One of its earliest reputations was as a preventative against the onslaught of old age. An old English proverb states: “He who would live for aye, must eat sage in May.”

Looked upon as a general tonic herb, sage tea is taken for colds and coughs. For a sore throat or cough, pour a pint of boiling water on a handful of sage leaves. When it has cooled, add a little vinegar and hones. Take a teaspoonful at a time; this may also be used as a gargle. It is considered an excellent remedy for laryngitis and sore throats. A cup of the strong infusion of this herb is recommended as a remedy to relieve nervous headaches. Dried leaves have been smoked in pipes as a remedy for asthma. This herb’s antiseptic properties are also effective in the mouth; fresh leaves rubbed on the teeth will cleanse them and strengthen the gums. Our forefathers knew to apply a hot compress of bruised sage leaves to relieve the pain of sprains. A strong infusion is an excellent lotion for ulcers and to heal raw abrasions of the skin. It has also been used as an application to the scalp, to darken the hair.

The Salvia family numbers over seven hundred species; we will be looking at those plants classified as sages: the herbs recognized for their usefulness to mankind. There are several sages helpful either as culinary, medical, fragrant, and decorative use. Salvia officinalis (common garden sage) is the most familiar. In Yugoslavia, fields of this sage are planted and harvested three times a year just like wheat or hay. The crops are exported and end up on your grocery spice shelves. Recent years have seen an introduction in our nurseries of a cultivar called “Bergartten” which shows itself to be a hardier, more productive plant with larger leaves. Look for this particular herb if you plan to add sage to your kitchen garden.

S. officinalis ‘Aurea’ (golden sage) handles hot, humid conditions much better than its parent. Nearly all salvias sprout easily from seed sown in spring in a sunny location. They may also be propagated by taking 3-inch tip cuttings.

Another cultivar that makes a striking plant in your garden is Salvia o. ‘Purpurascens’, commonly known as Purple Sage. Also a perennial, it grows twelve to thirty inches with leaves that begin a deep, rich purple when new and become a powder green as they age. The foliage has a hearty, sausage-like smell. Its flavor is comparable and can be used wherever garden sage is used in the kitchen.

Prominent among the ornamental sages is Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage.) A tender perennial variety, it should be grown in pots if your winters are severe. This variety grows to three and a half feet in height and roots easily in water. Here in East Texas, I can keep it in the garden year-round, but it dies back to the ground in the winter and doesn’t begin to reappear until Spring temperatures are quite warm. The light-green leaves have a delightful fruity fragrance reminiscent of pineapple and make an enjoyable tea. I also dry the leaves to add their scent to my potpourirs. The bright red flowers that appear in fall are a strong attraction to hummingbirds. Try using pineapple sage to flavor jams and jellies.

Another sage worth adding to your herb garden strictly for its ornamental value is Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage.) Grow this at the back of your bed as it attains four feet of height in just one season. This is also a tender perennial that I have successfully overwintered in the garden. The fragrant gray-green foliage becomes a delight for the eye in the fall when it produces long spikes of soft lavender flowers. These dry beautifully and are an excellent candidate for floral arrangements or as an addition to potpourri mixes.

Clary Sage (Salvia scarea) has been grown primarily for its medicinal value. An herb of great growth (give it lots of room), “clear eye” a name it is sometimes commonly known by, was thought to cure eye infections and is still used as an eyewash. This sun-loving plant reaches four to five feet in height in a growing season. It is a biennial that produces a basal rosette of leaves the first year and tall spikes of bluish-white and rose flowers the next year. If you’re interested in making wine, boil the leaves and flowers of S. sclarea with sugar. It’s known in France as Toute Bonne for its medicinal virtues. There is an annual Clary Sage (Salvia horminum) that grows to two feet, has white, pink, or purple flowers, and no scent. It does not have the medicinal properties of S. sclarea but if the leaves and seed of this species are put into the vat, while fermenting, will greatly increase the inebriating quality of the liquor.

There are a host of other salvias to beautify your landscape. Among those readily available, S. Coccinea, commonly referred to as Texas sage, is a low-growing species with rich green leaves and striking scarlet flowers. It is usually grown as an annual. A salvia native to the American Southwest, S. Columbariae grows to twenty inches. Also known as chia, this sage is grown primarily for culinary use. Another Texas native, S. Greggii has become a familiar sight in our gardens. This woody perennial grows to three feet; has lovely carmine, fuchsia, pink, and purple blooms with gray leaves. S. farinacea, mealy-cup sage, is a blue-blooming Texas native with several cultivars, one white-blooming. This perennial grows to three feet.

If you plan to grow your own from seed, be sure to get fresh seed as sage seed has a short lifespan. With fresh seed, you will be rewarded with quick germination. You will have to wait until the second year for fullness of growth. This is a hardy perennial that can reach heights of twenty-four to thirty inches when mature. It can be propagated in the spring by pulling off new shoots from an older plant (pull downward to take a piece of the main stem’s covering if possible). Stick them in a prepared pot or bed, protect them from the sun, and do not disturb them until new leaves tell you that a root system has formed. Old plants should be renewed every three or four years. One way to do this is by mound layering. Make an earth mound over the old plant, leaving just the tip ends exposed. Two months or more later, the plant can be uncovered and each branch with newly-developed roots may be severed and planted individually.

Established plants should be pruned in early spring (that’s March for my part of the country) and again in midsummer or after the plant finishes blooming. Do this by taking about one-third of the branch tips each time. This encourages bushiness and a heavier harvest.

Sage plants tend to lose leaves on the lower parts of their branches. Regular pruning will prevent long, leggy branches with a few leaves at the end of the stem. Do not over-water; sage is very drought-tolerant. Keep the soil evenly moist; a protection of leaf mulch year-round does the job very well. Be sure your soil drains well; sage is easily killed by over-watering or soggy soil. Insects and diseases are not usually a problem with sage but hot, humid weather will take its toll on all gray wooly varieties.

As a companion plant in the garden, sage will improve the flavor of cabbages and repel the cabbage butterfly when grown nearby. Grow it with carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, and marjoram but sage and onion dislike each other so keep them apart. Rosemary and sage are good companions in the herb garden having a stimulating effect on each other.

Salvia officinalis stays gray-green until mid-December in mild winters and starts to revive in March. Hold off the first pruning until you can see evidence of new growth. When it is in full flower, a deep soaking will intensify the color of the blooms. Cut back the stems after the plant has finished blooming.

Sage leaves are at their highest fragrance and flavor just before flowering in early summer. Sage branches can be gathered into bunches and hung upside-down to dry in a place out of direct sun where there is good air circulation. I prefer to strip the leaves and spread them on shallow trays to dry. If the humidity is high, as it is much of my summer, I place the tray in the oven with the temperature on its lowest setting, removing when the leaves are crispy dry. Sage can be frozen for convenience in adding to simmering pots. Chop fresh sage very finely, fill ice cube trays then cover with water and freeze. When needed, just pop out a cube to add to any slow-cooking stew or soup.

Besides traditional turkey stuffing and sausage seasoning, sage is a handy ingredient in the kitchen. Use it to flavor cheese, egg dishes, cooked vegetables, and fish. Because sage is considered a dominant herb, it is best not to mix it with other strongly flavored herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, and tarragon. Drink sage as a healthy and/or refreshing tea, make it into wine, use it in cheese spreads and herb butters. Even the young leaves make a tasty addition to the salad bowl or placed between slices of bread… a delicious sandwich.

So, whether you want to use sage in the kitchen, in the medicine cabinet, or to beautify and freshen your home, be sure to keep a variety of sages growing in your garden. They will add enjoyment to your life.

Growing Tips For Sage

Sage is a hardy perennial sub-shrub with woody, wiry stems that are square and covered with down. Flowers grow in whorls of four to eight at axils; pink, purple, blue or white; tubular, ½ – 3/4 in. Long; two-lipped; upper lip straight or arches; ring of hairs inside; purplish, bell-shaped calyx. Leaves are opposite on stem and grow to 2 in. long; pebbly and pucker-veined, as if made of wrinkled seersucker; grayish green, softly hairy or velvety; round-toothed margins; long-stalked. The soil should be slightly alkaline, with little moisture needed once the plants are established. Sage is hardy from zone 4 through zone 8. Grow in full sun.

Facts About Sage

• Sage is native to the northern Mediterranean coast.
• Some people say sage fragrance induces sleep.
• Attractive to bees, it produces an aromatic honey.
• Sage infusions have been used to color silver hair.
• Sage tops yield a yellow-buff color to wool.
• Containing antibacterial properties, sage can be used as a natural food preservative.
• Sage was believed to bestow wisdom and improve the memory.
• In the language of flowers, sage represents good health and domestic virtue.

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There is disagreement over the origination of this herb’s name. Thyme is the derivative of a Greek word which means “to fumigate” (alluding to its effectiveness as an antiseptic). Or, it could come from the Greek word “thumus” which signifies courage. From ancient and medieval days, it has been considered a source of invigoration. Also associated with funereal traditions, thyme was one of the fragrant flowers planted on graves. In the language of flowers according to Kate Greenaway, it symbolizes activity (“busy as a bee” may have come from observing the feverish activities of these industrious insects around a patch of flowering thyme). Weeding chores are made more enjoyable with their symphonic sounds in the background.

Down through the ages, the unassuming thyme has maintained its reputation as a trusted and valuable help to mankind. In 1753, Linnaeus described eight varieties; over 60 species and cultivars are currently being grown in the United States. Thyme was already extensively grown in England even before the middle of the 16th century. There are two general classifications: upright and creeping, but all varieties are perennial. Thyme thrives best with lots of room to spread out. The perfect site for thymes: rocky, slightly alkaline, well-drained soil and full sun. This plant will rot if planted in a poorly draining site; it needs good air circulation. If cultivated in heavy soil, you take the chance of losing some fragrance.

Thyme makes an ideal hedging plant; with frequent clippings, thyme vulgaris can be kept growing for several years. Or use the prostrate varieties as an edging plant along your walks. With stony soil or flagstones providing a warm covering for the spreading root system, it will survive the severest cold. Yet, those frigid winter winds can kill all or part of a plant sometimes. Northern climates have the advantage of snow covering for protection, but this smothers them and does more harm than good. Compromise by mulching the soil, tucking close to the base of the plant, but do not cover the foliage.

Thyme roots soon deplete the soil, so add manure or fertilizer to the bed when you rejuvenate the planting. Sow the seed, thinly and shallowly, after ground temperatures have warmed up in a sunny place of light soil. Seeds retain germination power for as long as three years. To produce a stronger, quicker-growing crop, sow seeds in a cluster. Mist daily until seeds germinate which should take less than a week. If you have started the seed in a greenhouse, they can be moved to a sheltered, sunny outdoor spot after plants are four inches high and look well started.

Take cutting anytime from mid-spring to early summer. Use new green growth for cuttings; when they show new top growth, you will know they are rooted. Thyme can also be propagated by layering or division. Ground layering is an easy method of multiplying your plants. Most of the prostrate varieties will be self-rooting by the end of summer. Many varieties benefit from division every third year. Old clumps should be lifted, preferably in the fall or late spring, and woody dead stems removed. Just save the younger outside growth for replanting. For those who practice companion planting methods, this herb is beneficial to eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. Use thyme to repel cabbage worms and whiteflies.

Thyme is a perennial with a woody, fibrous root. Numerous stems are many-branched. This plant is a spreader rather than upright; the tallest varieties attain heights of scarcely a foot and a half. Its tiny leaves are highly aromatic with varieties emitting distinctive scents such as lemon, caraway, mint, pine, and varnish. Garden thyme (Thumus vulgaris) is a near relative to our native wild thyme (Thymus serphyllum) which is commonly known as mother-of-thyme. The majority of varieties have mauve, lavender, or purple-pink flowers. Blooms appear at branch ends in whorls of blossoms and last from May to August. The first harvest should be when the plants begin to bloom; cut back the entire plant to within two inches of the ground. Don’t take your last harvest too late in the summer as this will affect the plant’s ability to withstand winter’s harsh weather.

The easiest way to dry thyme is to spread the branches on screens where they will get good air circulation. After one day, if the weather is hot and dry, the crispy leaves will strip off the branches easily. Commercial harvesters must remove up to 15% of the stems, but we home users recognize that those soft stems can add flavor also.

Generally, thyme is used sparingly, as a background flavor. It is one of the few herbs that may be simmered in slow-cooking stews, soups, and sauces. Along with bay, parsley, and chives, thyme becomes the seasoning staple known as “fines herbes”. One writer describes the taste of it as delicately green with a faint clove aftertaste. The whole herb is used, fresh and dried. It is a vital flavoring for French, Creole and Cajun foods. Use it to flavor stuffings, clam chowder, sauces, pickles, stews, and soups. Caraway thyme, known as Herbe Baronna, is the choice for seasoning beef on the continent.

A property of thyme, thymol, is also known as a preservative of meat. The Spanish employ it in the pickle juice used to preserve olives. Fresh leaves and sprigs can be tossed into green salads. Because of its citrus overtones, the variety identified as Lemon Thyme (T. Citriodorus) excels at flavoring fish, chicken, and other white meats. Other varieties lesser-known with lemony overtones include: T. X C. “Aureus”, a golden variegated-leaved cultivar; T. X “Golden Lemon”, and T. X “Clear Gold”, low-growing thymes with yellow-green leaves. The “Clear Gold” comes in both an upright and a creeping form. Long ago, the Romans used thyme as an aromatic flavoring to cheeses and liqueurs. Well-loved by bees, thyme blossoms produce honey of special flavor and sweetness.

Just as popular as a medicinal, Culpepper said, “Thyme is a noble strengthener of the lungs, as notable one as grows, nor is there a better remedy growing for whooping cough.” In WWI, the essential oil of thyme was used effectively on the battlefield to save lives. Thymol, a major constituent of Oil of Thyme, is a powerful antiseptic for both internal and external uses. Traditionally, a syrup made with fresh, pounded herb has been used successfully against the dreaded whooping cough. Some herbalists prescribe a tea for shortness of breath and congested lungs. Nothing can soothe a sore throat or relieve wind spasms quite like a cup of warm thyme tea. Its antispasmodic qualities make it effective in relieving asthma and stomach cramps. Inflammations and sores may be soothed by a poultice made by mashing the leaves into a paste. Thyme was once used to cure hookworm; there is a fatal danger in the strong dosage needed to expel the worms, so this usage has been discontinued.

Thyme’s major ingredient, thymol, has been employed as a deodorant. Thyme is also believed to improve the eyesight and is reputed to be taken for toning up the reproductive system. As an ingredient of herbal tobacco, itis good for digestion, headaches, and drowsiness. Thyme pillows were thought to relieve epilepsy and melancholy. A hot cup of thyme tea is a good pick-me-up for wearisome and trying days. Try putting some fresh sprigs of it into a facial steam for toning up the skin. Its fragrant oil is used extensively to scent soaps, cosmetics, and rice powder. Commercially, Germany is the biggest exporter of thyme for the industry, with the area of Nimes, France being a center for the distillation of the oil of thyme from the plant. Other uses for thymol include the making of colognes, aftershave lotions and we all know that it makes an important contribution to potpourris and those beneficial closet bags.

When attempting to differentiate the many varieties, things get confusing. Some generalities I have absorbed in researching this article follow. English and French Thyme are both forms of Thymus vulgaris; other cultivars of hybrids of T. vulgaris include: T. X citriodorus: lemon-scented and pink flowers; there is both a green-leaved and a variegated variety. T. X C. “Silver Queen’” with silvery, variegated leaves. Among the creeping varieties, Caraway Thyme (T. Herba-baronna) is the best known. Harriet Phillips who has completed her doctorate in identification and classification of it, notes in an article that Nutmeg Thyme is actually the female form of Caraway Thyme. Crimson Thyme (T. S. Coccineus) has dark green leaves and is covered with small red flowers all summer. White Thyme (T. S. Albus) has tiny light-green leaves with a profusion of white flowers. Both of these spread into fragrant mats within weeks. Wooly Thyme (T. Lanicaulis) has soft, silvery, blue-green leaves and purplish flowers. Mother-Of-Thyme (T. Praecox) has more varieties than any other thyme. Its flowers come in shades of rose, lavender, and purple.

Speaking from experience, no matter how much thyme you grow, there never seems to be enough; and there are so many interesting varieties that you could concentrate on just collecting these delightful herbs. Someday I hope to have a “thyme lawn”. A dense covering of fragrance that needs no clipping other than the removal of dead flower-heads after its profuse blooming.

Facts about Thyme

• It is best to dry thyme by hanging in bunches upside down.
• Thyme is known as the symbol of strength and courage.
• Thyme is considered to be one of the manger herbs.
• The affection of bees for thyme is well known.
• Romans used thyme to give an aromatic flavor to cheese.
• Lavender thrives when thyme is planted nearby.
• The dried flowers are often used to preserve linens from insects.
• Thyme grows best in limey soil and between stones.

Growing Tips for Thyme

A small, many-branched, aromatic shrub, thyme is perennial and rarely grows over a foot in height. It has oblong-lanceolate leaves opposite each other on nearly stalk-less stems. Its flowering season is in June and July. During its flowering season, it produces clusters of numerous, tubular, lilac to pink blossoms under 1/4 inch in length. Native to the western Mediterranean region and widely cultivated, naturalized patches have also been sighted in western Massachusetts. It has plant hardiness from zone 5 to zone 9 and grows well in light, dry, well-drained soil situated in full sun to partial shade. Propagate by root division of established plants anytime from mid-spring to early summer or cuttings of 3-inch pieces from stems with new green growth. Place the cuttings in wet sand and keep moist until they show new top growth.

The post Thyme is on Your Side (Yes, it is!) appeared first on Homestead.org.

The students of Ancient Greece supposedly wove twigs of rosemary in their hair to help them remember for examinations. In the Middle Ages, people depended on sprigs of rosemary to ward off demons and evil spirits. In some parts of Wales, mourners at funerals are still given a sprig to be cast on the coffin as it is lowered into the grave, for rosemary is best recognized as the herb of fidelity and remembrance. Because it is the symbol of friendship, remembrance, and love, it has also traditionally been a wedding guest. Brides wore wreaths woven with rosemary or carried it in their bouquets. Anne of Cleves wore such a wreath at her wedding. A rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribbons used to be presented to wedding guests.

Fun Facts about Rosemary

• A rosemary hair rinse will revitalize the scalp, prevent dandruff, and encourage growth of new hair.
• Shakespeare said, “Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.”
• You can tie together a small bundle of rosemary branches to use as a brush for the barbeque sauce.
• The Spaniards revere it as one of the bushes that gave shelter to the Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt.
• As a dye plant, rosemary produces various shades of yellow-green with wool.
• Enclose rosemary sprigs in you Christmas cards for “remembrance”.
• An old French name for rosemary was Incensier.

The sea-sprayed hills beside the Mediterranean, Portugal, and northwest Spain are some of the native habitats of the herb. It is a half-hardy evergreen perennial that likes a sheltered, sunny position. It prefers light, well-draining soil and the most important thing I can say about growing it is DON’T LET IT DRY OUT. Its many tiny, shallow, hair-like roots are especially susceptible to dry conditions. Once the plant becomes too dry, it will not recover. On the other hand, make sure the soil drains well also; soggy soil is sure death to rosemary because wet roots will cause a fungal disease. A year-round covering of the soil with mulch will help protect the root system from both cold and drought. It responds well to manure tea or fish emulsion. In times of drought, rosemary will especially benefit from a brisk spraying of its tops. This will freshen up the plant and discourage red-spider mites which are the only insect problem rosemary seems to attract.

It can be grown from seed but the seeds are slow to germinate. The seedlings may require up to three years’ growth before blooming. The easiest way to propagate rosemary is by cuttings or layering of the lower branches of an older plant. If a plant makes it through our sometimes difficult winters, you may discover some branches naturally layering at the next summer’s end. These may be detached from the mother plant and potted up separately. If you are fortunate enough to live where winter temperatures are more reliable, another way to propagate an older, well-established rosemary is by root division.

There are two forms of rosemary but both are Rosemarius officinalis – the upright and the prostrate. The upright varieties are bushy with stiff branches that dip and curve with age. A hedge of upright rosemaries is a lovely sight when in bloom. Uprights may attain a height of six feet in their native surroundings; here in the South, they usually grow to three or four feet. As the name implies, prostrate is a sprawling plant; it grows to only twelve inches but the twisting contortions of its branches are just as delightful to the eye as its piney fragrance is to the nose. Leaves on the prostrate varieties are generally shinier, smaller and more dense in appearance than upright varieties. This plant is a heavy bloomer and makes an attractive hanging basket.

To enjoy the spiky, highly-fragrant leaves of this herb in your garden, try to find a sheltered situation: at the base of a low wall facing south in well-draining alkaline soil is the ideal growing condition. In fact, if you suffer from capricious weather with temperatures that fluctuate widely from one extreme to the other, you might consider keeping your rosemaries in pots year round. Just set the pot in the ground when springtime comes around and then lift for removal to a cool, sunny spot for over-wintering. If you take companion planting suggestions seriously, grow your rosemaries beside sage, dill, and cabbage. The blossoms of rosemary are quite attractive to bees. The flowers may be white-rose, lavender, pale or dark blue, depending on the variety you are growing. They are only a half-inch long and grow in clusters of two or three along the tips of the branches. Their appeal for me is the fact that my rosemaries are usually blooming prolifically in February, the dead of winter.

Herb nurseries usually have several varieties available. These might include: R. O. Albiflorus, a white flowering cultivar; “Tuscan Blue”, a fast-growing, broad-leaved variety that sometimes starts flowering in February (which is the variety I grow); “Benenden Blue”, with fine leaves and rich blue flowers; and “Santa Barbara” or “Majorca” —both with pink flowers. “Arp” is a cultivar discovered some years back by Madeline Hill to be hardier in the south and as far north as the Washington, D. C. area. Whichever variety you decide to grow, rosemary is guaranteed to bring much pleasure and provide a source of enrichment to your life.

Down through the years, rosemary has made an important contribution medicinally, culinarily, and for personal purposes. Modern scientists have found that compounds in the herb, the antioxidants as they are called, can retard the onset of rancidity and spoilage of meats. Long before refrigeration, the herbalists of old were well acquainted with this quality of rosemary.

In cooking, rosemary is a complement to may other herbs including chives, thyme, chervil, parsley, and bay. Be careful when using rosemary, as it is strongly flavored. A little goes a long way. But do use it to enhance tomatoes, spinach, peas, mushrooms, squash, cheese, eggs and lentils. Add to breads and rolls, cheese spreads and butters. Use as a marinade for red meats or rub the meat with the leaves before cooking. Stuff a chicken you plan to bake with a couple sprigs for a delicious and unusual flavor. A robust salad dressing can be made by steeping a few sprigs in an olive oil, garlic, and vinegar mixture.

Rosemary jelly is delicious as a glaze on roasted meats or sautéed carrots or peas. Use the flowers for garnishing, as they also are edible. Rosemary may be also dried for future use. Just lay branches in trays or even stand in an empty vase. Make certain they get good air circulation and are out of direct sunlight. In a couple days, they will be dry enough to strip from the branches and stored in airtight containers. Or freeze whole sprigs of rosemary, taking off only as many leaves as you need at use time. Just remember, frozen or dried, rosemary’s seasoning ability is more concentrated than when fresh; use half as much.

A digestive and strengthening herb, rosemary is considered an important medicinal herb with a long history of beneficial use. In 1525, Bankes’ Herbal said, “Take the floweres thereof and boyle them in fayre water and drinke that water for it is much worthe against all manner of evils in the body.” Quite a recommendation! An ointment made from the oil of rosemary is said to benefit those who suffer from rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises and wounds. Queen Elizabeth of Hungary was said to have been cured of paralysis of the joints (arthritis? rheumatism?) by rubbing them with Hungary Water, made from rosemary oil and alcohol. An infusion of leaves has been recommended in the treatment of depression, headaches and muscle spasms.

Its best-known therapeutic qualities are for the hair and scalp, but rosemary helps all functions of the head, both external and internal. Rosemary tea refreshes the mind and memory. By stimulating the brain and nervous system, it becomes a good remedy for headaches caused by feeble circulation. Rosemary tea, drunk warm, will relieve the nervous depression, colic, colds and headaches.

Cosmetically, rosemary oil is added to soaps, creams, lotions, perfumes and toilet waters. It has a volatile agent that gets the blood flowing under the skin. Use an infusion of rosemary to make a steam facial—it will perk up your skin and brighten your face. Rosemary oil is known to also have some antibacterial effects. Professional perfumers in the sixteenth century would be hired by wealthy men to beat together rosemary leaves and sugar, then heat the mixture over hot coals to scent and purify the air. Like rue, rosemary has been used in courts of justice as a preventative of the contagious jail-fever. Even during WWII, a mixture of rosemary leaves and juniper berries was burned in the hospitals of France to kill germs.

Considered effective relief for asthma sufferers and other affectations of the throat and lungs, rosemary is combined with coltsfoot, rubbed together and smoked as an herbal tobacco. Rosemary lends its fragrance in an important way to potpourri mixtures and its piney scent has been added to sleep pillows reputed to chase away nightmares. Rosemary oil has also been recommended as an insect repellant. Experiment sometime and rub some needles on your arms.

Whether you grow rosemary for the distinctive flavoring it adds to foods, for the revitalizing effect of a steaming bath, or because of the depth of color and vital growth it adds to your hair, grow rosemary in your herb garden. Even if just because its colorful history adds richness to your life.

Rosemary Growing Tips

A perennial evergreen shrub hardy to zones 8-10. Demands well-drained soil and loves full sun and good air circulation. Seed germination is very slow; preferable to get started with bought plants. Cuttings root easily and older plants will produce new plants by layering. Acidic soil needs an addition of wood ashes or crushed eggshells. Harvesting can be done throughout the year. Rosemary is a tender perennial in the North and should be brought inside or kept in a greenhouse for the winter months.

Due Dill-igence: Facts and Growing Tips for Dill

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Varieties are often named after their scent or physical characteristics.  Leaves of this herb range in colors from dark purple to pale green and may be serrated or smooth, glossy or crinkly; flowers grow in whorls ranging from white to purple.  Most of the commonly available basils range in growth from one to three feet tall and one to two feet wide.  It is the pungent clove-like fragrance that rises to greet you as you brush the plant which makes it a favorite of many.  The most common basil is sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum).

Basil’s name is said to derive from the Greek word for “royal palace”, basileia, and was once used to make royal unguents, perfumes, and medicines.  A native of India and Persia, the basil plant is sacred to both Krishna and Vishnu and cherished by all.  A house surrounded by this plant is considered a blessed house.  Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a basil leaf on his breast as a passport to Paradise.  In Persia and Malaysia, basil is planted on graves, and in Egypt, women scatter the flowers on grave sites of loved ones.  But, among the ancient Greeks, basil represented hate and misfortune, and thought the plant would not grow without railing and abuse at the time of sowing.

Basil’s medicinal uses are various.  Recommended for digestive complaints, substitute that after-dinner mint with an after-dinner cup of basil tea to aid digestion and expel gas.  Steep a teaspoon of the dried leaves in a cup of boiled water.  Herbalists recommend this for stomach cramps, vomiting, and constipation.  Basil is sometimes used to soothe mild nervous disorders and for the alleviation of wandering rheumatic pains.

The leaves of O. Viride, a native of Western Africa, are drunk as a tea to remedy fevers.  The leaves of O. Canum and O. Gratissimum in India and of O. Crispum in Japan are prescribed as a remedy for colds.   A tradition in Moldavia exists that a youth will love any maiden who offers him a sprig of basil.  In Crete, it symbolizes “love washed with tears” and in some parts of Italy, it is a love token.  To encourage the “cheerful and merry heart”, indulge in a sleep pillow containing equal portions of the clove-like basil, piney rosemary, and spicy marjoram.

Because it is an annual, basil must be replanted each year.  Don’t try to get basil into the garden too early in the spring.  Be patient and wait until the soil has warmed up thoroughly.  It grows easily from seed but a wide variety of started plants from a nursery are usually available for a head start.

Set seedlings about two feet apart to allow room for full growth and deep watering.  Mulching the bed will help conserve moisture and protect roots close to the surface from summer’s heat.  Set it out in full sun, although it will do well even in partial shade.  This fast-growing nose-pleaser needs plenty of room to spread out.  Basil thrives on heavy watering, but make certain the soil drains well.  Also, beware of too much fertilizer as it will produce lush leaves at the sacrifice of flavor.  Very soon you will be able to begin pinching back the tips; this will encourage bushier new growth.

Besides the familiar Sweet Basil and its several varieties, try growing some of the less well-known basil.  Lemon Basil (O. basilicum citriodorum) makes a small bush whose smaller, bright green leaves have a lemon fragrance and taste.  This variety came to us from Thailand.  The transplant from India where it is considered a sacred plant, Holy Basil (O. Sanctum), will not only lend its heavy scent to your potpourris, but it will act as a fixative as well.  O. Kilimandscharicim, also known as Camphor basil, grows into a woody tree form and comes from Africa.  It has a heavy camphor and menthol fragrance and makes an excellent moth repellant.  There is also a basil with a wonderful cinnamon aroma (O. B. ‘Cinnamon’) and I’ve used its dried leaves to flavor a delightful-tasting sugar cookie.  Very popular is Dark Opal Basil (O. Basilicum ‘Purprascens’) with its large glossy, ruffled purple leaves that make such a statement in the garden design; they also produce a lovely pink-colored basil vinegar.  A variety much used in Asian cuisine is O. Crispum called familiarly lettuce leaf basil which comes from Japan.  Check your seed catalogues and local nurseries for the wide assortment of basil varieties available.  This year I discovered a variety, name not known, that has variegated green-and-white leaves and is sterile so it does not form flowers or set seed.

Basil does reasonably well as a houseplant if it is not allowed to bloom or set seed. Take Madalene Hill’s advice and take cuttings at the end of the season to root in water. Pot them up and grow them in a sunny south window over the winter. Your plants will thrive on feedings of liquid fertilizer in soil that is heavy with humus and well-draining. Smaller-leafed varieties are more inclined to succeed. Or, you may scatter a few seeds in a six-inch pot in July or August. If you find yourself with a window-sill of basil plants, continue the tradition of Renaissance England and give them as house gifts to keep the flies away.

As a companion plant in the vegetable garden, basil planted near tomatoes will help repel the white fly which attacks this tasty vegetable. But don’t place it near your rue plants in the herb garden as they are incompatible and will inhibit each other’s growth. The formation of flower heads signals the end of the plant’s lifespan. You can prolong the harvest by pinching out these buds as they form at the end of the branches.

Although it has been given different attributes according to geography, in France it is still called “l’herbe royale” for its contribution to French cuisine. Basil is also popular in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, especially Thai and Vietnamese. Besides adding its particular dash of flavor to tossed and potato salads, basil is an absolute must in all Italian cuisine such as lasagna, spaghetti, and pizza. Anything tomato-flavored is enhanced by adding basil. Try it in stewed tomatoes or a casserole of zucchini squash. Basil also complements other sun-loving vegetables besides tomatoes such as corn, eggplant, squash, and green beans.

If you find yourself with more fresh basil that you can conveniently use, try your hand at making pesto. A basic recipe consists of two cups of washed fresh basil, 3 cloves of garlic, 4 teaspoons of nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, or pecans, whatever is available), ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Pulverize everything in a blender or food processor, except the cheese which you add after your mixture becomes pasty. Then blend again. You’ll find dozens of ways to use this to enhance meals.

Fresh basil will keep well if the stems are immersed in water and stored out of direct sunlight. Don’t rinse the leaves before storing them as water tends to darken them. Sweet Basil, like other large-leaved herbs, is a problem to air-dry because they darken so easily. I pull off each leaf from the stem and spread them out on cookie sheets. Then place in an oven with the temperature set on the lowest setting, leaving the door slightly ajar. Basil will be crisp after an overnight stay and if the temperature is low enough, will remain in good condition. Even if the leaves darken, this does not affect the flavor. Smaller-leaved basil can be hung in bunches upside-down in a dark, airy place until dry.

Basil is the least satisfactory herb to freeze as it is inclined to discolor and become bitter. Layering whole leaves between salt or olive oil will turn the leaves dark, but they can be used if recipes insist on fresh basil. Basil is best stored in oil, vinegar or frozen paste. Basil preserved in oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. If you are freezing pesto, omit the garlic until you’re ready to use the sauce because the garlic may become bitter after several months of storage.

Do allow your plants to go to seed; taste and see how flavorful the seeds are. They are sometimes used as a substitute for leaves. Basil seeds are extremely viable, remaining growable for years. Eventually, cold winter temperatures will end basil’s outdoor growing season but before we mourn the loss, we’ve had a summer’s worth of enjoyment from the special touch fresh basil made in our meals. Do allow this prima-donna of herbs to reign in your garden next year.

Basil can be harvested throughout the growing season. Just remember to leave at least two leaves or a circle of leaves toward the base of each branch to assist in regrowth. Those tender tips are your first harvest. Toss them in the green salad or chop and add to the potato salad you’re planning for supper. If you are particularly ruthless, cut the plants when they are ten to twelve inches tall just above the bottom set of leaves. This will result in a burst of new growth. Just remember to cut down the plants early enough in the growing season so they will have time left to come back with vigor. This will give you a double harvest of dried leaves for winter’s use and still provide ripe seeds to save for next year’s planting.

Basil Growing Tips

Basil is an annual that needs a rich, moist, well-drained soil of pH 6.0 and full sun. The seeds should be planted 1/8 inch deep. When grown from seed, start indoors and wait until all danger of frost is past before transplanting into garden. Will grow well if some well-rotted manure or manure compost is mixed in beforehand. To encourage a bushy plant, keep cutting back branches every two or three weeks, leaving at least one node with two young shoots. Cut sprigs when flower buds form and before they have opened. Basil can be harvested until the first frost.

Fun Facts about Basil

• Basil is one of the ingredients in the liqueur Chartreuse.
• Basil reputedly brings luster to hair; the fragrance alone is invigorating.
• Add several large basil leaves to the liquid when poaching fish, shellfish, or chicken.
• Native to India, Africa, and Asia, basil is cultivated for commercial use in France.
• In Italy, basil is still a sign of love.
• Basil is a member of the mint family
• Extracts from basil seeds exhibit an antibacterial effect.

The post Facts About Basil: Herb Extraordinaire appeared first on Homestead.org.

It is such a familiarity in our gardens, dill’s identity as an herb is also well established. The name comes from an old Norse word “dilla” which means “to lul”. Even back then, dill water was used to soothe colicky babies.

Although a native of southern Mediterranean shores and southern Russia, dill (Anethum graveolens) has been naturalized for centuries in many other countries. The earliest record of it appears on an Egyptian papyrus from 5,000 years ago. Romans wore crowns made from flowering branches of dill for their festivals; garlands crowned war heroes on their return home. In the first century A.D., Pliny listed nine remedies with dill as the chief ingredient. This herb is among those mentioned in Matthew 23:23 as being tithed. In 1578, Dodoens mentions dill being sown in all gardens among worts and pot herbs.

As a drug, dill has been used by herbalists to dispel flatulence, increase mother’s milk and treat congestion in the breasts resulting from nursing. Dill possesses stimulant, aromatic, carminative, and stomachic properties, making it of considerable medicinal value. In the Middle Ages, dill was one of the herbs used by magicians in their spells and charms against witchcraft.

“Trefoil, vervain, John’s wort, dill

hinder witches of their will.”

Mentioned by herbalists down through the centuries, the reputes of dill are well recognized. Virgil called it: “pleasant and fragrant plant, very easy to grow.” Piesse reported some ladies mixed dill water and rose water together as a simple cosmetic to clear the complexion. Culpepper said dill would strengthen the brain; Edmund Spencer called it “head-purging dill.”

In 1629, Parkinson stated dill added to cucumbers “doth very well agree, giving to the cold fruit a prettie spicie taste or relish.” Because of its soothing effect, dill was one of the “meeting-house seeds.” Long sermons were made tolerable with a pocketful of seeds, dill among them to nibble on. An old German custom was for brides to carry dill although the significance of the practice has been lost through the ages.

The volatile oils of dill are stimulating to the system and soothing to the nerves. Dill is also said to have properties that strengthen the fingernails. European and American herbalists use both the leaves and the seeds to dispel flatulence, increase mother’s milk, and treat congestion in the breast resulting from nursing. Oil of dill is also employed for perfuming soaps. Chemical analysis shows dill contains calcium, phosphorus, and sulfur. The essential oils of dill differ in flavor and odor depending on whether they have been taken from the mature seed or the dillweed. Another variable is the maturity of the seeds. Dill is largely cultivated in Germany and Romania for commercial purposes. We also import quantities of dill seed from India and Japan. These countries grow a different variety which produces a difference in oils. Indian dill is widely grown in the Indies under the name of “Soyah”; it is mostly grown for the commercial use of flavoring pickles.

Besides its use as a food flavoring agent, dill is grown commercially for its seeds which are used in the manufacture of gin. The distilled oil is fragrant and combined with other essences is employed for perfuming soaps. Dill has a dominant personality and a well-rounded tang. In this country, dill is used mostly for making dill pickles. Many a housewife plant both cucumbers and dill to “put down” her own pickles. Dill Vinegar is also a popular condiment; the tops and leaves give a delicate flavoring. Use it to add variety to your French dressing.

Actually, dill makes a vital contribution to the cuisines around the world, both seeds and dillweed, as the leafy growth is called. Dill has been mentioned in connection with baking since the days of Methuselah, or thereabouts. The seeds are often used in breads. The French use dill seeds for flavoring cakes and pastries and the Greek season spinach with dill. In Scandinavia, dillweed is an essential ingredient in the national dish of Gravlax—paper-thin slices of fresh salmon cooked in a marinade of aquavit, sugar, salt, fresh dill, and cracked pepper. This is served with a mustard-dill sauce. They also use dill in apple pie, soups, gravies, potato salad, and some other fish dishes.

Dill makes a pleasant change from parsley; the fresh leaves taste a little bitter, penetrating, and stimulating. The flavor distinguishes it from fennel, which it resembles in appearance, because of its slightly peppery and spicy aroma. Try spreading leaves over a roasting chicken. Other foods dill can be added to include: new or mashed potatoes, cream cheese, white sauce, omelets, cooked vegetables, lamb, veal, and any fish or shellfish dishes. Dill seed added to gas-forming vegetables such as cabbage makes them easier to digest. Dill vinegar may be made by soaking the seeds in vinegar for a few days before using as a condiment.

Fresh and dried leaves are available commercially, but fresh is preferred. Whole seed is preferred over ground seed. Fresh dillweed has a short shelf-life in the refrigerator; drying or freezing your harvest will ensure a year-long supply. But to have a harvest, you must be growing and dill is considered very easy to grow. Propagation of this hardy annual is by seed. Either in the spring after all danger of frost has passed or, for southern gardens, a planting in late fall which will get an early start in spite of freezing temperatures latter. A freeze may remove all signs of growth to soil levels.

Plants thrive in a warm, sunny, rather protected spot, in sandy, well-drained, moderately rich loam. Dill benefits from generous amounts of well-rotted manure worked into the soil before planting. Sow seed thickly and do not thin seedlings. This allows the tall, spindly stalks to lean upon one another for support. All the books advise “do not transplant”, but this can be done if the single, slender taproot is moved when the plant is less than five-six inches high. Dill will tolerate some afternoon shade during the hot summer southern days as we experience. Keep your dill bed well weeded as it does not like competition.

Dill grows to three feet in height—plan to either stake the plants or sow seed thickly so they can support one another. The plant is upright, branching out from a single stalk with feathery leaves called “dillweed.” Once the plants are well established, you can begin harvesting the leaves close to the stem. Use as soon as possible, dillweed last only a couple of days in the refrigerator before it droops and loses its flavor. Stems are smooth, shiny, and hollow; foliage is almost blue-green in color. Plants produce delicate umbrella-like clusters of small yellow flowers which mature to dill seed in midsummer.

It takes two and a half months from seed planting to harvest of mature seed. Seeds will be light brown in color when ready to harvest, anywhere from two to three weeks after blossoming. The seeds will be a light brown color. When most of the seed heads have turned brown, cut the stems with enough length, tie in a bunch and hang in a dark place. Spread newspaper beneath them to catch the dried seeds as they fall. If seeds do not fall after being dried, they will pull off by hand easily. When completely dry, rub between the palms of your hand to remove seed from chaff.

The plant is self-seeding and dropped seed will germinate easily. Store harvested seeds in airtight containers; seed can retain its germinating capacity for up to three years. The whole plant is aromatic and bees are attracted to the pollen-laden flowers so place it on the perimeter of your garden to avoid confrontations. Companion planting has some dos and don’ts: dill will enhance the growth of cabbage, onions, corn, lettuce, and cucumbers. But don’t plant it near carrots, fennel, parsley, and anise.

To grow indoors, it will need full sun, prefer daytime temperatures be in the sixties, can take nighttime temperatures as low as mid-forties. Water whenever the surface appears dry and provide good air circulation. Seed directly and then thin to three plants in a six-inch pot. This will produce new growth for two to four months indoors. Harvest lower leaves after plant is a foot tall. The best cultivars for indoors are “Aroma” and “Bouquet” but be forewarned, dill is difficult to grow indoors. There is a variety of dill called “Bouquet” which produces shorter and bushier plants than the better-known A. graveolens.

The following comes from the Receipt Book of Joseph Cooper, cook to Charles I, 1640:

“Gather the tops of the ripest dill and cover the bottom of the vessel, and lay a layer of cucumbers and another of dill till you have filled the vessel within a handful of the top. Then take as much water as you think will fill the vessel and mix it with salt and a quarter of a pound of allom to a gallon of water and poure it on them and press them down with a stone on them and keep them covered close. For that use I think the water will be best boyl’d and cold, which will keep longer sweet, or if you like not this pickle, do it with water, salt and white wine vinegar, or (if you please) pour the water and salt on them scalding hot which will make them ready to use the sooner.”

One last note—the intricately complex flower heads can also be harvested for use in fresh flower arrangements. But do allow some plants to form seed heads to be used in dried arrangements for your fall decorating.

Facts about Dill

• The flat, oval seeds of dill have the greater nutritional value.
• Grow dill along garden perimeters to attract bees.
• Dill was believed to work as a charm against witches; mystics did combat with an “evil eye” spell by carrying a bag of dried dill over the heart.
• The swallowtail butterfly caterpillar can ravage a dill plant overnight.
• Dill flower heads make impressive additions to garden bouquets.
• Dill seeds are a chief ingredient in pickling spice.
• Dill seeds add a pronounced flavor to a variety of foods and make them more digestible too.
• The whole plant is aromatic.
• Dill is supposed to enhance the growth of cabbage, onions, and lettuce.

Growing Tips for Dill

Dill is a hardy annual and grows easily from seed; transplanting is not always successful. Seeds may be planted in early fall and in early spring. It requires moderate rich, well-drained soil in full sun to flourish. Sow in place early in the spring after danger of frost is over. Dill’s taproot is singular and spindly like a carrot. One long, hollow stalk comes from the root. Plants can grow to a height of three feet. Its stems are smooth, shiny and hollow. Dill may not produce seed until the beginning of the plant’s second year. Dill has a tendency to wither in the summer’s heat. Its flowering season is from July through September. Weeding is the only care required.

Cucumber, Dill, & Feta Pearl Couscous

The post Due Dill-igence: Facts and Growing Tips for Dill appeared first on Homestead.org.

In Athens of old, every part of the body was perfumed with a different scent–mint being specifically designated to the arms.  Greeks and Romans crowned themselves with peppermint at their feasts and adorned their tables with its sprays.  Their cooks flavored both their sauces and their wines with its essence according to the scholar Pliny.  It is believed that the Romans were responsible for introducing this herb to Britain.

Mint is mentioned in the Icelandic Pharmacopoeias of the thirteenth century and as early as the fourteenth century, mint was used for whitening the teeth.  This custom prevails even now in that much of our toothpaste is flavored with mint.

Dr. Westmacott, in 1694, wrote this about mints: “…they have a biting, aromatic bitterish vapor with a strong fragrant smell abounding with a pungent volatile salt and a subtle sulphur which destroys acids, and herein doth lodge the causation of such medicinal virtues in this herb…”

Mentioned in the Bible and by Chaucer and Shakespeare, Chaucer refers to ‘a little path of mints full and fenill greene.’ An herbalist of a later period, Gerard says, “The smelle rejoice the the heart of man…the smell of minte does stir up the minde and the taste to a greedy desire of meate.” Parkinson recommends: “Mintes are sometimes used in baths with Balm and other herbs as a help to comfort and strengthen the nerves and sinews.  It is much used either outwardly applies or inwardly drunk to strengthen and comfort weak stomackes.”

Although we have a native mint growing in the wilds of North America, it occurs most often in watery places.  Most varieties of herb we identify as mints were transported early in our history from Europe.  Mints are undemanding; a moist situation is preferable but once gotten started, will succeed in average soils.  It does best in a partially shaded position.

A perennial which spreads by means of its underground, creeping stems, when dug up, every piece of root showing a joint will produce a new plant.  All plants should be cut to the ground occasionally to encourage fresh new leaves and to discourage leggy stems.  Top dressing the bed with rich compost toward the end of summer is quite beneficial.

Mint is susceptible to a disease called rust: a fungus that develops inside the plant and cannot be eradicated without destroying the plant.  To prevent the spread of this fatal disease, immediately dig up any plants that show signs of rust.  Do not replant mint in this same area.

Mints thrive in moist humus soil in shade but also in sun and there are few pests that bother this herb. They are rapid spreaders and will overrun other plants sharing their space. This can be controlled by planting within an open bottom container that is at least twelve to eighteen inches deep. Prepare for winter by cutting back plants to the ground; spread a layer of compost over the bed to feed the emerging plants next spring.

Mints are divided into three groups: peppermint, pennyroyal, and spearmint. There are several varieties of peppermint (Mentha piperita officinalis) which is sometimes known as Brandy mint. Most commonly available species are English Black, a handsome dark plant with stems and leaves tinged purplish-brown that creep along the ground in early spring and later grows up to three or four feet tall with beautiful dark purplish-blue flowers. White, whose stems are green, has leaves that are more coarsely serrated than the Black variety.

Varieties of Mint

Corn Mint or Field Mint (Mentha arvensis) is the variety from which the Japanese distill their oil for commercial purposes. It is red-stemmed with small leaves. The Japanese have long recognized the value of Menthol, the oil derived from Peppermint and over two hundred years ago would carry it about with them in little silver boxes hanging from their girdles.

A milder peppermint is M. Piperita citrata known variously as Bergamot Mint, Orange Mint or Mint Eau-de-Cologne. Most fragrant of the peppermints and somewhat manageable of all the species, this herb has dark green leaves touched with purple along its edges. Its delicious fragrance is retained when dried, making this mint an excellent addition to potpourris.  Peppermint is the most extensively used of all the mints, both medicinally and commercially. It is not used in cooking because of its strong flavor but when taken as a tea it is highly therapeutic for many ailments.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) was probably established in American gardens by 1739. Also called garden mint of English mint, this species now grows throughout the temperate regions of the world. The Ancients believed that mint would prevent the coagulation of milk and its acid fermentation. There are many other references to spearmint in old writings such as the biblical payment of tithes which established this herb’s high esteem for many centuries.

The spearmint family has many varieties to choose from. When grown in damp soil, the fragrance intensifies. Many a farmhouse grew a clump beneath the outdoor water spigot. The leaves smell of lemon and mint; when fresh, they taste bitter, sharp and camphor-like. Common spearmint makes a dense patch of vigorous upright stems with slightly crinkled leaves. At full maturity it can reach three feet tall; white, clustered flowers extend along a skinny spike in a spear shape, mainly blooming in late summer to autumn.

Mentha s. crispii is more commonly known as Curly Mint. It has rounder, ruffled leaves on smaller-growing plants. This is also a rampant grower that will achieve two feet in height; give it room to spread. Other cultivars of M. spicata are milder and the leaves are sometimes gray-green, sometimes wooly in texture. M. Suaveolens, otherwise known as Pineapple Mint, is often confused with Wooly Apple Mint because of its slightly fruity scent.

M. Rotundiflolia, with its round, apple-scented leaves was once used in the monasteries of Europe for the treatment of epilepsy. Apple Mint grows in both sun or shade, rich or lean soil. The soft gray-green fuzzy leaves and tall growth make it an attractive ground cover. Its blossoms are gray-whitish, shading to pink or pale purple. The variegated apple mint, which is sometimes confusedly called Pineapple Mint, has creamy-white and soft-green leaves with a slightly fruitier scent. Use these leaves fresh as much of the flavor is lost when dried. Golden Apple Mint or Ginger Mint (M. s. gentilis) has gold-flecked leaves with dark red stems and a spicy scent.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is sought after because it is a strong deterrent to mosquitoes and effectively repels fleas. One of its common names was “flea-away.” A creeper, for most of the year it clings to the ground, every small tentacle forming rootlets and creates a dense aromatic mat of glossy leaves. It makes an excellent groundcover but unfortunately is not winter-hardy. In late summer, it sends up spires of flower stalks bearing lavender-colored blooms growing in whorls up each one-foot stem. Known as “blekon” or “glekon” by the Greeks, they used it as a seasoning for meat. There is also an upright variety sometimes sold as “American Pennyroyal”.

Small and plain-looking, you might overlook Pennyroyal unless you happen to step upon it. Then, wow! It really makes its presence known. This is a good mint for hanging baskets also.

The Wild Mint (Menta aquatica) is the commonest of the mints growing into one to two feet wide masses in wet places. Distinguished by its down foliage and whorls of lilac flowers, the scent is strong and unpleasant having an odor of pennyroyal.

Corsican Mint (M. Requienni) is a tiny-leafed mint with a strong menthol aroma. Its lavender flowers are barely visible and its leaves are so tiny you almost need tweezers to pick them. Minute and mossy, it grows only one inch high and does best in shady, well-drained soil that is shielded from drying winds. Not recommended for spots getting full sun, it does best as a ground-cover for plants in containers or pots.

Uses for Mint

As far as the uses of mint, peppermint is most frequently the mint used medicinally. The chief constituent, Menthol, is used in medicine to relieve the pain of rheumatism, neuralgia, throat affections and toothaches. It acts as a local anesthetic, vascular stimulant, and disinfectant. Peppermint is good for inducing perspiration and is also used for palpitations of the heart. Peppermint helps to relieve congestion in any part of the body, whether it is a headache, a cold, or bronchitis. Only the leaves and tops should be infused as a tea as the stems are bitter tasting.

Spearmint is the mint used for making mint sauce or mint jelly (and Mint Juleps.) Add to cooked peas; new baby potatoes are more digestible with chopped mint added. Mint brings out the flavor of tomatoes and whole mint leaves in green salads are delicious. A strong decoction of Spearmint is said to cure chapped hands. And be sure to follow Adela Simmons advice to: “…hang bunches of mint from open doors or archways…mint tied to screen doors send cool odors throughout the house.”

Fresh tips of most mints can be used in salads; harvesting the tips will encourage bushier growth of your plants. Harvesting of the whole plant should begin just as they break into bloom. Cut the stalk just above the ground and hang upside-down to dry where air circulation is good and there is no direct sunlight. To speed up the drying process (which is usually necessary in my area of high humidity,) stip the leaves from the stems and spread on window screens or in shallow cardboard trays. Place out of direct sunlight. When the leaves are crisp, store in airtight containers, preferably glass. If spearmint is being harvested for medicinal purposes, the shoots should be gathered in August to obtain the highest levels of the volatile oil.

Cross-pollination and self-sowing can give mint enthusiasts some unusual specimens that can prove difficult to label. Madalene Hill in Southern Herb Growing says there are some 600 varieties of this large genus of plants.

Growing Tips for Mint

From creeping root-stocks, mints produce erect, square stems that rise to a height of about two feet, bearing very crinkled, green leaves, with finely toothed edges, the ribs very prominent beneath. Mints grow best in a partially shaded position. It has a hardiness to zone 5. The plant is a perennial and spreads by means of its underground, creeping stems. Propagate by lifting the roots in February or March, divide and replant in a shallow trench, covering with two inches of soil. Cutting may be taken anytime in summer. Choose young shoots. Keep moist until rooted. A liberal top-dressing of aged manure will ensure luxuriant growth.  Mint is susceptible to verticillium wilt, mint rust, and mint anthracnose, especially when grown in soggy soil. The diseased plants must be dug up and burned. There are at least twenty-five main species of mint and hundreds of hybrids and variants.

Did You Know?

• In Mexico and the Southwest, spearmint is known as yerba buena.
• Mints symbolize cheerfulness.
• All the mints yield fragrant oils by distillation.
• Mints were cultivated in the Convent gardens of the ninth century.
• Romans crowned themselves with Peppermint at their feasts and adorned their tables with its sprays.
• The oldest existing Peppermint district is in the neighborhood of Mitcham, in Surrey, where its cultivation from a commercial point of view dates from about 1750.
• Peppermint is a sterile hybrid and does not produce seed.
• Dried mint in drawers may repel moths and cockroaches.

Designing an Herb Garden

The post Worth a Mint appeared first on Homestead.org.

So wrote John Parkinson back in 1656.  Chamomile is one of the oldest favorites among garden herbs.  The Egyptians dedicated chamomile to the sun and worshiped it above all other herbs for its healing properties.  No plant was better known to the country folk of old.  It has been grown for centuries in English gardens for its use as a common domestic medicine.  In the gardening book of 1638, William Lawson wrote of “walks, having seats and banks of Camomile—all this to delight the mind and bring health to the body.”  One of the aromatic, strewing herbs of the Middle Ages, chamomile was often purposely planted as green walkways in their gardens.  It has been said, “Like a camomile bed—the more it is trodden; the more it will spread.”  Once firmly established, a chamomile lawn may be mowed with a lawn mower with blades set fairly high.

The double-flowered form was already well-known in the sixteenth century.  It was introduced into Germany from Spain around the close of the Middle Ages.  Chamomile was largely cultivated before the war in Belgium, France, and Saxony and also in England.  Even nursery rhymes include mentions of this herbal brew—remember Peter Rabbit whose mother soothed his aching head with a cup of chamomile tea?  In Boulder, Colorado, you can find German chamomile naturalized along roadsides and in the cracks of sidewalks, where seeds have “escaped” from Celestial Seasonings, according to Stephen Foster.  A common folk saying in Czechoslovakia is, “An individual should always bow before the curative powers of the chamomile plant.”  The Germans have a phrase to describe it: Alles Zutraut, meaning “capable of anything.”

For centuries chamomile has been reputed to have gentle healing properties.  There is a German chamomile; there is an English chamomile; there is also a Scotch, or wild, chamomile.  We’ll be looking at this apple-scented herb, helping you to become more familiar and make it a welcomed addition to your herb garden.

To further confuse you, English or Roman Chamomile, formerly known as Anthemis noblis is now known as Chamaemelum nobile.  Anthemis nobilis (renamed Chamaemelum nobile) is a slow-growing perennial, creeping or trailing, never raising its tufts of leaves and flowers up higher than a foot or two.  Its root is perennial; the stems, hairy and freely branched, are covered with leaves that are divided into thread-like segments.  This gives the whole plant a feathery appearance.  In its native habitat of England and other parts of Europe, the blooms appear in the later days of summer and are borne aloft on long erect stalks.  Each flower perches on the end of a long stem.  The flowers have a yellow center with an outer fringe of white petals—not unlike our familiar daisy but much smaller in size.

The whole plant is downy and grayish-green in color.  With a distinct fragrance of apples, the fresh plant is strongly scented.  The name chamomile derives from the Greek—kamai (on the ground) and melon (an apple.) The Spaniards call it “Manzanilla” which signified “a little apple” and gave the same name to one of their lightest sherries which is flavored with this plant.  The flower heads of the Chamaemelum nobile are considered the most valuable for distillation of the oil.  Chamomile nobilis var. flore-pleno is the double-flowered variety.

English or Roman Chamomile is a perennial native to western Europe, northward to Northern Ireland.  Roman Chamomile likes full sun and slightly acid-to-neutral soil with good drainage.  It can be started from seeds, cuttings, or by root division.  My patch has remained green throughout our mild winter but it does not tolerate our hot, dry summers.  An interesting note for companion planting gardeners: camomile (either spelling is correct) is considered the plant’s physician.  Do you have a droopy, sickly-looking plant in the garden?  Place a chamomile by it and chances are good it will recover.

German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an annual native of Europe and western Asia.  An adaptable plant, it likes full sun and will tolerate almost any type of growing conditions.  A light, sandy, somewhat-moist loam will produce optimum growth.  It appreciates lots of water during its growing season.  Growing from one to two feet high, its stem is smooth and shiny, and finely divided leaf segments cover its numerous branches.  By the time it reaches blooming season, which is usually late spring, the plant looks a bit leggy.  Harvesting the flowers and lightly cutting back the plant will produce a second crop before the plant dies.  Less fragrant than A. Nobilis, German Chamomile flowers are slightly bitter tasting.

There are several other plants that are covered by the “Chamomile” umbrella. The Scotch chamomile of commerce is sometimes known as the wild chamomile.  It has a strong aromatic odor and a very bitter taste.  It flourishes in rather dry, sandy soil that resembles the wild, open land of its natural habitat.  It is considered the most powerful of all the varieties in curative properties.  The powerful alkali contained in its single flowers is liable to destroy the coating of the stomach and bowels.

Another wild member of this family, the corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis), does not possess the little chaffy scales between its florets.  Although it resembles Roman chamomile, it is scentless.  Another imitator is the Anthemis cotula, commonly known as stinking mayweed or dog fennel. As its name implies, it can be distinguished by its disagreeable scent.  It also has a reputation for blistering the hand that touches it, although it does share the medicinal properties of other chamomiles.

Dyer’s chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria) yields a yellow-brown dye from its golden flowers and grows to two and a half feet.  Stinking chamomile (Anthemis cotula), also known as Mayweed or Dog-Fennel, is an annual commonly found in waste places and resembles the true chamomile.  It is distinguished from the other chamomiles by its fetid odor which Gerard calls “a naughty smell.”  The whole plant has this intense odor; if penetrated, an acrid juice will often blister the hand which gathers it.  Like true chamomile, a strong decoction of this herb will produce vomiting and sweating.  The infusion made from one ounce in a pint of boiling water and taken warm in wine-glassful doses has been successful in easing sick headaches and fevers.

Most seeds purchased as chamomile are usually M. Recutita.  Tea-bagged chamomile often contains seeds.  Tear open a package, plant the contents and see what happens.  The annual German Chamomile can be seeded in either the fall or spring.  Once established, it will reseed itself if flower heads remain unharvested.  Seeds may be sown thinly in May where they will permanently grow.  Old plants may be divided into sets in March and replanted in well-manured soil in rows two and a half feet apart with eighteen inches between plants.  Tread the small plants in firmly.  Keep them clean during the summer by hand-weeding, as hoeing is apt to destroy such little plants.  D. N. Treanague, a cultivar of German chamomile is a non-flowering, mat-forming clone with apple-scented leaves.  Grows to two inches high and makes a fragrant lawn.

Roman chamomile, (Anthemis nobilis renamed Chamaemelum nobile,) is a slow-growing plant, creeping or trailing its tufts of leaves and flowers only a foot in height.  Its root is perennial; the stems, hairy and freely branched, are covered with leaves that are divided into thread-like segments.  This gives the whole plant a feathery appearance.  The seed of Roman chamomile is very fine and requires well-prepared soil.  Sow the seed shallowly; simply scatter the seed on the soil’s surface and tamp it down gently with the flat side of a hoe.  The young seedlings can withstand a mild frost.  Both Roman and German chamomile like lots of sun.  Creeping rootstock spreads the plants, creating a desirable carpeting surface.  When walked on, its strong, fragrant scent will often reveal its presence before it is seen.  Mrs. M. Grieve suggested walking over the plant seems beneficial to it.  The aromatic fragrance gives no hint of its bitterness of taste.

All the chamomiles have a tiny chaffy scale between each two florets and are downy and grayish-green in color.  The wild type flourishes in a rather dry, sandy soil but the double-flowered chamomile needs a richer soil and gives the heaviest crop of blooms in moist, stiff-ish black loam.  Harvest the flowers for drying when the petals begin to turn back on the disk.

The part of the plant chiefly used medicinally is the flower heads.  Both single and double flowers are used in medicine but the single, wild chamomile appears to be more powerful.  The English chamomile is the double form.  English flower heads are considered the most valuable for distillation of the oil.  A simple way to make chamomile oil, according to the Egyptians, is to take fresh flowers (one ounce) and beat them up with pure olive oil.  Steep the flowers in the oil for twenty-four hours or more, then strain.  Extracts of the plant or the oil itself have three primary uses: as anti-inflammatories for various afflictions of the skin and mucous membranes; as antispasmodics for treating ailments like indigestion and menstrual cramps; and as anti-infective for numerous minor illnesses.

In Europe, the medicinal properties of chamomile are highly esteemed.  All medicinal recommendations are backed by not only many centuries of common usage but by intensive research.  Adverse effects are minimal; only someone who has an allergic reaction to members of the aster family may develop problems.  People who have known sensitivities to pollen should be cautious about drinking the tea.

An infusion, made with one ounce of the flowers to one pint of boiling water, is an old-fashioned but wonderfully, soothing sedative.  An infusion given in teaspoonful doses acts as a nerve sedative.  Prepare the tea in a covered container to capture the steam.  Bring the water to a boil beforehand as boiling will dissipate the oil.  The infusion should be allowed to stand for at least ten minutes before straining.  Adding infusions of chamomile make soothing baths, just be sure to use large amounts of the herb as its oils are difficult to distill and dissipate quickly.  Chamomile may reduce skin puffiness and acts as a gentle astringent.  A chamomile-flower facial is frequently used by a well-known skin-care specialist.  For years, women have used chamomile tea as a hair rinse to accentuate natural blond highlights.  Chamomile is still used to bring golden highlights to brown hair; combined with neutral henna, it adds highlights to very dark hair.

Combined with ginger and alkalis, a cold infusion is effective in relieving ordinary indigestion.  It has sometimes been used to ease intermittent fevers.  The tea is also taken to relieve spasms and inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Chamomile flowers are recommended as a tonic for their diuretic and tonic properties.  Chamomile also contains powerful antiseptic properties.  The whole herb is used to make a lotion for treating toothaches, earaches, neuralgia, etc.  Used externally as a poultice, the flowers are helpful in reducing swellings.

Chamomile is used in bath herbs and face lotions to firm the tissues, keep the skin young looking, brighten the eyes, and relieve weariness.  If drunk before bed, it will help you fall asleep.  The relaxing aroma was also inhaled as snuff or smoked to relieve asthma and cure insomnia.  Jeanne Rose says it is excellent for dissolving kidney stones.  And alcoholics will find it helpful for DTs.  Both chamomiles have been used as folk cancer treatments.

In the days before refrigeration, immersing meat in chamomile tea was supposed to help eliminate the rancid odor of spoilage.  Chamomile was also reputed to make an excellent insect repellant. German chamomile gives a delicate shade of yellow when used as a dye.

In floral symbolism, Chamomile represents “may all your wishes come true,” according to Kate Greenaway’s book.  It also represents humility.  Its apple fragrance makes it a wonderful addition to potpourris and aromatic dried flower arrangements.

With its easy-to-care-for garden routines, chamomiles make lovely additions to any landscape.

Chamomile Growing Tips

• German chamomile: Likes full sun and a light, sandy, somewhat-moist loam.  Does best with about eighteen inches of rainfall
• Roman chamomile: Full sun and slightly acid-to-neutral soil with good drainage. Does not tolerate hot, dry weather; an excellent, but slow-growing, ground cover for cooler areas.

Chamomile Fun Facts

• Chamomile represents humility in flower language.
• Chamomile is used to flavor a very fine sherry in Spain.
• To bring golden highlights to brown hair, rinse with a chamomile tea.
• Most seeds purchased as chamomile is usuallyMatricaria recutita, sometimes called Wild Chamomile.
• Walking on a chamomile lawn is a pleasant experience and will not harm the plants.
• Chamomile’s aromatic fragrance gives no hint of its bitterness of taste.

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https://www.homestead.org/herbs/there-s-something-about-rosemary/

Growing Spices on the Homestead

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Origanum vulgare, a green-leaf variety commonly known as Spanish oregano, is the popular seasoning herb. Origanum vulgare is the most common of those plants that grow wild in the mountains of Greece and has a very ancient medical reputation.  The Greeks used it extensively, both internally and externally for fomentations.  Pliny, the Roman scholar, recommended oregano poultices for relief of scorpion and spider bites.  It was listed in some materia medica as a stimulant and carminative.  A tea brewed from the leaves is sometimes used for chronic coughs and asthma.  The whole plant has a strong, peculiar, fragrant, balsamic odor and a warm, bitterish, aromatic taste, both of which properties are preserved when the herb is dry.

For medicinal purposes, the oil is distilled with water.  The camphoraceous principle contained in the oil is responsible for the relief of nervous headaches when an infusion of the fresh plant is taken.  Oil of oregano has been used as a remedy for narcotic poisons, convulsions, and dropsy.  A few drops, placed on a cotton ball and placed in the hollow of an aching tooth frequently relieves the pain.  A warm infusion of this herb taken at the onset of measles would speed up the eruption and lessen the length of illness.

Externally, both leaves and flowering tops could be applied as a hot fomentation to painful swelling and rheumatism, as well as for colic.  Parkinson tells us, “swete” bags, powders, and washing water made from this plant were widely used.

European colonists to America brought this herb with them; it soon escaped their gardens and O. vulgare (Wild Marjoram) is now listed in most wildflower guides of the Northeast states.  Early colonist homemakers would scour their furniture with its aromatic juices.  They also used the flowering tops as a dye to make wool a purple color and to turn linen cloth a reddish-brown.  Before the introduction of hops, this herb was much in demand for ale-brewing.  Flowering tops were also sometimes put into table beer to give it an aromatic flavor and preserve it.  The whole plant has a strong, peculiar, balsamic odor and a warm bitterish taste, which is preserved when the plant is dried.

Seeds most commonly sold as oregano are O. Vulgare.  Demands loose, well-draining soil and full sunshine.  Arid conditions produce the best flavor.  This variety is a perennial herb with creeping roots which sends up slightly woody stems about one foot tall.  The plant will eventually spread to a large clump.  Flowers in summer range from white to mauve-purple.  Lightly prune all summer long as needed.  In midsummer and again in fall, cut back the plant by half.  The harvested branches dry quickly by simply lying out of sun where there’s good air circulation.  Propagation is easiest by root division.  About the end of June, its unusual form of flowers begin showing.  They are pale pink to white and much loved by bees.  Wild Marjoram is one of the few herbs that should be harvested when the plant is flowering, usually in late June or early July.

Aside from the multi-talented O. Vulgare, the Origanum family has two branches, culinary and ornamental.  First we’ll talk about the other culinary members.  Those oreganos most commonly associated with cooking are Origanum onites, Origanum vulgare, and Origanum herocleoticum.  Commercial oregano, primarily imported from Greece and Turkey, is usually O. Vulgare subsp. Hirtum (Greek Oregano.) According to Art Tucker, noted herb expert, – “it has a very pungent, penetrating smell, almost like creosote.”

O. Onites (also called Pot Marjoram), a native of Sicily, is the oregano of choice on the island of Crete.  With a strong, musky scent, this tiny-leafed oregano is a hardy perennial, preferring warm temperatures and dry, light soil.  Propagate by cuttings taken in early summer or by root division in late spring.  If you can locate authentic seed, they can be planted outside in March but are very slow to germinate.  It is an easy-to-grow variety but will not tolerate a hard freeze.  Pot Marjoram forms a spreading clump, which should be divided every few years.  It blooms in shades of white to pale pink.

The oregano of choice for Mexican cooks is Lippia graveolens, a perennial member of the verbena family and native to Mexico.  It has naturalized along the Texas-Mexico border.  Its use has spread throughout the South and is available in many plant and seed catalogs.  Lippia graveolens, sometimes identified as Mexican Oregano, is not a pretty plant but is easy to grow and has good oregano flavor.  It has pale green leaves one inch long that are bristly to the touch and cream-colored flowers.  I consider it a tender perennial; some years I have wintered it over in my garden.

Another culinary oregano of Mexico is Poliomintha longiflora.  This shrubby perennial bears long lavender flowers in late summer amid tiny, glossy leaves.  It can stand heavy frosts (30º to 20º ) or you can transfer it to a pot for wintering indoors.

Caribbean cooks choose another of the species, Lippia micromera with smooth, dark green leaves about ½ inch long.  It also produces clusters of small, creamy-white flowers in late summer.  Both Lippias are upright, sprawling shrubs that need to winter over in a greenhouse, keeping it on the dry side.

Commonly known as Cuban oregano, Plectranthus amboinicus is a relative of Swedish ivy because of its popularity in that country.  Its plump, fuzzy, succulent leaves are very pungent and will make a delightful houseplant when you have to bring it in for the winter.  This herb needs constant warmth and full sun; a light frost will turn it to mush.  It is often confused with Plectranthus marrubioides, also identified as Vick’s plant because of its camphor scent.  Besides the difference in scent, a careful comparison of the leaf shapes will soon teach you the difference.

Local cooks in the western U. S. (from Colorado and Nebraska to Arizona and Texas) sometimes harvest an annual native called Monarda pectanata, a pink-flowering plant.  And in the Rocky Mountains, Brickellia varonicifolia, commonly known as brickell-bush or Rocky Mountain oregano (it’s in the daisy family) serves as a local oregano flavoring.

All of these oreganos are interchangeable in the kitchen.  Oregano has a fragrance and taste similar to marjoram, but stronger and less sweet.  Oregano’s hot peppery taste will enhance tomato, cheese, and egg dishes.  Use it to give a zip to yeast breads, meats, vegetables, and shellfish.  Its flavor combines well with garlic, thyme, and parsley.

Now for the members of the Origanum family that are grown for their ornamental addition to the garden rather than flavor in the kitchen although our first oregano, Origanum dictamnus also known as Dittany of Crete, is sometimes included as an ingredient of vermouth.  It has round-ish leaves with a white down and flowers in drooping spikes.  I have grown this herb off and on but never used it in the kitchen.  Although it is possible to use the leaves in the kitchen, you may find the flavor much too strong.  The flower heads are used in some Mediterranean cuisines and sometimes a tea is brewed from the flower heads.

Its attraction for me is its delightful flower show and long herbal history.  It is grown primarily for its arching stems that culminate in tight cone-like spikes of showy pink bracts that have a long blooming season.  Dittany of Crete makes a spectacular hanging basket plant.  It may be started from seed or propagated by summer cuttings, but obtain plants to get a head-start on your enjoyment of this delightful herb.  Give the plant full sun, less than average moisture and excellent drainage.  This oregano’s blossoms turn to a rich brown, green or purple when dried depending on when they are picked and how they are dried.  These make beautiful additions to dried arrangements.

A similar plant, O. Rotundiflorium has distinctly veined round leaves and white flowers.  O. Libanoticum has trailing weak stems which also look great in a hanging basket.  With smooth roundish leaves and flowers of creamy bracts tinged with pink, this herb will spread to a mound-like plant.

To thoroughly confuse you, there is a genus Origanum majorana which is known as sweet or knotted marjoram.  It also is a native to Mediterranean regions.  This whole plant is of a dainty texture, velvety to the touch and bearing little green balls from with the flowers come.  These “knots”, about 1/8 in. across, stand on their own stems either singly or in groups and are four-sided, made up of tiny leaves each folded over the next.  Out of each leaf comes the tiniest creamy flowers, a few at a time.  When O. marjorama is planted in the ground, the stems stand quite upright; in a pot, they droop over the sides gracefully.  It will get as tall as twelve inches high when grown in garden soil.

There are other varieties of Origanum such as the dwarf-leaf creeping O. Virens and O. Vulgare ‘Aureum’ (both known as golden oreganos) that have little fragrance but are valuable as ground covers.  They have been reported as being hardy as far north as the Georgia/Tennessee border.

Although oreganos can create a great deal of confusion, this herb has become an essential ingredient in our lives, both as a favorite culinary herb and as a delightful addition to our gardens.  Also, remember to harvest the blossoms of all varieties to decorate your wreaths and add to potpourris.

Facts About Oregano

• Oregano tea is recommended for chronic coughs.
• Bald men mixed oregano with olive oil to stimulate hair growth.
• Servicemen returning from the Mediterranean brought pizza with oregano flavoring.
• For an oregano substitute, use marjoram in greater amounts.
• O. Vulgare naturalized in the eastern United States.
• Dittany of Crete was eaten by wounded goats to “get rid of arrows.”
• Oregano is supposed to have the power to banish sadness.

Oregano Growing Tips

Most oregano seed sold is Origanum vulgare.  The tiny seeds should be planted uncovered; they germinate better in light.  Soil temperature should be 70º F.  Seed should germinate in a few days.  Pot them as a clump and keep on the dry side.  Or you can multiply your plants by root division in autumn.  Once the plant reaches 6 inches, you can begin snipping sprigs to season your food.; doing so produces a bushier plant.  Oreganos are aromatic, herbaceous perennials with erect, hairy, square stems.  Flowers are 1/4 in. long, tubular, two-lipped, rose-purple to white with four protruding stamens on terminal spikelets to 11/8 in. long.  Oregano’s leaves are pointed oval growing on opposite sides of the stem to a length of 2 in.  The plant can grow to a height of 1 to 2 feet.  Oregano is easy to dry simply by gathering stems in bunches and hanging upside-down out of the sun where there is good air circulation.  Blooming period lasts from the end of June through August.  Gardeners recommend planting oregano with beans to enhance their growth.  For an oregano with more flavor, look for plants of O. Heracleoticum.  Plant hardiness to zone 5 in well-drained average soil and full sun.

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Dodoens gives the French name for it in his days: “Petit poureau,” relating to its rush-like appearance. In present-day its common French name is “Ail civitte”. The Latin name of this species means “Rush-leek”. The well-known herbalist of England’s sixteenth century, Parkinson, also cultivated this familiar herb.

Chives are the smallest, though one of the finest-flavored of the onion tribe and belongs to the botanical group of plants listed as Alliums. The variety, A. schoenoprasum “Ruby Gem”, has gray foliage and pink-ruby flowers. Allium schoenoprasum “Forcaste” grows slightly larger than the usual variety. Another important allium species in China and Japan is the Welsh onion which provides a continuous supply of bunching onions and leaves throughout the year. Though said to be a native of Britain, Allium schoenoprasum grows throughout temperate and northern Europe but rarely is it found in an uncultivated state. In the Southern gardens of the U.S., this hardy perennial is frequently seen delicately edging a garden bed because it makes such an attractive border plant.

The chive contains a pungent volatile oil, rich in sulphur, which is present in all the onion tribe. Although herbalists of old did not find much medicinal use for chives, it was believed that they could drive away diseases and evil influences; bunches of them were hung in homes for this purpose. But modern research has found sulfur oil is antiseptic and helps lower blood pressure, but only in fairly large quantities. Chives can be called healthful rather than medicinal herbs. They are useful in toning the stomach, reducing high blood pressure, and strengthening the kidneys. They also are rich in calcium which strengthens nails and teeth. Chives stimulate the appetite and tone up the kidneys.

The delicate piquancy that they impart to food makes chives best known for their use in cooking; they taste like mild, sweet onions. Mince the fresh leaves to flavor dishes and don’t overlook the flowers. Toss them in salads or garnish dishes with them.

This plant is a hardy perennial. The tightly crowded bulblets grow in clumps very close together in dense clusters. The hollow, round reed-like spears of leaves appear early in spring and are long, cylindrical and hollow, tapering to a point. They grow from eight to twenty inches tall, though they rarely reach over a foot in gardens. The leaves should be harvested before flowering, usually about four to six weeks after the growing season begins. The flowering stem is hollow and either has no leaf, or one leaf sheathing it below the middle. The mauve pin-cushion blossoms consist of numerous flowers encased in paper-like bracts and densely packed together on separate, slender flower stalks. The flowers are in blossom in June and July. With consistent watering, the blooming period can be lengthened. Keep free of weeds—once grasses become established in a clump of chives, they are difficult to eradicate.

Chives will grow in any ordinary garden soil. They are nitrogen-loving plants and thrive in rich, well-draining soil with regular applications of fertilizer. Chives can be raised from seed, but are usually propagated by division of clumps in spring or autumn. In dividing the clumps, leave about six little bulbs together. These will spread to a fine clump in the course of a year. Set the clumps from nine inches to a foot apart each way. This division of mature plants is beneficial because they multiply quickly and need to be divided every three or four years. Plant two to three-inch-sized clumps about a foot apart. Onion chives will die back during the hot summers, but begin to show tender new shoots when cooler temperatures return. They also go into hibernation for the winter. You may want to pot up a clump in the fall and bring it into the house to have a steady supply of this mild onion flavor all winter long. Plants will live several years in pots.

A less familiar variety, Allium tuberosum, is commonly known as Oriental garlic or Chinese chives. Easily distinguished by its garlic aroma and taste, this herb also grows in clumps like onion chives but has lighter green flat reed-like leaves. Garlic chives are taller, reaching up to two feet, and produce delicate clusters of starry white flowers which bloom in late summer, lasting well into fall. Full sun is preferred but they can tolerate some shade. This hardy perennial can be cut back frequently to promote thick growth. Garlic chives are prolific self-seeders and can become invasive if not controlled. Both chives grow easily, but slowly, from tiny, black seeds; the garlic chive seed is twice as large as the onion chive seed. Both types will reseed themselves if allowed.

Garlic chives are often used as an ornamental border because they remain green all year. These flowers attract bees and bumblebees galore when their charming white flower heads are blooming in the herb garden. You might want to consider allowing some of the flowers to completely dry on the plant. Then, when the petals are paper-dry, harvest them to use in dried arrangements or within an herbal wreath.

It is best to use these herbs in their fresh state as the flavor and nutrition is diminished by cooking. Remember to wait until the last few minutes of cooking to stir in these herbs; long cooking destroys the delicate flavor. Being a coarser plant, garlic chives should be chopped more finely than onion chives before adding to dishes. Garlic chive blooms are edible; the flowers have a mild, sweet aroma and a pleasant flavor. They can be tossed into salads, add them to stir-fries at the last minute, or add them to sauteed or steamed vegetables or baked potatoes. Use to garnish herb butters or sauces and to garnish plates. Garlic chives should be chopped very finely before using them. The mauve pin-cushion blossoms of onion chives are also used to flavor vinegar; the finished product ends up a lovely rosy hue.

Although both onion and garlic chives produce small bulbs below ground, it is the leaves that are used in the kitchen. Use onion chives whenever a mild onion flavor is desired. This herb contains phosphorus, iron, Vitamins A and C, and pectin. It has a reputation for stimulating the appetite and toning up kidneys. It also contains calcium which strengthens nails and teeth. Onion chives complement cheese, soups, salads, egg dishes, dips, spreads, and any food you would use onion with. The tasty new leaves of garlic chives have antibiotic properties; the sulfur oil in these strap-like blue-green leaves is antiseptic and helps lower blood pressure.

Home-dried chives soon lose their color and the flavor turns salty over time, but they can be successfully frozen. Chop them and freeze them in small packets. If frozen for future use, they do not have to be thawed before use. The best and most nutritious way to use them, though, is fresh. You may want to try drying chive leaves in a cool oven with sea salt and crush to store as chive salt.

In the garden, these herbs can become aphid traps for your carrots and roses if planted nearby. They also have a reputation for deterring Japanese beetles and black spot on roses. Farmers who garden with organic methods sometimes prepare a natural insecticide by grinding garlic, chives, and chili with water to use as a spray. Harvest your chives frequently by pinching off stems from the outside of the plant’s base; cutting with clippers or scissors will cause the stems to turn brown. Allow new shoots to mature from the center of the clump.

Whatever your reason for growing chives, onion and/or garlic, you can be sure this flavorsome herb family will prove its worth in the garden and in the home.

Chive Growing Tips

Chives grow slowly from seed and take nearly a year to reach maturity. Needs moderately rich, well-draining soil and full sun. Chives are hardy to zone 3. Flowers of onion chive are small and pale-purple in color. They form a dense globular umbel at the top of a stem. Leaves are dark green, slender, and hollow. Plants can grow to a height of eighteen inches. Garlic chive flower heads are composed of densely packed white blossoms that form a rounded shape. A perennial, chive bulbs are dormant over winter but new green shoots appear early in the spring. Garlic chives remain green year-round. Give onion chives a “haircut” about twice a month from May to frost. Discouraging chives from blooming by pinching off the flower stalks will promote the growth of new leaves.

Facts About Chives

• Chives may be planted as border around the vegetable garden.
• Chives are a crucial ingredient in fines herbes and bouquet garni.
• Adding blossoms of onion chives creates a flavorful and rosy-colored herb vinegar.
• Garlic chives have a robust flavor and should be used sparingly.
• Romanian gypsies are said to have used chives in their fortune-telling rites.
• Chives fare well grown as a potted plant indoors.

The post Chive Talkin’: Facts About Chives appeared first on Homestead.org.

The Common Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) gained a high reputation in medicine among the Ancients. According to the Ancients, Wormwood counteracted the effects of poisoning by hemlock, toadstools, and the biting of the sea dragon. In July’s Husbandry written by Tusser in 1577, he says: “It is a comfort for hart and the braine, and therefore to have it is not in vaine.” He recommends the plant’s foliage be strewn in chambers and laid among stuffs and furs to keep away moths and insects. In the ancient Greek text of Dioscorides, wormwood is mentioned for its internal worm-expelling property. Indians from New Mexico to British Columbia use similar varieties to treat bronchitis and colds. The Chinese still use a leaf of wormwood rolled up in the nostril to stop nosebleed.

Culpepper said wormwood was the strongest of virtues among the three wormwoods most commonly known at that time. An old love charm goes like this: On St. Luke’s Day, take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little Wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder; then sift it through a fine piece of lawn, and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of honey and vinegar. Anoint yourself with this when you go to bed and you will dream of your partner that is to be.

Mexicans consider wormwood an important herb; garlands of wormwood decorated dancers during the ceremonial dance celebrating the festival of the Goddess of Salt. The word wormwood is synonymous with bitterness and may have acquired its label because of its active ingredient, absinthol.

Old Man Wormwood (A. absinthium) one of the more familiar artemisias, is a hardy perennial generally unharmed by frost. Native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, it is naturalized throughout the temperate world including the northeastern and central United States. The earliest known record of this herb was found on a 1600 B.C. Egyptian papyrus. Wormwood is one of the bitter herbs mentioned in the Old Testament.

A. absinthium, the true wormwood, is a large gray shrub-like herb that will attain a height of four feet and has finely divided gray leaves with rounded oblong segments. The plant produces tiny, yellow flowers in late summer. Easily propagated by root division done either in the spring or fall. All wormwoods do well in average garden soil, though they prefer somewhat dry, well-drained garden beds. two and a half feet upon maturity. The plant has long stalks which drop its lower leaves as it gets older. With maturity, the long stems will curve downward and may even layer naturally if lying on soil. It prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade; most of the wormwoods are tolerant of clay soils. This herb can be satisfactorily grown from seed, from cuttings, or by root division of older plants. Self-sown seed usually produces sturdier plants.

The leaves of wormwood secrete a bitter principle that inhibits the growth of other plants. Give wormwood at least a three-foot buffer between it and adjacent plants. In one experiment, lovage was actually killed by close proximity to wormwood. Based on an experiment by Korean researchers, it could be supposed that wormwood tea could serve as a home-made garden herbicide.

Its foliage is an interesting blue-gray shade; the leaf shape resembles chrysanthemums. Tall flower heads form in late summer; small, round, greenish-yellow florets on an erect panicle. Situate your plants about two feet apart to allow for their sprawling habit of growth and keep the weeds away from the base of the plant. Wormwood is considered toxic to other plants and could inhibit their growth. Plant your wormwood in isolation to be safe, but be sure to include this lovely and historic herb in your garden. Pruning will help maintain its shrub-like appearance. A mature plant will last several years—wait to begin harvesting until its second year of growth. Harvest the top parts of the stalks after July when the plant is in flower, collecting only the green upper part. Cut back the bare stems to ground level. Hang drying bunches out of direct sunlight.

A native of Europe, wormwoods had much medicinal value in the past. Wormwood works as a bitter tonic to stimulate appetite and aid digestion. It has been given to those suffering from poor circulation, rheumatism, fever, colds, and jaundice. It has also been used for liver disorders. It was used greatly in the treatment of intermittent fevers. A light infusion of the fresh green tops of the plant is excellent for all disorders of the stomach, creating an appetite. In large doses, wormwood irritates the stomach and stimulates circulation. Compresses soaked in wormwood tea are recommended for irritations, bruises, and sprains. According to herbalist John Lust, “The oil acts as a local anesthetic when applied.”

A. absinthium has long been recognized as the active ingredient in the alcoholic drink, absinthe. Germans continue to use it to flavor wine and liquors. An ounce of flowers steeped in brandy for six weeks has proven to give great relief for gout. A tea is sometimes given to expel worms from the body. Its distinct acrid odor encourages its use as a strewing herb. Wormwood has long been recognized as an insect repellant – a present-day use is in our sachet bags or drawer-refresher blends.

Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) is a hardy, many-branched perennial with feathery-looking, finely-divided grayish-green leaves. An old-time use for southernwood was to bring large bunches into church to help dispel feelings of drowsiness. At one time considered a deterrent to jail fever, bunches of southernwood along with rue were placed beside prisoners in dock. Best propagated by root division, (although cuttings also root easily), southernwood grows three to four feet high when grown in full sun. It can become a lush, green mound spilling over the border – allow two feet between plants for eventual spread. It does well in average soil and full sun but will take partial shade. A good pruning in the spring will keep it in shape. Considered winter-hardy in the South, Southernwood blooms in late August and September with small inconspicuous, yellowish-white flowers in loose panicles.

A native of the south of Europe, especially Spain and Italy, it was introduced into England in 1548. Adelma Simmons of Caprilands mentions three varieties: A. limoneus is a lemon-scented variety and is grayer in color; the A. camphorata is winter hardy and can be pruned to an attractive hedge two to three feet high to eliminate its spreading habit. It has a camphor scent. There is also a tangerine-scented southernwood which becomes a tall willowy herb up to seven or eight feet high. Its branches may not leaf out until June.

Mrs. M. Grieve, in her inclusive A Modern Herbal, also lists a Field Southernwood (Artemisia Campestria) as being common in most parts of Europe but rare in Britain. Also a perennial, this species produces a thick, tapering root but its foliage is not aromatic. Stems remain prostrate until flowering with small and numerous flower heads in long, slender, drooping racemes. The florets are yellow and bloom in August and September. This species has the same qualities, to a lesser degree, as the garden Southernwood. Linnaeus recommended an infusion of it for use in pleurisy.

In Italy, southernwood is employed as a culinary herb, however, I was unable to discover in what manner. There is an old English custom of including a spray of this plant in the bouquets which country lads gave to their ladies. In the language of flowers, southernwood denotes jest…bantering; maybe those lads didn’t want to be taken seriously.

Its essential oil, absinthol, is effective against insects, intestinal worms, and some germs. Southernwood was routinely used in courtrooms and churches to ward off diseases. Being both an astringent and an antiseptic, southernwood is sometimes taken medicinally as a tea. It has been taken internally for the treatment of chilblains, and liver, spleen, and stomach problems. A good stimulant tonic, it possesses some nervine properties. Southernwood tea has an agreeable taste but boiling removes some of the flavor and aroma. Just steep the leaves. The seed as well as the root is used against worms in children; they are given a teaspoon of the powdered herb in their food both morning and evening. Quoting Culpepper, “mashed leaves were used to draw out splinters and thorns.” In another instance, he recommends: “mixing the ashes with salad oil and applying to the face or head would cause the hair to grow again.” And, according to Jeanne Rose, a decoction made from southernwood and barley is good to use on acne breakouts. Companion gardeners know it has a reputation for deterring tomato hornworms.

Mugwort, (Artemisia vulgaris) though less aromatic and attractive than other artemisias, features in the magical lore of Europe, Asia and China. Mugwort abounds on the banks and waysides in most parts of England. A tall-growing plant, its stems frequently reach three feet in height or more. Its distinguishing feature is the white under-surface of its leaves. The origin of this plant’s name is debated. Some say it derives from its use to flavor drinks; others suggest its name derives from moughte (a moth or maggot) because of its earlier usefulness in keeping off the attacks of moths. In the Middle Ages, the plant was known as Cingulum Sancti Johannis because some believed that John the Baptist wore a girdle of it in the wilderness. It was believed to preserve the wayfarer from fatigue, sunstroke, wild beast, and evil spirits. In Holland and Germany, one of its names is St. John’s Plant because of the belief that it gave protection against diseases and misfortunes.

A perennial that can grow to six feet, mugwort is native to Eurasia, preferring full sun and relatively rich, moist soil. Propagation is usually done by root division in the spring when the plant is still dormant; dig up the clump and break it apart into small sections and replant. Harvest the leaves as the plant comes into bloom in August for drying; the root should be dug in autumn. Drying mugwort root is a long, complicated process and is not complete until the root snaps when bent.

Both herb and root are used primarily as a treatment for complaints such as colic, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal spasms, and indigestion. They help to stimulate the secretion of gastric juices and bile. Some people have an allergic reaction to the plant and is not recommended taken during pregnancy or lactation. In China, mugwort is used to allay bleeding of the womb, treat threatened abortions as well as regulating the menses. Dioscorrides praises this herb and recommends the flowering tops be used just before they bloom. Gerard says: “Mugwort cureth the shakings of the joynets inclining to the Palsie.” Parkinson considered it good against hysteria. The juice and an infusion of the herb were given for intermittent fevers and agues.

The downy leaves are contained in Moxa, a preparation used by the Japanese to cure rheumatism. Only the cottony fibers are made up into cones. Mugwort is valued as a nervine, being an old-fashioned popular remedy for epilepsy. It also has diuretic and diaphoretic action. Mugwort was commonly used to flavor beer at one time. Mugwort is occasionally used as an aromatic culinary herb, being one of the herbs used to stuff geese before roasting.

Growing Tips for Artemisia

Most Artemisias are happy with light, dry, well-drained soil and can tolerate full sun. Best to increase plants by cuttings or root division. Harvest flowering tops and leaves in mid-to-late summer for medicinal use. By late Autumn, wormwood is at the height of its glory and undeterred by frost.

Did You Know? Facts about Artemesia

• Deter onion and carrot fly with branches laid between rows.
• Infuse to make a strong domestic disinfectant; a weaker solution for use as an insecticide on older plants.
• Wormwood may inhibit the growth of plants nearby such as fennel, sage, caraway, and anise.
• Europeans once stuffed pillows with mugwort in the belief that this would bring good, and vivid, dreams.
• Southernwood is known as the lovers’ plant, lad’s love, and maid’s ruin.
• Chew on a tarragon leaf and you may notice a numb feeling on your tongue.
• The whole family of wormwoods is remarkable for the extreme bitterness of all parts of the plant.

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