Member Lois Floro recently found this handy chart which illustrates the cleaning properties of many different herbs. This chart was taken from The Herb Companion from the early 1990’s. This publication was taken over by Mother Earth Living / Mother Earth News. Now strictly an online site they have a wealth of information and a […]
Category: Helpful Hints
Herbal Vinegars
Herbal Vinegars Flavored vinegars are a tasty method to use herbs and flowers from your garden and farm. Herbal vinegars are inexpensive, easy to make, preserve the flavors of summer in your favorite recipes, and make great gifts. Vinegar Types Choose a vinegar type that is pleasing to the taste, but does not overpower the […]
Mint Tea
Mint Tea Mint tea is helpful for mild tummy conditions. Mint is a calming and soothing herb that has been used for thousands of years to aid with upset stomach or indigestion. Mint is thought to increase bile secretion and encourage bile flow, which helps to speed and ease digestion. Peppermint may also relieve pain […]
Mint Varieties
Mint Varieties Kentucky Colonel mint (M. spicata ‘Kentucky Colonel’) is the spearmint for mint juleps! Spearmints add refreshing minty flavor to iced tea and other beverages. Peppermint (M. x piperita) has a delightfully strong flavor that makes a tasty hot tea for enjoyment and aiding digestion. Chocolate mint (M. x. piperita ‘Chocolate’), a variety of […]
Mint – Tasty, Useful, and Pretty
Mint – Tasty, Useful, and Pretty Presented by The Webster Groves Herb Society at Missouri Botanical Garden June 11, 2016 Mints (Mentha) are tasty in foods, useful in dried arrangements, and pretty in your garden. Both the leaves and the dainty little mint flowers are edible. Sweet spearmints (M. spicata) and pungent peppermints (M. x […]
Messages of herbs
An herb enclosed in a card sends a message: Rosemary – remember Mallow – kindness Fennel – strength, worthy of praise Mugwort – happiness Allspice – compassion […]
10 Essential Oils from Common Herbs and Spices
10 Essential Oils from Common Herbs and Spices Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Used in making perfume and in aromatherapy Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus) Oil is useful for an insect repellent Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Distilled from berries, warm and soothing for treating muscle aches and promoting digestion Parsley(Petroselinum crispum) Used in soaps, detergents, colognes, cosmetics, and […]
Lavender Overview
Lavender Overview by Jackie C, WGHS When you think lavender, think Mediterranean, sunny, warm, dry, rocky, and sandy. Lavender is an unusual herb as it prefers dry, rocky, and sandy soil, and very little or no fertilizer. If you pick up a handful of soil, squeeze it tightly, and it falls apart when you open […]
Suggestions for the Gardener
Suggestions for the Gardener Avoid hybrid flowers that have perfect blooms, but do not have pollen, nectar, or fragrance. Plant big patches of each plant species for better foraging efficiency. Eliminate pesticides. If necessary to spray to control insects, us a product without BT or with low toxicity like neem oil. Spray early in the […]
Grow Basil Under Grow Lights
Basil does well under grow lights indoors during the winter. Set the lights to be on 16 hours a day. Take cuttings now, that have at least 6 leaves. Pull off the bottom three and put the cutting in water. In two weeks, the basil roots adequately to plant it in a pot. Set it […]