all things herbal

 
 

how to dry herbs

Out of all the ways you can preserve your garden harvests, drying is my favorite…and it is so easy-peasy compared to canning! Many herbs are easily preserved by drying and hold their flavor well when dry.

edible flowers

Transform any drink instantly by tossing a few violas into an ice cube tray and freeze. Sprinkle a few chive blossoms onto salads for a dazzling effect.

herbal powers + Properties

Herbs offer an incredible array of properties that have been proven to help nourish not only your body, but your mind as well.

favorite herbs to grow

Truth be told, if I had to choose between growing veggies, flowers & herbs…I’d pick herbs. Here are some of my favorite ones to grow in my garden.

calendula infused oil

Herbal oils are a wonderful, easy thing to make with your bounty of harvests. Use them as is as a nourishing skin serum or use as a base for herbal creams, salves and sugar scrubs.

calendula salve

Looking for something to do with your hoards of Calendula? Why not make a soothing salve? Calendula is a miracle worker for your skin. It’s powerful herbal juju promotes both the growth and healing of the tissue.

sweet viola bath soak

These fetching flowers offer not only the most cheerful blooms, but one waft of its intoxicating scent, and you’ll be hooked on having these lovelies in your garden and in your bath.

herbs thrive in pollinator gardens

Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes…they’re bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, wasps, ants, hoverflies and even mosquitoes…yes, mosquitoes. Help create a beckoning playground for them with these tips!

herbs—the perfect companion plant

As an organic gardener, you need to arm yourself with whatever tools are available in the battle against garden foes like the dreaded cabbage worm, or the beastly borers, or those huge, hulking hornworms.

rosemary mint hair oil

Let’s hair it for Rosemary! Rosemary is a wunderkind of an herb to use on your hair. It not only helps keep grays at bay, it gives curly hair all sorts of good love, aids in eliminating flakes, nourishes your scalp and adds instant gloss.

chive blossom vinegar

One of my favorite garden treats, this zesty vinegar adds not only a yummy mild onion bite to everything from your salads to stir fries, it bottles up to one of the prettiest hues of pink you’ve ever seen.

make your own mint extract

Dazzle your friends and family with scrumptious gifts of your own making. I especially love using it during the winter holidays in my baking, breakfasts and candies.

garlic scape pesto

Scapes are the delicious curling shoots that hardback garlic sends up sometime in late June. They have a texture like asparagus, and taste a bit like a garlicky green bean. For a little pasta love, trying this delicious pesto!

garlic scape pesto

My first taste of one of these crispy, fried mint leaves is one of my favorite culinary memories. The were accompanying a quick sauté of freshly picked shell peas. I could nibble until my heart’s content on this simple, fresh feast.