Herbs have played an important role in the lives of people since the dawn of time. Historically, herbs have been used for cooking, health, beauty and more. Today, herbs in dried and fresh form are available at any supermarket but growing them at home is economical, fun and easy, and nothing beats using fresh herbs from a home herb garden.
The herbs chosen should reflect the needs and desires of the gardener. Some of the best herbs for a kitchen garden include thyme, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, basil, chives,oregano, cilantro and dill. Oregano, parsley and basil are instrumental in Italian cooking. Rosemary and thyme are fantastic with meat and poultry and cilantro is essential in Latin cooking.
There are, however, many other ways to use herbs from a home herb garden besides cooking. The best herbs for household uses include lavender, chamomile, aloe and mint. Lavender can be used in sachets to impart a floral scent and discourage moths or it can be put in pillows to encourage sleep. Sprinkled in bath water, it promotes relaxation and stress reduction. Keep a pot of Aloe growing in the kitchen for quick relief of burns. Simply snip a leaf, cut it open, remove the gel from the inside of the leaf and apply it directly to the affected area.
A bath soak made of chamomile, powdered milk and oatmeal will not only relax the senses but smooth and soften the skin. Mint is well known as a digestive aid as mint tea will settle discomfort. Breathing in a mixture of mint leaves in hot water will help to clear sinuses.
Most herbs require frequent harvesting to discourage flowering. When parsley flowers, for example, the leaves yellow and the plant becomes bitter. If frequent harvests cannot be used fresh, drying herbs is relatively simple and can be kept for months to use later, when fresh herbs may not be available.
A home herb garden can be a large area in the yard, a part of the vegetable garden, a pot on the porch or a small container in the kitchen window. No matter how it is set up, using herbs from a home herb garden is satisfying and fun as well as being economical and environmentally friendly. It is always nice to grab those fresh herbs , put it in that pot of stew, and savor that flavor knowing you were the one that had grown that herb yourself. What a good feeling that is.
By: Keith Greene
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