Our series on herbs, including both culinary and medicinal herbs!
Is learning about herbs only for those studying at a school of wizardry? Do 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 to start your herbal garden.
How to Dry Herbs from the Garden
If you’ve been following the Planter “Herbs” series, you may have seen the post about harvesting herbs. After you harvest you must start the process of saving your herbs. Drying your herbs is the best way to preserve your harvest for long-term storage. There are several ways to do this at home. Paper Bag Method The paper bag method is nice because it doesn’t require anything fancy. Place your herbs in a clean paper bag, ensuring not to fill it too much because good air circulation is critical for successful drying....
Harvesting Herbs from the Garden
If you’re growing herbs in your garden, you may wonder when the perfect time to harvest them is. It all depends on which part of the plant you want to use. Plants store their active compounds in different places depending on what stage of growth they are in.
Harvest Timelines Harvest aromatic herbs like basil, lemon balm, sage, and oregano just as the flowers are beginning to open. This is when the volatile oil levels are strongest, giving you a more flavorful or potent herb....
How to Propagate Basil
If you want to stay within your gardening budget this year, consider propagating some of your plants this season! To propagate means to create new plants from a single parent plant. You can do this with quite a few plants, but basil is one of the easiest. If you like basil, you know it’s an herb you can do a lot with because it can go with savory and sweet dishes....
Herbs You Can Grow in Containers
Gardens come in many different sizes, and you don’t need a lot of land to tend to one. As long as you have some space for a pot or two (or twenty!), you can grow a whole range of things. Herbs, both culinary and medicinal, can be grown in pots, in the same way you can grow ornamental flowers.
Benefits of Growing Herbs in Containers: You don’t need a ton of gardening space....
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....
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....
What to Do with Your Herb Garden Before Winter
The peppers are done. The tomatoes, long-gone. But your herb garden is still chugging along into the depths of fall. The first night that a hard frost rolls in you might find yourself half-frantically wondering “what should I do with my herbs?” Because herb plants are diverse, there’s different techniques you can use either to save the plants or to salvage a final harvest!
Harvest your herbs Your first instinct might be to just hack down every little bit of greenery that’s left on your herb plants....
Grow Abundant Herbs
If you enjoy having flavorful ingredients for cooking, there is nothing better than growing your own fresh herbs. Growing herbs provides many rewards, with relatively little effort. Adding herbs to your garden is a great way to expand the range of recipes you can create from your garden’s produce!
Why Add Herbs to Your Garden Herbs pack a major flavor punch in a dainty package and greatly enhance any dish you add them to....