Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) is a delightful and fragrant herb plant. Curry plant is native to Turkey and thrives on sunny slopes where it attracts beneficial insects to its unusual flowers. Curry plant looks very similar to a lavender in its leaf stage. Seeds sow in February/March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in
Bergamot (Bee Balm, Monarda didyma) is a native perennial plant of North America, formerly used as a tea drunk by the Oswego Indians. Bergamot was supposed to have antidepressant qualities and an infusion was used to treat colds. The plant is a good addition to any container or herbaceous border for it is attractive with
It is a good idea to grow some clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) at the front of a container if you have a sunny site and enough room. Single, semidouble, or double flowers in white and shades of pink, rose, red, yellow, and orange; many have rich, spicy fragrance. Clove pink has a greyish-green to blue-green
The bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is an attractive evergreen shrub of great importance in herbal medicine. It is a very useful plant. The bearberry was used for tobacco by the Native Americans, who also utilized the mealy red berries for food and beverages. The small, leathery leaves yield a medicinal astringent and a dye. It is
Dill (Anethum graveolens), a member of the carrot family, has been a favored culinary herb for centuries. Not only its flavorful foliage, but its pungent seeds are used. Native to southern Europe, dill is a staple in Greek cooking. Though dill is best known as a pickling herb for cucumbers, the leaves can be used
Parsley is one of the best known herbs in the kitchen and is sprinkled over vegetables as a garnish and added to soups and stews. What most people don’t realize is that parsley is extremely nourishing, containing vitamins C, A, and B; iron, calcium, manganese; phosphorous; and even iron. Its fresh taste enhances dips, spreads,
A well-known and important herb, common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a perennial subshrub and is still used in the kitchen after many centuries to flavour meat, fish and vegetable dishes, in bouquets garni. It is a charming, attractive plant for the herb container. There is a number of thymes that can be used in the
Also called Mountain tobacco, arnica (Arnica montana) is a much-valued perennial herb in medicine and arnica ointment is used to treat bruises, sprains, varicose veins and other conditions. It is also used in homeopathy to treat epilepsy, high blood pressure and shock. It is also used internally, because of its irritant effect on the stomach.
Ginger (Family Zingiberaceae) is a perennial herb that thrives in most parts of southern Asia, Jamaica, Nigeria, and the West Indies. The plant has recently been cultivated in Florida, California, and Hawaii. Purple orchid-like flowers grow on the stalks of the wild plant. The most common part of the plant known for its multi-faceted use
Cilantro is the leaf of the young coriander plant, an herb in the parsley family, similar to anise. These plants produce an abundance of tasty, young leaves that you can harvest throughout the year. This species is very suitable to growing year round in a sunny windowsill or with the use of fluorescent lights. By
Some people just seem to have a green thumb and a real knack for growing fresh herbs to make gourmet meals. Using herbs grown in a kitchen window can enhance any meal. Most people think that methods to grow an herb garden are complicated but in truth, they are quite easy. The great thing is
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is important perennial medicinal herb and native to North America, where the dried, powdered root was used by the Plains Indians as an antibiotic to cure rabies, snakebite and septicaemia. Purple Coneflower has traditionally been used to treat or prevent colds, flu, and other infections. Today it is used in homeopathic
