Herb Basics

Peppermints cannot reproduce on their own, so to create more plants, you need to divide, layer or plant cuttings. Once peppermint is planted, however, it sends out runners and can populate or...

Herb gardens can be grown indoors or outdoors, depending on your weather and how large of a garden you desire. Either way, it is a smart decision to start the herb seeds indoors before...

Close to 50 million Americans suffer from arthritis. If you have arthritis pain and are looking for herbal remedies, there are several African herbs that have been used to stop or reduce pain...

An herb garden can supply your family with fresh and dried herbs for cooking, and crafting, and give a beautiful look to any backyard. The joy of an herb wheel is that it lets you compartmentalize...

Dehydrators work by providing constant heat and air circulation, whose combined effects remove moisture from food, thereby shrinking it and causing it to weigh less. If you have a food dehydrator,...

Many people are interested in growing and drying their own herbs for culinary, aromatic, medicinal and ornamental uses. The "Handbook on Herbs" by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden lists 73 different...

Herb grinders are not very expensive and it is fairly easy to find one that costs less than $20. Sometimes, however, the lack of an herb grinder in the kitchen is only realized at the moment it is...

Lemon balm, or Melissa officinalis, is an herb in the mint family. It known for its ability to attract bees to a garden.

Flax seed is an excellent source of essential fatty acids and is consistently praised as a top health food. You may not realize all the health benefits of eating flax seed. Flax is an excellent...

Herbs are those amazing plants with multiple uses ranging from culinary to ornamental. Mild ones add flavor to any kind of food, while the strong and pungent varieties pique the tastebuds. These...

Herbs are well known and valued for the tasty contributions they make to cuisine. Basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and sage are some of the more common herbs that chefs will use to add zest to...

An olive-green and pungent herb, the leaf of the sweet bay plant (Laurus nobilis) is an ancient seasoning herb that has a prominent role in Greek mythology as well as in modern-day kitchen...

The lavender flowers can be dried and removed from the leaves and stalk. Lavender essential oil is made from the flowers. Varieties of lavender grow in most temperate climates, with the...

Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) is a family of more than 50 species, with at least one variety growing in nearly every part of the world. Although stinging nettles are generally viewed as a...

Different Native American tribes or nations use various herbs as medicine. When combined, these cures amount to hundreds of plants. Native American medicine uses herbs and herbal remedies to bring...

Varieties of lavender will grow in most climates. Dried lavender products can be purchased, but are easy to make from you garden.Dried lavender is easy to store.

The African hoodia cactus also known as Xhoba, hoodia and Kalahari cactus, is a native plant from Africa's Kalahari Desert located. In Latin it is called hoodia gordonii. Laws are currently...

Hyssop is a culinary herb belonging to the mint family. With a somewhat bitter flavor, hyssop is not often used in modern cooking, though hyssop oil can be found in Benedictine and Chartreuse...

Lavender is easily recognizable by its long stems full of fragrant, purple flowers. This herb has been used for hundreds of years for culinary, medicinal and other at-home purposes. Lavender is...

There are many fruits that have citric acids. Fruits that include citric acid are mostly citrus fruits. Those fruits include grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine/mandarin orange and oranges.

Dried French lavender has been used since ancient times both for its fragrance and its medicinal values. Its popularity has stood the test of time, and lavender continues to be used in sachets,...

Sweet-smelling honeysuckle can do more for you than scent your garden. The flowering vine (Lonicera caprifolium) can also be infused in water, alcohol or a carrier oil to make extracts, tinctures,...

Basil is an aromatic herb used in cooking and crafts. There are various kinds of basil, but the one used in Italian cooking is sweet basil or Mediterranean basil.

Mandrake root is an ancient herb used to induce sleep and as a painkiller. It is dangerous and is related to deadly nightshade. It has been used in witchcraft for centuries.

Sweet Annie is a flowering herb that, like most herbs, thrives in most conditions and soils. It sprouts in bundles of light green branches that blossom with tiny yellow flowers in midsummer. Also...

Some people love Allium plants and others hate them, but we've all probably eaten them. Despite their odor, they are included in thousands of recipes.

In addition to being a celebrated savory seasoning, rosemary has a time-honored tradition of medicinal and therapeutic use. For centuries, it has been used to enhance memory, promote hair growth...

Whether grown for cooking, for aroma, or for beauty, a hanging herb garden can fit into any outdoor decor. Hanging containers filled with herbs can adorn a small apartment balcony or welcome...

The best time to harvest peppermint plants to extract their essential oil is before they've begun flowering. That's when the highest concentration of natural oil is present. Although many people...

Mint, sometimes called mentha, comes from a flowering plant. Mints are aromatic, perennial herbs used for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Fresh mint is a preference among culinary chefs...

Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a perennial herb, also known as Bergamot. Bee balm stands up very well to pruning, and the cuttings can be used to make an herbal Oswego tea, which should be drunk at...

Coleus are grown for the boldly colorful, decorative and often scalloped leaves. A tender annual, coleus makes a very useful bedding plant. The insignificant and modest flower spikes are usually...

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) are a good choice for growing plants because they produce less heat--almost none--and provide the correct color spectrum for plant growth. They are...

Purslane is considered a particularly pesky weed by many gardeners, but it was a popular food source at least as far back as the Roman Empire. It was widely used in medieval times for medicinal...

A licensed herbalist is a professional who uses herbs and plants for their healing and restorative properties. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), "Herbal medicine, also...

Essential oils made from herbs and flowers can be used for all sorts of things, including cooking, skincare and medicinal purposes. With a few simple steps and minimal equipment, you can make your...

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is an herbaceous perennial that's a member of the ivy family. It's native to Eastern North America, especially the Ozark and Appalachian regions of the...

Hemlock is a poisonous plant. It is tall with white flowers and many branches. Wintergreen is an aromatic, wintergreen plant that ripens in the fall, producing red berries.

Thyme is commonly grown for use in cooking, especially in Mediterranean cuisine. It is a hardy, attractive ground cover and attracts bees. The essential oil has been used medicinally for a variety...

Salvia Officinalis, commonly known as garden sage, is a culinary herb favorite. It contains thujone in the volatile oil, which serves as an antiseptic, antibiotic and a vermifuge (expeller of...

Edible ginger root is a common ingredient in many Asian and Indian dishes. Ginger root is available all year in the produce section of most grocery stores and can also be grown at home. Learn how...

Mullein has long been a part of the herbal apothecary and is widely used in the treatment of respiratory disorders including tuberculosis and asthma. It is also commonly used as a topical ointment...

With its feathery foliage and pungent licorice scent, bronze fennel is a great addition to any garden. Plants grow from three to five feet tall, spreading three feet or more and producing tiny...

Drying mint plants to make tea is a satisfying way to provide yourself with soothing and refreshing mint tea. According to the website Farm Fresh Living, mint plants should be harvested or trimmed...

Learning how to use marijuana growing techniques to grow other herbs can be a worthwhile process. Premium marijuana is often grown using hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil. As...

Siberian ginseng is not technically real ginseng. It is closely related to other ginsengs, but not of the same genus. The plant grows wild in hardwood forests in most areas of North America....

Feverfew is a perennial herb that bears feathery, light green leaves and small daisy-like flowers. It is an ancient herbal remedy for pain of all sorts, including migraines, arthritis and uterine...

Used in aromatherapy to help calm the nerves and eliminate stress, lavender has grown in popularity over the last couple of years and today is commonly found in everything from soaps and shampoos...