Herb Classifications and Usage

If space is at a premium, you might like to grow your herbs in groups according to their uses.  A garden filled predominantly with herbs always looks lovely, but small collections for a specific purpose are interesting and create a good talking point.  Following are several collections, each comprising of ten plants, but you could alter these to suit your own requirements.

                                                        Culinary herbs
 

A culinary collection is most convenient if it is sited near the kitchen, by the back door or even on the windowsill inside or outside the window.  It may sound lazy to suggest that it takes too long to wander down the garden to find the necessary herbs for the meal you are cooking, but on days when the weather is bad you will be far more inclined to reach just outside the back door for a piece of foliage than to get wet walking through the garden!

The ten culinary herbs to grow are as follows, but is not necessarily in order of preference!

1.  Borage (Borago officinalis)

The leaves add the flavor of cucumber to cold drinks and the flowers are very useful for crystallizing.

2.  Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

The flowers can be used in salads and the leaves are chopped as a garnish for soups, salads and vegetables.  Chives are lovely with cream cheese.

3.  Dill (Anethum graveolens)

The leaves are delicious in pickles--particularly with gherkins--and are also good with salmon and new potatoes.  They also go well with eggs and potato salads.

4.  Basil (Ocium basilicum)

Basil is marvelous with tomato and garlic dishes for that real Mediterranean flavor!

5.  Mint (Mentha sp.)

These herbs are invaluable for vinegars, sauces, syrups and jellies.  Young leaves are delicious when added to new potatoes, peas and fruit salads and summer drinks.

6.  Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

This is a very popular culinary herb which can be used as a garnish in large sprigs or chopped finely and sprinkled over a wide variety of dishes.  If added to a dish while it is cooking, parsley should not be incorporated in the early stages.

7.  Thyme (Thymus sp.)

Another very popular kitchen herb often used in stuffing poultry, thyme is also very useful with vegetables and in jellies.

8.  Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Sage is very useful with the fattier meats such as duck or pork.  It is particularly good with liver and sausages.  Sage and apple jelly is delicious.

9.  Marjoram/oregano (Origanum sp.)

Marjoram is delicious with fish and in cream of butter sauces, and oregano is used with pizzas, tomatoes and egg dishes.

10.  Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)

Chervil is delicious with vegetables, particularly carrots, and with white fish and chicken.  It should always be added towards the end of the cooking time.

                                                              Aromatic herbs

The aromatic qualities of dried flowers and leaves are very important.  Aromatic herbs have been used in the home for pot-pourris for many centuries to scent a room gently or deodorize unpleasant smells, and the natural antiseptic qualities of some herbs can protect against unwanted insects, whether they be moths, fleas or worse!

These plants look lovely as a collection of fresh flowers or leaves in a posy.  You could also plant them around a seating area in the garden so you can enjoy their scents while you relax.

1.  Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

Once dried, the leaves give a delicious scent to pot-pourris and can also be used to scent ink and writing paper.  The essential oil is often used in perfumes.  The leaves smell delicious when rubbed.

2.  Clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus)

These flowers look very decorative in the garden and have a lovely distinctive perfume.  They can be dried and used in pot-pourris.

3.  Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

This is a very necessary ingredient of pot-pourris as it features in many recipes.  It has a number of other aromatic uses around the house, particularly when made into sachets and bunches.

4.  Bergamot (Monarda didyma)

Both the flowers and the leaves can be used when dry in pot-pourris.  The scarlet flowers retain their color well.

5.  Myrtle (Myrtus communis)

The creamy flowers and dark green leaves look pretty in pot-pourris and the leaves are particularly aromatic.

6.  Scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.)

The leaves are very strongly fragranced and make a delightful addition to sachets, pillows and open pot-pourris.  There are various scented pelargoniums to choose from and all are equally useful, so it is just a matter of personal taste as to which ones you grow.

7.  Sweet violet (Viola odorata)

This is a lovely flower to use in floral waters and perfumes.  Dry both the flowers and the leaves to add to pot-pourris.

8.  Rose (Rosa sp.)

These flowers are a vital ingredient of this collection--particularly the old-fashioned scented varieties.  both the petals and hips are useful for pot-pourris.  Rose petals have been the basis for all types of pot-pourris through the ages.

9.  French marigold (Tagetes patula)

The leaves of the different varieties have different scents, some orange, some lemon.  Both the scented leaves and the colored flowers are good for pot-pourris.

10.  Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

This is a pretty plant for the garden.  Angelica seed gives off a lovely smell when burnt and the leaves and roots are useful for pot-pourris.

                                                                    Herbal teas

Herbal teas made from freshly picked ingredients from the garden are incomparably better than those made from dried leaf or flower infusions.  Although it is not practical to grow a vast number of plants for tea-making, here is a small selection of herbs that cover fairly everyday problems and are moderately easy to grow.

These teas are meant to be taken as enjoyable drinks or as mild remedies for very minor problems.  If in doubt, see you doctor and don't attempt to treat yourself.

1.  Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

The flowers are dried to make teas and are regarded by some as a panacea for all ills!  Chamomile aids restful sleep and is excellent for soothing indigestion and nerves.

2.  Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Tea can be made from fresh or dried material and drunk to alleviate the pain caused by piles.  It is also a very effective cure for diarrhea.

3.  Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Tea can be made from the fresh flowering tips to help clear the complexion, to remove freckles and to help acne.

4.  Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel leaves and seeds can be infused and the tea drunk as a stimulant.  According to an old wives' tale, fennel tea is meant to help with a slimming regime and as a general relaxant.

5.  Hop (Humulus lupulus)

The flowers make a tea that calms the nerves and also acts as a tonic and stimulates the appetite.  Add honey or sugar for flavor.

6.  Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum)

Although lovage has a rather strong flavor, it is very useful as a gargle and helps to soothe sore throats.  It also helps to dispel flatulence.

7.  Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Sweet cicely tea is a relaxing and refreshing drink which can help to soothe persistent coughs and ease sore throats.

8.  Caraway (Carum carvi)

Caraway tea can be made from the leaves and stalks of young caraway plants to give a gentle relaxing tea.  Tea made from the crushed seeds is much stronger in flavor but a better relaxant.

9.  Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium)

This tea is currently very popular as a relief from migraine and headaches in general.  The leaves should be infused to make the tea and in many cases it really does work.

10.  Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis)

The tea made from lungwort leaves is useful for helping persistent coughs and lung disorders (hence the common name).