The study and use of herbal medicine for humans and animals is a well-documented and time-tested practice that predates Western medicine by centuries.  Oregano is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics ever studied and has been found to be superior to many of the currently used antibiotics. The oil is more potent than the fresh or dried herb, but in any form, its hard to deny the power of oregano.  

 
Why not grow some herbs for your chickens. (Oregano, thyme, lavender and mint are especially beneficial as well as fragrant.)  Toss the fresh leaves into your coop and nesting box and let your chickens decide.  They'll eat some of the herbs, lay their eggs on some and ignore some, letting those dry and scent the coop.  It's a win-win for you and for your chickens.

  

The latest Grit newsletter listed a bunch of articles about home remedies and old-school medicine and it reminded me that I’ve been meaning to write an article about common garden items that have healthful benefits beyond their vitamins and minerals.  

Growing herbs has many advantages and takes very little space.  You can grow 16 different herbs in a 4’ x 4’ raised bed garden.  You may need to pot some plants: like mint, which is wildly invasive, but you can set the pot down into your bed if you want to keep them all in one place.

Parsley

Parsley has been cultivated for 2,000 years, and was used medicinally long before that. In fact, in ancient times parsley was regarded as sacred and was used to decorate tombs.

This leafy green is not just an attractive garnish; it’s chock full of essential vitamins. Just two tablespoons of parsley provide over 150% of the daily recommended value of vitamin K.  It’s also rich in vitamins A & C, and is an important source of antioxidants.  But what it less known is that the oil which is concentrated in the leaves and roots of parsley is high in apiol and myristicin, which are natural diuretics.

A study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" in March 2002 gave rats parsley seed extract and found that this significantly increased urine flow.  This would benefit anyone fighting kidney stones.

Drinking a tea made from dried parsley leaves or root three times a day can help keep your kidneys clear.  Steep 2 grams (.07 ounces) of dried parsley in 150 ml (5.07 US fl ounces) of hot water.

Fine Print

Be careful when using large amounts of parsley if you are pregnant, as both apiol and myristicin can cause uterine contractions, and myristicin may cause an increase in fetal heart rate. If you are taking lithium, do not use parsley without medical supervision. Other possible side effects of excessive use of parsley oil include headaches, loss of balance, convulsions and renal failure.^[1] 

Herbal Teas

Several herbs that are essential seasonings for your cooking also deserve a place in your herb bed for their medicinal value. Physician Andrew Weil maintains a list of healthful herbs and their uses at his website, www.DrWeil.com.  In regard to dried herbs, Dr. Weil recommends:

• Don't buy whole dried herbs from bins or jars in stores. These loose herbs are probably worthless because dried plants deteriorate upon exposure to air, light and moisture and the more finely chopped the plant parts are, the faster they lose their desirable qualities.
• Avoid encapsulated powdered herbs because when plants are ground into powders, they're exposed to oxidation which causes them to deteriorate.
• Buy reputable brands that advertise the purity of their ingredients.
• The best herbal medicines are those you grow yourself. Maintaining a personal herb garden can ensure freshness and quality.

To brew a tea, add 1 teaspoon of dried — or 3 teaspoons of fresh — herbs to 1 cup of boiled water; steep several minutes, then remove the herbs.  This is much simplified if you use an infuser.

Here are some of my favorites:

Thyme Tea

Thyme tea soothes a throat which is sore from coughing and has anti-viral properties.

Chamomile Tea

Is a great before-bed tea because it calms and relaxes.  Parents report that it helps to sooth cranky kids when they’re feverish.

Lemon Balm Tea

Counters headaches and can be used to mask the undesirable flavor of other medicinal teas.  Steeped in a stronger solution, lemon balm can be used as a topical antiseptic for minor injuries.

Sage Tea

Can sooth and heal mouth sores and bleeding gums after dental work.

Mint Tea

Is good at soothing an upset stomach – peppermint is especially good at this.

Comfrey

 I grow comfrey as a compost accelerator, but it has healthful benefits as well.  Comfrey contains the small organic molecule: allantoin, which stimulates cell growth and suppresses inflammation.^[4] Scientists and physicians agree that the use of Comfrey should be restricted to topical use, and should never be ingested.  Comfrey salve or a strong solution can be used to treat diaper rash, eczema, psoriasis, and burns. Here is a recipe for making your own Comfrey salve.  She adds plantain, but you won’t need to cultivate those in your garden, just check your yard!

Pineapple

While most of us won’t be growing pineapple in our gardens, it is worth mentioning because of its great benefit in fighting inflammation.  Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a powerful anti-inflammatory.  This is helpful in fighting the stiffness and pain of arthritis and reducing C.O.P.D. problems .  Taking turmeric with the pineapple increases the benefit in regard to C.O.P.D.

Only fresh pineapple will do – cooking or processing (canning) the pineapple kills the bromelain and its benefits.  The bromelain is concentrated in the pineapple core, so don’t toss that out.  Mix chunks with water and pulse it in your blender to make a healthy juice, or just sit and gnaw on a core chunk.  The fiber will do you good as well.

Considerations:

As noted above, you will get the most from these herbs by snipping off what you need and using them fresh from the garden.  If you must dry them for storage, dry the leaves whole, seal them into air tight bags or vacuum packs and store them away from direct light.  Some can be successfully frozen as fresh leaves.

As with any form of self-medication, consider your situation first.  If you are being treated for a serious medical condition, and taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies.  “Natural” and “Organic” are not guarantees of being harmless or that they won’t interact with other substances.

Just about everybody, no matter how healthy can expect a visit from Dr. Sick at least once in his/her lifetime, but the illness and remedies I'll refer to are from my childhood (1950s) in rural Arkansas. I don't guess the location makes a difference. I'm just identifying where I was in case something might sound familiar to some of you Southern readers. But the location does make a difference, because as rural folks, we didn't go to town that much, so the trees, orchards, woods, and fields gave us a lot of the substances we used for medicine and food.

Just because Summer is gone doesn't mean you can't have the taste of Summer fresh herbs this time of year. Fresh herbs are very pricey in the supermarket so why not grow your own indoors this Winter? When Spring comes back, and it always does, simply harden your indoor herb plants off over a week or two and then plant in the garden outdoors for continued growth over the Summer. Here are some of my favorite herbs to grow indoors. Try one of these or a few and have herbs for soups, stews, salads, herb crusted breads, all Winter long.
  

Lemongrass: Technically, you don’t even grow lemongrass, in that it’s not planted in soil, making this one incredibly easy herb to keep in the house. When buying a stalk at your local market, look for plenty of stem and make sure the base is intact. Trim the top and place the stalk in a couple inches of water. The stalk will produce roots and dozens of new shoots. Lemongrass is found in many Asian recipes. It is light and refreshing in flavor with a lemony appeal.

Chives: These are one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors, as they do not require much light and are prolific in their production. Chives are easiest to start from an already-established plant. Just pull up a bunch from the established plant (including the roots), place it in a small pot half-full of potting soil, then cover the roots up to the crowns with more potting soil. Cut about one-third of growth off the top to stimulate new growth. Who can resist some flavorful chives on their baked potato? Or make your own onion and chive veggie dip.

Mint: Both spearmint and peppermint literally grow like weeds. They’re both very hearty and very invasive, meaning that they can quickly choke out other herbs. Keep in mind that a lot of spearmint is required to produce the same minty effect as peppermint, so if you’re growing it indoors, where space is limited and harvesting is frequent, peppermint is the better option. Start your peppermint plant with seeds—not root or leaf cuttings—in a small pot full of potting soil. Peppermint will thrive in shade, but make sure it’s in a spot where it gets at least a little bit of light each day. After living in the South for 10 years I still like to drink ice tea year round and one of my favorite additions to tea, hot or iced, is mint.

Parsley: Parsley is one of the most commonly used herbs and is very easy to grow, though the seeds can be difficult to germinate and may take up to two weeks to see results. Parsley doesn’t require much light or maintenance once you get it started. Keep in mind, though, that this plant is a fairly slow grower, so initial clippings will not harvest a lot. Parsley is said to be good for an upset tummy and as a breath freshener. It is also lovely as a garnish and gives a fresh flavor to potato salad and sauces.

Oregano: The Greek variety of oregano is easiest to grow; however all oregano requires six to eight hours of sunlight per day, so a well-lit window—particularly one with southwestern sun exposure—is best. As an herb in sauces for pizza or any Italian dish, oregano is a staple.

Thyme: This is another herb that requires six to eight hours of sunlight per day, and it may even need supplemental light. My favorite is lemon thyme, which can be used in place of regular thyme and has a unique citrus-like flavor and isn’t nearly as easy to find as other varieties in stores. Absolutely delightful on chicken and fish.

Rosemary: This herb is very easily over-watered. It prefers to remain on the dry side and does not need particularly rich soil. Several varieties are available; some are bush-like and some are more of a creeping plant. Choose an upright variety like Tuscan Blue or Blue Spire. These will remain more compact, making them a better choice for indoor growing. Chicken loves rosemary but my favorite use is in beef stew or pork ragout.

Basil: This is one of my favorites to use when cooking. However, this herb is one of the most difficult to grow, especially indoors during the winter months. The best varieties for indoor growth are the Spicy Globe or African Blue. The African blue won’t have the wide, bright-green leaves you may be used to seeing in grocery stores; it’s similar to Thai basil with its narrower leaves and bluish-purple stalks. I use basil year round to make fresh pesto.

Growing Tips: When buying herbs for indoor growth, it’s best to purchase plants that haven’t already been growing outside. The shock of bringing them indoors can cause trauma and affect growth and production. Remember that winter is a natural resting phase for plants, so it’s unrealistic to expect abundant growth. Try minimal watering and let them do their thing. Clipping them regularly will promote further growth so clip away—remember, you’re growing them to use!

Some of these herbs do well started from seed. Basil, parsley, chives, thyme and oregano are all fairly easy to start from seed. Simply place seed in a seed starter tray available at most garden centers or online or start in small, shallow pots. Use fresh potting soil and keep moist, not wet, until they germinate. Germination will be quicker if tray or pots are kept in a sunny warm location. After seeds germinate just mist every other day and allow soil to dry out somewhat between mistings. After seedlings have gotten their third set of leaves or are about 4 -6 inches tall transplant to larger terra cotta pot, soil and all. Try not to disturb roots when transplanting.

A common mistake is to plant all herbs in one container. This inhibits growth and in the case of an invasive herb, you’ll likely witness an herbal takeover in your container, so plant each herb in its own container.

Containers should have ample in the bottom and since herbs can be susceptible to fungus, allow them to breathe by using terracotta pots, no smaller than six inches in diameter. To allow further ventilation, place pots in a container of small pebbles.

Always use a high-quality organic potting soil that contains vermiculite or perlite for adequate drainage. Avoid using soil from the outside, as it contains organisms that are controlled by the outdoor environment. Rosemary, thyme, and basil prefer soil with more lime, so adding a spoonful of crushed eggshells to the soil is beneficial. Though herbs are hearty, they do like to be fed once in a while—especially when growing in limited pot space. Herbs are grown for their leaves not for their flowers, so any fertilizer you give them should promote leaf growth, not blooms. One of the easiest ways to feed your herbs is to add one tablespoon of fish emulsion to a gallon of water and use this every time you water.

Water the herbs at the base, where the stem meets the soil—don’t water the leaves. Water once and let the water drain completely through, then repeat. How often your herbs need to be watered is a matter of watching and learning to read each individual plant. A good rule of thumb is to let the soil dry between waterings. Remember, one of the biggest mistakes in watering herbs is over-watering them; herbs don’t require as much water as a typical houseplant. If you see leaves turning yellow, this is the first sign of over-watering.

If your herbs require supplemental light, clamp-on reflector lights with fluorescent work best. Clamp the lights to the pot, four to six inches away from the plant. If you see brown spots on the plant, this is a sign of burning and the lights either could be too close or may have been used for too long.

According to the gardening books, it’s time to put the garden to sleep for the winter. Not that my little patch was completely awake during the growing season, but it did produce a few vegetables and a good many herbs. 

I like getting the garden ready for winter. Expectations are low; in fact, all that matters is that I pull the weeds and pile them on a compost heap. Preparing the soil to rest is like stripping old paint from an antique dresser. You simply can’t hurt anything; it already looks as bad as it ever will.

The sage and mint are continuing to persevere amidst the relatively cold nights and chilly days of mid to late autumn. They will shine even more when I remove the dead, gangly stalks of brown plant material: they’re a true tribute to the robustness of domesticated weeds.

Finding time to clear out the garden seems to be my biggest challenge. The sun dips behind the horizon shortly after 5 pm these days. By the time I close down the computer and push in the last chair in my classroom, the large lunar fireball is already dipping dangerously low in the sky. We do have a few holidays coming up in the next couple of days. Thanksgiving is near, and the Powers that Be have seen fit to give us three entire free days this year…more than we have ever had before. Perhaps I will spend the frantic hours of “black Friday” puttering away in the back forty. Stacking weeds seems so much more restful than pushing through throngs of agitated bodies at the local mall. Such clamor and clutter messes with the minds of theoretical farmers---way too much reality for our philosophical brains to process.

Between now and Friday, perhaps I will do a bit more research on proper winter gardening for our neck of the woods. I still haven’t given up on horseradish and carrots, although I suspect I should have planted them much earlier… Whatever the case, I am looking forward to several uninterrupted hours in my garden. I’ve missed our time together. 

Late Autumn Mint

I’m not sure where summer went, but I think I passed it somewhere going South on Interstate 81. It seemed in quite a rush, dragging a wagon full of old beach towels, stretched bathing suits and picnic baskets. I have spent the past six months on the outside looking in. Working furiously to finish up a graduate degree has afforded me little opportunity to be part of nature and her diversions. Lately, I have observed several seasons as they passed by, but was never able to be part of the menagerie of attractions they offered.

Needless to say, my garden has grown up in a happy mixture of weeds and herbs—the only kinds of living, green plants that can survive without some sort of nurturing. I had good intentions: I dug up the patch, spread a couple of bales of straw and planted some seeds. I even put fertilizer on the whole lot. But then, classes started and while my tender young plants needed to be cultivated and cherished, I was deep in academic periodicals and university databases.

Now, I am a “theoretical farmer” by self-definition, but not a scholar at heart. While I like to surmise about the inner workings of people, animals and plants (if indeed plants have inner workings), I am not enamored with reading stilted language and analyzing academic minutia. I am happy to say that I am on my final project, and soon, this scholastic plodding will be history. I am looking forward to sifting through the stalks of dried weeds in my garden patch. I’m hoping to find enough herbs to cut and harvest before a killing frost makes its appearance. At least I will be able to gather something this year, even if the bounty of my crop consists of a few hearty sage leaves and a half-bucket of thyme!

This time of the year, back to school and changing weather all signal one thing: COLD SEASON!

The Sell family is not immune, though we strive to be one of these years. When our family got hit hard just two weeks ago, we felt it out for a couple days to see what we were dealing with. As Ethan and I progressed through the coughs and sniffles, Andy, Liam and Elly remained immune. Within a week, however, Andy succumbed to some sort of cold variation that was completely different than Ethan's and my symptoms.

Within a few days, he was coughing very hard and deep. One day he was laid out completely and that's when we started looking online for symptom descriptions. I found a site on the Mayo Clinic website. There we saw that most of what he was suffering matched up to Whooping Cough, or Pertussis.

A home diagnosis is not as reliable as the sort of diagnosis a doctor's office would give, seeing as they take swabs and samples to verify in a lab. However, given the general public fear of this bacterial infection and the way we've seen whole families quarantined by the county, we decided to play it safe and keep Andy at home. Whenever there is a case of whooping cough, it is blasted all over the news and people are urged to get in right away for the pertussis shot or a booster, especially kids.

We don't believe in vaccinating our kids. As I write that, I realize I'm stating it like a religion, but that's how militant the government and local health authorities have gotten about vaccination. You pretty much have to say it goes against one's religion in order to get a "pass" for your family. That's messed up. One of the minor reasons we are homeschooling is so we don't have to compulsorily shoot up our kids for public school.

Many of you might believe differently about this and that's ok. I'm not here to make converts. Andy and I have simply done some research and looked deeper than the photocopied handouts from the CDC that we always get at each well-checkup. Being spoon-fed anything is not always Truth.

That being said, we didn't want one of several things to happen upon a doctor's visit:

1. Being forced to explain our kids' lack of "up to date" immunizations when it's none of their business.

2. Possibly being quarantined when we have no plans to leave our home anytime soon anyway.

3. Causing a major "outbreak" fear mongering of the media and hospitals.

4. The only thing doctors give for pertussis is antibiotics which we avoid at all costs anyway, since even one dose severely damages the essential gut flora necessary for proper immunities in the first place.

Whew. That was a lot. I'm getting to the point of this post, trust me!

While Andy lay resting in bed, I took a break to look up some herbal remedies for whooping cough and learn more about the infection online. I came across a wonderfully written blog article at Natural Home, a sister publication of GRIT magazine. We love Natural Home for its many eco-conscious building ideas and home accessories. One of their bloggers, Heidi Cardenas, had some ideas for licking the cough right at home with some common household spices and herbs. Her ideas explain the individual benefits of a variety of herbs and spices, each with its own cough-fighting properties.

Here is her link: Natural Home Remedies for Treating Whooping Cough

When I read the short post to Andy, he said..."That sounds a lot like the ingredients for mustard."

And so began our experiment: Mighty Mustard. Below, Andy details the ingredients and prep.

MIGHTY MUSTARD 

The flavor is intense. You may have to tweak it based on your level of taste comfort. Do this with water; you want a consistency like a thin paste or a slightly thick mustard. It will be slightly grainy and the onion and garlic will be very fragrant.

Use high quality, organic and raw whenever possible, especially the onions, garlic and ginger as they are the powerhouses of this recipe.

Ingredients 

1/4 Cup turmeric

1 half head garlic, peeled

1 Tbsp mustard

1/4 white onion

1 Tbsp mustard seed

4 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp mineralized sea salt (we use Redmond's)

3 Tbsp fresh ginger (finely grated and compressed)

4 Tbsp Bragg's apple cider vinegar

water to taste/texture

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Add all but water to food processor and blend on high until VERY smooth. Slowly add the water until you are at the desired consistency. If the sharpness is too strong, cut it with another tbsp or two of honey. If it is still too intense, cut it with more water. Flavor mellows with age so the more you make the more palatable it is. Stays for up to a month in the fridge.

Take one tablespoon four to five times per day, or once every four hours when ill. Take as a condiment for preventative care whenever you are well.

The reason we are even sharing this with you all today is because it worked miraculously! Andy wanted to call it Spicy Death Kill because the intensity of the flavors melding together, but he dutifully took one spoonful every few hours washed down with a glass of water. We began this experiment late morning and by evening, he was showing a reduction in coughs by two thirds and when he did cough, it wasn't the deep body cough of the pertussis; it was a phlegm extracting cough. The garlic, ginger and turmeric are all expectorants, as well as anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-spasmodic.

The next day Andy continued the regime and he was nearly back to his normal self with energy, vibrant color and very few whooping-type coughs (though some still crop up).

We are not doctors. We don't boast any sort of treatment background; we just know this worked in our family. It's worth a try in yours. You know ol' Gramps had some sort of ointment or oil he always took everyday and swore by it. Mighty Mustard (aka: Spicy Death Kill) might always be in our fridge as an immune building condiment. Perhaps it should be in yours as well!

PS: Don't be pushed into doing anything you are not sure of. The pertussis vaccine doesn't even work effectively beyond three years and when there have been outbreaks, just as many immunized people as un-immunized were sick with the cough. In fact in some cases, more immunized people were sick than those that had not taken the shot. Food for thought, friends:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/30/whooping-cough-vaccine.aspx 

For the Young’ens…or those with no heat tolerance like me! 

This is for my friend Jill, who had a very good question. She asked with the last post if there was a way to make the Mighty Mustard a little more palatable for kids not too keen on eating a super spicy condiment. Unfortunately, the mustard itself gets its kick from the very items that are the most healthy for one's body: garlic, turmeric, ginger and onions. While we discovered that the mustard's strong flavors definitely mellow after a day or two in the refrigerator and continue to mellow every day it sits, the Mighty-ness of the condiment remained far too strong for our children to take it with a smile.

Therefore, I had a backup plan for the kids. (And me!) We haven't seen the miraculously quick results of the one-day of treatment that Andy saw with Mighty Mustard, but we have seen results. As well, there is science behind these simple ingredients and they can be found at most health food stores. We found ours at NDC in Oshkosh for those of you local to the Fox Valley.

Remember, homemade or raw is best when you can get it.

Kid-Friendly Tonic for Cold and Flu

1 teaspoon Colloidal Silver (optional*)

1 teaspoon Elderberry reduction (syrup)

4-6 oz orange or apple juice (preferably fresh squeezed, but whatever you can get is fine)

Mix all three ingredients in your child's favorite cup and serve with breakfast. Tell them it’s a berry orange juice and let them have it. Serve up to four times per day for to 7 days.

Above, you can see the brands we found at Nutrition Discount Center last week. Both are super kid friendly and the directions tell you how much to serve based on age. I drank a teaspoonful of the elderberry syrup by itself as it was so tasty but my kids seemed to prefer it "watered down" with juice. Also, they are not sold with child safety caps, probably because it would be hard to overdose on a natural thing like elderberry. Even still, don't let your toddler grab it while you are preparing breakfast. They are smart little buggers and want to do exactly as Mommy does. See below for evidence of Liam's Hitler-esque elderberry experience.

Now that you have the recipe, I'll talk a bit on the health benefits of colloidal silver and elderberry.

Colloidal Silver

Much to our amazement, the slightly yellow water is nothing but silver added to water at the molecular level. That's it! But it's been used for centuries as an anti-bacterial agent and for disinfecting medical tools and instruments. When anti-biotics became prevalent in the 1940's, the use of colloidal silver declined dramatically until in 1975, the medical establishment declared that oral ingestion of the silver had no substantiated claims to helping build up immunities and clear out viruses for colds and flu.

*Now I am not medically trained and I don't have sufficient background to refute or endorse those claims. This is why I put it as optional in your tonic. We use it because we have talked to a couple people who have used it to great success in killing off all variations of the sorts of colds that hit people this time of year. Two actually are trained medical professionals and therefore gave us peace in allowing our kids to have a sip of this unique water.

Something to note here is that we swear by raw milk and will always drink raw milk, which has been consumed by humans for millennia. Only in the 1930's did they decide that maybe it might not be the best and then as the the years passed, it became a "serious public health risk." We have done our research on that and have decided to go with the alternative health community and drink to our hearts' content the un-cooked milk product the medical establishment so adamantly abhors. Not everything the medical community deems “worthless” is actually so.

Elderberry Syrup

This is far less controversial and I only looked it up after two moms in my world recommended it for our kids' colds. Knowing a tad bit on the herbal remedies that elderberries are known for, I looked into it further, lamenting that I had missed the season of harvest right here in my area by only a month or two. (Next year, baby!!)

Elderberry syrup alone is known for its ability to treat those with colds and flu, causing their symptoms to subside days earlier than those who did not take the elderberry. It has strong antioxidants and has even been used for anti-cancer properties in patients. Because it is readily available in the northern hemisphere, it makes sense to me that the berry has been used for so many centuries in North America, Europe and Asia for the curative remedies. Even the medical establishment is beginning to green light this one. :-)

Below is a link to a two minute video put out by Fox News just this past March on the health benefits of elderberry. Enjoy!

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1526868241001/health-benefits-of-elderberry/

Breathe Deeply!

My dear friend and neighbor knocked at the door. There she stood, holding a garden hod (a cool container used to cart around a harvest) filled with fresh herbs from her garden.

The aroma of Greek oregano, tarragon, chives, apple mint and chocolate mint filled my kitchen. Thank you, neighbor!

To keep the herbs fresh, I filled a container with a bit of water. Who knew that fresh herbs could make a lovely bouquet? Of course, my family used every bit of the herbs…we made herb tea and jazzed up our recipes with flavor. 

I absolutely love how sharing a harvest allows friendships to flourish!

Aside from receiving and giving produce to neighbors, it’s the relationships that we all cherish. Over the years we’ve shared so much more than produce. If someone needs  a ride to a doctor’s appointment, we deliver. If something doesn’t seem quite right, we trust our instincts. And, we like to share cake!

How does your neighbor surprise you?

Happy summer,

Heather

Nothing entices, enthralls, and brings back pleasant memories like the smells that come from a kitchen in full cooking mode. And those mouth-watering aromas owe much of their power to the herbs that grace the recipes. When cooking with herbs, using the freshest product makes all the difference in flavor and aroma. To make sure that you always have a supply of fresh herbs, why not grow your own?

The great thing about growing your own herbs is that many can be planted in containers on your windowsill or back porch. You can keep them growing year-round in a closet with grow lights if you're up to it. Most herbs prefer full sun but many will thrive in partial shade. Your soil should be rich and should drain well. Here is a short list of herbs to consider for your culinary garden.

Arugula: whether you consider this peppery taste sensation as a salad green or a salad herb, Arugula should definitely be on your list. Plant in the spring or fall as Arugula prefers cooler temperatures. Be ready to harvest after about 40 days.

Bay leaves: also known as sweet bay or bay laurel, this shrub will grow to several feet in time. You can add the leaves to soups, stock, stuffing or marinades. When using bay leaves, you'll find that you can cut down on salt without losing flavor. Remove the leaves after cooking. Bay can be planted in a pot and then brought indoors during the winter. If your climate is not too harsh in the winter, Bay can be planted outdoors where it can reach up to 20 feet in height.

A sprig of Bay Laurel from my shrub which is over 6 feet tall. 

Marjoram: beautiful and tasty, marjoram is a welcome addition to meat dishes because of its mild sweetness. Use it fresh or dried and add it toward the end of your cooking so that you don’t lose its delicate flavor. It can be grown from seed in the spring or from cuttings in the summer. If you like to winter garden, then propagate by root division in the fall. Grow in the ground or a pot. Marjoram will grow upright to about two feet and will spread about two feet across.

Lemongrass: tufts of green shoots will add lively interest to your plantings as well as your recipes. Often found in Asian dishes lemongrass is true to its name by adding a citrus flavor to foods. Use it dried, powdered or fresh. Like any grass it will spread so you can propagate by trimming to about two inches then dividing. It's a good idea to divide your Lemongrass each year. In cold climates bring it inside during the winter.

Rosemary: in my opinion no garden is complete without the amazing combination of green needle-like leaves and violet flowers that is Rosemary. Related to the mint, Rosemary is a hearty evergreen shrub that will grow in many climates. It adds flavor to both meat and vegetable dishes. Be sure to try Rosemary tea. Crush the leaves before steeping them. To grow Rosemary, start with a nursery plant rather than seed. Water frequently the first growing season then decrease watering frequency once the plant is established.  

Rosemary adds interest to plantings as well as recipes. 

Thyme: used in a wide variety of cuisines, Thyme offers subtle a combination of lemon and mint flavor to soups, sauces, meat, fish, and poultry. It can take a year to grow from seed, so if you're not the patient type you'll want to get started with a potted plant from your nursery. There are many types of Thyme. Some are creeping and some are clumping. You can grow yours in pots, gardens, or even between stepping stones where their aroma will fill the air when stepped upon.

Savory: there are two types of Savory, summer and winter which is the more pungent of the two. Often called "the bean herb" Savory is often used in beans and soups as well as a flavoring for meat and poultry. Savory can be started from seed indoors and then moved into the garden after about 7 weeks. Don't cover the seeds with soil as they need light to germinate. It will grow to a height of about 18 inches and will make a real impact along a perennial border or in a hanging basket.

These are just a few of the culinary herbs that you'll want to think about adding to your garden. Once you get started, you'll be captivated by the many beauties and benefits to be enjoyed from these flavorful members of Nature's bounty.

Well, I am now dug up. Not that I personally have been buried -- except under mountains of paperwork and random stuff undone. But that patch of lawn in my backyard that I've been glaring at for a year -- OK, nearly two years -- wishing without action that it would become a flower garden, has now been tilled. As you can see, something was needed: 
 

My plan isn't for a lot of edibles this year, except for herbs. I don't have time or energy for much maintenance, so I am going to broadcast  flower seeds madly and hope for much color -- though I'll broadcast in a somewhat orderly fashion, now that I've learned the pollinators are better served by groupings of color. This weekend the weather took a turn to the warm, Barney the Lawn Guy had a few hours to dedicate to my list, and off we went.

Because I live in a fairly new residential area where the soil has been scraped and rearranged to suit the builders rather than the green, growing things, I needed to add some amendments. So I went out and bought bags of top soil -- I know, I know: People GIVE that stuff away. This was easy, and remember, this is to be the lazy person's garden -- and I wanted to get it started. A few bags of Miracle Gro for Vegetables went in the mix, along with three bags of Moonure. I'm certain you can guess the active ingredient on that one.

After Barney had tilled the 4-foot strip around the fence and worked in the topsoil and compost, it didn't take my little pup long at all to notice that something had changed in the backyard.  

And from that realization, it didn't take but another three seconds for him to drop down and start rolling in it. Although he looks like a Teddy bear, in significant ways, CP is all-dog, all the time. One of these ways is his deep affection for getting up close and personal with the stinky and the icky.

 So now, there's a new game at my house, called Let CP Out Long Enough to Do His Business But Not Long Enough to Start Rolling. So far CP is winning large.

 Here's me with serious hat-hair, having perspired and dog-wrangled for a couple of hours. My plan is to fill that gnarly space behind me with lots of sunflowers, coneflowers, rudebekia and varoius balms -- plus, of course, a couple of tomato plants, basil and other culinary herbs just because one must. I hope the bees and butterflies like it because this season, it's all about the pollinators. And I hope I don't end up strangling my Cutie Patootie puppy before the summer is over.

Stay tuned ...

It’s a raw day in early March, temperatures hovering around freezing, tiny ice crystals bouncing around in the wind. What seemed like the last of the snow melted under yesterday’s sun and unseasonably warm 60 degrees. Today, we’re back to winter. The sky is flat gray, the bare forest and blanket of oak leaves a monochromatic brown. The squirrels blend into the landscape.

And here I am, thinking about gardening. Which here in Chicago, really won’t be feasible for at least another month. Or two—who am I kidding? But spring is in the air—it was 60 degrees! I sat on the porch in sunny bliss!—and the gardening magazines at the library were just begging to be checked out, urging me to at least think about planting…something.

Things haven’t changed. I still live in a wooded area, with precious little sunshine and deer who mow down every edible plant. Except I’ve discovered two important things: I do have a precious little spot of sunshine, on the south side of the house, and deer don’t like herbs. Last year I grew some rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage in pots, and the deer steadfastly ignored them. This year, I want to build a raised bed and expand.

Oh, how I want to have a farm! But the real estate market being what it is, my job being too wonderful to walk away from right now, and my son still in college means I need to work with what I’ve got. And what I’ve got is not a farm, but it’s still pretty wonderful. So, we’ll see where this little bit of gardening goes, we’ll see how my garden grows.

In the meantime, we've been enjoying last summer's herbs all winter, using rosemary in mushroom risotto, thyme in the corned beef that's simmering on the stove right now, and sage in one of my most comforting cold-weather recipes, Lulu's Meatloaf (in case you're wondering who Lulu is, that's me—childhood nickname my parents gave me). I created this recipe by borrowing ideas from several others:

Lulu's Meatloaf 

Ingredients
1 ½ to 2 pounds ground chuck
½ cup or so minced onion
2 eggs
½ cup milk (add a little more if needed)
1 cup cracker crumbs (I use Triscuits when I’ve got them; I like the heartiness of the whole wheat)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh (or frozen!) sage, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I LOVE Worcestershire sauce; it's great to splash on cooked meatloaf)
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste (if I’m using a really salty cracker, I don’t add extra salt)
½ cup or so chicken broth (if store-bought, I prefer Swanson's Natural Goodness)

• In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk; stir in cracker crumbs, onion, parsley, sage, and Worcestershire sauce
• Add beef, mix well with hands
• Shape into a loaf in the center of a shallow baking pan
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Add ½ cup or so chicken broth to bottom of pan
• Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until internal temperature is 160 degrees, basting every 10-15 minute

 Note: You can make the raw loaf ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, if preferred.

This past summer has been my first year growing a herb garden and I've dried a lot of herbs. Without more knowledge though, of what to do with them, I fear a lot would have gone to waste. So when a community education class came up called, a Spice of Life, I couldn't wait to go. The class has been taught by a very knowledgeable lady from our county's herb society.

I thought you might want to know some of the things I have learned about herbs.

Did you know?

• Herbs only have a shelf life of one year. After that the flavor is just not as good. Some in our class confessed that they needed to take a trip to the compost bin.
• Freezing your herbs is better than drying them: If you have the freezer space, freeze your herbs because it's easier to do and you can use them the same as fresh.
• You should add your herbs the last 20-30 minutes of cooking because they lose their flavor with longer cooking. I am definitely guilty of this one.
• Wrapped in wet paper towel, fresh herbs will last in the refrigerator about a week.

The instructor passed around many herbs for us to look at that I never thought about growing, but will next year. The lemon thyme had just an unbelievable lemon smell. You can use it in place of lemons in any recipe. Another one I would love to try would be winter savory. My herb garden is not that big so I'm really not sure how I will get another herb plant in there but I'll give it a try. 

Some more good hints:

• After you strip the dried leaves off the stems don't throw them away, make them into fire starters. Just tie them in a bundle with raffia and keep in a basket by the fireplace. I'm sure the smell it produces will be wonderful. It kind of upsets me that I didn't think of this about two months ago.
• Make an herbal wreath. Take a grapevine wreath and put fresh sage all around it. You can hang it in your kitchen and when the steam from cooking warms it up the aroma flows through the kitchen. I hope it's not raining tomorrow because I know there have to be more grape vines that need to be taken down in my neighbor's yard and I have plenty of sage.

The instructor brought in rosemary sugar cookies (I loved them) and lavender sugar cookies (they were OK).

Not everything was about cooking there were some great things you could do with herbs for you and your home. Here are some great recipes:

Lavender Bubble Bath

1 bunch of Lavender
Cean wide-necked jar with screw top (can be canning jar, pickle jar, peanut butter jar)
1 large bottle of clear shampoo (you can use cheap shampoo just has to be clear)
5 drops of Lavender oil

Mix and place jar in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks, then strain the liquid and re-bottle. (I'll be going to our Farmer's Market tomorrow to get the oil – it needs to be 100 percent pure essential oil)

Linen Spray

1/4 cup vodka (buy the cheapest)
8 drops of lavender or Bergamot oil
2 cups of distilled water

Let sit for a week in a sunny window. Place in empty spray bottles and spray on your linens, carpet, etc. We made this last night I can't wait till next week to spray it on my linens.

Headache Pillow

Headaches that are caused from stress or sinus problems can be relieved by making a headache pillow.

You can make a small pillow or make one that you wrap around your neck from cloth and fill it with one of the following mixtures:

For a calming effect: Lavender and rice or buckwheat
To help open your sinuses: Rosemary and rice or buckwheat

Put in the microwave for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes then place on your forehead or around your neck.

I have been having a lot of sinus headaches (probably due to the amount of rain we are having here), so I came home and made a neck wrap in a matter of ten minutes and it works really well.

She had a lovely idea of making these all up and putting them in baskets and giving them as gifts for Christmas. Now there is an idea.

You can visit my garden at Gardening in Lower MI.