY: Give me 5 minutes and I'll give you the secrets of growing rosemary

GROWING SAGE: How to grow, care and harvest sage in your herb garden

GROWING STRAWBERRIES: Growing strawberries the quick and easy way

Indoor Herb Garden: Having An Indoor herb garden allows you to enjoy fresh herbs even during winter

INDOOR HERB GARDENING: How to have success with all your indoor herb gardening

ORGANIC HERB GARDENING: Organic herb gardening is not expensive nor is it difficult.

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