Hi! I’m Samantha! I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, (USDA growing zone 8b), with mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers. I’ve loved plants for as long as I can remember. I love growing fruit and vegetables for my family, but medicinal herbs are my favorite plants to grow. My medicinal garden is getting bigger every season.
Over the years, I have completed several herbalism classes, taught by highly experienced herbalists. Since 2022, I’ve been learning more about the cultivation of herbs from a local herbalist. Years ago, I studied skin care at a holistic school, so I have a passion for body care from the garden.
Through Planter, I’ve been able to combine my love of writing with my love of herbs. When I’m not out in the garden, I like to spend time with my family, cook, make herbal products, and play my Irish whistles.
8 Herbs for Seasonal Allergies
Winter is becoming a distant memory in the northern Hemisphere, and spring is in the air! And so are the pollen, mold spores, and other irritants that can cause seasonal allergies. While most of us are happy for spring’s arrival, those with seasonal allergies have mixed feelings about the misery the changing season can bring. Allergies can also appear in autumn. Those in the southern hemisphere might be experiencing fall allergies right now....
Going Green with Native Plants
These days, many of us have chosen to live a more mindful life. We try to use less plastic when possible, buy things made with renewable materials, and choose locally grown food. We might even start a veggie garden (yay!). A garden with edibles is a must, but we also want our yards to look great with ornamentals. We can live a “greener” life and have a beautiful landscape by bringing native plants into the garden....
Plan Your Herbal Body Care Garden
A good herb garden has herbs that can be used in cooking and herbs that can be used as traditional medicine. A lot of these same herbs can also be used in the spa (or bathroom of course). Check out these herbs for some inspiration:
Aloe Aloe deserves a top spot in our herbal body care garden lineup. Many of us reach for aloe after getting too much sun. It’s great at soothing irritated and sun burned skin....
How to Grow Ginger
Known for its warm and spicy flavor, ginger is a very popular spice and herb. It’s native to Asia, but it has been enjoyed all over the world for a very long time. It’s a tropical plant that loves heat and humidity, growing conditions that many of us don’t have, especially in the northern hemisphere. Those of us in the colder climates can still grow our own ginger at home....
Herbs and the Importance of Knowing Botanical Names
Spring is right around the corner and you’ve been planning your new herb garden. You know where it will be and you’ve got it all laid out in your Planter app. You decide to check out your local garden center for some more inspiration. You see a beautiful witch hazel named ‘Jelena’ that would look good in your garden. Then you see another one named ‘Rubra’. ‘Jelena’ is labeled as Hamamelis x intermedia and ‘Rubra’ is labeled Hamamelis japonica....
Why Should I Grow Herbs in My Garden?
Have you ever wanted to know more about herbs but weren’t sure where to start? Maybe you’re thinking you have to be enrolled at a school of wizardry to learn. Or maybe you have to be a medieval monk to have an apothecary garden. Not at all! The interest in herbalism is growing quickly. Many countries around the world use plants as a form of complementary medicine. There’s no better time than now to start your herbal garden....
