Indoor Herb Garden Kits and Herbal Remedies

Thymus species (Labiatae)

Appearance:
Common thyme herb garden plants reach mature growth in the shape of a 25 to 35cm high puffball, as opposed to the rest of the thyme clan which present in the form of a 75mm high(3inch) ground covering or low border, for which purpose they are used most often.

History:
Thyme is an essential addition to your arsenal of herb garden plants. Apart from the culinary virtues of thyme, it is also used for making a preservative using thymol an essential oil harboured in the thyme plant.

Common or garden thyme (T vulgaris) is the culinary star, but there is nothing common or vulgar about it. In fact, like the mint family, thyme has many disguises – notably lemon thyme and caraway thyme, which are used as decorative plants that serve a culinary function. Smell them to see why; the thyme aroma is distinctive.

Usage Culinary:
The strong aroma of these herb garden plants survives after preservation by drying or freezing.

Thyme is particularly useful for venison or other game as it’s flavour takes away much of the wild taste and survives a long session in the pot. Exercise caution when using thyme for normal dishes: although an essential element in bouquet garni, the strong flavour can overwhelm many dishes when used as a standalone herb in a recipe.

Thyme is traditionally used in:

• Cooked meats
• Stews
• Fish dishes (Lemon thyme)
• Vegetable soups
• Stuffing (Chicken, rolled and deboned pork, rolled beef)
• Terrines
• Sausages

Cultivation:
Well drained limey and dry soil in a sundrenched spot is what a typical thyme would ask for if herb garden plants could speak.

It is a good idea to plant thyme in pots so they may be moved indoors or to a sheltered spot in winter, particularly in a winter rainfall area which may bring on excessive dampness. Even in areas that experience a mild winter some shelter is advisable, even if it is just planting in a sheltered sunny corner of the garden. This may even involve planting thyme separately from your other herb garden plants.

Harvesting:
For best results harvest thyme prior to the plants flowering. Use a shaded warm area to hang sprigs up to dry. Alternately place on kitchen paper or clean cloth to dry out.

Propagation:
End cuttings taken from existing herb garden plants prior to Summer flowering grow well, or propagate from Spring-sown seed. Plant thyme seedlings out to 75mm (3 ins) when convenient to handle.

Artemisia dracanculus (Compositae)

Appearance:
Tarragon propogates runners that can fill the garden and should be watched carefully. It is an attractive plant that has sword-like yellow/green leaves topping a bush capable of reaching about 75 cm. An essential inclusion in your line-up of herb garden plants.

Usage Culinary:
Widely used in a variety of dishes, tarragon is best used freshly picked, as the distinctive flavour is captured and enhances companion ingredients while giving a zesty bite when added to almost any dish. A favourite herb for egg dishes, stews and quiches.

French tarragon is widely regarded as the primary culinary herb due to this enhancement of flavour in other ingredients and of course for its own wonderful flavour. Russian tarragon is less flavourful and thus less popular, but still enjoys wide usage.

The famous tarragon vinegar is made simply by immersing tarragon in a wine vinegar for 5 weeks or more with occasional turning and agitation of the container. Container should be carefully cleaned before using it in this way. Use fresh sprigs harvested early in the season.

Cultivation:
French tarragon or estragon may often be referred to as a royal herb, but are herb garden plants that can be problematic to grow. A warm climate produces the most successful growth but a damp climate inhibits flowering. Tarragon does not do well in warm and humid subtropical regions.

Plant in a sunny dry and well drained spot in the garden for best results. Be sure to protect tarragon and your other herb garden plants during a harsh winter by providing some sort of cover over a frame and applying a mulch to protect the roots.

Harvesting:
Trim the top in early fall by apicular pruning to get a better spring harvest and use the sprigs freshly picked off the plant.

Freeze tarragon by layering sprigs in a plastic container to preserve most of the flavour if the plant cannot be used fresh.

Rumex acetosa (Polygonaceae)

Appearance:
The type of domestic sorrel popular as herb garden plants is the broad leafed or garden sorrel which grows to a metre tall with substantial 100mm wide leaves, the topmost of which leaves tend to droop down from the crown of the plant. The domestic version of sorrel is larger and more succulent than the wild versions of the northern hemisphere – both North America and Europe.

Usage:
Wrap steak in a sorrel leaf in order to tenderise the meat or shred and crush into a steak marinade. Sorrel is a good substitute for vine leaves and has long been a popular base for French sorrel soup, made from both the wild and domestic versions.

Be careful of giving sorrel in any form to gout sufferers – the high acidity of these herb garden plants will almost certainly exacerbate their gout and they will not thank you for causing them pain.

Cultivation:
Sow sorrel annually in spring for both the best results and the best flavour – proceed by sowing in drills in a moist well composted soil. Sorrel seems to enjoy growing where it gets a little shade during the day, so try to position your sorrel bed accordingly.

Thin these strong growing herb garden plants to about 30cm apart as sorrel can get quite large and needs breathing space to produce its most succulent leaves for harvesting.

Pinch out the flower buds to avoid flowering and seeding as flavour is best prior to flowering.; alternatively remove self sown seedlings prior to their development. Established sorrel herb garden plants will develop deep roots and the older plants are not easy to thin out once they are entrenched.

During hot spells, keep a deep mulch layer around the stems of plants to keep the roots cool. Sorrel gets somewhat bitter when harvested during hot conditions.

Harvesting:
As the tangy flavour of the leaves is best prior to flowering; prune the flowers for a longer season of fresh tender sorrel leaves.

Sorrel is best harvested after a spell of cool weather when the cool roots help produce leaves of a much better flavour. This works well in even extremely hot regions.