Sisyphus Acres

New and expanded herb garden plans

OK, well here in the frozen Northeast we still have some time before we get to put anything in the ground, seed orders still happen, and well so does early starting of seeds to get a jump on the growing season...

   This year the herb garden is expanded to 15' by 25'.  It is more Hannah's baby than mine ~ she loves the herb garden, loves making teas and such, and with the few new finds we scoped in the catalogs, I think she'll go positively mad over it when it's in full swing.

   Soooo....the list....these are the plans for the herb garden (pending everything being in stock or found at the local nurseries)

Pepermint (already there)
Lemon Verbena (already there, but not sure winter survival)
garlic (planted)
Rosemary (pending winter survival)
Thyme (already there)
HoreHound
Catnip (already there)
Echinacaea (already there)
Fenugreek
Parsley
wintergreen
Sunflowers
Brown Mustard
White Mustard
Basils (3 kinds ~ Italian large leaf, cinnamon, and lettuce leaf)
oregano
Pineapple sage
Wild ginger
Chocolate Mint (Already there)
Spearmint (already there)
Chamomile (already there)
marjoram
Cilantro
Lavender
Dill chives (already there)
New Finds:
 Vine Peaches
 Huckleberries
 Ground Cherries

The huckleberries and ground cherries come free with my order new experiment for free.

We'll see how that all goes ;-)

Plans are to make Soup wreaths for the Farmer's market (found the idea in a magazine), teas for the Farmers Market, and some home remedies and such.

On to the veggies in my next post...

The Herb Garden ~ tea time!!!

Well if the veggie garden was a disappointment this year, the herb garden certainly was a delightful surpise!  I have over a quart of catnip for kitties and teas ~ I have a quart of peppermint for teas, and more to cut and dry this weekend ~ I have a quart of pineapple sage (great for congestion and yummy too) ~ almost a pint of lemon verbena, chocolate mint and spearmint ~ a bit of chammomile.  I harvested bunches off my chives, the rosemary, tarragon, sage, thyme, clinatro, dill, all for cooking.  Basil didn't do terribly great with the damp cool start, but recovered to yield a few pestos before the time was through.  I got a great bunch of leeks out of the garden, and a couple of birdhouse gourds.  The echinacea grew wonderfully and the lavender settled in as well ~ I am enlarging this garden as well and hope to get garlic planted in there soon for spring.

We bought tea balls and reuseable muslin bags (for gifting teas) ~ when we finished crushing them all ~ Hannah had a teas sampler night and made every kind of tea there, and even mixed a few!  It is going to be a tasty winter.

Val

herbs, teas, and roots...oh my!

Here is the latest on my newly planted herb garden ~ I am so excited!

Any and all information contained here is strictly for informational purposes only, I am not an herbalist ~ please consult your physician, herbalist or naturopath before using any herbs described here.

The Herb Garden

Ahhh well….this is our new garden this year ~ and it has been loads of fun starting it ~ we have a huge way to go, but here is the start, such as it is…The herbs I am growing, why I am growing them and what is considered their primary medicinal value (according to Herbal Encyclopedia). 

Peppermint ~ I love peppermint tea, and have planted both chocolate mint and spearmint as well for teas ~ used as a digestive aid, to de-stress, to help with colds and congestion ~ considered an antiviral, antibacterial, anti-spasmodic

Lemon verbena ~ again for tea ~ yummy lemon/lime flavor ~  uses are like those of mint, orange flowers, or melissa, as a stomachic and antispasmodic in dyspepsia, indigestion and flatulence

Chamomile ~ tea (see a pattern here?) ~  considered soothing tonic/sedative, antispasmodic, antacid, fever reducer, relieves heartburn, indigestion, lessens emotional upset, calm nerves, relieves headache, lessen cold symptoms, to relieve menstrual cramps

Borage ~ can be used in a tea, flowers are good in salad, taste like cucumbers ~ leaves are fuzzy ~ the seeds are high in gamma linoleic acid (GLA). For colds and Flu, it is taken as an infusion to promote sweating, and aides in assisting the lungs. *long term use may cause liver problems

Rosemary ~ seasoning ~ but I also use it it my herbal hot-packs as rosemary helps relieve headaches

Cilantro ~ for seasoning ~ salsa and cilantro lime chicken ~ considered an antibacterial and fungicide

Tarragon ~ seasoning ~ considered an Anti-Bacterial, used to treat Insomnia, Toothache, Upset stomach Intestinal Worms, Hyperactivity, Depression

Pineapple sage ~ seasoning and tea ~ considered an antiseptic, good for sore throats, also may boost insulin action and may benefit those with diabetes

Basil ~ for pesto, of course!

Lavender ~ Lavender lemonade, mmmmmm ~ relaxes and calms, mild to moderate anti-fungal properties

Chives ~ seasoning ~ high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium

Dill ~ seasoning (Ilove dill) and for pickling ~ Dill dispells flatulance, settles the stomach, stimulates the appetite and relieves colic.

Thyme ~ seasoning ~ considered an Antiseptic, antispasmodic

Catmint ~ for the cats! ~ considered to ease stomach pains, expells gas, Induces perspiration, relieves smooth muscle spasms, stimulate menstrual flow, Nerve tonic, Eases breathing, Reduces fever

Echinacea ~ for the root, possibly tea ~ considered an immune system booster, antiseptic, antibacterial, detoxicant (not for use for those with immune system disorders)

Herb Garden News

Ahhh…the planting of my herb garden is going well, I am making it both a “food” garden as well as a medicinal garden.  I purchased the last of my mints today for tea ~ I already have peppermint, and today I found spearmint and chocolate  mint.  I need to find some lemon balm, echinacea and wintergreen, but no luck so far.  I have just ordered “God’s Healing Herbs” as a birthday present to me.  Birthday is today, and though I have a good herbal encyclopedia, I need a bit more help in the medicinal usage of herbs.

I bought some sage for the veggie garden, to help protect my broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower from the cabbage moth.  We’ll see how that works.

With the sun finally peeking out, I have a bit of planting and weeding to work on tonight.  Hopefully Hannah is in the mood to work in the herb garden tonight…lol…cuz we’ve got some work to do!