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Whilst we know that our readers are sensible people, on no account should anyone be crazy enough to try the herbal cures outlined without strict medical supervision. These are ancient remedies which include deadly poisons and should only be administered by a qualified herbalist.

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Lovage – Herbal Remedy with a Sting in the Tail

lovage aa Lovage   Herbal Remedy with a Sting in the TailUMBELLIFERAE/APIACEAE Levisticum officinale

Appearance
All of the parts of the plant are strongly fragrant. A perennial herb with a strong, hollow, angled and branched stem and substantial, long-stalked, bi- or tri-pinnate leaves with shiny dark-green leaflets. The stem leaves are less divided. The smallish greenish-yellow flowers are structured in a compound umbel. The fruit is a yellow-brown, ovoid dual achene with winged ribs.

History
Lovage is probably a native of the Mediterranean zone but it is now naturalized all over Europe in meadows and other grassy places in many regions of Europe.

Lovage was available to the classical Greeks who chewed the fruit to assist digestion and to ease flatulence; the plant has remained a preferred herbal option.

It enjoyed a reputation in a number of European states as an aphrodisiac, thus possibly its popular name. Most likely though the name Lovage is derived from an old English word loveache, from the much earlier Latin name ligusticum, after Liguria in Italy where the herb grew in abundance.

It is regularly grown as a garden herb and is commercially grown on a small scale for medicinal uses in various countries

Usage

  • The roots of two- or three-year plants or the flowering stems (collected before flowering) are employed medicinally. Their ingredients incorporate an essential oil with terpineol and butyl phthalidine as its most important components, furanocoumarins, sugars, esters of organic acids and resin. These elements impart Lovage stomachic, carminative, cholagogic, diuretic, mild expectorant, antidiaphoretic and anti-rheumatic properties.
  • In herbalism an infusion is used mainly to relieve flatulence, as an appetizer, for dropsy and urinary disorders, rheumatism and nervous exhaustion.
  • A hot infusion can be used as an inhalant and if added to bathtub water, it possesses a cleansing and deodorizing effect on the skin.
  • If taken internally in excess Lovage may cause feelings of nausea and vertigo.

ABOVE ALL, LARGE DOSES SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR BY INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DISEASES.

Growth Characteristics
Flowering period is July to August in the Northern hemisphere.

Wormwood – The Herb Garden Enigma

wormwood aa Wormwood   The Herb Garden EnigmaArtemisia absinthium (Compositae)

Herb Garden Plant Appearance
The light green deeply slashed leaves (which are silvery when young) provide a highly attractive feature in the herb garden. lt is a touch woody and appears to glimmer during the rain. Circular shrubs achieve 90-120 cms (3-4 ft) in height and produce tiny greenish-yellow flowers in summer time.

Include new grown leaves in poutpourri and herbal sachets, and spread dehydrated sprigs inside drawers as well as cupboards to maintain fresh air. The essential oil of wormwood is manufactured from this plant in both France and America. Although aromatic, wormwood has a very bitter taste.

In large herb gardens a striking impact can be attained by grouping a number of plants together.

History
Known as Artemisia from Artemis, the Greek name for Diana. The Herbarium of Apuleius proclaims: “Of these worts that we name Artemisia, it is said that Diana did find them and delivered their powers and leechdom to Chiron the Centaur, who first from these Worts set forth a leechdom, and he named these worts from the name of Diana, Artemis, that is Artemisias.”

A native of Europe, wormwood is one of the truly magical shrubs from the herb garden. lt was long been introduced into America as a cultivated plant which has naturalized in some areas.

Herb Usage
Wormwood is primarily a flavorant designed for liqueurs and aperitifs – such as absinth and vermouth – since it has a unique fragrance. The leaves are sweetest in aroma when gathered early on in the summer. Absinthe, popular in the 19th century in Europe, caused several cases of brain damage and even death and was banned in many countries in the early 20th century. There is some controversy about this today, as it is claimed that prohibitionists in America started the rumours of brain damage or death. At present, there is no definitive study to prove either theory.

It was previously regarded as a useful remedy for liver and gallbladder problems.

Wormwood oil is still used as a flavoring agent for foods, although in very much smaller quantities than were found in the original absinthe.

The plant’s typical scent can help make it helpful with regard to making a plant spray to combat unwanted insects. In the technique of companion plants, it puts an inhibiting influence on the growth of surrounding plants, therefore inhibiting weeds. It can always be helpful to reject insect larvae although it need only to be located    on the border of the area of planting. It has also ended up being employed to repel indoor pests.

Cultivation In The Herb Garden
Propagate through summer season cuttings or from seed sown as soon as it’s ripe, and protect through

the winter season. Both dappled shade or full-blown sunshine are well suited for wormwood, but bushes do appreciate a little shelter from robust winds.

It may be grown within containers and where winter weather icy temperatures pose problems, taken into shelter during a severe spell.

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Sweet Red Rose Of The Apothecary

rose aa Sweet Red Rose Of The ApothecaryRosa gallica officinalis (Rosaceae)

Appearance
Rosa gallica officinalis is the apothecary’s rose, identified somewhat ambiguously in England as the damask rose because it was introduced to Europe by the crusaders from Damascus. Within America it’s known as the French rose, or rose of Provins

The plant is a bush generally 60 to 120 cms (2-4 ft) in height, typically thick and wide, frequently used on trellises and a great plant for a casual border around the herb garden. The leaves are a strong darkish green, made up of five leaflets, and the stiff bristly stems are virtually without thorns. The petals are bright red with a golden cluster of anthers at the open centre.

History
Numerous mythological as well as charming associations have followed the rose through the centuries and a belief in its potent capabilities resulted in its cultivation in herb gardens fof its uses in medicine and confections.

The apothecarys rose is sometimes referred to as the queen of aromatic herbs.

Herb Usage
Mainly because the dried out petals hold their fragrance it has been extensively employed in the production of numerous fragrances – particularly in the region of the town of Provins, south of Paris, during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Previously, rose honey, lozenges, rose perfumed snuff and rose scented tapers, rose scented wine, rose vinegar and rose sauces were almost all widely available. Fresh or dried out petals may be spread on salads and desserts or strewn in drinks: the hips can be lightly boiled until tender, strained, and the fluid used like a tisane.

ln perfumery, because the petals preserve so strong an aroma on drying out, they were very helpful for sweet waters and sweet smelling bags and they are the predominant ingredient of pot pourri.

Cultivation
Roses adore the sunlight and require a bit of moisture at the roots. Basic cultivation is actually the exact same for all roses, although the complex pruning regimen connected with modern roses will not have to be adopted for the apothecary’s rose. Just get rid of dead and ageing branches; in the event that too much pruning is undertaken the vitality of the plant will end up being directed into producing growth instead of producing blossoms.

In The United States the rose will flourish in all except the really northerly areas, and likes some winter season cold in order to get its winter break. Numerous gardeners regard its cultivation impractical, and it is definitely not for the southern and western seaboard states.

Choose good garden loam, and prepare the soil well before planting in the autumn (fall) or spring. It is actually a good idea for you to acquire smaller plants since propagation from cuttings can be a somewhat sluggish process. In regions where the winter temperature falls beneath minus l2°C (l0°F) shrubs planted in autumn (fall) should be protected during their initial winter with a shielding mulch (which can easily be taken off the following spring).

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Lavender Herbs for Potpourri

lavender aa1 Lavender Herbs for PotpourriLavandula species (Labiatae)

Appearance
Little greyish abundant leaves (evergreen in European herb gardens) form a rounded bush 90-180 cms (3-6 ft) high – and sometimes more in spread – which is populated with rigid stems of lilac-blue blossoms . The complete plant is not unlike a large pincushion. In America lavender isn’t regarded as a hardy evergreen because of the low winter temperature ranges; however, if grown inside containers in yards and covered up in the winter months its fragrance can be appreciated in summer.

History
The finest essential oil of lavender can be obtained from L. angustifolia, which botanists fairly recently appear to have included within the generic class L. spica. Gerard named it ‘spike’ which should settle the issue since the classic herbalists avowed that spike lavender was the best one for you to cultivate.

For centuries the effectiveness of its clean crisp and clean fragrance has been used to relieve ‘a light migrain’ or for the falling sickness or maybe giddiness of the brain as outlined by Culpeper. Long before the modern world produced deodorants and bath salts the Romans used lavender in their bath water; the name comes from the Latin lavare – to wash.

Usage
Lavender is among the most widely used plants in the modern herb garden and it is valuable in borders to pathways, internal hedges and on the top of dry walls. It can also be grown in large containers.

Lavender is not really regarded as a culinary herb, but the odd sprig may be added into rich game stews. The blossoms can be crystallized in order to spruce up appearance of sweets as well as confectionery. Its most enduring virtue is its fragrance, and it is a truly wonderful pot pourri component.

Cultivation
Propagate through cuttings of strong new growth in summer or autumn (fall), and once rooted plant most of them out in a nicely drained fairly poor soil. (It may be a good idea to keep a supply of adolescent plants for spot planting later.)

The established herb garden plants tend to take care of themselves and react well to an annual trim in autumn after flowering or otherwise in early spring.

Shrubs tend to straggle as they mature and it’s often important to cut back drastically in autumn (fall) to generate a strong growth the following spring.

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Calamintha, Bees and Butterflies

calamintha aa Calamintha, Bees and Butterflies Calamintha nepetoides (Labiatae)

Appearance
A small, upright, bushy little herb garden plant 30 to 60 cms (1-2 ft) tall, calamintha produces a haze of tiny bluish flowers with long purple bracts from June through to September. Flowers are studded on short spikes between the leaves in mid-summer. This may slowly spread to make a compact patch. Calamints are near cousins to the garden mint, but without the nasty spreading habit. When crushed, the oblong, dark green leaves give off a spearmint-like fragrance and the blossoms can be a magnet for bees and butterflies.

History
Despite the fact that the correct herb is C. ascendens, which is indiginous to Europe and previously the officinal plant and dubbed C. officinalis for some considerable time, the most popular plant found in the majority of herb gardens is actually C. nepetoides. The two types seem to have been used in days gone by without distinction between them.

Usage
The scented leaves are similar to the fragrance associated with thyme but with pennyroyal nuances; calamintha seemed to be primarily employed in days gone by to help relieve wind. The volatile oil, rather minty in taste, enhances a tea made from the dried leaves and which Gerard deemed to take away ‘sorrowfulness which cometh with melancholie, and maketh a man merrie and glad’.

Useful towards the front of the garden border, or in a woodland location among ferns. Also appealing in mixed containers. Eliminate any all-green shoots as soon as they are noticed, since this plants has a tendency to revert.

Culpeper referred to it as having ‘an fierce and quick fragrance’ and called it as mountain mint and recommended its use for a wide variety of complaints ranging from shortness of breath, cramp, liver and spleen problems, mixed with salt to remove worms and also as a contraceptive.

This plant should be placed where its delightfully fragrant foliage can be touched and brushed.

Cultivation
Try this lovely catmint in a warm, sunny spot in the garden, among herbs or Mediterranean-style plants. It is tolerant of hot and dry conditions.

Division of plants in early spring, cuttings in spring or propagation via seed are all ways to start calamintha in the herb garden. Select a dryish alkaline soil for the best results.

Lift and divide congested colonies in spring.

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Beautiful Bergamot Brings Bees

bergamot aa Beautiful Bergamot Brings BeesMonarda didyma (Labiatae)

Appearance
The flower stalks of this aromatic herb garden plant grow to around 50 to 90 cms (1.5 to 3 ft) and flower for many months from the middle of summer . The whole flower is usually impregnated with an enchanting fragrance even when the top growth has died all the way down and the roots remain gently perfumed with a suggestion of citrus; for this reason it’s gained the name of bergamot, similar to bergamot orange. The flowers are a flamboyant red color and they are carried in crowns with red bracts in between each floret, suggesting an exploding fire flower.

Dependable cultivars can be obtained with pink, mauve and white-colored blooms, all of which maintain the aromatic characteristics that cause them to be valuable in the herb garden. A handsome plant native to South America as well as the eastern parts of North America from New York to West Virginia, bergamot is an inhabitant of swampy stream edges around hilly areas.

History

Bergamot was introduced into Europe in the 16th century and became well known by the mid-18th century, primarily for its fragrance virtues. Bergamot is currently well established as a good looking perennial, which is the offspring of numerous cultivars.The genus Monarda commemorates Nicholas Monardes – a Spanish physician who wrote about the New World flora in the 16th century.

Usage

  • The aromatic leaves dry out well and keep their scent so they may be incorporated into pot pourri.
  • A tisane made out of the leaves used to be drunk by the Oswego Indians – consequently the parochial title of Oswego tea. This particular infusion is endorsed as a digestive as well as being useful when you are treating instances of an abnormal or painful monthly period.
  • The blossoms make a cosmetic addition in fruit cups, but need to be steeped in water first to wash the insects that hide in the little round flowerets.
  • Valued by beekeepers for their ability to attract bees.

Propogation
The plant is quick to develop and forms bunches with a number of runners. Bergamot loves a moist soil or any decent gardening soil to which moisture retentive material has been added and it likes the sun. It is very adaptable to somewhat of a shaded position provided the roots stay damp. Chalky garden soil does not go down well and it dislikes damp winters since the yearly growth routine is impeded.

A portion drawn from the outer edges of an established bunch in spring will soon establish itself in any herb garden and cuttings could be obtained at the same time.

The clumps should be split up and divided every 3 or 4 years.

moz screenshot Beautiful Bergamot Brings Bees

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Herb Garden Plants – Lemon Verbena, Fragrance Divine

lemon verbena Herb Garden Plants – Lemon Verbena, Fragrance DivineHerb Garden Plants – Lemon Verbena
Aloysia triphylla (Lippia citriodora) Verbenaceae

Appearance:
One of the lesser known but truly essential herb garden plants, lemon verbena commonly grows to about 1.5 to 2m tall with a wide spread. Our 30 year old lemon verbena now dwarfs the house and needs frequent trimming. The pale green leaves make a lovely showing and afford shade to smaller plants. Standing close to the plant will immediately reveal the origin of its name.

History:
Prized for centuries due to the pungent lemon like fragrance exuded by its leaves, lemon verbena is amongst the most fragrant of herb garden plants; it was brought from South America by the Spanish around the seventeenth century. Lemon verbena was given its name for its aroma, and it is a name that has persisted. One wonders if the citizens of South America call our lemon something like “verbena fruit” in return.

  • Usage – everyday:
  • Originally imported mainly for its oil, lemon verbena is prized for several other virtues:
  • An aromatic addition to finger bowl water.
  • The dried leaves retain their scent for a very long time and can be used in potpourri.
  • Branches and fresh leaves of these herb garden plants can be put into airing cupboards and wardrobes to keep clothes and linen freshly aromatic.
  • Crush lemon verbena leaves in almond oil makes an oil used for aromatherapy massage.
  • Blending with other fragrant oils for handmade cosmetics.
  • Add to bath water in a sachet for an aromatherapy experience.
  • Hang branches in saunas to permeate the wood paneling with a wonderful fragrance.
  • The leaves may be finely chopped for use in hot drinks, cakes, puddings and jellies.
  • Chopped leaves work marvelously well sprinkled on fish while cooking; or add a small sprig to give bland foods like oatmeal and rice a lift.
  • Lemon verbena shrubs attract butterflies to the garden and they often grown as herb garden plants for this purpose alone.

Usage – medicinal:
Leaves can be infused to make a gentle sedative tea to soothe chest and nose congestion, indigestion, flatulence, stomach cramps and nausea. Use about 10 leaves to a cup of boiling water, sweeten with honey and drink after meals.

Cultivation:
Lemon verbena loves sunshine as well as a bit of shelter. (A sunny corner is ideal.) These semi-hardy herb garden plants are grown mostly in greenhouses or indoors in colder climates. Protect outside plants with a light covering in regions susceptible to frost.

Ideal soil is sandy, tending to alkalinity and having good drainage. Lemon verbena thrives in poor soil.

To propagate, take summer cuttings with a small heel and trim off all but the topmost leaves; place these firmly into a moist sandy growing medium. Keep in a cool shaded place and keep soil slightly damp. Plant out into hessian or plastic bags when rooting has taken place and allow to grow until well established but not bursting at the seams. Plant out to between 1 and 2m. Regular pruning will encourage growth and produce a healthier plant.

Harvesting:
One of the least demanding herb garden plants, you can harvest lemon verbena leaves at will. Branches are a bit brittle and will benefit from trimming back to prevent breaking in high winds or from sheer weight.


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Herb Garden Plants – Hyssop for Catarrh

hyssop aa1 Herb Garden Plants   Hyssop for CatarrhHyssopus officinalis (Labiatae)

Appearance
Popular both as sectional edging or container inmates, hyssop is an attractive, if attenuated, sweet scented evergreen. It sports minute leaves and has little lilac-blue blossoms which give a fine show from the middle of summer onwards.

History
I read recently that William Turner was cognisant of hyssop. He authored the first ever English-language book on English plants. This was circa 1558 and I quote “the brethe or vapour of Hisop driveth away the Winde that is in the ears, if they be holden over it”.

A native of the warmer parts of Europe and the Mediterranean rim, hyssop is mentioned in the bible. These popular herb garden plants started their eastern migration in the 11th century and were established in Britain around the 14th century as popular herbs. Thereafter they were taken to the New World by settlers.

Memorably aromatic, they were very important medieval herb garden plants grown for their function as one of the standard strewing herbs. Notably, oil of hyssop was used in the Chartreuse blends and was certainly as highly regarded and in demand as the better known oil of lavender.

Usage
The volatile oils extant in hyssop were well known to the American colonists as a specific remedy for catarrh and rheumatism as well as being an antiseptic. Hyssop flowers make a tea used for easing of catarrh, another delivery medium being by way of crushing and introducing into a herb-based pipe tobacco.

Apart from the traditional usage as strewing herbs through its aromatic virtues, hyssop is popular in potpourri recipes, adding a distinctive almost incense-like tinge to a potpourri. Hyssop was one of the most important herb garden plants for the earlier settlers, who were sometimes cut off from their peers and medical attention for long periods.

Cultivation
Grow hyssop through spring cuttings or seeding. After sprouting roots, plant cuttings in a peat mixture somewhere shady enough to stay moist. Deceptively hardy plants, they will nevertheless benefit from a well drained soil in their beds, window boxes or containers. These are herb garden plants that benefit from apicular pruning in autumn to bush out better in summer.

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Rosemary Herb for Sailor Men

herb garden plants rosemary Rosemary Herb for Sailor MenRosmarinus officinalis (Labiatae)

Appearance:

The almost universally well loved rosemary herb has lush evergreen foliage, which releases the rosemary fragrance by gentle brushing. Its wonderful purple/blue flowers bloom early in mild climes and the display continues to early summer. It grows into a bushy 1.5m (5ft) plant if healthy and well situated.

Usage Medical:

  • Rosemary was burned inside rooms as an air freshener
  • Included in body cosmetics for its deodorant properties
  • Mixed in tobacco to produce a fragrant aroma
  • Grown as herb garden plants for inclusion in pot pourris
  • Used as an infusion or tea for internal discombobulations
  • An antiseptic and embrocation for wounds

Usage Culinary:

Many old style cooks used to aver that “The flavour is pronounced, exercise restraint when using in a dish.” Fortunately that is just an opinion, as there is nothing better than roast lamb slathered in rosemary. It is probably best with lamb, but there is no dish that cannot be improved with a bit of rosemary; all you need is to adjust quantities to the dish. Red meat, game and pork will use more than poultry or egg dishes. Try it and decide for yourself.

See our fantastic slow roast greek lamb recipe.

History:

Rosemary is reputed to be for remembrance and was stuck in the knapsack of many a deepwater sailor. Culpeper propounded almost a score of benefits and virtues and uses and declared ‘The Flowers and Conserve made of them are singular good comfort to the Heart’. Obviously another fan .

Cultivation:

Take cuttings of non-flowering woody shoots or layer established shoots in summer. Likes well drained soil, sun and shelter but will grow well even in harsh conditions. In very cold areas rosemary will do well in pots able to be moved into shelter. Rosemary seems to do well in 7 year cycles, after which it welcomes replanting elsewhere.

Harvesting:

The robustness of the rosemary herb allows frequent pruning for shaping and harvesting. Mild areas can enjoy year round harvesting.

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