Put Kitchen Herbs in a Barrel

Plant your kitchen herbs in a container near your kitchen door. That way, you have fresh herbs at your fingertips when you are cooking.
Plant two or three varieties of basil, as well as thyme, oregano and sage, in a large barrel. A few nasturtiums around the edge add bright color and a peppery taste to salads. Other popular kitchen herbs are parsley and rosemary.

Lovage

Lovage is a more flavorful alternative to celery. Celery was developed from lovage to be used as a vegetable. Celery has large stalks and tiny leaves, while lovage has smaller stalks and larger leaves. Lovage tastes just like celery, but is about ten times stronger. It is a biennial and blooms in the late summer to early fall. Lovage is very easy to grow.

Sage - Herb of Wisdom

Sage, also known as salvia officinalis, is a fine addition for any herb garden. Sage leaves are oblong, wrinkled in appearance and gray-green in color. The plant's lilac blue blossoms are quite pretty. This plant can grows to a height of two feet and will sprawl out unless it is kept trimmed.

Sage is aromatic, with a slightly bitter taste. It is most frequently used in poultry dishes and stuffing.

This herb can be started from seeds and cuttings or divided from existing plants. It is best to plant sage in a sunny location once all danger of frost has passed and the seedlings reach three to four inches in height. The best time to harvest Sage is before the plants bloom.

Cold Relief

Do you know that several traditional medicines help provide cold relief? They do not work on severe colds or flus and are most effective when they are taken at the first sign of the onset of a cold. Their effects may be limited once the cold takes hold. These plants are echinacea, yarrow, goldenseal, coltsfoot leaf, and dandelion root. To use these cold relief herbs, steep one tablespoon of herbs in one cup of hot water. Remember, this is a medicine, not just a nice cup of tea. It is best taken before bedtime. These herbs can be found at most health food stores and some pharmacies. You can take them singly or in combination.

Timely Thyme

Thyme, also known as thymus vulgaris, is a fine addition for any herb garden. This plant is low growing, reaching about four to eight inches tall, and has wiry stems. Thyme has leaves that are small, oval shaped and gray or green in color. This herb produces pretty clusters of purple flowers.

You can start thyme plants from seed or cuttings. Later, divide plants for additional planting.

Herb Cubes

A great way to preserve herbs for use in soups and other dishes is by freezing them in water to form herb cubes. Simply place your chopped herbs in an ice cube tray, fill with water, and freeze. Then remove the herb cubes and store them in a plastic freezer bag.

Borage

Borage is an interesting and easy plant to grow. The tender shoots of this annual are tasty when young, but develop a stiff, prickly feel when older. Borage produces very deep blue star shaped flowers from late spring to late summer. Bees love them and they make an interesting honey. The blue flowers are a great edible flower to put on wedding cakes or candied as a treat.

Basil

Sweet basil, also known as ocimum basilicum, is a fine addition for any herb garden.

Basil's blue green, feathery foliage grows two to four feet tall. The plants produce tiny yellow flowers. Both the leaves and seeds of basil can be used in cooking many of your favorite recipes.

Planting this herb is easy. Basil can be started from seed between April and July and should be planted in a well-drained, sunny area. It is best to thin the seedlings to eight to ten inches apart.

Planting Mint

Members of the mint family can be quite invasive. This can lead to problems in the garden, since mint can smother more delicate plants. It is better to grow this herb in pots to keep it from spreading through the garden.

Drying Herbs

One of the easiest methods for drying herbs involves using a pot rack. Simply fasten small sprays of herbs together with rubber bands and hang them upside down on the rack.
Don´t use string to hold the herb sprays together, because the string won´t shrink as the herbs dry. The drying herbs will slip from the string and fall to the ground.

Chives

Chives are a wonderful and delicious addition to any garden. Most people only use them in the herb garden, but they make a wonderful border in any garden. Chives will grow in a variety of habitats, but give the best flavor and bloom when grown in fertile, damp soil. They bear large globular balls of purple or pink flowers in the summer. The exact bloom time depends on cultivar and conditions.

Dill

If you think of pickles, you probably also think of dill. The two are synonymous. Dill is a great plant for the beginning gardener. It is an annual, and grows rapidly. Simply sow your seeds in a sunny location with moist soil.

The flat yellow flowers are beautiful when dill is planted in a clump. It readily re-seeds itself if it is left alone until the seed heads ripen. Dill can grow from three to seven feet tall.

Peppermint and Spearmint

Peppermint and spearmint are hearty plants that are a fine addition for any herb garden.

Reaching two feet in height, peppermint has dark green leaves, a reddish stem and lovely lavender flowers. Spearmint is lighter green in color with pink flowers. They both have a spicy, minty scent.

Mints can be used in dishes, hot or iced tea and in sachets or potpourri.

Mint can take over a garden and needs to be divided or weeded out often. It is best to space your plants at two foot intervals.

Harvesting the plants is simple. Just cut the whole plant back to 1 inch above ground level just prior to blooming. Use peppermint and spearmint fresh or dry in foods or teas.

Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal is a pleasant smelling plant that repels fleas. It is also becoming more and more popular as an alternative lawn.
When the leaves are crushed and rubbed onto your skin, they will repel chiggers, flies, gnats, mosquitoes and ticks.

Pineapple Mint

Pineapple mint is a wonderful herb that has bright green leaves with white edges. The leaves are ruffled and bumpy. The foliage adds contrast from early spring to late fall. Pineapple mint is a low growing plant and fills in nicely around the base of bushes. It does not tend to be as invasive as other types of mint and has a wonderful scent. Pineapple mint makes a wonderful addition to your summer fruit salad. Plant some and enjoy!

Soothing Tea

At the end of a stressful day, why not enjoy a soothing tea to calm the soul. A cup of chamomile tea just before bed can really help calm your spirit. The sweet smell and gentle flavor of this soothing tea can make all of the worries just float away. Chamomile´s calming properties have been known and used since Roman times. Use one teaspoon of chamomile flowers to one cup of hot water and steep for five minutes.

Monkshood

The unusual purple blooms of monkshood grace our gardens from August through October. These plants prefer low woodland areas and damp slopes. They are a good addition to many shade gardens. The entire plant is poisonous and is used to treat sciatica and neuralgia. Monkshood should not be used unless you are under the strict supervision of a physician. This plant is a perennial and will not produce blooms until the second year.

Tarragon

Tarragon is a very easy garden perennial and spreads easily by seed. The leaves can be harvested anytime for a slightly anise flavored spice. Tarragon goes well with fish and chicken.

Easy Care Herbs

If you are looking for some easy care herbs, you won't want to miss these plants: rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender and parsley. To grow these easy care herbs, you can simply plant them in normal garden soil and water them until they become established. They will settle in and grow happily.