Herbs have been used for centuries for culinary, religious and medicinal purposes. They are easy to grow, cheap and a natural choice for flavouring food and making your own home remedies. Growing your own herbs will ensure you have an adequate supply through every season.

The easiest way to get started is to purchase organic plants (preferably) from a garden centre. However, growing your own herbs is fun and rewarding and will give you a year round supply.

Herbs can be sown outdoors in spring, or indoors at any time of the year, although growth and yield will be slower if sown in autumn and winter.

Select quality seeds and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep young plants indoors, in a warm, light place throughout winter and feed monthly with an organic liquid food. In spring, you may wish to move them outdoors, but remember to acclimatise your herbs first.

When plants are grown and have lots of leaves, you can harvest the leaves with sharp scissors. Remove from different parts of the plant, avoiding removing too many, or cutting stems, as this may kill your plant. Allow time for the plant to recover and for more growth to appear before further harvesting.

You can harvest throughout the year, but the healing properties, aroma and flavour of the herb are stronger in spring and summer. For these reasons, you may wish to harvest herbs just prior to flowering and preserve them by freezing in ice cubes or drying.

Herbs can be used in cookery, to flavour food, perfume cosmetic preparations and create medicinal remedies. The easiest way to use herbs for home remedies is to make a tea or infusion as it is also know.

How to make a tea or infusion
To a teapot: add 1 teaspoon of fresh herb or 2 teaspoons of dried herb to 1 cup of boiling water. Allow to infuse (brew) for 10minutes approx, strain and use either hot or cold. Teas are generally drunk warm, with lemon and honey if preferred. The ‘tea’ can also be added to baths or used to make a compress.

Using your herbs safely
Herbal remedies are generally safe if you follow instructions carefully. Some herbs are toxic, so the utmost care is needed when selecting herbs. Only use correctly identified ones and check for cautions in a reputable reference book. Gathering herbs from the wild is inadvisable.

Do not take home remedies for more than a few days. If you experience any adverse reactions stop using the herb and seek medical advice. Home remedies are not recommended during pregnancy, if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, for children or the elderly. People in these categories, are advised to consult medical herbalist for treatment.

Herbs to get you started

Curled Parsley  -  Petroselinum crispum

Parsley is a popular hardy biennial that was introduced to Europe by the Romans and has been used for over 2000 years.

Sow parsley inside in winter, or outside in March or August. Keep plants moist and feed monthly with a seaweed fertiliser. Plants will grow outside all year in a sunny / partially shady plot, with rich soil and plenty of organic matter.

Uses
Add fresh leaves to sauces, dips, soups, casseroles, fish and potatoes etc. Raw leaves can be added to salads and make a tasty addition to cheese, etc.

Parsley is traditionally a cleansing diuretic used for urinary problems, fluid retention, gout and digestion. Also a ‘women’s herb’ that’s useful for unpleasant menopausal symptoms. Use in the diet and as a tea. Chew fresh leaves to sweeten the breath, especially after eating garlic.

Safety
Avoid consuming parsley if you suffer with untreated kidney or gallbladder problems. Parsley root and seeds should be avoided during pregnancy.

Rosemary  -  Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is a hardy, evergreen flowering shrub that can live for up to 20 years. Wonderfully aromatic, with a name that means ‘dew of the sea’; rosemary has been used for 1000s of years by the ancients and Saxons. There are many varieties of rosemary, but rosmarinus officinalis is the variety recommended for culinary and medicinal use.

Rosemary is difficult to grow from seed, so purchase young plants and keep inside in winter.  Plant outside in spring, after late frosts, in a light and sheltered plot, with a sandy soil. Avoid planting in waterlogged or very cold, exposed areas. Rosemary is a great companion plant for carrots and sage, as it repels carrot fly. Lightly prune in autumn and protect from frost in winter.

Uses
Rosemary reduces flatulence and stimulates digestion, so add fresh young sprigs to lamb, pork, and poultry. You can add aroma and flavour by adding it to roast potatoes, honey, jellies, fruit sauces, etc.

Rosemary tea is good for colds, flu, headaches and fatigue. It can also be added to a bath, or applied as a warm compress for aches and pains. Bruise and inhale fresh leaves to improve memory.

Safety
Do not drink tea for more than few days. Rosemary remedies should be avoided in pregnancy and with high blood pressure/heart problems.

Lemon Balm  -  Melissa officinalis

This delightfully scented perennial, has long been associated with bees, hence the word Melissa, which is Greek for ‘honey bee’. The herb is traditionally associated with healing sadness and a favourite elixir of youth in medieval times.

Sow seeds outdoors on the surface, towards the end of autumn. Lemon balm prefers a sunny or slightly shady area, with a sandy and dry soil. Poor soil creates the best flavoured balm, so do not grow in rich soil.

Uses
Add young, fresh leaves to wine, beer, fish, mushrooms and soft cheeses.

Lemon balm’s calming properties make it good for depression, insomnia, anxiety, nervous headaches and fatigue. Make a tea made from young leaves and add honey and a lemon slice.  A cool compress made from the infusion may alleviate eczema.

Safety
Lemon balm may occasionally irritate sensitive skin.

Peppermint  – Mentha piperata

Peppermint is a perennial herb whose name is derived from the nymph Minthe, who was changed by Persephone into a low growing herb. It was brought to Europe by the Romans. There are many varieties of mint, so check before using.

Mint is easily grown from seed. Sow indoors in winter, or outdoors in spring. It will grow in most places, but prefers a well-drained, fertile soil, in a moderately shady position. Add bark and leaf mulch to retain moisture. To ensure continuous leaf growth; remove the flowers as they appear. Prune back in autumn to prevent the herb rapidly spreading.

Uses
Add fresh, young leaves to lamb, new potatoes, peas, sauces, herb salads, ice cream, desserts, fruit, drinks, fruit and teas.

Make a tea for digestion, nausea, colds and nervous exhaustion.  Apply a warm compress to aching joints, or a tepid one will cool a fever. Cooled infusion can be used to make a foot bath for hot, aching feet. The aroma of the fresh leaves can be inhaled to help concentration.

Safety
Avoid prolonged use of inhalations. Do not mint remedies use on young children. Mint may irritate sensitive skin.

As your confidence in growing and using herbs increases, add more to your collection. Besides the obvious nutritional and health benefits, you will be filling your home and garden with environmentally beneficial plants.

Article by Julie Burke for Third Age.
SPA.ITEC.CThA.Cert.Ed. 

I am happy to answer questions related to this article. You can contact me through my website:
www.merrymeetcottage.weebly.com

Recommended Books:
The Complete New Herbal: A Practical Guide to Herbal Living [Paperback]
Richard Mabey  (Penguin Books)

The Complete Medicinal Herbal [Hardcover]
Penelope Ody (Halcyon Books)

Websites:
Herb Society
www.herbsociety.org.uk

Cooking and growing herbs
www.herbexpert.co.uk

Growing herbs & herb problems
www.growingherbs.org.uk

All images © Julie Burke