Posts Tagged ‘Herbs’

Fargo, ND (Vocus) April 17, 2009

Swanson Vitamins introduces five new liquids to their family of products: Vitamin D3 Drops, Liquid Stevia Extract, Astragalus Root Liquid Extract, Saw Palmetto Liquid Extract and Cayenne Liquid Extract. These liquids are perfect for people who have trouble swallowing pills.

Swanson Premium Vitamin D3 Drops contain 1,000 IU of pure vitamin D suspended in all natural olive oil in each drop with nothing added. Experts are recommending greater intake of vitamin D and Swanson Premium Vitamin D3 Drops makes it simple.

Stevia has recently gained popularity throughout America as more and more people continue to search for ways to improve their health. Swanson Premium Liquid Stevia Extract eliminates the need for carriers common to powdered versions. Liquid Stevia contains pure Stevia in a neutral base of vegetable glycerine and deionized water and is completely alcohol free. Add this sweet herb to beverages and baked goods — a little goes a long way.

Swanson Premium Liquid Herbals are high-quality Holistically-Balanced® extracts produced by Bio-Botanica. Because of customer demand Swanson Vitamins now offers sugar-free and alcohol-free Astragalus Root Liquid extract, which is known to support liver health, and sugar-free and alcohol-free Saw Palmetto Liquid Extract, which is known to support prostate health. They also carry Cayenne Liquid Extract for cardiovascular and circulatory health which contains 100% certified organic alcohol. Each liquid herbal is Holistically-Balanced and suspended through Biochelation for consistent dosing in every drop.

Swanson Vitamins is an industry leader in bringing vitamins direct to consumers at the lowest price possible. Swanson Vitamins, located in Fargo, ND, offers the highest quality vitamins, supplements and natural health care products and is GMP certified. Swanson Vitamins goes a step beyond its competitors by offering powerful guarantees. All products are backed by a 100% Satisfaction, Money-Back Guarantee and Double the Difference Lowest Price Guarantee. For more information, please visit Swanson Vitamins.

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Albany, OR (PRWEB) July 8, 2008

Nutritional Products International, DelRay Beach, FL, is pleased to announce the addition of ALTERNATIVE Health & Herbs REMEDIES in Albany, Oregon, an herbal manufacturer to Amazon.com. More than 4,000 time proven natural remedies of tincture/extracts, teas, powders, salves, creams, lotions, capsules and tablets and more are offered for Amazon.com customers.

Dr. Truman Berst, President and Founder says, “Amazon.com is offering consumers a large high quality selection of health supplements available at low affordable prices. The sales from Amazon enables the Ministry to provide alternative health care to those who cannot afford alternative health products.”

Dr. Truman Berst is a graduate Chartered Herbalist from Dominion Herbal College in Vancouver, B.C. and graduate Master Herbalist from Wild Rose College of Natural Healing, Calgary, B.C., and graduate Master Herbologist, from Sequoyah College of Herbology, Little Rock, AR. Truman is well known throughout world as a leader and entrepreneur of quality natural products. Truman has appeared on local, national and international TV and radio broadcasts. He is the host of “Discoveries In Health” Live on the Internet at www.healthherbs.com 11AM to 12PM PST Monday-Friday.

Since 1961, Dr. Truman Berst has researched and studied with many of the world’s greatest advocates of natural healing and has been a consultant with many of the major herb companies. He has written many papers and taught many classes on the preparation and use of herbs and other health products.

ALTERNATIVE Health & Herbs REMEDIES is a church outreach of Good Shepherd Ministries, an Evangelical Christian Church. As a non-profit, Christian group of natural health and healing professionals, everyone at AHHR is committed to helping ALL people to better their overall health through natural, certified Kosher, organic and wild-crafted herbal remedies.

“We are ‘Your Complete Health and Herb Source’ for Practitioners, Stores and Individuals.” says Dr. Truman Berst, President of AHHR. “Joining with Amazon.com is the perfect match for customers looking for all types of essential and affordable natural, alternative health products.”

Mitch Gould from NPI in DelRay Beach, FL agrees, ” Amazon.com consumers, will receive a large selection and great low pricing on a huge selection of high quality natural alternative health products, and at the same time, help those who are in need.”

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Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

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Home Page > Home and Family > Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

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Posted: Sep 09, 2010 |Comments: 0

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Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

By: Kali S Winters

About the Author

Kali S Winters is gardening enthusiast and author who spends much of her time teaching others how to setup and maintain beautiful, amazing gardens. Check out Kali’s latest book, “Holistic Herbs~A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening”! There you will find 12 free bonus books for your reading enjoyment. Discover more about Fall Gardening Here!

(ArticlesBase SC #3231906)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Store Garden Produce#2- When to Harvest Garlic & Best Way to Store Herbs

September in old English terms means “harvest month” and just like the name predicts, there is plenty of leftover bounty to store garden produce for the upcoming winter months ahead. This article should be read in conjunction with Part 1 of 10 of this series. (See Below)

The following are individual tips and techniques to help you store your garden produce:

When to Harvest Garlic or Onions: These two are my most sought after commodity in the garden. Even though you are planting onions and garlic separately, they are harvested and stored in similar fashion. That is why I have combined the two.

When are onions and garlic ready to harvest you ask? Well, you will want to wait to harvest your garlic or onion bulbs until half of the tops are green and the other half is yellow or browned. This will indicate that the bulbs are mature enough and ready for storage. Pluck them from the garden and lay them out of the way of direct sunlight to dry for several days, with the tops still attached. Onions require about a 3-7 day warm drying period.

After drying, gently rub the bulbs with a towel or cloth to remove any loose dirt. Do not wash the dirt off the skins with water, that only adds moisture and moisture encourages bacteria growth. Next, trim the roots back closest to the bulbs. Do not remove the protected, dry skins. You will then want to trim the tops to about 1-3 inches and then use the tops to braid the garlic together to hang for storage. (The same can be done with baby onions; large onions are too heavy to sustain the weight.) If you do not want to braid, (understandable–it does require practice), place the bulbs in brown paper bags, cardboard or wooden crate and store in a cool, dry place — 40-55 degree F, with a relative humidity level of 50-60 percent. You will notice that when both of the onions and garlic have cured, the dry, outer skins will start flaking. (Keeping garlic in warm dry conditions for 3-6 weeks will fully cure them.) Garlic can be kept for about 6 to 7 months while onions up to 8 months.

Note: Do not store your garlic or onions in the refrigerator or around the stove. If you take notice of the produce section at the grocery store, you will find that onions, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes are all displayed in center isles, away from the refrigerated section. Why then, do some people pack their produce home in the plastic bags provided, especially the potatoes and tomatoes, and store them in the fridge? A lot can be learned by observing how grocery stores section off their produce department. Look at several stores to compare.

Best Way To Store Herbs and Spices: Dried herbs and spices should never be kept above or near your stove. The heat and steam from cooking will cause them to loose their oils and retard flavors. Store your herbs and spices in a cool dry place and preferably in a dark glass bottle. Using clear plastic containers like commercialized products will allow you to see the contents within, but it will also expose the dried herbs and spices to too much light and will cause the oils to be absorbed into the plastic itself. This is not good if you want to maintain the quality of your dried herbs and spices. When buying your herbs from the market, either tape dark colored paper around the container or transfer them to dark colored glass bottles.

Fresh vs dried herbs: To dry herbs at home, remove any foliage from the base of the stems and then bunch 6-12 stems together and fasten with a string or twine. Hang the bundle, away from sunlight, in a cool dry place. I use several, circular, old metal lamp shades to hang my herbs.To dry individual leaves, place them on herb drying racks or screens for a good airing. Turn them often so they dry evenly. In the beginning, I used window screens to dry my herbs in the shed. Years later they came out with the herb drying racks which I have found to be wonderful.

Other methods have been used in the past such as drying herbs in dehydrator, oven drying herbs or drying herbs in microwave but they have usually produced unsatisfactory results. The heat from the appliance dries the herb too rapidly so the herbs end up loosing their natural oils. After purchasing enough machinery in my lifetime to dry my

Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Starter Kit- Start Growing Fresh Cooking Herbs & Spices- Great Gift Idea!- Seeds: Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard, Sage

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Cool indoor herb gardening kit. Grow your own fresh cooking herbs indoors year round. Add zest and flavor to your cooking, and enjoy the fun and benefits of indoor gardening. Nothing improves your cooking like fresh herbs. Herb Kits make fantastic gifts. Contents: Tray, Dome, 50 Peat Pellets, 12 packages Culinary Herbs: Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Lemon Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard, Sage, Instructions

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Herb Gardening With Culinary Herbs, Ornamental Herbs and Medicinal Herbs

Herb gardening has been around for centuries and the joys of an herbal garden is well know to many gardeners. Even beginner gardeners can have a high quality of success by starting with the basics and working their way up to a more complicated herbal garden. You can plant a container herb garden or an indoor herb garden. There are three categories of herbs that can be grown in you herbal gardens, culinary herbs, ornamental herbs, or medicinal herbs.

Culinary herb gardening’s purpose is to add spice and flavor to your cooking. Culinary herbs are the herbs that use fresh or dried leaves in cooking. Some of the classic culinary herbs are parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil. You may even want to plant some sage and thyme. There is a difference between herbs and spices. Spices are seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark while, as mentioned above, culinary herbs are fresh or dried leaves.

When considering your culinary herb garden your most important decision is the location. You will need a sunny spot with at least six hours of sun. The more sun the herb garden gets the more flavor will develop in the herbs. Try to place your culinary herb garden as close to the kitchen door as possible. This will ensure that the herbs will be used daily.

A simple and delicious way to use basil is to slice some juicy ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Overlap them on a plate, sprinkle on some extra virgin olive oil and chopped basil. It is also good with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Anyone that has grown a culinary herb garden and used the fresh herbs will tell you that the fresh herbs are superior over the dried herbs.

Ornamental herb gardening can make your gardens not only practical but beautiful too. By “ornamental” we mean that the primary current usage is purely decorative. Some of these ornamental herbs have a long history of medicinal or culinary usage. Pots of ornamental herbs add color and texture to balconies or patios. They are perfect for lining your flower beds.

A good example of an ornamental herb is Dittany of Crete, a favorite oregano herb of many herb gardeners. It will form a low mound and produce leaves with fine silvery hairs. You would never want to use this in cooking, it is strictly for show.

Rue is another good choice for garden borders. Its unusual blue green color offers contrast to bright showy blooms. The rue leaves can be used as a garnish but because of its bitter flavor does not work in cooking.

Ornamental herbs are just what they say, ornaments for your gardens. Ornamental herb gardening will add texture and interest to your flower beds.

Now we come to medicinal herbs. Before the 1900’s medicinal herbs were used widely in the United States. Somewhere in the 1960’s herbs used as medicine dwindled. Now, many doctors are prescribing medicinal herbs as well as mainstream medicine.

There are three ways that the medicinal herbs work on the body. Medicinal herbs have been known to strengthen an organ so that it can heal itself. Some medicinal herbs purge the body of toxins and illness, while others build up the immune system which will help in retarding illness.

There are many ways to use medicinal herbs. A few are infusions, herb vinegars, ointments, teas and tinctures. For example, to make a healing herbal tea, boil water and pour over the fresh herbs in a cup. Let it steep for 5 minutes but no longer then 10 for it will get bitter.

The medicinal herb stevia can be used as a natural sweetener and is easy to grow in an herbal garden. It also decrease tooth decay and gum disease if used as a mouth wash.

Before starting any course of medicinal herbs, be sure to notify your Doctor to see if they will interact with any medicines you are currently taking.

These are some of the basics of the three herb groups. Plan your herb garden, pick a bright sunny place and plant your herbs. Remember you can plant an herb garden in the ground, as a container garden or an indoor herb garden.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Planning An Herb Garden With Culinary Herbs, Medicinal Herbs and Aromatic Herbs

Planning an herb garden can be fun and rewarding. Herbs have been in use for centuries for culinary, medicinal and aromatic reasons. For generations tribal leaders and healers passed down the herbal secrets. Many modern medicines have an herb base. Modern herbalist mix medicinal herb for their clients. Many herbalists also mix aromatic herbs for beauty purposes. But, of course, the culinary herb is still the most widely used. You can become a kitchen gardener by growing an herb garden right in your kitchen on a sunny windowsill.

For the discussion of herbal gardening today we will plant the herbs found in the Elizabethan Era and so often mentioned in William Shakespeare’s works. The plants selected will be culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and aromatic herbs, all to experience the aromas and flavors of that time.

Herbal gardening is wonderful since the herbs can be grown in a variety of ways. Plant a container garden for you deck or patio for great colors, different textures and super aromas. Planning an herb garden in the ground will allow you to cultivate a traditional kitchen herb garden outside. Or if you have limited space, become an inside kitchen gardener and plant your herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.

When planning your herb garden remember that the herbs need well drained soil, they hate wet feet. Test your soil for the herb garden and make sure it is alkaline. All Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight.

When Elizabethans planted aromatic herbs, culinary herbs and medicinal herbs they used either a symmetrical rectangular or square patterns. The Elizabethans were very formal and felt their herb gardens should be too. Their herbal gardens had walkways, as strolling through the garden was a popular pastime. They had no TV’S! If you are planting your herbal garden near a patio, think about adding a strolling path for yourself. The paths will add character to you herbal garden.

In planning an herb garden be sure to take in to consideration the growing habits of each herb. Plant the taller busier herbs in the back of the garden, the small, compact ones in the front. Most herbs are perennials meaning they will grow back each year. Any of the herbs that need to be planted annually should go in a spot in the herb garden that is easy to get to. Give each herb plenty of room to grow. The herbs need air circulation to prevent mold. This stage of planning an herb garden is essential since once the plants become mature they do not like to be moved.

When you plant an herb garden, you can either start from seeds or get small plants from your garden center. The garden center plants will give a better chance of achieving success in the herb garden. When using seeds, plan ahead because the seeds may need to grow for several months before they are ready to plant into the herb garden. Especially if you are a beginner, I would recommend using the small plants from the garden center.

Go to a reputable garden center to purchase you herbs. Inspect your herbs closely to make sure they are healthy. One infected plant can ruin your whole herbal garden. When using the small herbs from the garden center you will be able to harvest your herbs much sooner. When you take the herbs out to be planted in the herbal garden, gently remove the plant from the pot and loosen the soil around the roots. Place the herb in the spot you have chosen or the container that you have prepared. Cover all of the roots with soil and gently tamp down. Give your new herbs plenty of water checking the moisture each day. Never let the soil dry out but don’t make your herbs roots too wet. If you are planting a container garden remember that the dirt in a container will dry out more quickly then the ground. You might find that the herbs will droop for a couple of days. Don’t fret that is shock but they will recover.

Once you have learned the herbs growth patterns you can start pinching off to get a bushier herb. When you first start out, keep a journal for your herb garden to keep track of each herbs strengths and weaknesses. After you get to know your herb garden you will be able to tell when the plants need attention.

Over the centuries herbs have evolved into very hardy plants. Once you herbal garden is established it will need very little care. To hold moisture for the herb longer, mulch around the plants. This is a good garden tip whether you plant the herbs in container gardens or in the ground.

Herbs are natural insect repellents but if you have to treat for pests be sure you use a non toxic treatment since you will be eating your harvest. Marigolds are a natural repellent so you may want to plant of few of these flowers. Planting companion plants is how most Shakespearian gardens were done.

Harvest can begin as soon as you have several leaves on the herb. It is best to cut your herbs before they begin to flower for the best flavor. This is when the most oils are stored in the leaves. Wait until any morning dew has dissipated before cutting but harvest before the full sun is out. You can cut your herbs right before you wish to use them. If the stems are tender these too can be used in your recipes.

If you have an abundant harvest you can freeze or dry the herbs. Dry them by hanging them upside down, in a bunch tied together, in a warm and dark place. You can microwave them by placing them between two paper towels and microwaving for 2 minutes. Put them in an air tight container, they will last up to 1 year.

Freezing the bounty of your herb garden will let them last a little longer, a year to year and a half. Chop up the herbs and place on a sheet of wax paper. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Another method is to put the herbs in ice cube trays with water. Freeze until firm, pop them out and put them in to zip lock bags. When ever you need the herbs for soups, stews or sauces, just throw in an herb ice cube.

Now, here is the list of Shakespearian Herbs to plant in your Elizabethan herb garden including culinary herbs, aromatic herbs and medicinal herbs. It will truly make you a kitchen gardener.

Bay, box, Broom, Calendula, Chamomile, Chives, Heartsease, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Peppermint, Rosemary, Rue, Salad Burnet, Summer Savory, Bachelors Buttons and Thyme. For more information on each herb, email me or search on the internet.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

About the Author
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com

Find More Herbs Articles

Raise Herbs Or Raise Bountiful Herbs

What gardener, or non-gardener for that matter, doesn’t love herbs one way or another? Herbs liven up and add new dimensions to otherwise bland dishes in our kitchen or tickle our noses with their pleasing scents in potpourri and toiletries. Herbs also help keep us healthy or make us feel better when we’re ill as commercially prepared medicines or home remedies or maybe just add visual interest to floral arrangements.

The world of herbs that are, or have been used by man for his benefit is one which encompasses literally thousands of members of the plant world. Yet most gardeners do not venture beyond a handful of foundational herbs, mainly used for cooking in their gardening efforts. This is unfortunate because the world of herbs in its entirety can be a broad and enjoyable pass time. For those seeking to stay within the confines of culinary herbs, the spectrum of unique tastes and qualities can be endless.

Along with the culinary uses, there are herbs for medicinal, aroma, dies, insect control, cosmetics and many more. If these reasons are not enough to tweak your interest in trying new herb varieties, consider these:

Collecting herbs can be an enjoyable pass time

Introduces the grower to many new and unique flavors, aromas and uses

Provides valuable knowledge about new plants

Can add visual interest to the garden and landscape

Collecting herbs is a pass time that can take more than a lifetime to explore

There are few gardeners that either do not or have not grown at least a few herbs. Unfortunately, far to many gardeners who have tried their hand at herbs have experienced results that were less than expected. This is unfortunate because most herbs in general and especially those most commonly grown, are less demanding than most of of the other crops you may grow with regularity.

The following information is not all inclusive and no one article or series of articles can encompass the whole of the world of herbs. It is perhaps unfortunate, but much of the success of using and growing herbs is based on experience. Experience that will be gained by getting in and trying many different herbs. There will be be successes and yes, there will be disappointments, but even these can be valuable.

1) Start with an understanding of what unique quality about the herb that you are seeking to extract. By this we mean is it a particular flavor for seasoning? And of this, is it a flavor from leaves, seed, bark or flower. Is it an aroma or medicinal quality? Each of these may require a little different approach to how you raise the herb.

While the medicinal qualities of herbs is not a subject of discussion here, it is prudent to offer this caution:

Caution: Herbs can and do offer many great qualities to enhance our health, cure illness, relieve suffering and in general enhance our quality of life. Herbs have few, if any negative side effects and are generally safe when used properly, but each individual may react differently to a particular herb. However, as with anything else, not all herbs are safe and/or appropriate for medicinal use in a given situation, either internally or externally. Additionally, many herbs will interact with commercially prepared drugs, often in adverse ways. Never use herbs for medicinal purposes without first consulting with a trained practitioner or medical professional.

Some of the most commonly grown herbs such as thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, lavender (leaves) and the mint family rely on oils that develop within the plant that are called essential oils. These are concentrated and therefore much stronger with lesser amounts of water and fertilizer. Because the oils are less volatile under cool to normal conditions, these herbs are good candidates for drying for winter use. Other common herbs such as basil, cilantro, fennel, parsley, chives, dill weed (the leaves), tarragon and others have their flavors concentrated in the water-borne juices within the plant. This fact causes the herb to loose flavor quickly and therefore more suitable for fresh use and normally have a relatively short shelf life when dried.

Lastly, many plants serve a dual role of herb or vegetable and spice. For this writer the difference between an herb and a spice being this:

If the primary part used is vegetative, such as leaves and or flower, to me it is an herb.

If the primary part used is seed, bark, sap or root, to me it is a spice.

Of course there are exceptions to both of these and thus the reason why there is no consensus as to a clear definition between an herb and a spice. But anyway, if the primary part desired is the dried seed, bark and or stem, there may be a little difference in how you grow these. Some examples of these “dual-role” herbs would be: coriander (the seed of cilantro), fennel, carrot, celery, dill, anise and mustard. All of these things will need to considered when starting your herb garden.

2) Plan your herb garden well before making a commitment. For the most part, your herbs are going to need different growing conditions from your general garden. With herbs, it is flavor, aroma or other qualities other than fruit that you are seeking and many times these qualities can only be brought to their fullest by providing specific conditions that may not be suitable for your general garden.

Consider building raised beds or large containers for the majority of your herbs. Raised beds or containers provide you with the best way of controlling the soil, fertilizer and moisture. Raised beds also allow the gardener the opportunity to group herbs together that have similar growing conditions but containers allow the gardener to double the use of the herbs as a decorative element on a patio, deck or porch. Containers also allow the culinary gardener the added advantage of bringing the herb indoors for fresh use during the winter.

Location, location, location is of the utmost importance with most commonly used herbs. Beyond harvesting herbs for drying, most fresh herb use will be “spur of the moment”. By this I mean it won’t be until you need an herb that you will want to harvest a few sprigs for a culinary dish or possibly a medical need arises out of the blue. Most of the time it is not until a cook has a need of a particular herb that the herb gets harvested and when a dish is being prepared is not a good time to have to run out to a garden some distance from the house.

Exposure is another factor to be considered. The majority of the herbs you will grow will need a minimum of 12 to 14 hours of sunlight daily in order to perform well. While many herbs will tolerate some shade, the flavors may not develop fully with less than full sun. Another factor is drainage. The majority of the herbs you will grow will not tolerate poorly drained soils. For these, you will need to:

Increase drainage by removing the top soil and loosening the subsoil, adding organic matter and perhaps some sand or “pea gravel” (finely ground road gravel) and replacing the topsoil. amend the topsoil with compost or other organic matter. The finished growing area should be at least 12 to 14 inches deep.

Constructing raised beds, loosening the underlying soil and adding organic matter then filling the bed with soil that has been amended with organic matter.

Growing your herbs in containers.

3) Make a commitment to your herbs. For the most part, herbs require little attention. But the attention they need must be met at the time needed or an entire years work will be lost. Good examples of this are basil and cilantro. When it comes to basil, it will normally try to flower early in the year and the flowers will often appear almost overnight. Once flowering starts, the flavor within the leaves will quickly deteriorate and the plant will be lost for culinary use. However, the blooming plants make a great food source for bees and other pollinators, so you may want to grow some extras for them.

Cilantro is much the same, with the exception that you can normally only pinch them back so long and then they are going to seed no matter what. This point will normally be evidenced by a noticeable decline in the flavor of the leaves when they decide it’s time to flower. At that point, either remove the plant or let it seed normally and harvest coriander seed after the seed ripens.

4) Group your herbs according to the growing conditions they prefer. This is not a factor with container grown herbs, but if you grow and use many herbs, you will no doubt grow many of them in raised beds or at least beds dedicated to growing herbs. Raised beds are a great way to grow most herbs and they can be constructed for little or no money and from any material that is handy or appropriate. For most gardeners, two or more beds will be required. One for herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, etc., which will be kept dryer and leaner and one for herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, etc. which will be kept moister and have regular applications of fertilizer.

5) Consider alternate uses for your herbs other than for culinary purposes. Many herbs, especially those of the “Umbelliferae” family are especially beneficial as a food and nursery source for many butterflies, predatory wasps and other beneficial insects. This group of herbs includes cumin, parsley, carrot, coriander/cilantro, dill, caraway, fennel, parsnip, celery, Queen Anne’s Lace and other relatives.

As butterflies are an integral interest for many gardeners, consider either planting extras or an entire second bed that can be a mix of many different herbs just for them. The first group of herbs for yourself should be kept sprayed with insecticidal soap to discourage insects or insecticides such as “Pyola®”, pyrethrum, Bt or other biological

Listen to my mixes on soundcloud.com
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Music video for “Long Ago” by New Zealand Band Herbs.
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Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Cunningham’s Encyclopedia Series)

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Do you work magic with herbs? Do you use them in spells, for talismans or simply use their innate powers? If you don’t have Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, you need to get it right away. This book has become a classic in its field. Paul Beyerl, a respected author on herbs calls it “…an essential reference book by students of herbalism and magick alike … Scott’s personable charm touches every page… I highly recommend this book.” And Jeanne Rose, famous author of books on herbs a

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Making Your Own Natural Products for Bath and Body with Herbs and Essential Oils

In the immortal words of the great Mae West “When all else fails, take a bath” Truer words were never spoken, bathing is not only a hygienic necessity, but a therapeutic experience that can help overcome many issues of the mind and body.

When one is immersed in water amazing things can happen the body and mind open to the incredible healing powers of the essential oils and herbs that are used and  some herbalists have even adopted this particular modality as their preferred means of treatment, over other means (such as teas, pills, etc)

There are some great formulations for making your own herbal products for the bath. Making your own natural products is not only easy and fun but it also allows you to tailor the ingredients to your special needs and situation, for example say there is a preparation at the store that you think is lovely, but you are allergic to one of the ingredients in it, to blend it yourself would take very little time and effort and you could leave out the offending ingredient.

Most of the ingredients needed to make your own natural products for the body and bath can be found at health food stores, herb retailers, or at your local farmers market. Buying your herbs and supplies at the farmers market in the area also has the added benefit of benefiting your local farmers and growers and sometimes it is organic as well, so it is good for you body, mind and heart.

This brings us to our next point, whenever you are making any of your own preparation for internal or external use, there are a few things to remember. Always use the best ingredients that you can find (if possible use organic essential oils and herbs) as this will affect the quality of the finished product. Always use pure water, either distilled, or whenever possible natural spring water. There is something a little more magical and special about washing in spring water. And always, make sure that your tools, mixing bowls, spoons, equipment and your hands, are squeaky clean. This will prevent bacteria from forming and contaminating your products.

The herbal blends and essential oils that you choose will depend on the condition you wish to effect or the result you wish to achieve.

To relax and encourage a peaceful state of mind, try using herbs like chamomile and lavender. To emerge from the bath, renewed and refreshed, try a stimulating blend with peppermint, rosemary, and sage.

Making your own herbal body powders is a nice way to finish off an herbal bath. A combination of cornstarch and white clay powder can be combined with an herbal combination of your choice such as a relaxing and soothing blend of roses and lavender, or a stimulating and invigorating blend with rosemary and eucalyptus.

Whatever natural products you decide you would like, be adventurous, experiment and have fun, you’ll love the results.   

Container gardening is a great way to grow plants, vegetables and herbs without needing a lot of space. Herbs do especially well and can be grown right outside your kitchen door. In this video, you’ll learn how to use an old farmer’s market basket to make a great container garden. Fill it with your favorite herbs and your cooking will be full of flavor all summer long.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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