Herbs- growing and using

by Kim Willis These articles are copyrighted and may not be copied or used without the permission of the author.

On this page you will find articles about growing herbs and medicinal uses of plants plus cooking with herbs articles and recipes. General articles about herbs are first followed by an alphabetical listing of individual herbs. 

Getting Started with an Herb Garden

Herbs bring exciting tastes to our meals and can also bring comfort and healing to our bodies. Fresh herbs are the best tasting and most nutritious.  Anyone with a small patch of sun can have an herb garden.   In this article we will discuss getting started with an herb garden of your own. 

Choosing a site

Most herbs require a sunny spot to do well.  Even a small sunny spot on a deck or porch can be a spot for herbs in containers.  In general herbs are not fussy about soil type.  In fact many prefer soil that is not too rich.  The majority of herbs do require soil that drains well.   If you have heavy clay soil you may want to grow herbs in raised beds of amended soil.

Just like a vegetable garden, you will be more likely to use your herbs if you can dash out the door and pick some as you cook.  A spot close to the house will tend to keep the herb bed better cared for and harvested more frequently.  If space is limited, herbs can be tucked into flower beds.  Some are actually quite ornamental.   Just make sure they are in locations where they will not be sprayed with pesticides.

Herbs can also be planted in the vegetable garden.  Many herbs either attract beneficial insects or repel pest insects.  Perennial herbs should be planted where they will not need to be disturbed each year as you prepare the garden. 

If you live in zone five or lower, you may want to place your herb garden where it is protected from the wind and in a spot that collects heat, such as near a stone patio or wall.  This will give you a better chance for success with some of the heat loving, slightly tender herbs.

Some herbs can become invasive in a favorable site.  Mints, lemon balm, comfrey, and oregano are examples.  You may want to place these herbs where they are surrounded by a paved area or an area that is frequently mowed rather than in the flower or vegetable garden. 

Choosing varieties

When getting started with an herb garden you should learn something about the herb plants you would like to grow.  Do you want familiar culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, or herbs for crafts and dye making?  Plant catalogs and good reference books will help you learn about the requirements of each herb.  This site has articles on the requirements and care of individual herb plants.

If space is limited grow only the herbs you will use the most.   If you like rosemary and use it frequently in cooking then you will want rosemary.  If space is not a problem you can experiment with other herbs.  One herb plant is usually enough for most households.   Plants used for tea, such as chamomile, may require a few plants.  If you use them a lot you can add more plants later. 

Some herbs are annual plants and must be planted each year.  Others are perennials or bi-annual.  Not all perennial and bi-annual herbs will grow in all areas.    There may be some varieties of an herb that will survive better in your area than others.

Most annual herbs can be planted after the danger of frost has passed.   Some perennial herbs that won’t survive winter in your area might survive if you plant them in a pot and bring them inside for the winter.  Check the zone hardiness of each variety of the herb.  Some thymes will survive zone five for example, and some won’t.

Many of our common herbs are of Mediterranean origin and don’t like wet soil or to be too wet in winter.   If you have clay soil you may have to build a raised bed where the soil is amended with gravel for drainage.  These herbs may not appreciate daily soakings from irrigation sprinklers either.  Mulch them with stones instead of bark chips.   Mediterranean herbs include lavender and rosemary.

There are some herbs that have varieties that have been selected to be more ornamental than edible.  Some sages with variegated leaves are quite attractive in the garden but do not have that true sage flavor in cooking.  Some basils have been bred to have frilly, colorful leaves but do not have much flavor when used in cooking.  There are basils, sages, oregano, thymes and mints that have different flavors, some good for cooking and others just for potpourri or scenting the garden.

If you are interested in medicinal herbs be aware that there are some varieties and species that have more of an active ingredient than others.  Medicinal herbs should be purchased from a nursery that specializes in them, rather than the local garden store.   The herbs will be more likely to be identified correctly and varieties that are high in medicinal qualities will be offered.

Caring for and harvesting herbs

Herbs usually are fairly pest and disease free if grown in suitable conditions.  Most herbs where the foliage is used for cooking benefit if any flowers produced are removed.   Regular pruning and pinching will keep herb plants from getting lanky and will encourage new fresh growth. 

In plants where the flowers are used or appreciated, you must be careful about what time plants are pruned.  Lavender needs to be pruned in early spring; if you trim later you may lose all the flowers.  For some herbs you want flowers to develop.  If you want dill seed or caraway or coriander you must let flowers develop.

To prevent powdery mildew and other fungal disease, don’t crowd your herb garden.  Leave space between plants for good airflow.  Water herbs at the base of the plants and don’t work among them or harvest when the foliage is wet from rain or dew. 

Herbs generally don’t require much fertilization.   Check your references for recommendations for each type of herb before applying fertilizer.  Too much fertilizer may actually harm them.

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Preserving and drying herbs

There are a number of good ways to preserve herbs for winter use, or just
ease of use. Make sure that the herbs you harvest for any use have not been sprayed with insecticides and that you are sure of the identity of the herb you have
chosen.

Drying Herbs

As winter nears you may want to save some of the wonderful herbs you grew this summer for cooking, teas, or scented decorations.   Those herbs should be gathered before frost and picked in the morning, just after the dew has dried. Depending on
your method and the herb, you can harvest leaves, stems with leaves, flowers or whole plants.

Try to do your herb drying when there is to be an extended period of low humidity. Clean off any insects, decaying leaves, mushy spots, etc before beginning. Try not to wash the herbs – unless they are very dusty or dirty.

Traditional drying involves spreading the herbs in a single layer on a screen or hanging them in little bunches from a line in a warm, dark place until they dry.  Tie the bunches with string or use rubber bands.  Dark areas help the herbs keep a better color and scent.  

Check on your herbs frequently and remove any molded areas.  Turn them over or move the position of bunches from time to time. This can take two weeks.  Some people use a dark attic for drying herbs, or an unused, dark closet. Sheds and garages can be used but herbs may pick up off smells from animals in sheds or barns or from things stored in garages.  Basements that are dry can be used, but avoid dank, humid basements.

You can also put small amounts of herbs in brown paper bags, fold over the top, and put them in your car. The heat and sun will dry them in a few days and make your car smell good too.   It’s a good way to use an abandoned car on your property also, just make sure the windows are intact to keep bugs and small animals away.  That’s called red neck herb drying.

You can also spread herbs on a cookie sheet and put them in an oven at a low heat, about 150 degrees. Crack the door open and check on them frequently, moving them around as needed. This may take a couple of hours.   Do this when you can stay near the kitchen to check on them and don’t go away from home and leave the oven on.

You can dry herbs in a dehydrator if it has a low setting, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

You can dry small amounts of herbs in the microwave. Thinner leaved varieties work best. Place on a microwave plate covered with a white paper towel. Lay the herbs on the towel in a single layer and cover with another white paper towel. Microwave in short bursts, less than a minute of time, checking frequently, until the herbs are crispy. Don’t go away or leave the herbs in too long as they can start burning.

When you have dried, crispy herbs you can crumble and store them in an airtight container. Combine herbs for your own special blend. If you like powdered herbs use your food processor. Use a bit of rice or powdered milk in a twist of tissue in each container to help absorb moisture. Herbs are generally good for at least 6 months if properly dried and stored.

Chicken seasoning

½ teaspoon each,- dried sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, ¼
teaspoon black pepper- blend together.

If you don’t want to dry herbs there are some alternative methods you can use to preserve them.  These methods can be used anytime you have an abundance of herbs.

Freezing herbs

Chopped or whole sprigs of herbs can be laid on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen and then placed in freezer containers. When thawed they will be mushy and are suitable only for cooking uses. You can also put small amounts of herbs in a little water, like in ice cube trays and freeze them to use in cooking; the water evaporates. You can also freeze the oil preserved herbs that are discussed later.


Preserving herbs in salt 

Lay sprigs of herbs or herb leaves in a non- metallic container that has an inch or so of non-iodized salt or kosher salt in it. Cover the leaves or sprigs in salt. You can repeat for several layers. Crush garlic cloves before using them in salt and chopping herbs like parsley finely before placing in the salt gives a better flavor to the salt. If the salt clumps during drying, stir it and keep stirring every day until clumps no longer form.

You can remove the herbs when they are dried and discard the salt, or you can use the salt, which will have taken on some of the herb’s flavors. Leaving finely chopped herbs in the salt gives you seasoned salt. Try combining several herbs. You can use the seasoned salt as a meat rub or in other cooking.

Preserving herbs in sugar

Certain herbs that are used in sweet cooking or teas can be preserved in sugar. Lemon balm, mints, lavender, rose petals, etc. are some examples. Chopping the herbs first works better when preserving in sugar.  Put an inch or so of sugar down, then herbs then a layer of sugar.  You can repeat for several layers.  Stir if clumps form until the sugar no longer clumps. Keep the container covered to avoid attracting insects.  It can also be stored in the refrigerator. 

Baking with the sugar will make most of the herb flavor disappear, ad only a light flavor remain.  The sugar can be added to tea and cold drinks, or used to top desserts.  Adding a crushed or whole vanilla bean to some of the herbs in sugar makes a nice touch.

Please note- cane sugar or beet sugar can be used but artificial sweeteners cannot be used to preserve herbs.

Lavender Lemonade

Boil 1c. lavender sugar, and 2 ½ c water together , stirring until sugar dissolves, remove from heat, add ¼ c. dried lavender flowers and place mixture in refrigerator overnight. Next day, strain out the flowers and add 1 c. of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 2 ½ c. cold water.  Serve with ice.  The lemonade will be pale pink.

Preserving herbs in oil- [Pesto method] or butter

Many herbs can be preserved in oil. Use a mild flavored oil like extra virgin olive oil or canola oil. Chop the herbs finely. Garlic cloves should be crushed. Use about 2 cups of chopped herbs to a ½ c. of oil. Blend in a blender or food processor until a thick paste forms. You can refrigerate and store for a week or two or freeze and store in small portions for several months. Experiment with different herb blends. Use the oil paste in cooking.

Some people also just place sprigs of herbs in bottles of oil and let them steep.  The herbs must be totally covered in oil, with no parts exposed to air.  If you use some of the oil you must either remove the herbs or add oil to the bottle so no herbal parts are exposed to air.  Herbs exposed to air under these conditions may mold or spoil.  Discard any oil with mold.

Chopped herbs can also be blended with softened butter or margarine for a delightful spread. You can make the paste with oil as above and blend it with soft butter also. The flavored butters can be frozen for a few months. Herbs can also be blended with soft cheese or cream cheese.

Cilantro and Lime Butter

1 stick [1/2 cup] butter, 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon grated
lime rind[zest]

Let butter soften and blend all ingredients together. Refrigerate
leftovers.


Rosemary and Garlic Butter

1 stick [1/2 cup] butter, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or ½
teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 clove of garlic crushed. Let butter soften and
blend all ingredients together.

Refrigerate leftovers. Excellent on hot bread.


Preserving in vinegar

You can simply drop leaves or sprigs of herbs in any type of vinegar and let it steep for a few weeks. You will be using the flavored vinegar, not the herb. Some people think the vinegar should be boiling before the herbs are added, but boiling vinegar may actually reduce its keeping qualities. It is best to use glass bottles, sterilized with boiling water, for the vinegar and herb mix.  Cap or cover the bottles.

Any kind of vinegar can be used, experiment to see what suits you and the herb best. The herbs must remain completely covered in vinegar throughout the process. Proportions should be no more than a cup of herbs to a quart of vinegar. You can strain the herbs out after 2 or 3 weeks, or leave them in if the pieces don’t bother you. The flavored vinegar can be used in water to cook potatoes, rice, or pasta, in salad dressings or in soups.

Italian Herbal vinegar

In a glass bottle or jar mix 1 quart vinegar, 2 sprigs each of basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, cover tightly and, let the herbs steep a month or so. Add olive oil just before serving for an excellent salad dressing or add a little to cooking oil to stir fry veggies or to water for boiling potatoes.

Preserving in alcohol
Herbs can be chopped or whole sprigs dropped in vodka, gin or brandy for flavoring. Steep the herbs in the alcohol for several weeks. The herbs must remain covered completely with alcohol throughout the process to avoid spoiling or mold. Use the flavored alcohol in cooking or drinks.  During cooking the alcohol evaporates and leaves only the flavor behind.  Herbal alcohol can be heavily sweetened and used as a cordial.

Herbs to be used in external remedies can be preserved in wood, ( rubbing alcohol) alcohol also.   These must be stored and labeled so that they will not be used in food or drinks.  These products would be very harmful or deadly if consumed so keep out of the reach of children and pets.


Check your herbal mixes frequently and discard any that look or smell bad.
Make small batches at first until you are sure what you like and how well
the mixture keeps.

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Herbs for lice

If you have kids in school you have probably had an infestation of head lice or at least a scare concerning them.  Lice can come home in even the cleanest hair- in fact they actually prefer clean hair.  With a long cold winter involving lots of hats, scarves and hoods often being shared among kids, lice can pop up anywhere.  Usually the cure for head lice involves some very toxic chemicals and a lot of hand “grooming.”    Less toxic, safer alternatives do exist for lice treatment however. 

I ran across an interesting study that proved that mango, rosemary and tea tree oil repel human head lice.  In the study the oils of these plants were mixed with carrier oil such as olive oil, either separately or in combination, and combed through the hair.  Subjects with treated hair were far less likely to acquire head lice when exposed to them than people whose hair was not treated.   Now these oils did not kill existing lice, but kept them away.  This study also stated that research had proved that any type of hair conditioner would remove lice nits (eggs) attached to hair shafts just as effectively as commercial nit removing products.

Further reading led me to some interesting herbal remedies for head lice.  (Warning- before using any herbal mixture on a person’s head put a small amount on some exposed skin to test for an allergic reaction.  And keep all herbal products out of the eyes.) There is a patent for a head louse repellant/ insecticide that contains essential oils of anise, tea tree and lemon with research to prove it’s effective.  In other studies these essential oils were also considered to have effective repellant or insecticidal properties: tea tree, anise, lavender, rosemary, neem, clove, geranium, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, clove, thyme and nutmeg.  The first 4 are the most effective.

A study done at Harvard found that plain olive oil worked into hair and left overnight under a shower cap was a fairly effective way to kill lice.  They found that olive oil was the best carrier oil if you wished to try mixing up a repellant/louse killer with essential oils yourself.  The common mixing ratio is 2 ounces of olive oil to 10 drops of essential oil.  After you kill adult lice the eggs or nits must be combed of the hair shafts they are stuck to.  Add some essential oil to any hair conditioner and work it through the hair.  Then comb with a fine tooth comb.

Herbalists suggest adding 10 drops of essential oil to your favorite shampoo and conditioner bottle and mixing well to use as a louse preventative.  Adding a few drops of tea tree, lavender or rosemary essential oil to a hairbrush before brushing yours or your child’s hair may also help. Washing clothing and bedclothes with hot water, soap and with some essential oils added is suggested if there is a louse outbreak.  You can mix essential oil with some rubbing alcohol and put it in a spray bottle to use to spray items that can’t be washed.

Herbal products for lice are on the market but experts warn these are unregulated and vary tremendously in effectiveness.  A heat treatment for lice done in a salon setting is also available in some places.  Now after reading this your head is probably itching and you are ready to look through your essential oils to see what you have!

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Herbs for mosquitoes

There are many herbal preparations that claim to keep mosquitoes away but how effective are they?  The gold standard of mosquito repellants is DEET, a chemical many people want to avoid.  There are some plants that do have mosquito repellant properties and in this article we will discuss them.

First of all there are no plants that you can just sit on the patio or plant around the house that will effectively repel mosquitoes, despite all those advertising claims.  No objective studies have ever found a plant that will do that.  The chemicals that repel insects must be extracted from the plants in some way and applied to the skin.  Even burning the chemicals in a candle or as incense has little effect.  Most studies find that burning a plain candle is just as effective as burning a citronella one. 

Citronella

True citronella really does repel mosquitoes quite effectively.  It is a rangy, rough grass like plant that grows in tropical areas.  If you can find the plant for sale, northern gardeners can grow it in pots.  In the far south citronella has escaped cultivation and may become a pest. It can grow up to 6 foot tall.  Citronella is cultivated in several areas of the world and the oil distilled from it is processed into a variety of products.  

Fresh citronella oil has a somewhat lemony scent.   The active ingredient in citronella oil that repels insects is citronellol.  Many other plants also contain this chemical in lesser amounts.  In several studies a 10% solution of citronellol was almost as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes- for 15 minutes.

That is the problem with using citronella as an insect repellent.  It must be used in a very strong concentration and the effect wears off quickly.  Citronella is only effective if applied to the skin.  That causes another problem, many people are allergic to strong concentrations or their skin becomes irritated.  Citronellol is absorbed through the skin and some studies are linking exposure to the chemical to liver damage and cancer.

Most citronella products you buy at the store are so diluted that they contain almost no active ingredient.  It is a waste of money to buy citronella oil or candles to burn unless you just like the smell.  There are some good, herbal preparations for repelling mosquitoes that include citronella in their ingredients but all must be applied frequently.

Citrosa, Mosquito Plant

The citrosa plant (Pelargonium citrosum ‘van Leenii’) sometimes advertised as Mosquito plant, Mosquito Shoo, and other assorted names, is useless as a mosquito repellant.  No plant repels mosquitoes just by sitting near you.  This plant is actually a scented leaved geranium and it does have a very small amount of citronellol in it just as many other plants do.  You would have to crush the leaves and rub them on your skin for it to have the most fleeting effect.

Thousands of these plants are sold each year, even though they don’t work and don’t even have a pretty flower or form to redeem them.  Common Lemon Balm has 3-4 hundred percent more citronellol than Citrosa.

Geraniol

Geraniol is not a plant but a chemical found in many plants, including citronella, lemon grass, roses, geraniums etc.  It is used as a fragrance and as a flavoring ingredient in a number of products.  Experiments at the University of Florida found it quite effective at repelling mosquitoes.  The problem is once again, that it causes skin irritation and it also irritates the eyes.

Soybean Oil

Surprisingly enough, soybean oil is a pretty effective insect repellent and doesn’t cause the skin irritation like some other chemicals do.  The effects do not last as long as Deet.  It stains clothes and feels “greasy” so some people object to it. Some soybean oil based products are now on the market.  If I were going to make my own mosquito repellent I would start with a soybean oil base.

Other Plants with Insect Repellant Properties

Some plants have chemical ingredients that when extracted, do have mosquito repellant properties.  The problem is that the active ingredients are costly and hard to extract or they have some serious side effects.  A chemical found in mints for example, is effective as an insect repellant but some studies have found kidney damage and genetic damage when it is used.  Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme, Catnip, Agastache, Marigolds, Rosemary, and coconut oil have also been found to repel insects to some extent.

A mixture of several essential oils from the plants listed above and some soybean oil might make a fairly effective insect repellent.  You would need to apply it frequently.

Before using it on large areas of the body I would try it on a small area to test for an allergic reaction or irritation.  There are several “natural” insecticides now on the market that vary in effectiveness.

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Artemisia

Artemisia isn’t just one herb but a whole range of species.  Artemisia’s grow around the world and are native to many different countries.  You may know an Artemisia by the name of Sweet Annie, Mugwort, Wormwood, Tarragon, Southernwood, Sagebrush, or by other names.  Artemisia’s of many species have had a long history in herbal medicines, being one of the bitter herbs traditionally used for the digestive system, as a liver tonic and to stimulate the immune system.

Many Artemsia’s have silvery foliage that is fernlike but the foliage and form of Artemisia’s varies widely.  Some have dark green narrow leaves, some have broad leaves.  Some Artemisia’s form small rounded bushes, some grow as sprawling mats, with many variations in between.  There are even species that form small trees. The flowers of Artemsia’s are insignificant for the most part, although some are used in medicinal products.

Cultivation of Artemisia

Because there are so many species of Artemisia from so many areas of the world, this is only a generalization of the care needed for Artemisia. Some species are annual, others perennial.  Annual species like Sweet Annie can be grown from seed.  Most perennial species are best purchased as plants. There is a wide range of hardiness in Artemisia’s.  When you are purchasing plants make sure to check if the species is hardy in your zone.

Most Artemisia’s prefer full sun, but many will tolerate partial shade.  They tend to be drought hardy plants once established.  Artemisia’s like fertile, well- drained soil and tolerate a wide range of soil pH values.  They require little fertilization and rarely have problems with insects.  Woody types of Artemisia’s benefit from a hard pruning in summer, trimming them back to about half their height.  Since the flowers of Artemisia’s are not pretty they should be kept trimmed off, unless you want them for medicinal use.

Some Artemisia’s may interfere with the growth of plants near them through chemicals in the root system.  Most species sold as garden ornamentals do not have this chemical.  Some people may also experience an allergic reaction when working with Artemisia either in the garden or in craftwork.  Artemisia pollen, especially that of Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) can cause “hay fever” allergy symptoms.

Uses of Artemisia species

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), is a culinary herb used in French and Hungarian cooking and to flavor a soft drink popular in the Ukraine.  Many Artemisia’s including Sweet Annie, an annual member of the Artemisia family, are used in herbal crafts.  Artemisia’s of many species are also used as ornamental plants, lending a soothing silvery cast to the perennial garden.  (There is now a golden foliaged Artemisia ‘Gold Mound’ wormwood on the market too.)  In the garden Artemisia’s are used for their foliage.

Native Americans pounded the seeds of sagebrush into flour; they burned the leaves in ceremonial cleansings and used sagebrush for chest congestion.  They also placed sagebrush leaves in stored grain to keep away insects.  In Europe wormwood was used to stimulate the appetite, expel intestinal worms, as a liver tonic and colic reliever.  In Russia and China the shoots of some Artemisia’s were eaten when young, it was used to stop bleeding and cure infections as well as a digestive aid.   They were used for male impotence and female reproductive problems.

In Africa Artemisia’s were used as digestive herbs but also in the treatment of malaria.  Recent research has isolated a chemical, artemesinin, that is quite effective in killing the malaria parasite in the blood and it is sold as a prescription medicine in Africa, Asia and Europe.  This anti-malarial compound is isolated from Sweet Annie, (Artemisia annua).  This plant is also used in the treatment of fungal pneumonia’s common to AIDS patients. Dog wormwood, (Artemisia keiskeana) is being studied as an anti-cancer agent, particularly for breast cancers.

Any discussion of Artemsia’s must mention their use in alcoholic beverages; they are used to make Absinthe (Artemisia absinthium), and Chartreuse, (Artemisia genipi), some very potent drinks.  They are bitter and were probably first concocted as medicinal drinks.  At one time vermouth also was flavored with Artemisia, but modern vermouth doesn’t use it.  French soldiers were given absinthe or chartreuse to ward off malaria and our current research suggests it may have had some benefit. 

Absinthe had a reputation of being a psychoactive drug as well as a drink and it was banned in some places.   It was probably the high alcoholic content of the drink that really caused the problems.  However it was later found that Absinthe and Chartreuse also had high levels of thujone, a chemical derived from Artemisia (and other plants) thought to cause cancer.   That caused some additional restrictions on selling the drink.  However modern versions of the drinks do not contain thujone, and absinthe is enjoying a revival in popularity.

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Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, (Withania somnifera), has long been considered a miracle herb, and has been said to cure almost everything.  It has been used in Indian and African traditional medicines for thousands of years.  Traditionally the herb was most often used for stress, anxiety and depression although it also has a long history of use in herbal cancer treatment.

Many recent research efforts have focused on using ashwagandha for the treatment of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.  Now a Michigan State researcher has patented a compound made from Ashwagandha seeds that has great promise as a treatment to prevent Alzheimer’s and repair damage done to the brain by Alzheimer’s disease.  Clinical trials in humans may start as early as this year, because the herb is a natural product listed as generally regarded safe by the FDA.

Dr. Muraleedharan Nair found that a compound derived from ashwagandha seed, (“withanamides”), blocks a fragment left when proteins split from entering brain cells.  This “bad” protein fragment leads to the formation of plagues in the brain which eventually destroy brain cells.  According to research published in Neurosignals in 2005, ashwagndha compounds also showed the ability to enhance growth and repair of nerve cells in the brain.  In another research trial ashwagandha extracts inhibited acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down one of the brains important chemical messengers.  So there are many ways that the compound may be acting to protect and repair brain cells.

If you have ever had someone you love diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease that is 100% fatal, you understand how wonderful this new treatment sounds.  However don’t rush out and buy the Ashwagandha supplements sold in groceries. This particular compound is not being sold in stores. Be very careful of nutritional supplements and over the counter herbal remedies as many of them contain no active ingredients at all and some contain harmful ingredients.

Other herbal uses of Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry.  It is native to Africa, India, the Middle East and Southern Asia.  Ashwagandha is a member of the nightshade family and shares many traits with our native North American nightshades, including a strong smell, which is said to smell like horse sweat.  The name comes from the Sanskrit language, and refers to the horsey smell.  It may also refer to the supposed aphrodisiacal qualities of the herb- making a man “like a horse.”  And like other nightshades all parts of the plant are poisonous and should be used with some caution.  Usually the dried roots and berries are used in natural medicine.

Ashwagandha grows as a small bush, about 3 feet high, with narrow, glossy evergreen leaves. It is a perennial but since the roots are harvested it is usually grown for 1-2 years before being harvested.  The herb has small inconspicuous greenish flowers which turn into papery husks containing a fruit that turns red when ripe and looks somewhat like a small cherry.  The fruit has several black seeds inside.  Fruits and seeds are also dried for herbal use.

Ashwagandha is used in herbal medicine for insomnia, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, arthritis, liver problems, diabetes, tumors and cancer, TB, skin problems and wounds, fertility problems in men and women and as an aphrodisiac.  The herb is high in iron and can be used for anemia and as a blood tonic.

Among modern herbalists it is most often used as a sedative, anti-anxiety or depression treatment. Ashwagandha is a safe sleep aid. It is said to increase energy and a feeling of well-being. Research has shown that Ashwagandha  reduces cortisol levels in the blood- a sign of stress, and that it does have sedative, calming effects. People who are calm but energetic and not depressed, and who have been getting good sleep may also experience some of those magic aphrodisiac properties.

Ashwagandha is also anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and enhances the body’s immune response, according to many research studies. The herb does reduce blood glucose.  The leaves of the plant contain saponins (they create lather) and can be used as a soap substitute or crushed and used as an insect repellant on the skin. So indeed, it is quite a handy herb to have around.

Many research studies have been done with Ashwagandha as a cancer treatments and no effective treatments have been found.  Women who are pregnant should not take the herb since it can cause abortion.  Some people have allergic reactions to the herb and everyone should be careful when trying a new herbal product.  Since too much Ashwagandha could be harmful pay careful attention to doses.  The herb is usually taken as a tea made from dried roots, but tinctures are sometimes used.  Ashwagandha is nasty tasting and most people use sweeteners and other herbs to mask the taste.

Can you grow Ashwagandha in the garden?

You can, but in any planting zone lower than zone 10 it is going to take more care than other herbs.  Ashwagandha likes heat and needs a long frost free growing season.  In areas where it is grown commercially they give it about 180 days to harvest. That’s 60 days or so longer than most zone 5-6 gardens get as a frost free season. You can start it inside and maybe extend the fall season with covers or a hoop house to get a decent crop.  You could also grow it in a greenhouse for part of the year. The roots can be used at any stage but you will get a better harvest at 150 days or more of growing time.

You can buy seeds which are fairly easy to start, or plants of Ashwagandha from seed catalogs and nurseries. The plants require full sun, warmth, and prefer slightly alkaline,(7.5-8 pH), sandy soil. They will withstand drought but you’ll get bigger roots and more berries if you water when the soil gets dry.  They do not need fertilizer.

To harvest the plants pull up the whole plant, remove any ripe fruits for separate drying if desired and dry in a warm dark place.  Remove the roots after the foliage has dried and discard the foliage.  Do not feed the foliage to livestock or pets!  It’s poisonous.  The roots can be further dried until brittle enough to powder or stored whole, in a dry, dark location.

Usually tea is made with a small pinch of the herb per cup, along with nicer tasting herbs and sweetener for medicinal purposes.  The herb is often taken in milk in India, it could be added to warm milk to induce sleep or reduce anxiety. Ashwagandha can also be made into a tincture with alcohol and used as drops.

You can also purchase dried Ashwagandha from reputable herbal companies in its whole state if you want to experiment.  That’s better than buying capsules of what is said to be Ashwagandha in groceries and discount stores.

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Basil

If there is one herb that every gardener should grow it is basil.  Not only is basil an important flavoring for many popular dishes, it’s also beautiful enough to fit in any ornamental garden. It’s used in the cuisine of many nations, as a part of sacred rituals, and as a medicinal herb. Basil is easy to grow and can even be grown on a window sill.

Basil is one of the oldest cultivated herbs.   It is said that basil symbolizes “love washed with tears” and it was often used in burial rituals.  Basil is a sacred herb in the Hindu and Greek Orthodox religions.  In Greek, basil means “king” and this plant is indeed a king in the garden.

There are over 50 species of basil and many more varieties and hybrids of species.  Each species has its own chemical components that give it a unique smell and taste.  Most are edible, but some fit different types of cooking better than others.  Basil has many culinary uses from flavoring turtle soup to pesto.  Basil usually pairs well with tomato dishes and the leaves are a spicy addition to salads.  In India a milkshake is made from basil seeds.

Basil plants are also quite ornamental and plant breeders are working to produce even nicer selections for the flower garden. The ornamental basils are attractive in mixed borders and in container plantings.  The compact basils make a nice border for vegetable or flower beds.

Basil tea is said to help with stomach cramps and gas.  In sensory gardens, where scent and taste are featured, basils are perfect choices.    Dwarf basils make excellent edible houseplants.

Growing basil

In Michigan it is best to start the seeds inside 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost.  The soil temperature for germinating seeds should be 70 degrees.  Basil doesn’t always come true from seed, with wide variation in the way it looks and smells.  You may want to purchase plants so you can see and smell the basil before you put it in the garden.  Basil also starts easily from cuttings.  Almost all basils are annuals and need to be replanted each year.

Basil is extremely vulnerable to damage from cold, so wait until a week or so after the last frost before planting basil outside.  Day temperatures should be above 70 and nights above 50 degrees for best results.  Basil should be planted in full sun.   Basil will grow in a wide variety of soils but it must be a well drained site.  You can mix a slow release garden fertilizer in the soil when you are planting, but basil will grow well in most areas without fertilization. The plants like to dry out between watering but should not be allowed to wilt.  

If you are growing basil for its ornamental appeal you can allow it to flower freely.  If you  are growing basil only for cooking, keep the flowers pinched off.  Just pinch or snip off basil leaves to use fresh.  Basil loses much of its taste when dried.  You can freeze sprigs of basil in cubes of ice, which taste almost the same as fresh in cooking.   Basil leaves can be put in olive oil or vinegar and after several weeks will lend their distinctive taste to the product.

Small varieties of basil will grow very well in a sunny, warm window sill.  Make sure the container has good drainage.  If you are not using enough of the plant in cooking to keep it compact, pinch off the tips of stems to keep it from growing lanky.

Some Varieties

Sweet basil is the kind most people use for pesto and Italian cooking, These green, large leaved varieties are often listed as Italian or Genovese basil.  ‘Purple Ruffles’, [purple frilly leaves, pink flowers], is also a sweet basil as is ‘Rubin’,[ bronze-red leaves, purple flowers],  but they are both very ornamental.   ‘Pistou’ is an excellent basil for pots, it is a dwarf plant with small leaves.  Lemon basil ‘Sweet Dani’ has large green leaves, white flowers, and a strong lemon flavor.  ‘Thai Magic’ has shining dark green leaves and large magenta flowers.  It has a spicy anise-clove flavor and is used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. 

Cinnamon basil has pretty violet colored leaf stems, touches of purple in the leaves, and lovely pink flowers.  ‘Blue Spice’ basil has a slight vanilla undertone to the typical spicy basil flavor, and is very pretty with purple tinged leaves and lavender flowers.  Holy basil  ‘Red and Green’ has purple-red and green leaves on the same plant, purple flowers, and smells like a mixture of mint and cloves.  ‘Oriental Breeze’ basil is an ornamental with large, showy purple flowers.  There are many other varieties of basil on the market, you may have to buy from a catalog to get the more unusual types.

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Borage- Borago officinalis

Borage is an interesting plant that you may want to consider for your garden. I have always admired it as an ornamental for the back of the border.  Borage has pretty blue edible flowers and leaves, some medicinal uses and will attract tons of bees to the garden.  Butterflies also visit it.  Other common names for borage include starflower, bee bush, bee bread, and bugloss. 

Borage is native to the Mediterranean region as many herbs are. It’s been cultivated for centuries; the Greeks and Romans wrote about it. It’s an annual plant but it freely self-seeds and will generally return each year to some spot in your garden.  In its native range it’s now being grown as a commercial crop, for the oil pressed from its seeds.

Borage is a lanky plant about 3 feet high.  It may need staking in the garden if not grown among other plants that can support it. At the bottom of the plant the rough oval leaves can be 2 feet long, they are smaller near the top of the plant, and narrower. Leaves are arranged alternately on the stems.  All parts of the plant including flowers are covered with white bristly hairs.  These hairs may irritate some peoples skin and are the biggest drawback in consuming plant parts.

The flowers are usually a true blue, star shaped with 5 narrow petals.  The sexual parts form a cone shape in the center of the flower. Occasionally a plant has pink flowers but as the blue flowers age they may take on a purplish pink color, which some people may think was the original flower color.  There is a white flowered cultivar but why people would want that when the blue flower is so pretty is hard to understand. Flowers appear abundantly through the summer on clusters at the top of the plants.

Some people think the flower is fragrant, but I have never noticed that.  They do have a sweet nectar that children can suck from a flower, and which bees absolutely love.  Bees also take pollen from the plants.  The plants are self-fertile, you won’t need two plants to get seeds but like most plants they prefer cross pollination.  Small seed pods form on plants after they flower and if you don’t want the plant to spread seeds around the garden, remove pods while they are still green.

Bees make a specially flavored honey from borage some people really like but it’s debatable whether or not the honey may have some toxic properties.  In parts of Europe they are now testing borage honey for the percentage of PA ( see below) that it has, high PA percentage is not desirable.

Growing borage

Most gardeners will start this plant from seeds. It can be sown right in the garden after danger of frost or started inside about 6 weeks before the last frost.  Simply sprinkle seed on moist soil and cover it lightly.  Thin plants to about 18 inches apart in the garden.  Plants flower about 8 weeks after planting.

Borage likes full sun.  It tolerates most soil types. It can grow in dry conditions and does not like wet areas.  The more water it gets the floppier plants will be and when planted in moist climates or where regularly watered it may need staking.

Uses of borage

Borage is often touted as a companion plant or said to aide the flavor of tomatoes, discourage hornworms and other pests, improve the soil and all manner of garden miracles.  Most of this is bunk, old wives’ tales.  The one good thing borage does for the garden besides add beauty is to attract pollinators.  This could improve the yields of fruits and some strawberry growers start borage plants early so they’ll be in flower at the same time as strawberries, attracting those needed pollinators.

Borage has numerous culinary and medicinal uses.  The leaves and flowers have a cucumber like taste and both can be added to salads.  Flowers are often used as edible decorations on cakes and pastries and floated in drinks. It’s used as a flavor in gin.

Borage leaves are used in soups in Europe and in the German green sauce, Grüne Soße.  In Italy they are added to the fillings in ravioli and other pasta dishes. It is used to flavor some pickles.  Borage is used fresh, as the dried herb has little flavor.

Medicinally borage has a long history and many uses.  (However, borage does have some toxic chemical properties and should be used cautiously.)  Borage is used to cure depression by soaking flowers in wine and giving the wine to sufferers.  Infusion of the flowers is used for PMS and hot flashes, for gastrointestinal cramps and colic and for fever. It is also used for bronchitis, as a blood purifier and as a diuretic.

The seeds of borage are pressed to make an oil.  The oil has long been used for skin conditions such as eczema and for cosmetics.  However commercial production of the oil is now being done because the oil is high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and other healthy fatty acids.  It is used as a dietary supplement and for every condition imaginable now.

If you are trying one of the wonderous miracle cures going around for the product, (supposedly cures RA, ADHD, alcoholism, diabetes, asthma, wrinkles, among other things) make sure the borage oil you use is certified PA free.  PA stands for pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are found in borage seed oil and which are toxic to the liver and carcinogenic.  They can be removed to make the oil safer but there’s no scientific basis for most of the “miracle” uses.

Cautions

As mentioned above borage contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids as well as other substances that are toxic.  These toxins can harm the liver, cause cancer and birth defects and may cause bleeding disorders. You’ll see much argument on herbal sites about borage safety with many dismissing any harm the plant could cause.  This is foolish because the plant has been well studied and there is danger in using too much of the product, especially seed oil that has not been purified of PA.  Home herbalists cannot remove the toxin.

If you are using borage flowers and leaves in cooking, there is probably little harm done.  Still I would suggest pregnant women not eat it and small children’s intake should also be watched.

With seed oil and things like medicinal tinctures of plant parts great caution should be used.  Pregnant and nursing women should not use them. Keep them away from children.  Seed oil should be certified PA free and home pressed oil should not be consumed by anyone, although it may be used in modest amounts on the skin.  Even the purified oil may cause excessive bleeding during surgeries and may interfere with prescription and over the counter medications.  Tell your doctor if you take herbal remedies with borage in them.

Borage is an ancient herb with many uses and it’s a beautiful garden plant that pollinators love.  Try some in your garden.

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Catnip- Crazed Cats and Calm Children

Catnip is an easy herb to grow in your Michigan garden.  In fact it’s so easy that it may be growing around your home as a weed. The common catnip, Nepeta cataria is native to the Mediterranean area of Europe, but has spread throughout Europe and North America and many other places, where it grows freely as a weed.  The genus Nepeta has many species, some of which are called catmints and are grown as ornamental plants.

Long before true tea found its way to Europe people were brewing catnip tea.  It was used medicinally and just as a soothing warm drink.  It was often given to children to calm them and help them sleep.  Since catnip actually is a stimulant the tea probably soothed the colic pains that were keeping crabby children awake.  It still makes a safe and soothing tea.

Catnip has also been used to discourage rats, who are said to avoid areas where it grows.  Bees love catnip flowers and it can be used to attract bees and butterflies.

Catnip or Catmint?

The names are often used interchangeably but catnip and catmint are members of the mint family.  The weedy medicinal type plant is generally referred to as catnip and ornamental varieties and other Nepeta species are called catmints. 

Like most mints, catnip, has a square stem.  The catnip stem is covered with fine hairs and grows woody near the base as it ages.  The leaves of common catnip are heart-shaped, gray green and have a scalloped edge.  They are covered with soft hairs and appear downy.    

The catnip flowers are small spikes of white flowers with tiny purple dots on the throat, and not very showy.  In good conditions catnip can grow to 5 foot high and 3 foot wide. The plant is tough and spreads rapidly by seed through the garden, popping up everywhere.  

Catnip is a perennial that dies down to the roots each winter and then returns quite vigorously in the spring.  It is hardy to at least zone 4 and probably further.

Growing Catnip

If you have trouble growing catnip you truly have a brown thumb.  Catnip grows just about anywhere, in any type of soil, in full sun and partial shade.  It grows in dry or wet areas.  For growing as an herb plant it in full sun and keep it on the dry side, to concentrate the medicinal oils.

Most people will buy plants if they can’t find a place to pull up a seedling.   Don’t fertilize it.  It doesn’t need it and the medicinal qualities may suffer.

Using Catnip Medicinally

Catnip tea is used to calm the digestive system and relieve gas pains.  It induces perspiration and is used as a fever remedy and as a headache remedy.   Warm bruised leaves are also used as a poultice on wounds and boils.  Catnip has also been used in strong concentrations to bring on menstruation.

The active chemical ingredient is nepetalactone.  The flower buds have the highest concentration of this chemical but leaves are also used to make tea.  Never bring catnip leaves and buds to a boil as this destroys the medicinal action. Instead gently steep it as one does green tea.  Fresh leaves and buds can be used for tea  or dried leaves.   About a half cup of bruised leaves and buds or a couple teaspoons of dried herb are used to a cup of water.  Catnip tea is available in most stores now.

Catnip is fairly safe as far as dosage is concerned.  You would have to drink large quanities before it became toxic and you would vomit long before that.   If you are taking prescription medications check with your doctor before taking herbal rememdies.

Catnip oil is being tested as a mosquito repellent.

Cats and Catnip

Not all cats are affected by catnip.  About 15% of cats lack a gene that makes them respond to catnip.  Cats must be sexually mature to be interested also.   The smell of catnip affects them like a hormone .  Some eat it, some roll on it , some go crazy and wild on it, others are barely affected.  It does not hurt them but it can hurt your house if the cat goes on a drugged rampage.   

Some wild cat species are attracted to catnip and some are not.  Bobcats and cougars appear to be  interested but tigers and possibly lions are not.  A catnip “trip” will last about 15 minutes and after that it will take a while before the cat will react again.  Cats may pass right by catnip plants in the garden but will go nuts for it when a plant is bruised or pulled. 

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Chamomile- Cultivating Calmness 

Chamomile has been used as a remedy for calming the nerves and the stomach, and easing sleep, since herbal remedies were recorded. Chamomile is one of those herbs that even beginners can grow and it is hardy through much of the United States.  Chamomile is also used in a variety of beauty products currently on the market from shampoo to skin cream.

Modern medical research has determined that chamomile has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, good for use on minor wounds, and skin conditions and as a gargle for sore throats and inflamed gums.  Chamomile also relaxes the smooth muscles, particularly in the intestines and is used to calm upset stomachs, and to relieve gas pain, cramping, and minor diarrhea.

The most common herbal use of chamomile however, is to calm the nerves and aid in getting a good nights sleep. Research has confirmed that it has sedative properties. It can be used alone or with other herbs with sedative properties such as valerian and catnip.  Chamomile is widely available on the market as a tea, capsules, powdered herb, or essential oil.  It is easy to grow your own chamomile for herbal use also.

Growing Chamomile

There are two types of Chamomile grown by herbalists, German, (Matricaria recutita), and English or Roman (Chamaemelum nobile).  Both are easy to grow, similar in appearance, and are used for the same medicinal uses.  German Chamomile is the plant used to grow commercial crops.  It is the most studied, but most experts believe the medicinal qualities are very similar between the two types of Chamomile.

German Chamomile is an annual plant that needs to be planted each year; Roman Chamomile is a perennial, hardy in zones 3-9.  German Chamomile gets about 2 feet tall but Roman Chamomile is a groundcover plant that rarely gets more than a foot high.

German Chamomile is started from seed or small plants can be purchased.   In cold climates it would be wise to start the seeds inside about 6 weeks before the last frost.  Transplant them outside after your last frost as they are not frost hardy.  Seeds can also be sown in the garden when the soil is warm.

Roman Chamomile can be started from seed but germination is less reliable than German Chamomile.  Roman Chamomile produces runners, little plants that can be separated from the main plant.  New gardeners will probably want to buy plants or get a start from a friend.

Both types of Chamomile have tiny, narrow gray-green leaves that give them a ferny appearance.  German Chamomile grows upright as a single plant.   Roman Chamomile grows as a tangled mat of plants produced by rhizomous roots.  The leaves of both types have a characteristic smell when crushed, somewhat like apples. 

It is the daisy like flowers that produce the medicinal qualities.  The flowers are white, with 15-18 petals drooping down from a raised yellow cone.  They are about an inch across. Plants begin blooming in mid summer.  A double flowered variety of German Chamomile has been grown since the 16th century

Chamomile likes a sunny spot, with sandy soil.  It tolerates dry conditions but will bloom more freely if watered regularly.  It will not grow in wet areas.  Unless the soil is very poor chamomile does not need fertilizer.  If you are growing Roman Chamomile do not cut the plants back in the fall.  Wait until spring to carefully remove the dead branches from the previous year.

Growing chamomile near other herbs is said to make those herbs have stronger medicinal qualities and make the neighboring plants stronger and healthier.

Harvesting and Using Chamomile

Harvest the flower heads as they bloom.  You can just clip them off the plant. You can use them fresh or dry them for later use. To make an herbal tea, steep about a cup of fresh flower heads in a pint of boiling water.  Use about 2 tablespoons of dried powdered flower heads to a cup of  boiling water.  Keep a lid on steeping chamomile as some of the medicinal qualities may be lost if it is left open. Strain before drinking. 

To calm the nerves and bring on restful sleep, drink a about a cup of warm tea.  Cooled tea can be used as a gargle for sore throats or inflamed gums and cold sores.  Tea is often mixed with ginger ale to help upset stomachs.

Adults should drink no more than 2-3 cups of tea a day.  Children under 5 no more than half a cup and ages 5-18, about a cup. See the other cautions below.

 For use externally, as a poultice for skin problems or minor wounds, make the tea much stronger, about 3-4 cups of fresh flowers to a pint of water or 6-8 tablespoons dried herb to a cup of water.  Cool before using.  This can also be used as a rinse for blond hair to restore highlights.  Cool chamomile tea is also used as a spray for seedlings, to prevent fungal disease.

The flowers can be crushed and then slowly steamed, which will produce pale blue oil.  When such oil is produced at home it is hard to judge the quality and strength.  It’s also hard to produce a sizable quantity.  If you would like to use chamomile oil for herbal lotions or remedies it might be wise to purchase a standardized extract at a health food or drug store.

If you don’t like tea and want to try chamomiles soothing properties you can purchase capsules and tinctures in many stores.  Follow the label directions for dosage.

Cautions

Chamomile should not be used by people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, or asters. It should not be used by persons with asthma or pregnant women before consulting a doctor.  People on blood thinners should not use chamomile.  Chamomile reacts with many drugs.  If you are on ant-depressants, sleep medicines, birth control pills, sedatives, anticonvulsants, some allergy medications, statins or pain medications you should talk to your doctor about using chamomile.   In fact, you should always consult your doctor before mixing herbal and other medications.  Alcohol use with chamomile should be avoided.

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Chicory

Chicory, (Cichorium intybus) grows just about everywhere in the US but it’s not a native plant.  Like the dandelion it was brought over here by European settlers. Its origins are from central Europe.  In its first year it forms a rosette of leaves and a long straight tan taproot like a carrot.   The leaves are similar to dandelion leaves.  In the second and subsequent years it will put up long stems of blue flowers in late summer unless it is kept mowed or grazed.  Leaves and stems may leak a milky sap when broken.  Chicory reproduces from seed.

Chicory flowers are blue and daisy like although the plant is rather straggly and not much to look at in the garden setting, the flowers can look quite pretty along the roads and meadows mixed with white Queen Anne’s lace and yellow goldenrod.  Occasionally chicory may have pink, purple or white flowers. Each flower opens and closes at the same time each day and chicory is sometimes used in floral clocks. 

Common names include blue daisy, blue sailors, and coffeeweed.  The type of chicory used as greens is sometimes called Belgian endive, and a red form is called radicchio.

Using chicory

If you have eaten a FiberOne bar you have eaten chicory. The roots of this lovely roadside weed with its daisy-like blue flowers yields an interesting food additive, inulin.  Inulin is a sugar molecule with a different makeup than other sugars, a sugar molecule that doesn’t cause a rise in blood sugar levels when consumed.  Inulin also imparts a smooth creamy mouth feel to foods that allows food makers to reduce fats and it adds dietary fiber in the form of indigestible carbs called fructans.  So much fiber in fact that if you eat FiberOne bars you may have experienced some of the gastrointestinal side effects, (they cause a lot of gas), especially if you pigged out because they taste so good. 

The fructans in inulin also cause the digestive system to absorb more calcium and magnesium, and studies show they can help prevent osteoporosis.  They also stimulate the production of intestinal bifidobacteria, the good bacteria in our guts that help us digest food properly and ramp up our immune system.  Fructans are being added to some yogurts that promise to build good intestinal bacteria.  And if you start with small amounts of food with fructans or inulin you build up tolerance to the gastro effects and won’t blow everyone out of the room.

In other countries inulin powder is being widely used in dairy products like ice cream, baked goods, cereals and granola bars.  It reduces the need for sugar and fat and doesn’t cause the problems associated with other artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes in the cooking/preparation process and it doesn’t have an unpleasant taste.  It can be used exactly like sugar, although it isn’t quite as sweet.  It is an excellent substitute for high fructose corn syrup.

Inulin has been pushed as a good food additive for diabetics for many years.  Besides chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, garlic and a few other foods also contain inulin. Agave is the newest inulin producer, being promoted in more tropical areas.  Most food grade inulin is being produced from chicory roots however and the largest factories producing it are in the Netherlands and France. 

There is a company in the US that is producing inulin for pet foods, but the US is slow to get behind this product, probably because we have so many sugar producing plants in the US that aren’t happy about a new rival. Idaho and Nebraska however have studies in place to see if chicory can become an economically important crop.

Inulin is produced much like sugar is produced from sugar beets and sugar beet factories could easily be converted to inulin production.  Harvesting equipment for chicory roots can be adapted from beet harvesting equipment.  But US farmers do not like perennial crops, and chicory is a perennial plant.  Still there is hope that this valuable plant could become another money making crop for US farmers.

Other Chicory uses

Chicory is being studied as a forage crop for livestock and is getting good reviews.  Chicory has as much protein as alfalfa, high amounts of vitamins and minerals and evens inhibits the growth of intestinal worms in livestock.  Livestock enjoy eating chicory and well managed fields produce as much forage as alfalfa and specially selected pasture grasses.  It also grows well in poor soil and under drought conditions.  (You can see that as chicory grows well along dusty road edges.)  In New Zealand chicory is widely used as a forage crop and named varieties have been developed.  West Virginia in the US is sponsoring several large forage trials of chicory.

People have been eating a type of chicory that forms loose heads of leaves, called wiltlof chicory for hundreds of years and it is still a specialty greens crop.  The dried and ground roots of chicory have long been used as a coffee substitute or additive.  Some people even prefer the chicory coffee over regular coffee.  Beer brewers sometimes add chicory root powder to beers, especially Belgian style ales. 

In Germany the chicory flower is much used in herbal medicine and is claimed to cure almost any ailment.  It is said that chicory can magically open locked doors.  Bruised chicory leaves have long been used as a poultice for wounds and bruises. The leaves of chicory are used to make a blue dye.

As a caution, in herbal remedies chicory has been used as an emmenagogue and abortifacient.  That means the herb was used to bring on a menstrual period or cause an abortion.  Anyone who is pregnant may want to avoid the use of chicory in herbal remedies or as a coffee drink although using products containing commercial inulin is perfectly safe.

You may want to consider allowing some chicory to grow in your garden as a helpful herb.  Remember not to forage for wild herbs along roadsides as the plants accumulate toxins from auto exhaust and products applied to the road and may have been sprayed with herbicides.

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Cilantro and Coriander- Double your pleasure

Many people don’t realize that coriander and cilantro come from the same plant, Coriandrum sativum.   Cilantro is the name for the herb or leaves used in a wide variety of dishes and coriander is the name for the spice or seeds of the same plant.  In North and South America the leaves are most often used, in northern Europe the seeds are most often used, and in southeast Asia, Africa and India both parts of the plant are frequently used.   Coriander seed is mentioned in the bible and was used by the Greeks and Romans as a medicinal spice. Today this remarkable plant is being studied for it’s ability to lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and for its anti-inflammatory properties.  Cilantro is also being studied as a natural food preservative.  You can grow this plant in your garden quite easily.

Growing cilantro and coriander

Cilantro leaves look much like parsley leaves, the leaves are broader near the base but fine and ferny near the top.  Cilantro is an annual plant, which will give you both leaves and seeds in a single year.  The flowers are small and white, and look like carrot flowers. The seeds are small, hard and yellowish brown with a ridge down one side.  You can buy cilantro plants to put out in the garden or you can sow the seeds in early spring where the plants are to grow.  Cilantro germinates best in cool weather.  When the weather turns hot, cilantro tends to go to seed.  You can prevent this for a while by keeping any shoots that appear to be developing flowers cut off.  Of course if you want to harvest coriander seeds you must let the plants flower and wait until the seeds dry to harvest them.  Cilantro is one of the plants that will frequently come up every year once you bring it into the garden by re-seeding itself.   In areas with mild winters cilantro can also be sown as a fall crop.

Cilantro needs full sun and well-drained soil to do its best.  Each cilantro “seed” that you plant is actually 2 or more seeds.  It forms a clump and clumps should be thinned to about 10 inches apart.  Cilantro seldom needs fertilization and has few pests.  You can harvest the leaves as soon as the plants are big enough so that you never need to remove more than 1/3 at a time.  Coriander seed should be harvested when it is dry, store the seeds whole in a dry, cool place.

Choosing varieties

“Delfino” has very fine fern like leaves.  “Santo” is a classic Mexican variety for salsa making.

Using cilantro and coriander

You either like the taste of cilantro and coriander or you don’t.  The two parts of the plant have different flavors which seem to be preferred by different cultures.  Latin American, the chopped, fresh leaves are used in many dishes, including salsa and guacamole.  In Thai and Vietnamese cooking the leaves are often added to salads and finely chopped cilantro leaves are used as food garnishes.  They are also added to stir fried and sauteed vegetables. Cilantro leaves are best used fresh, drying destroys much of the flavor and freezing chopped leaves is only a satisfactory option.  

While the leaves are tasty, it is the coriander seeds with all of their aromatic oils that are said to have medicinal  benefits and are a valued spice.  Coriander seeds are an important part of curry powder and in European countries, coriander seed is used to flavor breads and pastries.  Coriander seed is also used to flavor a milkshake like drink.  Store well dried coriander seed in clean glass containers and grind it just before use with a pepper grinder.  Whole seeds are often sprinkled on baked goods.  Ground coriander seed is used in spicy dishes and in pastry and bread.  Since coriander has many health benefits attributed to it, experimenting with it in your diet may be worth-while if you enjoy the flavor. 

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Citronella

The true citronella plant is a perennial grass similar to Lemon Grass, to which it is closely related.  It is not the little scented geranium you find in some stores labeled as a “mosquito” plant.  They may smell like citronella but are about as close to citronella as the lime scented geranium is to a lime tree. Citronella is a clumping grass that grows 5-6 foot tall, the coarse, grass-like leaves are gray-green and aromatic, and are borne on cane-like stems. Other names for citronella are Nardus or Nard grass.

Growing Citronella

Citronella is generally purchased as a small plant.   Make sure you are getting true citronella, (Cybopogon nardus or Citronella winterianus), and not one of the other plants that are sold in catalogs that use terms like citronella scented.   If you live in zone 10 and above you can probably grow citronella in the garden.  It can be used as you would use other ornamental grasses in mixed borders, or placed in the herb bed.  It does not spread by runners .   Propagation is done by splitting large clumps into several smaller ones.  It is quite tall when mature, and rather coarse looking, so place it in the back of the garden.  In the north, citronella can be grown in a large tub and moved inside to a cool, but frost proof place for the winter.  Citronella is undemanding in its care.  It should be grown in full sun and watered when it gets dry.  It does not like to be too wet, so use care when watering potted plants. A little fertilizer high in nitrogen twice a year in the south, and when you move it back outside in the north, will keep citronella growing vigorously.

Using Citronella

The dried or fresh leaves of the citronella plant are treated by steam distillation and yield yellow oil with a pleasant, fresh lemony-green smell.   The oil is used in perfume, cosmetics and in herbal preparations.    It is used as a stimulant and massage oil. Citronella oil is said to repel cats as well as insects.   The oil also has antiseptic properties and is sometimes used to clean countertops and sinks.

You could plant citronella in areas where you sit to repel insects or scatter leaves from the plant around you, but there is no scientific research that shows this works.  If you want to use citronella for repelling insects buy pure citronella essential oil from a health food store, green pharmacy or herbalist.  Citronella  works best as a mosquito repellant when citronella essential oil is mixed with some other carrier oil such as baby oil, olive oil, etc and applied to the skin.  You may need to experiment to find the right mix that works for you, but start with a few drops of essential oil to an ounce of carrier oil.

The citronella you find in department stores in big bottles for burning as lamp oil is useless, as are most candles and other scented citronella devices, for repelling mosquitoes.   Some of them have little or no actual citronella oil.  Research has shown that  burning even pure essential oil in candles or lamps does little good as an insect repellant.

Caution

Never apply pure essential citronella oil directly to the skin.   It will cause skin irritation. Even diluted oil may irritate sensitive skin. Try it on a small area first.  Some people may have allergic reactions when treated skin is exposed to the sun. Citronella plants may also cause skin irritation when handled.   Pregnant women should not use citronella oil; there are some reports that it may harm the unborn child.  Some people experience an increased heart rate when using citronella oil and should not use it.  Do not take citronella oil internally.

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Dill- a dilly of a plant

Dill, (Anethum graveolens), is a pleasant, common herb that is quite easy for the average Michigan gardener to grow.  A few plants can be tucked into the back of a flowerbed, where they will look pretty as well as give you dill flowers and seeds.  Most people are familiar with the way dill smells and tastes, you only have to open a jar of dill pickles to get the spicy aroma.  Dill is native to the Mediterranean region and as been used as a flavoring and as a medicinal plant for thousands of years.

Dill has a long use as a medicinal plant to calm gas and nervous stomachs.  Seeds were given to children to chew on and dill tea or a few drops of dill oil were given to infants to soothe colic pains.  Dill tea can be used for heartburn and chewing on dill seeds will freshen the breath.

One caution - pregnant women can safely eat dill pickles and dill flavored foods but should avoid dill in concentrated amounts such as teas and chewing on seeds.  Dill was used to start menstruation in earlier times and may, according to some herbalists, bring on contractions.

Growing Dill

Dill is an annual plant; it completes its life cycle in a season and dies.  However if you let some go to seed you will seldom have to plant it again after the first time, it will pop up everywhere the next season.  Dill seeds are small, hard ovals with 3 ridges on them and the seeds smell distinctively like dill.   Plant the seeds shallowly, after the danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm.  Thin plants to about 8 inches apart.  A gardener seldom needs more than 2 or 3 dill plants for home use.

Dill grows in almost any soil but prefers a sunny location.  It is tolerant of dry conditions but should be watered if it wilts and will grow larger if watered moderately. It generally does not need fertilizer.  Dill has few pests or diseases but does not compete well with weeds when young.

The dill plant generally consists of a single, hollow stalk with scattered feathery leaves along it.  The plant can grow to 3 feet tall or more in a great spot.  If you are unsure if you are growing dill you have only to crush a feathery leaf to smell - all parts of dill smell just like dill pickles!

In mid-summer dill plants begin producing flat umbrella shaped clusters of tiny yellow flowers.  These flowers quickly turn into hard brown seeds.  If you want to collect the seeds cut the drying heads before they are completely brown and store them in a warm, dry, dark place until the seeds easily shake out of the seed pods.  If you wait too long to cut the drying flower clusters, the seeds may be scattered on the ground and lost.

Using Dill

Dill flowers are used in pickle making as are the seeds.   Whole dill flowers are picked and added to jars of cucumbers or other vegetables before processing.  Dill seeds are also used in pickles and to flavor other dishes.   Dill leaves are sometimes used to flavor dishes such as fish also. 

To obtain dill flavor soak the crushed seeds in vinegar or add to a small amount of boiling water and let steep.   You can put them in a bag and bang them with a hammer to crush or run them in a food processor for a few seconds. Dry dill seed is sometimes ground like black pepper and added to spice mixes.  Commercially oil is distilled from dill seeds that can be used in flavorings. 

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Frankincense and Myrrh

Frankincense and Myrrh are two “spices” that are typically associated with Christmas because of the bible mentioning that they were brought as gifts to the baby Jesus.  What is ironic is that during the early centuries of Christian worship the burning of incense, the traditional way of using the scents of Frankincense and Myrrh, was prohibited because it was associated with pagan and Jewish traditions.  It somehow snuck back into Christian rituals and even now incense is burned in Catholic and Greek orthodox religious ceremonies. 

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri is the most prominent species of Boswellia used) and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha is the most harvested species) are both woody plants that grow in the same desolate dry areas of Northeast Africa where the countries of Ethiopia and Somalia are now located and along the coast of the Red Sea in Yemen.  There are actually several species of both plants that are harvested, with some yielding a better product than others.

Frankincense trees grow right on rocks with a special kind of adhesive roots.  Myrrh plants are typically shrub like. Both plants resist transplanting to more favorable climates, although it’s been tried since the times of the Romans, with potted plants appearing in various ancient murals.

Both frankincense and myrrh are harvested by wounding the trees or shrubs trunks and collecting the sap that oozes out after it has hardened.  It takes a lot of labor and many months to do this in the inhospitable areas that the plants grow in and the plants were never terribly abundant, which accounts for the value that was placed on both spices.  The lumps of resin were graded by their color and purity and assigned value accordingly.

Religious uses of frankincense and myrrh

The golden lumps of hardened resin were often worth more than gold and widely traded.  The ancient Egyptians bought boatloads of the spices and camel caravans carried them vast distances. These spices were often used as currency and taxes were paid with them.  Every deity imaginable was given frankincense and myrrh as a sacrificial offering.  From pagans to Christians the practice of using frankincense and myrrh in religious ceremonies was passed along.

The lumps of spice resin can be ground and used in incense and other products or the lumps can be soaked in oils or alcohol to leach out the scent and medicinal properties.  The scents of the two spices are hard to describe, frankincense seems to have a warmer, woodsier scent with myrrh seeming to have a smoky pine scent.  The two are almost always combined in incense for religious ceremonies.  You either like or dislike the aroma it seems.

Our early ancestors were adept in finding plants that altered the mind and or mood.  Both frankincense and myrrh contain chemicals called sesquiterpenes that are released when the resin powder is burned.  When inhaled, sesquiterpenes act on a part of the brain that controls emotions.  They were used to alter emotions – particularly to ease stress, grief and despair, and to allow the mind to focus and become introspective.  It helps that the scent of these spices is also pleasing to most people and could cover the not so pleasant smells of early communal gatherings.

Medicinal uses of frankincense and myrrh

Both frankincense and myrrh also have traditional medicinal uses.  Myrrh was often used for diseases of the teeth and mouth and is still used in some toothpastes and mouth washes.  Myrrh was often mixed with wine and used as a pain reliever.  It has a bitter taste and is believed to be the “gall” that was mixed with vinegar and offered to Christ on the cross.  It was not a Roman cruelty as so often taught; rather it was traditional for Romans to offer a pain sedative to those they crucified, most often myrrh mixed with cheap wine.

Myrrh is also used in ointments to smooth and heal chapped and inflamed skin and was used to prevent wrinkles.  It, along with frankincense and other spices and herbs, is part of the embalming fluid Egyptians used on the dead “mummies”. 

Myrrh was also used to bring on menstruation, possibly to induce abortions.  It was given to purify women before they were “given” to a new man.  The book of Ester in the bible gives instructions to purify a woman by giving her oil of myrrh for 6 months and then for another additional 6 months she was given sweet oil treatments.  This would effectively mean that she would not be pregnant with another man’s child and was probably thought to cure any sexually transmitted disease she might also have.

Frankincense has been used since ancient times to cure arthritic pain and modern research has found that it is indeed helpful in some forms of arthritis.  It is also being used today for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, and there are studies that prove it’s quite effective.  In older references oil of frankincense was referred to as oil of Olibanum or just as Olibanum.

Egyptian women used burnt frankincense ashes to make kohl- the original black eyeliner and mascara.  Even today many expensive cosmetics and perfumes contain either frankincense or myrrh as ingredients.

Frankincense was also thought to cure sexual diseases and inhaling the smoke was thought to cure asthma and other bronchial conditions. The smoke of both Frankincense and myrrh repels insects and the smoke was thought to purge a room of disease or malevolent spirits and thoughts.  And of course it made a room smell better in most cases and would alter the emotions in a positive way. 

By the middle ages the disruption of trade routes made the use of both frankincense and myrrh too rare and expensive for most people and the use of the spices receded to mostly religious ritual.  Today however you can find frankincense and myrrh, most often as incense or as essential oils to use in cosmetic and craft products.  They are still harvested in traditional ways and still more expensive than some other spices.

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Ginger

Ginger is commonly associated with ginger bread and other pastries but ginger root is a staple of Asian cooking, especially in stir fry. Ginger is often used in sauces and marinades for fish.  Ginger also combines well with fruits like peaches and apples as well as vegetables like squash.  Ginger is also well known as an herbal remedy for nausea.

You can buy ginger as a powdered dry spice in most groceries but fresh ginger root is also readily available.  Good cooks will learn how to prepare and use fresh ginger as well as the using the powdered spice.

Preparing and storing fresh ginger root

Ginger root comes from the tropical plant zingibar officinalis.  The knobby light brown roots have a firm, fibrous pale yellow or white interior.  One good sized ginger root will be enough for many recipes. Choose a firm, light brown ginger root with no nicks or scars and as few knobs or branches as possible.

Scrub the ginger root with a scrub brush under clean running water. You will cut off, and peel small sections of the ginger root as you need them.  Store the rest of the root wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  You can freeze ginger, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to a year.  You may want to cut the root in several pieces before freezing to make it easier to use.

When you get ready to use fresh ginger in a recipe cut off a chunk big enough for what you will need.  Stick the piece of fresh ginger in the freezer if you can for an hour or so.  Frozen ginger is easier to peel.  Use a potato peeler, paring knife or scrape with the bowl of a spoon to remove the ginger root peel.

For diced ginger cut round peeled slices off the piece about the size of a coin and chop with a sharp knife or use a food processor.  For best results in grating or shaving ginger use a micro grater. Micro graters can be found in the kitchen utensil sections of most stores. They leave the fibers in ginger root behind and extract only the fleshy part of the root.  Your recipe will generally tell you whether to dice or grate ginger.

Some ideas for using fresh ginger

Make a stir fry.  Place 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok or fry pan.  Add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger. Heat the oil to sizzling.  Add a small diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons soy sauce,1/2 cup water and a tablespoon of cornstarch and a package of frozen vegetables (12-15 oz.) of your choice.  Cook, stirring briskly until vegetables are crisp and a light sauce develops.

Make oriental turkey burgers.  Add 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and salt to taste to 1 lb. of ground turkey and make turkey burger patties.

Make orange-ginger sauce for fish.  Add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to a cup of orange juice and pour over salmon, tuna, trout or other fish before baking or broiling.

Enhance the flavor.  Add a bit of grated ginger to chicken or fruit salad. A bit of grated ginger is also good in rice pilaf. Sprinkle grated ginger on squash before baking it.  Grated ginger is often used with sushi.   

Make ginger tea. Add a few thin slices of ginger root and a teaspoon of honey to a cup of boiling water and let it steep 5 minutes for ginger tea. Use for morning sickness, motion sickness and other nausea.

Caution

While a bit of ginger is good for nausea don’t overdo the ginger tea or you will irritate the stomach lining.  If you are on prescription medicines make sure to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before using ginger as an herbal remedy as it can react with some prescription medicines. 

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Lavender

Lavender is a wonderful plant; its lovely purple flowers and crisp, clean aroma soothe the eye, delight the nose, and calm the spirit.   Lavender thrives in hot, dry places where other plants droop and requires little care when established.  The silver foliage of most lavenders blends well in the mixed border.  No garden should be without lavender.

The Romans used lavender in their bath water and to wash clothing and linins.  The Latin name Lavandula means “to wash.” In the Middle ages washing ones body with anything was pretty much abandoned, but the use of lavender to scent perfumes and strew about rooms to cover up odors was continued.  Even today the use of lavender in perfumes, soaps and other cosmetics continues to be popular.    When asked to describe the scent of lavender most people use words like clean, fresh, or pine- like.   The different species of Lavender also have a slight difference in smell.  The scent of lavender is most heavy from the flowers but the leaves of lavender are also aromatic.

Most lavenders have small, narrow leaves, of a gray green color.  Some varieties have wider, toothed leaves and some have feathery, fern-like leaves.  There are varieties of lavender that have variegated foliage.  The flowers of lavender arise on long stems and consist of whorls of tiny flowers.   Spanish Lavender has the typical wand of tiny flowers topped by a wild hairdo of longer flower petals.   Flower colors range from deep purple to paler blues and shades of violet, pink and white.  The flowers have many scent and nectar glands and are very attractive to bees and butterflies.     

Growing Lavender

Lavender is usually propagated by cuttings or layering and gardeners will want to start with plants for most varieties.  Determined gardeners can start lavender seed although the germination rate for seeds is low and slow.  ‘Lady’ is the best lavender variety to try growing from seed as it’s germination rate is higher and it will bloom the first year from seed.

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean areas, and likes sunny, dry conditions.  Wet winters and high summer humidity can cause problems for the plant.   Lavender prefers loose, well-drained soil.   It does well in soils with low fertility; a soil on the “lean” side produces more flowers and a stronger fragrance. Fertilizing lavender is generally unnecessary.  But don’t be afraid to try lavender in your garden even if your conditions seem less than ideal.  Lavender is tough and adapts to many sites. The site must be well drained, however, as lavender will not grow in soggy soil. You may need to experiment with different varieties of lavender as some do better in some sites than others.  

There are lavenders that are hardy from zones 5-9 or (zone 10 where it is not too humid).    In zone 5 lavender survives best when it is protected from winter winds, by fences, buildings or other plants.  Do not cover Lavender with mulch in winter however, as it tends to rot the plant.  Leave plenty of room around lavender plants to increase airflow in the summer.

Although lavender requires little water when established, new plants should receive regular watering.   Lavender rarely suffers from disease and has no important insect pests.

Lavender can make a large shrubby bush in ideal climates.  It is semi-evergreen, with the leaves persisting through winter.  It is hard to tell in the spring what parts were winter killed and pruning should be delayed until new leaves begin sprouting on the branches.  Once you can tell what has survived you can make decisions on what needs to be pruned.  Prune off dead wood and if you want to shape or shorten lavender, late spring is the time to do it.   If your lavender plant has became very dense and woody you may wish to shear off about half of the plant to promote fresh growth.  After about 5 years many lavender plants look very straggly and need to be replaced.

You can harvest lavender flowers at any stage, but flowers that are left on the plant should be removed when they have finished blooming.  These are still very fragrant and can be used to scent potpourri.  

Choosing Varieties

There are three main species of lavender from which most garden varieties were bred.

The species also cross freely, producing many hybrids.  Check the zone hardiness of any variety you plan to purchase.  Also, if you want fragrance be aware that some varieties produce very little scent. The hardiest varieties are produced from Lavandula angustifolia and include ‘Hidcote’- silver foliage, deep purple flowers, ‘Hidcote Pink’- a light pink flower, ‘Munstead’- blue flowers, very fragrant, ‘Provence’- larger leaves, extremely fragrant, ‘Twickel Purple’- rosy purple, ‘Grosso’- deep purple and heavy in perfume oils, ‘Blue Cushion’- blue flowers on a dwarf, rounded plant, ‘Goldberg’- leaves edged with gold and deep blue flowers.  Other varieties include ‘Dusky Maiden’- magenta with purple topknot, ‘Snowball’- a compact silver plant covered with white flowers, ‘With Love’- a true clear pink, and ‘Anouk’- ferny foliage topped with cones of dark purple flowers with lighter topknots.

Using Lavender

In the garden lavender is often used as an edging to walks and patios where brushing against it releases the heavenly scent. It is also good for sunny mixed borders.  The dried flowers of lavender are placed in drawers and closets to repel insects and scent the material.  The scent of lavender is said to repel flies.  Lavender is used in aromatherapy, the scent is calming.   Lavender is used to make lemonade and flavor ice cream and sometimes used to flavor pastry and sweets.  Lavender oil is used in a wide variety of perfumes, soaps and cosmetic preparations.

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Lemon Balm- Light and Lively

Lemon Balm is another herb that anyone can grow in the garden.  With its lovely lemony flavor it complements many dishes.  It has many medicinal uses and is currently being studied for use in suppressing tumors, and in HIV, Herpes, and Alzheimer’s treatment.  Lemon Balm is so easy to grow that many people consider it invasive.

Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, is a member of the mint family. Several species are native to Europe.  It will happily grow anywhere in zone 3-9.   It is commercially grown in many areas.  

The plant has square stems like most mints; the leaves are dark green, broadly oval with toothed edges.  Lemon balm grows to about 2 foot tall when it is in a spot it likes.   In midsummer Lemon Balm begins blooming, with small spikes of pale yellow flowers arising from where the leaf joins the stem.  The flowers are tiny but are loved by bees which flock to the plants.

The Lemon Balm plant is not very attractive as garden plants go, but it does have that delightful aroma of lemon when the leaves are handled.  It spreads quickly through the garden by seed and by runners and you will soon have many plants to share with friends.

Growing and Harvesting Lemon Balm

Most gardeners will start with Lemon Balm plants; anyone who has the plant should be able to give you a seedling in the spring.  They are perennial, dying back to the ground each winter.  Large clumps of Lemon Balm can also be divided.

Lemon Balm prefers full sun although it will tolerate partial shade.  It will grow in almost any soil.   For the best plants a well-draining, moderately rich soil in full sun, and watering when conditions are very dry is preferred.  After frost has killed the foliage cut off the stems to the ground.

The leaves of Lemon Balm can be harvested at any time.   Most of the active ingredients are found in the leaves, although flowers are also good as a dried herb.  The flowers are edible.   Simply remove the leaves needed from the plant or if you have an abundance of plants you can pull whole plants. Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried.

Using Lemon Balm

The active ingredients in Lemon Balm include terpenes, tannins and eugenol.  In traditional herbal medicine Lemon Balm was usually a complementary addition to other herbs.  The lemony flavor helped make other herbal medications easy to take.  Lemon Balm is mildly sedative and helps decrease anxiety and aid sleep.  It is used to aid in gas and colic relief.   Lemon Balm leaves were also crushed and warmed to use as a poultice on wounds.

A current popular use is a lotion or cream containing Lemon Balm that is used on cold sores and other Herpes sores.   Cooled Lemon Balm tea can also be used on sores.  It does not control pain but speeds healing.  Much research is being focused on the anti-viral properties of Lemon Balm in Herpes and HIV treatment.

Other research is focusing on Lemon Balms ability to aid memory and restore some cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.  Some research suggests that Lemon Balm may destroy certain tumors.

 Lemon Balm is a mosquito repellant when rubbed on the skin.  Lemon Balm is also used in potpourri. 

Lemon Balm has many culinary uses, wherever lemon flavor is required in cooking it can be substituted for lemon.  The essential oils from the plant are used in a wide variety of things from perfume and cosmetics to furniture polish.

To make a tea with Lemon Balm use about a cup of fresh, crushed leaves to a pint of boiling water and steep.  Use about a teaspoon of dried herb to a cup of boiling water.  Strain and sweeten if desired.  Adult dosage of tea should be limited to about 4 cups per day, children about a cup. Lemon Balm is available in the market place as dried herb, extract, essential oil, capsules and lotions.  Follow dosage directions on the labels.

An old recipe for using Lemon Balm as a cooling drink includes a bottle of claret wine, a couple cups of crushed lemon balm leaves, a sliced orange, a half of a sliced, peeled  cucumber, and a half cup of sugar.   All ingredients are mixed together and allowed to steep for a day in a cool place, then the liquid is strained and poured over ice.

Cautions

Before using Lemon Balm preparations on the skin test a small area of skin for allergies.

Pregnant and nursing women should consult with a doctor before using Lemon Balm. 

Some medications may interact with Lemon Balm, in particular thyroid medications, and if you are on medications you should consult with your doctor before using Lemon Balm.

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Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena well deserves the romantic, aristocratic aura that surrounds it. Lemon verbena was brought from Argentina and Chile to European gardens in the late 1700’s.  Aloysia triphylla, (or you may see it listed as Lippia citriodora, Aloysia citriodora or Lippia triphylla), was admired both for its lovely lemon scent and the attractive foliage that was trimmed into topiary and hedges.  But it was the southern United States that embraced lemon verbena and made it a symbol of southern hospitality and plantation living. 

While lemon verbena is a symbol of romantic, gracious, southern living, it’s sweet scent wafting on the humid air of coastal plantations, northern gardeners need not despair, they can grow lemon verbena as a container plant in the summer herb bed and bring it inside for the winter.

In warm, humid climates lemon verbena makes a large shrub 15-foot high and almost as wide.  The extremely fragrant leaves are long and narrow and arranged on the stem in groups of threes. The leaves are filled with aromatic oils, which will yield not only the scent but also the taste of sweet lemon. Lemon verbena has small white flowers in late summer.  Lemon verbena is not related to the colorful small bedding plant called verbena that is more common to northern gardens,

Growing lemon verbena

Where there is no frost Lemon verbena grows as an evergreen shrub.  In areas where only light frosts occur, lemon verbena will die back to the ground, but re-grow in warmer weather.  For gardeners in zone 7 and higher, lemon verbena will need to be grown as a pot plant and wintered indoors.  Lemon verbena is bought as a plant, because the plants seldom set seed and are started from cuttings.

Lemon verbena likes rich, moist soil in full sun.  In the spring a light application of 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer will get it off to a good start.  In the hot, humid coastal areas of the south, lemon verbena grows rapidly and may need to be sheared or pruned to remain in bounds.  It is often trained into a standard, a trunk with a ball of foliage at the top, or into fanciful topiary figures.  Lemon verbena has the tendency to wilt after trimming or taking cuttings, especially pot plants.   Try to trim it on a cloudy day and keep the plant well-watered to avoid stress.

Potted lemon verbena should be brought inside before frost; otherwise the plant will lose its leaves.  It can be kept in a cool, but frost-free area with bright light for the winter or brought into a warm green house.  If the plant does lose its leaves when brought inside, put it in a sunny area and water lightly until it puts out new leaves.  Then fertilize with a houseplant fertilizer, keep it moist, and give it the brightest light possible.  Try to increase humidity if the plant is grown in the home by grouping with other plants, using humidity trays or a humidifier.  Never let lemon verbena sit in water and take care not to over-water plants in a cool environment.

How to use lemon verbena

It’s the leaves of lemon verbena that are used although the stems and flowers are also fragrant.  The leaves have a true lemon scent and taste, without a trace of bitterness. The flavor and scent remain good even after the leaves have been dried for a long time.  Lemon verbena is used in perfumes, potpourris, teas and other culinary uses. It is often an ingredient in medicines to make the taste more agreeable. It is used in teas for sleep and relaxing.

Lemon verbena makes excellent lemonade, some say better than real lemons.   Bruise or chop the leaves to release the oils before using.  Sprigs of lemon verbena are often put into finger bowls at fancy dinners.  Southern ladies washed their hair with water scented with lemon verbena and used it to scent perfume.   Lemon verbena easily yields its scent and flavor to water, alcohol, oil or milk.  Fish, poultry and other meals where a touch of lemon is desired can be flavored with lemon verbena. Dried leaves can be used in stored linens and clothing.

One of the best ways to preserve lemon verbena for sweet recipes is simply to chop leaves and store in sugar in a tightly closed plastic bag, storage container or clean glass jar.  Use about a half cup leaves to 3 cups sugar.  Shake frequently until the leaves dry and there are no clumps.  Throw it out if any mold should develop.  Use in any recipe that calls for a little lemon flavor, or in your tea.  You can also use the lemon flavored sugar in cookies or other baked goods.

Finely chop and crush some lemon verbena and add it to ice cream or softened butter for a sweet lemony taste.

Try soaking some crushed lemon verbena leaves in vodka for a few days then straining out the leaves and using the scented vodka as perfume.  You can also mix crushed leaves with an unscented hand cream to have a delightful lemon scented cream.

Even if you never experiment with the scent or flavor lemon verbena can make a great topiary plant, or a hedging plant in warmer areas.   And a houseplant that smells of exotic warm places will make anyone’s world better.

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Marvelous Mints

Do you know what Mojito mint tastes like?  You know what peppermint and spearmint taste like but there are hundreds of mints out there to taste.   Mint isn’t just used to flavor candy and gum; there are hundreds of uses for mints. Mints are also good for you; they contain many vitamins and beneficial compounds, and have been used in herbal medicines for thousands of years. Michigan was once a leader in the production of peppermint and spearmint. Mint is a still major crop in some areas of the country and is one of the easiest herbs that gardeners can grow. 

 

Pineapple mint

Bees and butterflies love mint flowers and if you don’t want mint in the herb garden you may want to grow it in a butterfly garden.

Medical and other uses of mint

Mint is loaded with anti-oxidants and other beneficial compounds.  Fresh mint also has anti-microbial and antiseptic qualities.   Mint is high in beta-carotenes, dietary fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, and calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B2, C, potassium and copper.

Menthol is distilled from mint and is used in a wide range of products from cigarette filters to arthritis creams. 

Peppermint tea soothes nausea and aids in relieving gas and indigestion. Pregnant women find relief from morning sickness with peppermint tea, but should never drink more than 2 cups a day, as large amounts of strong peppermint tea has been linked by some herbalists to miscarriage.  Mint is being studied for relieving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Chewing on mint will freshen the breath.  The scent of peppermint often relieves headache.

Any mint may be added to salads for an added zing.   Mint jelly is made from English Mint, which is served with lamb and other meat dishes.  Mint is used to flavor candy and other sweets. Mint Juleps require spearmint and Mojito cocktails, a Cuban specialty, require Mojito mint.  Many other alcoholic beverages are flavored with mints.

Mint is said to repel mice, rats and ants, and sprigs of mint can be placed in cupboards and drawers.  Various types of mints can be added to bath water.  Mint is also used to scent many types of cosmetics and soap.

Fresh mint will not cause any harm but concentrated oils of various mints should never be taken internally, or used without dilution on the skin.  . There is some concern that the strong smell of mint oil may cause allergic reactions or seizures in susceptible people.

Growing Mint

Mints have rough, slightly hairy leaves, broadly oval, with some varieties having toothed leaves.  Mint leaves are generally dark green to purplish green, although some variegated varieties exist. Mints have characteristic square stems, which may turn woody by late summer.  They are perennial plants, some mints are hardy to zone 3 and most are hardy to zone 6.  Mints generally make rangy plants about 3 feet tall, although some varieties are more compact and some are even ground huggers.  

Mint flowers are produced at the top of the plant, on spikes circled by rings of tiny flowers ranging in color from white to reddish- purple, depending on the type of mint. Mint plants of various types growing closely in the garden do not exchange flavors.  If you plant chocolate and banana mint close together their flavors will remain distinct, however if they flower, interbreed and produce seed, the seed grown plants may have the flavor of a chocolate banana or something quite unrecognizable. 

Most mints are extremely easy to grow in the garden, so easy that some mints can become invasive pests.  Although not hard to grow from seed, the best flavored mint plants are obtained from cuttings and gardeners should buy plants rather than seed.  Mints also spread by root runners and these can be separated to produce new plants.  Mint will grow in sun or part shade, the flavor is more intense when plants are grown in the sun.   They like moist, fertile soil.  Keep mint plants from flowering by cutting off the flower spikes as they begin to form, and the mint will have a milder flavor.

To keep mint from spreading in the garden and taking over every inch of space, some gardeners plant mint in containers that are sunk in the ground.  These containers need to be at least 8 inches deep and the lip of the container should be left an inch or two above ground.  They need to have drainage holes in the bottom.  This will not totally stop mints from spreading and the gardener will need to be alert for escapees.

You may pick mint leaves for cooking, teas and drink flavoring as soon as the plant is large enough to support their removal.  For culinary use pick young, tender leaves.     If you want to dry a lot of mint, cut the whole plant off at the base just as it starts to flower and hang the whole plant to dry.  Fresh mint has the sweetest taste.  

Some varieties

There are many species of mints in the world; each has its own blend of chemicals that account for the hundreds of flavors.  Mints are a favorite of plant collectors, and breeders are constantly crossing various mints to get new flavors

Mints are loosely grouped as spearmint, peppermints and others.  In the spearmint group, varieties of Mentha spicata include; English Mint, Scotch Spearmint, or Kentucky Colonel.  In the peppermint, Mentha piperita, group we have; Chocolate mint, Swiss mint, and Variegata, which has leaves splashed with white, and many varieties simply labeled Improved Peppermint.  Other mints include Banana Mint, Applemint, Orange Mint, Pineapple Mint, Mojito Mint, and Corsican mint,(one of the tiny ground covers). 

When you begin to look at collector mints, the hybrids produced by several prominent breeders, a whole range of flavors and types appear.  Pink Candypops is a mint that has large, showy pink flower clusters.  You can also find Sweet Pear mint, Candy Lime Mint, Margarita Mint, and Marshmallow Mint to name just a few.  Try to see the plant and taste a leaf before buying and make sure to check zone hardiness on those expensive hybrids.

There is a mint that will please everyone and mints belong in every garden.

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Oregano

Oregano is an excellent culinary herb and has ornamental and medicinal properties also. It is a close cousin to marjoram, which is not hardy in Michigan. Without getting into all the fine points of the matter, marjoram is a species of oregano, and both are in the mint family. 

Like most mints, oregano has square stems. The oval leaves may be hairy in some varieties of oregano, and the flowers range from white to purple- red.   The flowers appear in clusters at the end of stems in late summer.  Several ornamental varieties of oregano have been developed; check the zone hardiness of these before purchasing.  Common oregano is winter hardy to at least zone 5 and it is a robust grower, spreading by seed and runners. 

Oregano is one of the Mediterranean herbs that prefer sunny, dry conditions to develop the best taste.  It needs full sun and well-drained soil to do its best.   Oregano seldom has pests and requires little or no fertilization.  Large clumps of oregano should be divided every 3-4 years.  Give the plants you don’t want to friends. 

Oregano can be started from seed, either where it is to grow after danger of frost has passed, or in pots. It is easily started from cuttings or dividing mature plants.  Most gardeners will want to start with plants grown from cuttings of good specimens of oregano as there is a wide variation in plants grown from seed, both in size and form, and in taste. Unless you are growing an ornamental flowering variety of oregano, keep the flowers of oregano trimmed off.  This keeps the plants producing the young tender leaves that are best for cooking.

Using oregano

Oregano is high in anti-oxidants and vitamins and has antibacterial properties also, using it in recipes could improve your health.  Oregano has a sharp, spicy, robust flavor that is preferred in Italian, Greek, mid-eastern and Latin American cooking.  It is often used in tomato dishes, seafood and grilled meats. What would pizza sauce be without oregano?

Harvest fresh leaves from oregano when there is enough foliage so that you don’t need to harvest more than a third of the plant at a time.  Whole oregano plants can be pulled in the fall and hung to dry, then the dried leaves removed and stored. You can also dry oregano leaves any time during the growing season. The flavor of oregano remains strong when dried.

Oregano varieties with showy flowers are used in perennial borders, on sunny banks and in containers. They are very attractive to bees and can be used to attract pollinators to the garden.

Teas using oregano are said to aid digestion. The flower heads of oregano were formerly used both as a dye plant, giving a pale purple dye, and in making beer.  They are also used as flavorings for wine and vinegar. New research with oregano focuses on its anti-microbal, antibacterial properties.  A film made with an extract from oregano and apples is being tested on foods like poultry to prevent salmonella contamination.

Some varieties

Oregano, Origanum vulgare, comes in many varieties.   Greek oregano, hardy to zone 5, and Kaliteri oregano, hardy to zone 6,( protect with mulch or grow in a protected place in Michigan),  are two good culinary choices.    Kent Beauty oregano has large attractive rose- purple flowers, fairly good oregano taste and is hardy to zone 6.  The Zorba oreganos were developed for their large, attractive flower sprays of white or red.  They bloom continuously through the summer, have an attractive full plant form, fairly good flavor, and are hardy to zone 5. 

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Parsley -  not just for looks

Parsley is often used to decorate plates and make the meal look more attractive.  But  a wise person might want to pick up that piece of parsley and eat it.  Not only is parsley high in vitamins C, A, and K, it is also a good source of iron and folate.  That sprig of parsley can also freshen your breath and aid in digesting your meal.    Researchers are also studying parsley’s ability to remove carcinogens from the body and to stop tumor growth.

In some parts of the world parsley has always been more than a garnish.  In southern Europe and in western Asia, parsley is a part of many regional dishes such as hummus and tabbouleh.   The roots of one form of parsley, Hamburg parsley, are used to flavor soups and stews.  You can grow this wonderful plant quite easily in the garden.

Growing parsley

Parsley is a native of southern Europe.  It is a bi-annual plant.  In the first year that you plant parsley you will get plenty of foliage for tasty dishes and garnishes and in the second year parsley will go quickly to seed and produce white, lacy flowers similar to Queen Anne’s Lace or carrot flowers.  Parsley is rather slow and difficult to start from seed so gardeners may want to buy plants at a local nursery.  If you want to try to grow your own parsley from seed, start about 12 weeks before your last frost.  Parsley seed will germinate best if it is stratified.  This means putting the parsley seed on a moistened paper towel in a plastic bag and putting it in the crisper of your refrigerator for a week or two.  Then remove the seed and plant in sterile potting mix.  Germination can take up to four weeks so be patient. 

Transplant your seedlings outside in late spring, they can be planted outside before the last frost but after the danger of freezing has past.   Gardeners can also sow parsley seed outdoors in the very early spring, when the soil is thawed but still cold.  Or if you live in a mild winter climate you can sow parsley seed where it is to grow in the late fall.  Once you have parsley growing in your garden, leave a plant or two for the second year, when it will produce seed and reseed itself without worry on your part.

Plant parsley seedlings in full sun in the north, sun or part shade in the south, in well drained soil.  Don’t over water, parsley is another plant that  came from a dry Mediterranean climate.  It seldom needs fertilizer, if the leaves seem yellowish, a little slow release, high nitrogen fertilizer may be beneficial.  If you don’t want parsley to come back in the same place the next year, make sure you pull out remaining plants in the fall.  In the second year you may harvest a little foliage but the plant will go quickly to seed and then die.

Choosing varieties

There are two main types of parsley foliage, one is a very lacy, ferny, curly type commonly sold as “moss” leaved or curled leaf parsley.  The other type has broader, flat leaves, similar to celery leaves, and is sold as flat-leaved parsley. Hamburg parsley has the flat type of leaves and a swollen root that is used in cooking. Curled leaf is the preferred type for garnish and either type is good for use in recipes. Varieties of flat leaved parsley include “Titan” and “Italian Dark Green” and varieties of curled leaf parsley include “Forest Green”, “Krausa” and “Starke”.   Varieties of parsley grown for their roots include “Hamburg” and “Bartowich Long”.

Using parsley

You can begin cutting parsley leaves after the plant has grown enough so that you don’t have to harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at a time.  Parsley root can be harvested as soon as the roots are large enough.  The harvested leaves will grow back, but when you harvest roots you generally destroy the plant. 

Fresh parsley sprigs are used to make meals look more appealing.  Finely chopped parsley is used in many Mid-eastern and Asian dishes and is often sprinkled on fish in European countries.  The leaves of parsley may be added to any salad to add taste and vitamins.  Parsley root is scrubbed and cubed and cooked in soup or stew like potatoes or turnips, although the flavor is not like either.  Parsley is best used fresh, although dried parsley is sometimes available.  Parsley can be chopped and frozen in water for use in winter cooking.

Cautions

Parsley should always be harvested from the garden and not gathered from the wild or unknown gardens.  There are several very poisonous plants, including poison hemlock, whose leaves look very similar to parsley.  Parsley is  a plant that contains oxalates.  Oxalates can crystallize when they are concentrated in body fluids and could possibly form stones in the gall bladder or kidneys.  People who have had kidney or gallbladder problems should consume only small amounts of parsley.

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Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family. It is a perennial hardy to Zone 5 that is as easy to grow as other mints. Pennyroyal has smaller, narrower leaves than other mints and grows as a trailing or cascading plant. It prefers full sun and moist fertile soil. Pennyroyal has a strong mint-like scent that some people like and some do not. It flowers in rounded clusters of white or purple.

Some pennyroyals are being grown today for their showy and unusual flowers. The flowers of Snowcones or Purple Snowcones resemble a string of fluffy balls and bloom for a long period in the summer. Use in a hanging basket, cascading down a wall or in a rock garden.

Pennyroyal used to be used in herbal medications but there is some controversy over its safety and consumption of pennyroyal is not recommended. Pennyroyal was thought to induce abortion even thousands of years ago and recent research has pointed to other problems. Pennyroyal is said to repel insects and is often used in herbal preparations to kill or repel fleas on pets. Pennyroyal oil is said to repel mosquitoes also, but never apply concentrated oil to the skin.

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Rosemary for Remembrance

Gardeners in Michigan will need to over winter rosemary in doors unless you have one of those protected niches that will raise your zone to about zone 7.   But it is well worth the trouble.  Rosemary’s beautiful flowers, fragrant foliage and wonderful taste, makes it deserve a place in every garden.  It won’t take much to make you remember the delicious taste of rosemary on fresh baked bread, but rosemary is said to improve your memory in other ways as well.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean coastal areas and it likes a warm, dry, sunny growing spot. Michigan’s wet winters are more of a problem than the cold.   Many Michigan gardeners however manage to keep potted Rosemary plants for many years.  A few lucky souls keep rosemary alive in Michigan winters by planting it in a dry protected area and mulching or covering it in the winter.

In its native growing region rosemary makes large shrubby plants that can be six feet high or more. In pots, rosemary will not get as large, although it can make an impressive plant if grown well.   Rosemary has narrow, gray-green needle-like leaves that remain green and on the plant all year.  The leaves release a strong, pleasant scent when brushed or crushed. There are varieties of rosemary that grow upright and varieties that sprawl or form low groundcovers, even varieties for hanging baskets. 

Rosemary can have blue, white or pink flowers.  In Michigan plants wintered inside in a cool place will generally bloom as the days start to lengthen.  Sometimes Rosemary will bloom outside in the fall after a long growing season.   The flowers are small and rather oddly shaped and appear at the ends of stems.

Growing rosemary

Rosemary is generally purchased as a plant.  Seeds of rosemary do not germinate well and it does not come true from seed.  Rosemary starts easily from cuttings.

Rosemary likes sandy, well-drained soil. If you decide to plant rosemary outside directly in the ground and have heavy clay it might be best to plant your rosemary in a raised bed. Michigan gardeners should plant rosemary in containers so they can bring it inside for the winter.  The worse thing you can do to rosemary is over water it, soil in containers needs to drain well. In the landscape, place rosemary with other plants that don’t require frequent watering. A little balanced garden fertilizer in spring, as new growth begins, is all the feeding rosemary requires.

Bring in rosemary plants before the temperatures go below freezing regularly.  The plants can withstand frost very well even light freezes won’t hurt them.  Indoors rosemary plants should be in the brightest light possible, preferably a south window.   A cool room that stays just above freezing with high light would be ideal.  Don’t fertilize, and allow the pot to dry before watering.  A place with good air circulation is best; some people use a small fan on their rosemary plants to help them avoid fungal diseases in the winter.

Re-pot with new potting soil and lightly fertilize before placing the rosemary back out in the spring.   In the spring wait until frost has passed before placing the plants back outside because they are not hardened off.

Rosemary responds nicely to pruning and shaping and is often turned into topiary.  It is sometimes shaped like a small Christmas tree and sold as a seasonal decoration. In the garden upright rosemary is often trimmed into hedges or topiary figures. Trailing varieties are excellent as ground covers, on banks and walls and in hanging baskets.

Some varieties

‘Arp’ and ‘Hills Hardy’ are hardy to zone 6 with protection. ‘Gorizia’ and ‘Tuscan Blue’ are upright varieties with large leaves and light blue flowers that are favored for cooking. ‘Nancy Howard’ is a large variety with almost white flowers. ‘Pink Marjorca’ is a large plant that blooms prolifically in pale pink. ‘Pinkie’ is a dwarf plant with pink flowers. ‘Blue Boy’ is a dwarf plant with blue flowers. ‘Collingwood Ingram’ is a trailing variety of rosemary with deep blue-purple flowers. ‘Golden Rain’ is a trailing variety lightly variegated with gold. “Blue Rain’ is a very good trailing variety for pots and baskets, with light blue flowers that bloom for a long period.

Using rosemary in cooking

As a cooking herb rosemary has some unique properties. It is a very strong flavoring and should be used with a light hand until you are used to the flavor. Cooking does not diminish the flavor. Most cooks prefer to use fresh rosemary in recipes.  Dried rosemary has a slightly different flavor and is very strong. The leaves do not soften much as they cook so they should be chopped finely or whole sprigs can be used that are removed before serving.

Rosemary aids digestion and is often used to season fatty meats. It is used with lamb and fish and in potato dishes. Rosemary also is a good seasoning for bread, lightly oil the top of bread dough, sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary and bake.  Rosemary is used with oranges in some recipes and used to flavor lemonade. Sprigs of rosemary can be thrown on the grill and the smoke will season grilled meats.

Other uses

Rosemary has long been used as a rinse for hair and in other cosmetic preparations. Ancient Greek scholars wore wreaths of rosemary to help them remember their lessons.  The scent of rosemary is said to enhance memory.  Sprigs of rosemary are given out at weddings and funerals to signify remembrance. Rosemary was burned in early hospitals and sick rooms to cleanse the air.

Modern research is studying the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of rosemary and has found that rosemary is an excellent food preservative.

Caution

Culinary uses of rosemary are generally safe, although some people may have allergic reactions to the herb. Medicinal uses of rosemary and the handling of rosemary essential oil should be avoided by pregnant women. Rosemary essential oil is absorbed through the skin and can be toxic. It should never be consumed or applied full strength to the skin. There are reports that strong scents such as rosemary essential oil can bring on seizures and may contribute to auto-immune diseases.

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Sage for wisdom

You’d be wise to add sage to your Michigan garden.  Sage is one of the most ancient medicinal and culinary herbs known, sacred to the Romans, and revered by the Chinese. Sage was said to cure almost anything that ailed you, improve your brain function and bring you immortality.  It tastes good too.  You can grow this miracle herb in your garden so that you are never without it.

There are many plants in the salvia family to which culinary sage belongs, but the plant gardeners want for cooking and most medicinal uses is Salvia officinallis. 

Sage has silver-green, oval shaped leaves with a rough texture and square stems. There are some varieties of culinary sage that have purple or golden leaves or variegated leaves.  When crushed the smell of sage is distinctive.

Sage is a short lived perennial in most areas, becoming a semi-woody plant about 3 feet high.   In Michigan gardens culinary sage only blooms when we have long, warm falls.  When it blooms you may see pinkish- purple blooms on long spikes.  Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the flowers of sage.   Cut the flowers off as they fade so the plant does not put energy into producing seeds. 

Dried sage is often used as a rub for meats.  In earlier days this helped preserve the meat as well as flavor it.   Sage leaves can be fried in butter and used as a sauce for gnocchi or pasta.  Sage is used as a seasoning in sausage and in stuffing mixes for poultry or pork. 

Although sage had a lot of medicinal uses in earlier times, it is seldom used in herbal medicine today.  Like many herbs, sage is high in antioxidants, flavonoids and other beneficial compounds.  Research has shown that sage is indeed helpful to the brain, improving memory in some studies.  Its anti-bacterial properties have led to research using sage to improve the shelf life of cooking oils.  Sage tea is sometimes used to treat colds and bronchial infections and to lower fevers.   Sage tea is also used as a gargle for sore throat and to ease indigestion.

A sage tea that is cooled is used as a rinse for gray hair, darkening it while conditioning it.  Sage is also used to scent soap and perfumes.  Sage used to be a common ingredient in tooth powder, used to heal bleeding gums.  Sage is sometimes burned in religious ceremonies.

Growing sage

You can start sage from seeds; sow the seed about 8 weeks before your last frost indoors in flats or pots.  Transplant outside after danger of frost and space about 18 inches apart.

If you are looking for sages with colored or variegated leaves you will probably have to buy plants.  Sage will also start from tip cuttings.  

Sage needs full sun and well-drained soil to do well.  Most varieties are hardy to zone 5, but check hardiness before purchasing.  In zone 5, some winter protection is advised, especially if the sage plant is in an exposed area.  In the spring, trim off any winter killed branches and lightly fertilize.  After 4 or 5 years you will probably need to replace your sage plant.

 

Some varieties

Bergarten, Holt’s Mammoth, Extrakta and White Dalmation are all good culinary sages. 

Tri-color sage has variegated leaves of purple, pink and white.  Purple sage has purplish- green leaves. These two are hardy to zone 6.  There is a Gold sage whose leaves are solid gold and a Golden sage, whose leaves have gold edges.  The gold sages are not hardy in Michigan, but may be over wintered in a cool, sunny room.   The colored sages don’t have flavor as strong as the silver-green sages, but can be used in cooking. 

Be careful that when purchasing sage you intend to use for cooking that you are not getting a purely ornamental variety, such as Pineapple sage or Honey Melon sage.  These are grown for their flowers and scented leaves but have little medicinal or cooking value. 

Harvesting and drying sage

Sage is a very strong herb and if you are not used to it, start with a small amount, especially when using dried sage. Harvest sage leaves at any time until about six weeks before you expect a hard freeze.   This will give the plant time to harden off any shoots it produced in response to your last harvest.

You can harvest fresh young leaves or small sprigs of sage to lay on meats such as chicken, veal and pork while it cooks.  Fresh sage has a slightly different taste than dried sage, lighter, with a lemony zing. Sage loses the citrus undertone when dried and other flavors in it become more prominent. 

You can dry sage by harvesting fresh stems with leaves and hanging them in a warm, dark place, or in a dehydrator, microwave or oven.  Make sure the sage is completely dried, it may take longer than thin leaved herbs, before storing, or it may mold and taste musty.  Store completely dried leaves in a clean glass container in a cool place.  Sage leaves can also be frozen in water and will taste more like fresh sage when used than dried sage.

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Sage- cooking with it

Sage, salvia officinalis, is a common cooking herb.  Sage is most often used with poultry and pork but is also used to flavor cheese and wine and it can be used in herbal teas.  Many English and German recipes call for sage.  Sage is often used with fatty meats because it aids digestion. It’s an herb most gardeners with a sunny spot can grow.  You can easily dry a supply of sage for winter.

There are several ornamental varieties of sage. For cooking buy what is called white sage or Dalmatian sage.  It may also be labeled culinary sage. Sage is quite ornamental in the garden with silvery leaves and blue flowers that bees love.  It is a short lived perennial.  It needs a sunny, well drained spot in the garden.

Dried sage is the form most modern cooks use and that form is found in every supermarket spice aisle. Fresh sage, however, can lend a lemony, lighter note to recipes.  While fresh sage is seldom found in the supermarket you can sometimes get it at farmers markets if you aren’t growing your own. 

How to harvest and dry fresh sage

If you are growing sage in the garden you can harvest it at any time it is actively growing.  To use fresh, simply cut young tender stems with small leaves from the sage plant with a pair of garden snips or pinch off with your fingertips. Rinse the sage stems under cool, clean running water. Pull the sage leaves off the stems with your fingers to use in recipes calling for fresh sage.  You can store whole sprigs of sage in a glass of water (like cut flowers) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To dry your own sage cut young but mature non- woody stems off a sage plant with garden snips in the morning after the dew has dried. Band several stems of sage together with rubber bands and hang bundles in a dry, warm place to dry. Carefully remove dried sage leaves when they are crispy to the touch and crumble the leaves to fine pieces. 

You can also powder dried sage in a food processor and put it in a shaker type container or leave it in larger sized pieces. Store dried sage in a tightly closed container.  When buying any dried herbs make sure to check the expiration date and don’t buy more than you will use in 6 months.

Using sage in cooking

Fried fresh sage leaves are a trendy treat.  You can batter the leaves or fry them without batter.  Choose larger sage leaves and remove them from the stems.  Wash and dry the leaves. Heat some cooking oil to about 350 degrees.  If you want to batter the sage leaves make a thin batter of water and flour with seasonings like garlic powder, pepper and salt.  Dip the leaves and quickly add them to the hot oil.  You can also fry sage leaves without batter.  Let the leaves lightly brown on one side, then flip them and brown the other.  This will only take a minute or so.  Work in small batches and don’t crowd the pan.  Remove them to paper towels to drain and eat them hot. You can sprinkle the hot fried leaves with powdered parmesan cheese or use them with a dip also.

Fresh sage leaves are sometimes added to butter in a frying pan and heated just enough to lightly brown the butter.  The leaves are strained out and the flavored butter is used in soups, sauces or to baste meat.

Many recipes call for a bouquet garni.  To make one combine 1 tablespoon of chopped dried leaves from these herbs, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and marjoram. Use in a spice ball or tie in cheese cloth to season soups, sauces and stews.  The bouquet garni is removed before serving.

It isn’t a holiday meal without stuffing and actually, stuffing is a good addition to most poultry meals. Here’s how to make sage stuffing. Combine 1 teaspoon of dried sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper with 1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine.  Toss seasonings with 6 cups dried bread cubes, 1/2 cup of chopped onion and 1/2 cup finely chopped celery in a large bowl. Use this to stuff chicken or turkey before roasting.

Here’s how to make a great sage sausage.  Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage to each 2 pounds of meat in your favorite sausage recipe.

Try this interesting orange sage marinade. Blend together 1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup Dijon mustard in a large bowl.  Marinade up to 3 pounds of boneless chicken or pork pieces in the mix for 1-3 hours (in the refrigerator) before grilling or broiling them.

Use sage to season baked chicken or other poultry.  Lightly coat a whole chicken or chicken pieces with oil or melted butter. Sprinkle on chopped fresh sage, rosemary and marjoram with salt and pepper to suit your taste before baking the chicken.

You can make a tasty dip with sage.  Combine 1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, and 2 tablespoons fresh chopped celery leaves in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a bowl and refrigerate 5-8 hours to blend flavors. Serve at room temperature.

Herbal uses of sage

Sage tea can be used as a gargle for sore throats. Simply steep a handful of sage leaves in boiling water.   Add lemon and sugar if needed.  You can cool the plain sage tea and use it as a rinse to condition and darken gray hair.

Although sage seasoning used in cooking is safe pregnant women, nursing mothers and epileptics should avoid sage teas or strong concoctions using sage.

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Salvia divinorum, Diviners sage, Sally D

In the last 10 years or so, Diviners sage has jumped from a little known herb used in religious ceremonies to a drug culture phenomenon.  This unusual member of the Salvia family is native to a small area of the northeast corner of Oaxaca, Mexico  Because it doesn’t reproduce successfully from seed, and exists only where it is protected and cultivated, botanists believe it is a hybrid of two unknown Salvia species or an odd mutation.  Mazatec Indian healers have used the plant for centuries. They chew a wad of leaves or make a drink from crushed fresh leaves to induce a trance-like state and “visions.” The visions were used to find out what was wrong with a patient or to try and find lost objects or settle disputes.  The plant was never used as a recreational drug.

Plant explorers in this century re-discovered the plant and did several studies on it to find out if it had medicinal qualities. Medical uses are still being explored for the active chemicals in the plant.  The active ingredient in Salvia divinorum is called Salvinorium A.  It is similar in composition to opiate drugs, but it does not contain nitrogen.  It acts on different opiate receptors in the brain than other drugs. 

Medical research has proven Salvinorium A does not cause addiction and is toxic only in very high doses.  What it does do is produce hallucinations, or altered consciousness.  When consumed in the traditional way, the herb produces mild but vivid experiences that are relatively short in duration- 20 minutes or so. 

 Recreational drug users objected to the traditional way of consuming the herb.  The flavor is very bitter and unpleasant and should be held in the mouth for a long time to achieve the best effects.  They tried drying and smoking the herb, which produces only very mild, fleeting effects.  Then they began to extract the active chemical and concentrate it.  These extracts are then added to the dried herb to be smoked or used in other ways.  This increases the intensity and length of the “experience.”   Most herbal product that is being sold are enhanced with  salvinorium A extract.  The herb is still legal in most states and is sold in  “head”shops, herbal stores and through the internet.

Diviners sage is a semi-tropical perennial plant.  It is easy to grow outside in the summer or as a house plant.  It is almost impossible to grow from seed, although a few people have gotten seeds to form with hand pollination.  Those people found that the seeds germinated poorly and produced weak plants.  It is very easy to start from cuttings, however.  Cuttings will root readily in soil or water. 

The plant prefers a light, humus rich soil, like a good potting soil.  It needs to be kept moist at all times, but never water logged.  Inside the plant needs to be in a sunny window.  Outside it prefers semi-shade.  It grows quickly, up to six feet or more in height.  The stems are sturdy, square and hollow.  Leaves are large, up to 9 inches long, oval in shape with lightly serrated edges.  They are dark green and covered with fine hairs that give them a satiny appearance.  Outside, in natural light, the plant will often flower.  The flowers are typical of the salvia family, with a light purple calyxes, and white petals.  The plant has a light minty odor.  To keep it healthy the plant needs to be fertilized with a balanced, slow release fertilizer several times a year. Plants are for sale in herb catalogs and on the internet.

Right now the growing and use of this herb is legal in most states as is possession and use of products made from it.  Many people are rushing to grow and sell the herb.  After using it however, many fail to keep using it, proof it’s not addictive.  It’s not really a party drug.  It doesn’t make you feel happy and giggly.  Instead most users report it gives them a deep, retrospective and calming experience, although some report frightening hallucinations.  It does, however, alter your mental and physical control over your body, slow reaction time and otherwise impair your ability to drive and perform other tasks.

As of yet there are no cases in medical literature of overdoses or lingering side effects, such as flashbacks.  However those who seek to use the drug should also be aware that little is known about how the drug reacts with other medications, or if the drug has long term effects on the body, especially with concentrated potency and frequent use.  Should it be illegal?  Probably not.  The use of it though, should be confined to traditional methods.   And being impaired by the product and driving or performing other tasks should be treated just like impairment by alcohol or other legal drugs.

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Stevia, Grow Your Own Sweetener.

If you are a Michigan gardener interested in growing herbs or are a diabetic you may want to grow a little Stevia rebaudiana commonly known as the “Sweet Plant”, “Sweet Leaf “or just stevia.  The plant is easy to grow as long as it has warm, moist conditions and can be used to sweeten your morning tea or herbal preparations.  And stevia is easy for gardeners to turn into a useable product, unlike sugar cane or sugar beets.

Stevia is native to the tropics of South America.  It has been used for hundreds of years as a sweetener in South America; Japan, India and Southeast Asia have been using stevia as a sweetener for about 30 years. Stevia is approved for use as a dietary supplement in the United States, but cannot be labeled as a sweetener here.  It is perfectly legal to grow and use stevia in the United States.   

Growing stevia

In Michigan the plant is grown as an annual and not planted outside until all danger of frost is gone.  Stevia has green leaves, with serrated edges and tiny white flowers that are produced from time to time.  Mature plants will be about 30 inches tall and about 24 inches wide. The plants will grow in full shade but are bushier and larger with at least a half day of sun.  They can be grown in full sun if the soil is kept moist. 

Stevia requires a lot of water and plants should not be allowed to dry out. However, stevia also requires good drainage or the small feeder roots near the surface will rot.   Stevia plants should be mulched to increase soil moisture. Using a slow release fertilizer when planting will increase the size of the plant.  Stevia has no major insect or disease problems.

Stevia can be grown from seed, but germination is slow and tricky so most gardeners will want to start with plants.  To keep a supply growing, stevia can be started from cuttings from time to time.  It will grow inside in the winter on a sunny windowsill. 

Harvesting  stevia

Leaves can be harvested at any time but waiting until the last minute before frost is expected for the main harvest will yield more leaves and a sweeter taste.  Flowers and the tips of tender stems can be included in your harvest.  After stevia is completely dry, crush the dried plant material to a fine powder.  A food processor can help get it to the proper texture.  Store the green powder in a clean, waterproof container.  Use it in tea or drinks to sweeten them, or in some forms of cooking. 

Home produced stevia may be 10-15 times sweeter than regular sugar and recipes may have to be adjusted.  It can be used to sweeten baked goods, but there will be some differences in how the product looks.  Some people have a hard time getting used to the green color of the home powdered stevia. There is white “refined” stevia on the market but gardeners will have to live with green powder.  It has a mild flavor along with the sweetness that most people do not find objectionable.  Stevia does not raise blood sugar levels like traditional sugar, has no calories, and is often used by diabetics.  Herbalists claim that stevia also aids digestion.

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Thyme - Tiny but Terrific

It’s tiny, but thyme can pack a powerful punch in your garden. Thyme was used in the preservation of Egyptian mummies and you may still use thyme in your morning grooming ritual. Thyme is also a delicious cooking herb, and a fragrant, hardy garden ornamental. Take the time to add thyme to your garden and you may add time to your life.

There are many species and varieties of thyme known to gardeners.  It makes a pretty ground cover, and many tantalizing scents are available that are released when stepped on or brushed against.  Some varieties have pretty flowers, which add to the appeal.  Thyme is also a great herb for cooking. 

Thyme has tiny, oval leaves, slightly rolled under, that are dark green on top and lighter on the bottom. (Unless the leaves are from one of the variegated varieties, when they may be golden, or marked with yellow or cream.)  Most thymes are ground hugging plants, from just a few inches high to about a foot high, depending on variety.  In spring or summer thyme may be covered in small flowers in a variety of colors. Different chemical compounds found in different varieties of thyme, account for the range of scents and flavors.  The color of thyme flowers ranges from lavender to pale pink to bright carmine red.  

In the kitchen thyme is best when used fresh. The leaves are chopped and used in Cajun and Creole dishes, French cuisine, for flavoring cheese, liquors, vinegars, and in sausage.

It’s used in seafood chowders, poultry stuffing, pate, and in bean dishes. The citrus thymes can be used wherever citrus flavor is needed. Thyme is also used in salads and as a garnish.

Dried thyme flowers are said to repel insects from stored clothing. Thyme was burned as incense and flowers are used in sachets and perfumes. Medicinally thyme tea is used for respiratory problems and sore throats. Thyme and honey are used in cough syrups.

Researchers also know a lot about thyme. Thyme contains several powerful chemicals, including thymol, which you may see listed in the ingredients on your mouthwash bottle.  Thyme contains powerful anti-microbial compounds and anti-oxidants.  Along with basil, researchers are studying thyme as a natural food preservative.  Thyme is a good source of iron, manganese, calcium and dietary fiber.  Thyme is being studied as an aid to slow the

process of aging, to improve levels of good fats in the bloodstream, and protect brain function.

Growing Thyme

Thyme is native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean and southern Asia.  Most types of thyme are hardy to zone 5, a few are hardy to zone 4, but always check the zone hardiness of any variety you buy.  Gardeners usually purchase plants of thyme but thyme can be started from seed.  Only the most common varieties of thyme will be available as seed.  Seed should be sown inside about 8 weeks before the last frost.  The best germination takes place at 70 degrees.  Thyme can also be propagated from cuttings or from division.

Thyme can be grown in partial shade as long as the soil is well drained, but will be stronger and hardier in full sun.  Thyme enjoys growing among rocks and stepping stones, basking in their accumulated warmth.  Thyme will quickly rot in wet areas; it prefers sandy, gravely soil, although it will grow in most well drained soils.  

In the garden thyme is a wonderful ground cover, lovely between pavers and along paths.  It can be used in containers to drape gracefully over the edges or to edge a perennial bed. Although many types of thyme will stand some walking on, heavy traffic will eventually kill the plants. You are supposed to step on the ends of stems that have crept over paving stones to release the wonderful scent, not trample on the plants. 

Fertilizer is seldom needed, although a slow release, general garden fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, applied in early spring may increase flowering.   In the north, thyme should be covered with an inch or so of mulch after the ground has frozen.  Thyme flowers are greatly loved by bees, and if someone is allergic to bees in the family, thyme should not be planted where that person may step or brush against it and disturb the bees.

Some varieties

Two culinary thymes that have long been known to gardeners are English thyme and French thyme.  Both are Thymus vulgaris and differ only slightly.  English thyme has larger leaves and is a larger plant; the flavor is stronger than French thyme, which has a sweeter taste.  French thyme has smaller, grayer leaves than English thyme on a more compact plant.  

Other wild species of thyme have given us many flavors of thyme.  Lemon Thyme, Lemon Carpet Thyme, Highland Cream Lemon thyme, Lime thyme, Orange Spice thyme are some of the thymes that lend a citrus tone to your cooking.   There are  also Nutmeg thyme, Coconut thyme, Caraway thyme, and Mint thyme.   There are thymes that smell like lavender and rose.   Wooly thyme has gray, wooly leaves and is generally used as an ornamental.  Other ornamentals include Silver Needle and Minus.  

A warning

While culinary uses of thyme are safe, thyme essential oil should never be taken internally and used only in a diluted form on the skin. Preparations of thyme used medicinally should start in small doses and be used in moderation. Over dosage can result in dizziness, vomiting, and heart and respiratory problems.

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Thyme- cooking with

Thyme can be purchased as a dried spice or as a fresh herb or you can grow it in your own garden to snip as needed. It’s is an ancient cooking herb that is used in recipes from many countries. Thyme is generally combined with the herbs rosemary, marjoram and sage in cooking.  Thyme is used as a seasoning for meat, particularly poultry and pork, but it is also used to flavor some tomato based sauces and it is sometimes used to flavor cheese as it ages.

Thyme is a low growing herb with tiny leaves.  It’s easy to grow thyme but many ornamental varieties of thyme exist and some of them are not as good for cooking as true culinary thyme. When you want to grow thyme to use in cooking, choose either a lemon thyme Thymus x citriodorus, or Thymus vulgaris, Common Thyme.  Thyme can also be grown in a pot on a sunny windowsill or on the patio.

The best tasting thyme will be snipped from the garden or a pot on the window sill just before use.  Select young tender shoots and snip them off plants with a small pair of scissors. 

In a store chose bundles of fresh thyme that still look green and firm. You can store purchased fresh thyme by putting the ends of thyme cuttings in a glass of water, (like a bouquet), and storing it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Whether you cut it from the garden or buy it, wash the thyme stems under cold running water and pick off any yellowed leaves just before you use it. Then place the leafy stems on a clean chopping board and dice them into bits with a sharp knife.  Remove any large, woody pieces of stem and discard. A tablespoon of chopped fresh herb is generally equivalent to a 1/2 teaspoon of dried, ground herb.

The longer fresh thyme cooks the milder the flavor will get.

Some suggestions for using fresh thyme

Add a 1/4 cup of fresh diced thyme to 1/2 cup of olive oil or softened butter.  Rub on chicken or pork before grilling or roasting.

Mix 1/2 teaspoon fresh diced thyme with 3 to 4 large eggs for scrambled eggs or an omelet.

Combine 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme with a 1/2 cup of coarse sea salt and let sit 15 minutes.  Rub the salt mixture on any meat before grilling or roasting.

Blend 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme and 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary.  Brush the top of bread dough with melted butter, then sprinkle on the herb mix and bake.

Using dried thyme

Dried thyme can be found in most spice racks at a grocery store.  Measure out the amount of dried thyme called for in a recipe carefully and add it to the dish being prepared before cooking. Use thyme in small amounts until you are sure you like the flavor.  To start use 1/4 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme to 1 pound of meat or every 2 cups of sauce or soup.

Add 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme to homemade spaghetti sauce.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and a 1/2 teaspoon each of marjoram, rosemary, sage and a bay leaf in a small square of cheesecloth and tie it with a bit of string to make a herb packet.  Float this packet in homemade chicken soup as it cooks for flavor.

Mix 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp. lemon zest with 1/2 cup of soft butter or margarine.  Spread on salmon steaks before grilling or broiling.

Check the expiration dates on dried spices and purchase only small amounts.  Use opened spices within one year.  Keeping tightly sealed dry herbs and spices in the refrigerator or freezer keeps the flavor strong.