A Herbal Quickie
I love to grow herbs.
Most folks grow them for their culinary needs. Some grow them for medicinal purposes. Others grow them for tea, ointments, soaping, etc..
Me? I grow them for the way they look, their pretty flowers, and for what they do for my garden.
Bring in pollinators? Great!
Bring in the good bugs that eat the bad bugs? Fantastic!
Bring in hummingbirds and butterflies? Sweet!
Repel bugs? Fantabulous!
Here is a list of some of the herbs I sell and a brief blurb on why I grow them, or why others might use them.
Anise Hyssop
Me: Beautiful flowers that attract the bees. Is a gorgeous, deer resistant perennial. The flowers make a lovely garnish for fruit salad.
Others - teas, sweetener, medicinal uses for chest colds, coughs and more.
Me - Pesto. Bug repelling (fleas, mosquito's, aphids, whitefly) and is a great companion plant for tomatoes.
Others - Cooking, esp Italian foods. Ointments. Teas and tonics for digestion. Gets rid of headaches.
Borage
Me - Beautiful blue flowers that the bees absolutely love! brings in lots of pollinators and looks pretty. Deters the tomato hornworm.
Others - The flowers are great for garnish in drinks or on cakes, etc... Use the leaves in cucumber salad.
Me - Pretty blue flowers. Perennial, deer resistant flowering plant. Insect repellent for fleas, ants, aphids, mealie bug.
Others - Medicinal uses as a tea or tonic. Perennial.
Calendula
Me - Repels bad bugs in the garden. Plant near tomatoes, asparagus and cabbage, esp.
Others - Balms, salves and ointments. Soothes burns, athlete's foot, cuts, etc.. Cooking. Garnish. Flowers.
Chives
Me - Love the blue/purple flowers in spring. Is perennial. I might use the leaves and the flowers for garnish and salads. Repels aphids, slugs, cabbage worm, and other bad bugs. Plant everywhere!
Others - Cooking. Garnish. Herbal oil infusions.
Me- Great hair rinse for blonde's ;) Ground cover instead of grass.
Others- Teas and medicinal uses. Used for many aliments such as cramping, anxiety, insomnia, IBS, Crohn's....
Cilantro/Coriander
Me - Companion plant, great to repel many bugs. Plant near peas and beans for great crops. Flower brings in good bugs.
Others- Cooking. Medicinal. Coriander seeds for cooking.
Dill
Me- Cooking ( am Scandinavian, we use it on everything!). For canning and pickling. Flowers are great for attracting good bugs. Plant near cabbage, lettuce, corn and cucumbers.
Others - Cooking. Canning.
Lemon Balm
Me - Another great tomato companion, improves flavour and growth. Rub down kitchen table to keep bugs away from your dinner.
Others - Teas. Cooking, goes with anything that goes well with lemon. Medicinally.
Lemon Verbena
Me - My new favourite herb. Looks pretty, smells great and tastes delish.
Others - Cooking, again goes well with most anything that likes lemon. Teas. Potpourri. Medicinally, for stress and spastic colon.
Mint
Me- smells and looks pretty. Repels cabbage pests, ants and mice!
Others - Cooking, teas, drinks. Medicinal uses for stress, digestive system.
Nettle
Me- Not sure, growing this for the first time ever. I mean, really, is a stinging plant that I remember painfully from my youth!
However, is said to bring in the butterflies and attracts the caterpillars away from your desirable plants until they come pretty butterflies. Is also said to make a great 'nitrogen tea' for the garden plus brings in the ladybugs! Also, claimed to speed up the decomposition in your compost bin : ) worth a try, eh?
Others- Cooking. Teas.
Oregano
Me- I grow lots of oregano, different types. I love the flowers, is a great draw for the good bugs. Bees love the flowers, too, so great pollinator plants. My daughter cooked with the Hot and Spicy Oregano. Yum. great planted near grapes, cabbage and cucumbers.
Others - Cooking! Pizza! Fragrance in oils, soaps, detergents. etc...
Parsley
Me - Flowers bring in good bugs. Aids the growth of tomatoes, carrots and roses.
Others - Cooking. Garnishes. Medicinal. High in Vitamin A.
Rosemary
Me - I love the smell of rosemary. Great with roasted veggies.
Others - Cooking! Goes well with chicken
Rue
Me- Is also known as Catscat... keeps cats away! Supposed to keep away fleas, too.
Others- Medicinally for arthritis, bronchitis, or headaches. Teas for croup, coughs, gas, and other tummy upsets.
Sage
Me- Looks pretty in the garden or in a pot.
Others- Cooking. Medicinally. Smudges against curses.
Yarrow- Going to throw this one into the herb list, as well, for many of the 'ancient' perennials are herbs.
Me- I use it as a beneficial insect lure in the garden. Nearly all of the good guys like white yarrow! Ladybugs, hoverflies, predatory wasps, etc... also, the roots and leaves improve the quality of the soil, so just by growing in the garden, you are enriching your soil. Is also said to improve the health of plants growing near it, likely due to the fact that it enriches soil, but I like that idea : )
Others- Medicinal, the leaves help to clot blood so good for skinned elbows or knees and nose bleeds.
Other useful garden herbs - echinacea, feverfew, scented geraniums, lavender, marigolds ...
Most folks grow them for their culinary needs. Some grow them for medicinal purposes. Others grow them for tea, ointments, soaping, etc..
Me? I grow them for the way they look, their pretty flowers, and for what they do for my garden.
Bring in pollinators? Great!
Bring in the good bugs that eat the bad bugs? Fantastic!
Bring in hummingbirds and butterflies? Sweet!
Repel bugs? Fantabulous!
Here is a list of some of the herbs I sell and a brief blurb on why I grow them, or why others might use them.
Anise Hyssop
Me: Beautiful flowers that attract the bees. Is a gorgeous, deer resistant perennial. The flowers make a lovely garnish for fruit salad.
Others - teas, sweetener, medicinal uses for chest colds, coughs and more.
Anise Hyssop
Basil Me - Pesto. Bug repelling (fleas, mosquito's, aphids, whitefly) and is a great companion plant for tomatoes.
Others - Cooking, esp Italian foods. Ointments. Teas and tonics for digestion. Gets rid of headaches.
Borage
Me - Beautiful blue flowers that the bees absolutely love! brings in lots of pollinators and looks pretty. Deters the tomato hornworm.
Others - The flowers are great for garnish in drinks or on cakes, etc... Use the leaves in cucumber salad.
Borage
Catmint Me - Pretty blue flowers. Perennial, deer resistant flowering plant. Insect repellent for fleas, ants, aphids, mealie bug.
Others - Medicinal uses as a tea or tonic. Perennial.
Catmint -Nepeta
Calendula
Me - Repels bad bugs in the garden. Plant near tomatoes, asparagus and cabbage, esp.
Others - Balms, salves and ointments. Soothes burns, athlete's foot, cuts, etc.. Cooking. Garnish. Flowers.
Chives
Me - Love the blue/purple flowers in spring. Is perennial. I might use the leaves and the flowers for garnish and salads. Repels aphids, slugs, cabbage worm, and other bad bugs. Plant everywhere!
Others - Cooking. Garnish. Herbal oil infusions.
Chives
ChamomileMe- Great hair rinse for blonde's ;) Ground cover instead of grass.
Others- Teas and medicinal uses. Used for many aliments such as cramping, anxiety, insomnia, IBS, Crohn's....
Cilantro/Coriander
Me - Companion plant, great to repel many bugs. Plant near peas and beans for great crops. Flower brings in good bugs.
Others- Cooking. Medicinal. Coriander seeds for cooking.
Dill
Me- Cooking ( am Scandinavian, we use it on everything!). For canning and pickling. Flowers are great for attracting good bugs. Plant near cabbage, lettuce, corn and cucumbers.
Others - Cooking. Canning.
Lemon Balm
Me - Another great tomato companion, improves flavour and growth. Rub down kitchen table to keep bugs away from your dinner.
Others - Teas. Cooking, goes with anything that goes well with lemon. Medicinally.
Lemon Verbena
Me - My new favourite herb. Looks pretty, smells great and tastes delish.
Others - Cooking, again goes well with most anything that likes lemon. Teas. Potpourri. Medicinally, for stress and spastic colon.
Mint
Me- smells and looks pretty. Repels cabbage pests, ants and mice!
Others - Cooking, teas, drinks. Medicinal uses for stress, digestive system.
Nettle
Me- Not sure, growing this for the first time ever. I mean, really, is a stinging plant that I remember painfully from my youth!
However, is said to bring in the butterflies and attracts the caterpillars away from your desirable plants until they come pretty butterflies. Is also said to make a great 'nitrogen tea' for the garden plus brings in the ladybugs! Also, claimed to speed up the decomposition in your compost bin : ) worth a try, eh?
Others- Cooking. Teas.
Oregano
Me- I grow lots of oregano, different types. I love the flowers, is a great draw for the good bugs. Bees love the flowers, too, so great pollinator plants. My daughter cooked with the Hot and Spicy Oregano. Yum. great planted near grapes, cabbage and cucumbers.
Others - Cooking! Pizza! Fragrance in oils, soaps, detergents. etc...
Parsley
Me - Flowers bring in good bugs. Aids the growth of tomatoes, carrots and roses.
Others - Cooking. Garnishes. Medicinal. High in Vitamin A.
Rosemary
Me - I love the smell of rosemary. Great with roasted veggies.
Others - Cooking! Goes well with chicken
Rue
Me- Is also known as Catscat... keeps cats away! Supposed to keep away fleas, too.
Others- Medicinally for arthritis, bronchitis, or headaches. Teas for croup, coughs, gas, and other tummy upsets.
Sage
Me- Looks pretty in the garden or in a pot.
Others- Cooking. Medicinally. Smudges against curses.
Yarrow- Going to throw this one into the herb list, as well, for many of the 'ancient' perennials are herbs.
Me- I use it as a beneficial insect lure in the garden. Nearly all of the good guys like white yarrow! Ladybugs, hoverflies, predatory wasps, etc... also, the roots and leaves improve the quality of the soil, so just by growing in the garden, you are enriching your soil. Is also said to improve the health of plants growing near it, likely due to the fact that it enriches soil, but I like that idea : )
Others- Medicinal, the leaves help to clot blood so good for skinned elbows or knees and nose bleeds.
White Yarrow
photo from ontariowildflower.com
Other useful garden herbs - echinacea, feverfew, scented geraniums, lavender, marigolds ...
Salad Burnet
Cucumber flavoured foliage ... and lovely flowers!
Lovely
ReplyDeletenettles are rampant here thru winter..get ya gloves on and snip all the tender tips ..dry it and use it in tea..i have heard of nettle soup or nettle and potato soup..or part of your vege soup...nettles are great if you hae low iron(they are the highest source of iron in the vege world),great for kidneys and liver, for gout and PMS..years ago I had a lot of surgerys in a shoert time frame and my hair started falling out and my nails started chipping away and all the skin on the pads of my fingers was flaky..after 3 weeks of nettle tea every day twice a day my hair was back to normal(and less grays LOL)
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