Amy's Herb Gardens Blog

I have been thinking about my kitchen sink lately. I have been thinking about what lived under my sink, actually. My worm composting bin is a handmade rig, odorless, and works like a charm. It sits under that sink and just works away.

Like everyone else, I am always looking to improve on my technique and go for a pre-made model. My main problem is that I do not have a lot of space in my kitchen for a bin to sit. I also have a toddler and very inquisitive 6 yr old. I am not sure they would have the ability to leave it alone. Do you have a favorite worm bin? If you vote yes, please leave a comment with the name of the bin. Thanks!

Fall cleanup need not be dreary! Instead of thinking of it as the end of the growing season, think of it as a necessary step for better gardens next year. The most important task is to make note of what worked and what failed this year. Pick a warm day and go draw your herb beds into your garden notebook. Write down how many plants you grew, how much you harvested (even words like *not enough*, or *too much* are useful), and what seemed to need different care than what you gave.

I seem to find a lot of information about herbs that worked successfully for other gardeners now. Jot down these notes and follow up this winter, when ordering from your seed catalogs. Don't forget to mark down what needs to be divided and just plain removed this spring, too. No matter how hard you will try, there will be lots of information that you can/will forget over the long winter ahead.

© Flickr user, Memotion

It is not everyday that a book comes across my desk that I can't put down. This is one of those books! I just finished reading Fresh Food From Small Spaces, By R.J. Ruppenthal. The book now has a permanent position in the precious real estate of my mini bookshelf on the desk. It is scheduled to come out in November 2009, and worth the wait.

What makes this book special, is the range of topics inside. You can find out how to make your own self watering container garden, extend the growing season by many months, composting in your kitchen, and why you should even care in the first place. It is packed with information and sure to become a well loved book in your garden bookshelf.

I made a big mistake today. I hope by sharing my blunder, you can avoid making the same error and wasting precious herbs.

Early this morning, I picked a 5 gallon pail of basil, sweet marjoram and thyme. The dew was heavy, but the plants were only cool, not necessarily wet. I placed the pail into the back of my truck, went to the feed store and came home to prepare them for drying.

When I was lifting layers of herbs, I noticed that the herbs were becoming warmer the further I got down in the pail. By the time I was at the last layer, the basil, the leaves were clearly mushy and ruined. I ended up throwing away 5 solid inches of sweet basil, without saving one leaf.

The day is still not warm, only in the 60's. I believe that the cooled plants and warmth of my truck, caused them to decay faster than normal. They ended up in the compost pile, instead of my pantry. A waste of effort and herbs. Do not make the same mistake I did! Harvest your herbs when you have time to get right in the kitchen and prepare them for storage right away.

It is always important to research any food or medicine that you are going to ingest. This is very important when planning to grow herbs for medicinal purposes. I hold to a rule of three: Always cross reference a potential herb to find the same recommendations three times, before considering its use.

Here is an example of how I cross reference an herb. I started looking for the exact genus of the herb I want, that contains the taste and safety that I needed. Here is the information path that I took.

• My herbal library- Easiest to research, my book numbers have grown to impressive numbers. I have a beloved few that are falling apart from overuse, but each one has many positive nuggets of information that make them special.
• An herbalist's website- This is a bit more tricky. I recommend finding an herbalist, who has a complimentary style and thought process as you do. I prefer to work locally with plants, and find that my comfort level is with other herbalist's who do the same.
• My own notebooks and experiences - Often, I can refer to my own notebooks and papers on herbal information. I tend to collect every bit of info from herbal courses, conversations and classes that I have taken over the years, and personal notes I have kept from experiences I have had. An alternative to using your own herbal experience, could be to bring the question to a respected herbal forum or email list. Even with the books I have, my numbers are only a drop in the bucket of herb related reading material out there. Asking other herbalists is always beneficial.

Do you have a favorite herb book? Share in the Herb Gardens Forum. We would love to hear from you!

In the Herb Gardens Forum, A poster asked about making herbal vinegars and oils. I love to make my own salad dressings with homemade vinegars. One of the most common flavors I use is chive blossom. This delicate and beautiful vinegar, adds just enough onion flavor to kick up any salad. Try it over steamed leafy greens also.

There are two ways to make vinegars: The quick method and the slow method. I have used both techniques, with great results. If I was making an herbal vinegar for a medicinal reason, I would use the slow method. If you are giving gifts and simply replenishing the kitchen stash, use the fast method.

The slow method uses the same ingredients without the addition of heat. Try them both!

After a long weekend of digging up perennials, I started wondering if everyone was as nuts about saving herbs as I am. Thanks for answering the poll!

A seemingly quiet herb garden actually is teeming with life. I took photos of some of the insects that live in my herbs. It is funny how being organic, means rethinking how we look at insects. Beneficial means good for the garden and being a part of a healthy ecosystem.

You may have seen my photo gallery of purchasing bees for pollinating the garden. The bees certainly did the trick. Having to keep track of pollination on such an intimate level, meant that I learned to actually see the insects hiding in my garden. Take time to look for the creatures hiding out in your herb garden. No matter how small, herbs are a safe haven for all sorts of insect life - good and bad.

Today is Mayflower Day. To celebrate this important date in American history, we are going to be making a huge lapbook during school. My children will learn about the herbs that were brought over to New England by new settlers. In my research, I found this wonderful site by the Herb Society, UK, that lists 100 herbs from this time. The page is also full of garden ideas and history of herbs. I find it interesting that the herbs still popular today, were brought over at the same time.

Here is another lovely site from Strawberry Bank, a historical museum in my beloved Portsmouth, NH. What makes this link special, is that every herb is listed with an extensive uses list. You will find medicinal, decorative, culinary and spiritual herb. I found many surprises on the site.

Here are some lovely photographs of a colonial garden. The Friends of colonial Pemaquid, in Maine, have a wonderful site. Having lived in Maine for 10 years, the day they took those photos, looks abnormally bright and dry

Saving the best for last, the Herb Society of America, offers information on a Dooryard Garden, their name for colonial gardens. What makes this site the nicest one for today's blog, is their plans and plant lists. Both are available for download.

Enjoy this fun holiday as you think about your herb garden layout for next season.

Almost every day, I am told that I have some strange herbal knowledge. I consider that a high compliment, since I am inspired by the plants around me, wanting to know how to use everything and always researching local flora.

Today, I was giving away pots of Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum), also known as Houseleek. One of the ladies asked me what you could possibly use these for in an herbal sense. Houseleeks are in the Succulent family, just as Aloe is. It may then come as little surprise that the common Houseleek, or Hen and Chicks, can be used for burn healing. Scrape the juicy, gelatinous insides out with a knife, apply to your burn and cover with a clean bandage to hold it there.

About.com Guide, Kerry Michaels, has the most fabulous way to create a container garden out of a shell and some of these great plants. Her idea is much more interesting than my style of "Stick it in a pot and hope for the best". Be sure to check out her site, and bring in those Hens and Chicks!

Photo © Gabriel Jeanroy, 2008