Judi z.
Can you let us know which herbs are better preserved
by freezing and which by drying?
Kay
The herbs that I freeze are basil and chives. Chives
because they are hollow and once the water is removed
from them in drying they amount to almost nothing,
so I prefer to freeze them. You can do that by chopping
them and putting them on a cookie sheet till frozen
then transfer them to a plastic bag.
I also freeze my basil and I do that in ice cubes.
When I need basil in a soup or stew etc., I just
pop in the ice cube with the basil already frozen
in it.
Other herbs that are likely to loose their flavor
when dried are: Chervil, Cilantro, Fennel, Lovage,
and Sweet cicely.
Tina
Which do you consider the basics (I'd say something
like top 5, but if you have more I don't want to
stop you!)
Also, how would you recommend harvesting and storing
the herbs for later use?
Kay
The basic herbs that you should have on hand will
depend on what you want to do with them....probably
my list will be different than most. Since I do
a lot of crafting with herbs I use a lot of Silver
King, garden sage, lavender, calendula, patchouli,
catnip and peonies.
My favorite culinary herbs are: parsley, sweet
marjoram, lemon thyme, pineapple sage and basil.
Loisann
I have a young grandson who has shown an interest
in my plants. I am thinking that a big pot of herbs
might be a fun way to get him started in growing
something of his own. What herbs would you suggest
for this project?
Kay
Kids like chocolate mint, any mint is pretty hardy
and hard to kill, they also relate to peppermint
since it is found in toothpaste and gum. Since peppermint
is great as a summertime drink kids will get a kick
out of making a drink from their own special plants.
Pineapple sage, although it gets really big is another
one kids are drawn to. If I were planting a grouping
for a kid, I would put in some violas since they
are edible and will be impressive to a kid in a
salad! Any herb that they are familiar with will
be a hit such as oregano since that is a popular
pizza herb. Aloe, would be another one that your
grandson would like because it is used to treat
skin ailments including sunburn so chances are when
he is visiting at some point he may need a bit of
aloe squeezed out onto
a sunburned arm or neck.
Bee Balm will attract butterflies and hummingbirds
so that might be another plant that will make an
impression on a child.
Judi z.
Now that we'll be putting our woolens away, can
you give us a recipe for moth sachets?
Kay
When I make a moth sachet, I like to use the cedar
wood shavings that are used for hampster bedding
as a base, then I add moth repellant herbs to that
mixture. I usually add a few drops of eculyptus
essential oil to the mix.
How about if I list some herbs that will repel
moths and you pick and choose what you have and
just mix it all together. You will have a nice herby
smelling mixture. If you don't care for the fragrance,
it can later be altered with the addition of some
essential oil.
Southernwood, mugwort, wormwood, tansy, santolina,
thymes, mints, particularly peppermint, sweet woodruff,
rosemary, sage, lavender, rue, pennyroyal, lemon
verbena, eucalyptus, red cedar. There are also some
spices that can be added to the mix: crushed cinnamon
sticks, cloves peppercorns, coriander seeds, dried
lemon peel.
Contain them in a pretty little bag that you stitch
up, or purchase muslin bags and put the mixture
in those, the muslin bags can easily be refreshed
each season.
Remember to replenish each year.
IvyNHZ5
Even though I scrub it out, have had a problem with
one cupboard that gets mealy bug looking critters
if I put pasta, cereal, stuff like that for any
period of time. Pipes do come up from the cellar
through it, & it's warm. Any herbal suggestions?
Kay
Adding a bay leaf to the flour bin will keep weevils
away, I am not sure about mealy bugs though.....I
suggest that you empty out the cereal and pasta
and repackage them in air tight clear plastic containers.
Not very herbal. Anyone else got a solution for
mealy bugs??
(additional comment from jwj)
Spearmint can help with a lot of the bugs in the
cupboard,, I usually use the leaves or in a pinch
spearmint gum works as well. It has to be a decent
spearmint though not one that has crossbred with
the peppermint, there are several in the southernwood
and worm wood family that also work ok, but you
cannot put them in the containers, you have to scatter
them around in the cupboard shelves.
Chris in UK
I've never quite understood why some plants are
supposedly poisonous eg digitalis, but are still
used for medicinal purposes. Are there any herbs
we should be wary of Kay?
Kay
I'm glad you asked that question Chris. Digitalis
is the one we are warned about often and yes it
is used in heart medication but the difference is
that the chemists that use it know exactly how to
use it and how much to use. One mistake someone
might make if they don't research first is to assume
that because it is natural and from nature that
the herb is ok to use for healing. Anyone who is
using herbs for healing should first get some good
books and learn how to use them and the dosage.
Just like you wouldn't take a whole bottle of aspirin
for a headache, neither would you go out to the
herb garden and start swallowing herbs.
You are safe with the common culinary herbs, but
there are some such as pennyroyal that have been
taken as an abortive, rosemary essential oil is
not recommended to be used by pregnant women.
I am sure that there are many perennials also
that are poisonous also, I like to keep herbs such
as digitalis and pennyroyal at a different location
so that children touring my gardens are not tempted
to eat plants that might be harmful to them. I like
to research any herbs that I buy and right now off
the top of my head I can't think of more herbs to
warn you about, but I am sure there must be some.
Anyone else want to jump in with harmful herbs?
Cornus
Are there any herbs that grow particularly well
in sandy, acidic soils? Are there any that would
be winter hardy in zone 7?
Kay
I'm going to have to ask for help on this one.
I have only studied growing herbs in my own little
corner of the world and am not very familiar with
growing in Zone 7 or sandy soil. I hope someone
else can jump in here with the answer for this one.
(comment from Joaniesgarden)
One thing I do now about most herbs, they love
well drained soil, and very poor soil, which is
why they are such a joy to grow...I have a different
problem, I have heavy clay soil, so I have to incorporate
sand, and other aggregrates into my soil to get
it to drain in the area I want to grow them. I'm
not sure about zone 7, I know I cannot winter over
rosemary in my zone 5, basil is too tender an annual
to keep very long in the fall. As well as most other
herbs labeled an annual. Parsley here, tends to
stay for a very long time, and if I keep it protected
with straw during the winter months I can harvest
for a long time...when they come back the following
year, they produce seed (biennial) Cilantro is the
same way. If you look thru a good catalog, they
should mention it's temperature range, and growing
requirements.
Tina
While my lavender is lovely, the stems are not
long enough to make wands. Which varieties do you
recommend with long flower stems?
Kay
My favorite for lavender wands is Grosso. It has
nice long stems.
Tina
Can you tell us a bit about some of your favorite
crafting projects using herbs?
I've got a lot of Rosemary, Lavender (too short
for making wands) and Thyme and often don't know
what to do with much of it outside of culinary uses.
Kay
I like to use rosemary and lavender both in potpourri.
They would also be good in a simmering pot.
Lavender has dozens of uses since it is known
for its calming properties. I use it in sleep pillows,
herbal heating pads, moth sachets, lavender sachets,
etc. You can't have to much lavender.
Rosemary is great for the hair, I have heard that
it will help with hair growth, it will help to condition
oily hair, prevent dandruff and give your hair body.
Make a strong decoction and add 2 tablespoons of
the decoction to a mild shampoo (baby shampoo) A
decoction can be made by boiling one part herb in
4 parts water for 30 minutes and then straining
out the herb.
Rosemary and lavender can also be used in a bath
tea blend.
Tina
Could you tell us how to make such a decoction
for shampoo?
Kay
A decoction can be made by boiling one part herb
in 4 parts water for 30 minutes and then straining
out the herb.
I also forgot to mention that I usually use thyme
to make cute little culinary wreaths by wrapping
the thyme around a 6" willow base.
Tina
When you use the lavender in sachets and sleep
pillows. Do you cut it up? Crush it? Do you use
only the flowers or the green as well? You're talking
to someone who is a total novice at this!
Kay
When I make a lavender sachet, I just use the lavender
buds, I also use a bit of oak moss that I have added
some essential oil to. I am using the oak moss as
a fixative, it will help to hold the fragrance longer
if you use a fixative. Other fixatives you can use
are orris root, and cellulose fiber. Add the essential
oil or fragrance oil to the fixative and then add
the lavender to it.
I just use the lavender buds in a sleep pillow
also because the dried stems tend to be sharp and
could poke through the fabric. Since I use a sleep
pillow between the pillowcase and pillow I am looking
for herbs that will not be sharp and possibly cause
a scratch to the users face.
(comment from Datura Lady)
Well I like making my own potpourri, with dried
flowers and herbs, and adding essential oils. I
have many books, and do you know, if you pick any
of my books up, they will be scented. I also press
flowers from my garden, everything is from my garden.
I dry my flowers and herbs for my potpourri. I also
dry orange and lemon peel, cut it up small first
in strips. I collect acorns and leaves too, all
sorts go into my mixtures. I love all the scents
of the different potpourris I make, then I add my
own oils etc to make a mixture for my bowls and
baskets. Beautiful they are.
Judi z.
Do you have some favorite books about herbal crafts?
Is there a good, reasonable source online that
you like for essential oils and other supplies for
herbal crafts?
Kay
A lot of the books I buy on herbs have a section
that deals with herbal crafts and using your herbs
but my favorite herbal craft book is by Phyllis
Shaudys and is titled "Herbal Treasures".
She has month-by-month projects for gardening, cooking
and crafts listed in it and is a delightful book.
I don't really have a particular on-line source
that I use for crafts, it would depend on what you
are searching for, so if you are more specific I
might be able to help you.
It is a good idea to buy your essential oils from
a reputable company since they are not controlled
by the FDA or other government agency that I know
of so some could be cut with a carrier oil and you
may not be getting what you think you are. I sell
1/4 oz. vials of essential oils on my website:
http://www.herbaldesign.com but just have the basics,
if you are looking for the unusual essential oils
or larger quantities check http://www.rainbowmeadows.com
(comment by Datura Lady)
I have loads of dried flower books, and herbal
remedy books, potpourri Books. I have a sweet book
called "Scented Souvenirs" Potpourri.
Illustrations by Charlotte Wess , author Gail Duff.
It's all about making your own potpourri mixtures.
Copyright 2002 justgardeners.com
