It is time to start harvesting and preserving herbs for a good supply during winter, especially if you love robust soups and stews. Timing If you have not thought of it before, try harvesting according to the moon. Herbs for drying should be picked during a waning moon. During a waning moon the sap moves […]
With warm, sunny days it is a perfect time to plan a picnic for friends and family that makes the most of all the herbs that are in abundance right now. Here’s a challenge. Using the herbs in your garden, see how you can feature a different herb or combination of herbs in each dish […]
This being Valentine month, here is a light-hearted look at how herbs can also restore the romance in our lives. Besides their many practical uses, herbs also work in the realm of the emotions. One thinks of the soothing, calming herbs, those that deal with depression or lift the spirits. All these are herbs for […]
Fragrance has the ability to instantly lift our spirits or transport us into a calmer space. It is believed that the sense of smell was our first sense; part of our ‘old brain’ (that’s hopefully since evolved) and it is not controlled by will or reason. Like the fight or flight response, what we smell […]
Most gardens have a pathway and generally we think of it as being necessary to get us from one area to another. But, what if that pathway was also a fragrant, sensory experience every time we walked along it? A perfumed pathway that is easy to maintain can be created with varieties of creeping thyme. […]
At this time of year it is appropriate to reflect that herbs are the most generous of plants, with a cornucopia for gifts for the gardener. Plant a herb garden and you have at your fingertips plants that flavour food, heal common ailments, lift the spirits, help dull hair to shine, keep pets happy, perfume […]
As a vegetable globe artichokes (Cynarascolymus) are considered a gourmet delicacy. As a garden plant, the spiky silvery green foliage is striking and unusually beautiful. But as a herb, would you guess that it is one of the most effective and far reaching natural liver tonics that one can grow? The most effective part of […]
It seems like bad timing that just as salad season reaches its peak, the heat makes lettuce bolt. One way of getting round that is to grow the loose leaf or multi-leaf lettuce varieties, from which individual leaves can be harvested. They are less likely to bolt if planted in a cooler part of the […]
Herbs that help the liver, kidneys and skin in particular to flush away the toxins, and then build up our general level of health, perform a gentle detoxing action that helps to achieve a sense of wellbeing. They are able to do this because they are rich in easily absorbed natural mineral salts and vitamins. […]
Need to cool down after a hot year? Try This! Ingredients 1 Large bunch of Tarragon 1 Large bunch of Mint 2 cups of heavy cream 1 can condensed milk Pinch if sea salt Method Bruice tarragon and mint to release the oils Place herbs in sauce pan and add heavy cream. Bring to boil […]