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Garden Advice

Getting Started with Herbalism

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Herbalism can seem like a beautiful way to connect with nature and work on your wellness, but it can also be daunting and mysterious. How do people become herbalists? Where do you go to learn to grow and use herbs? Getting started with herbalism can feel overwhelming, but there are plenty of free ways you can get started with herbalism this summer. 

Here are some of my favorite herbal resources for growing herbs, preserving herbs, crafting herbal teas and tinctures, and everything in between.

A reminder that we’re not medical professionals, and none of this information is meant to diagnose or treat a medical condition.

Read, read, read.

There are so many cheap or free resources to help you get started learning about herbalism. I highly recommend reading as much as you can before investing in a class. Blogs, articles, and books are a great way to find information about growing and using herbs. Here are some of our articles on herbalism and our favorite books and other resources.

SESE Blogs
Blogs
Books
Free Materials

You may also want to check in with your local library! They probably already have or can get local field guides and books on herbalism, foraging, and wildcrafting through interlibrary loans. herb garden (herbalism)

Start an herb garden.

The best way to learn about plants is to grow them. Check out our article, Beginners Medicine Garden. Start your medicinal herb garden with helpful herbs like lemon balm, garlic, chamomile, calendula, and echinacea. Growing these and other plants will allow you to experiment with them as you learn and grow. 

Take a class.

Classes are great for several reasons. They often go more in-depth about actually putting your herbs to use. They also allow you to connect with teachers and other budding herbalists. Additionally, they can offer a sense of accountability on your learning journey. You can’t just keep putting off reading that chapter if you’re working through a scheduled class. 

A quick note about herbalism courses: be aware that there is no federal or state-recognized herbal certification in the United States. Having certificates from different schools or courses can aid you on your herbal journey, but you don’t need to be a certified or master herbalist to practice herbalism. Nor does one of these certificates qualify you to give medical advice.

Free options
  • Handcrafted Herbalism Mini-Course from The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
  • Micheal Moore’s Online Lectures
Other classes, workshops, and apprenticeships
  • Online Herbal Immersion Program from The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine (check their others too)
  • The Indigi Golden Herbal Academy 12 Month Herbal Apprenticeship for Indigenous and Indigenous Reclaiming BBIPOC Folx
  • Introductory Herbal Course from The Herbal Academy

Be careful about social media.

Social media can be a wonderful place to learn more about herbalism and get inspired by others’ gardens, recipes, and projects. However, it can also have some negative impacts. 

First, know that not everyone is careful about the information they share. Always double-check that plants and recipes are safe with a trusted before using them on yourselves or others.

Also, be aware of the human tendency to compare ourselves to others. There are some absolutely stunning herbal Instagram accounts, but know that aesthetics aren’t the most important thing about herbalism. Your garden doesn’t have to be a perfect, weed-free spiral, your teas and tinctures don’t need to be in the cutest mugs and containers, and you don’t have to have a space in your home solely dedicated to your herbal practice. It’s fine to be inspired, but it’s also important to remember that none of these things make you an herbalist.

Support other herbalists.

It would be great if we all had the time and energy to grow and craft all the herbal remedies we needed. Unfortunately, for most people, that’s not possible. Whether you can’t produce that ingredient you want because of your zone or don’t have time to make your own tincture, it’s okay to purchase herbal remedies. Just make sure you do so responsibly.

Support small, local herbalists. Look for people who care about their communities and the land. You may even find local farms that grow some herbs you’re looking for at a farmer’s market. Avoid big corporations that are looking to capitalize on your desire for wellness. 

We encourage you to get started with herbalism. While it cannot replace modern medicine, it can be an important part of your wellness routine. It’s also a great way to connect with the land and is a lot easier than you might think. Did we miss any of your favorite resources? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram!

Garden Advice

Create a Kitchen Herb Garden

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Kitchen herb gardens pack a lot of flavor and value into a small space. Growing herbs is a great way to make your meals more flavorful and save money. Herbs can be planted right into vegetable gardens and make great companion plants. However, you’re more likely to include fresh herbs in your meals if you can step out your door and clip a few while dinner is on the stove. 

Planning Your Kitchen Herb Garden

Herbs are good candidates for various planting styles, allowing you plenty of flexibility for designing a garden that works for you. As I mentioned above, selecting an easily accessible site for your herb garden is my biggest recommendation. Being able to grab a few quickly will encourage you to use them more.

Permaculture enthusiasts may be familiar with planning your property in zones to maximize efficiency. In this layout, zone 1 is the closest to your home and typically includes herb gardens.

You should also consider sunlight when choosing a location for your kitchen herb garden. While a few herbs will tolerate some shade, most herbs thrive in full sun. If you have a partially shaded spot, you’d like to try herbs in consider parsley, mint, or lemon balm.

Here are a few ways to incorporate a kitchen herb garden into your landscape.

Herb Spiral

Using soil and stones, bricks, or another similar material, you build a spiral-shaped bed with the center being the highest. These spiral beds are both beautiful and efficient. The key idea is that the design allows water to flow down from the top of the spiral. Herbs that love it hot and dry like rosemary, lavender, and thyme can thrive at the top, while herbs that need more moisture, such as lemon balm, cilantro, and parsley, are planted near the bottom.

The rocks or bricks of the soil also help retain heat. It also creates little micro-climates, with some spots being more sheltered or shaded than others. 

Knot Gardens

Knot gardens are formal herb gardens that were first established in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Herbs like rosemary, lavender, marjoram, thyme, and lemon balm are planted in intricate patterns to create beautiful designs. You can use whatever herbs you choose; remember that some like lavender will retain their shape more readily than those like mint, which will tend to spread. Try to create your own design or gather inspiration from the internet.

Raised Beds

Raised beds are often good for herbs because they tend to heat up quickly in the spring and drain well. Additionally, they can be set up on any soil type and are typically easier to keep weed-free. If you’re considering building raised beds, we’ve discussed the pros and cons in more detail in a previous post. 

Container Gardens

If you don’t have a lot of space, you can grow herbs in various containers. Even some window boxes will afford you a small herb garden. Herbs generally do pretty well in pots as long as they have proper drainage and receive full sun. Various pots or containers can be used, including ceramic, terracotta, or even upcycled plastic containers.

Soil

Most culinary and medicinal herbs will do best in well-drained, rich soil. Broad forking your garden and adding a couple of inches of finished compost each year can significantly improve your soil health and herb garden yields. 

You should also consider having your soil tested. Most herbs will thrive in neutral to slightly acidic soil. Amending your soil so that the pH is between 6.0 and 7.5 is ideal. 

If you’re growing in containers, it’s generally best to use a potting mix. These mixes are designed to hold moisture and avoid compaction in container conditions. Without any additions, ordinary garden soil doesn’t provide optimal conditions for plant growth in containers.

Selecting Varieties for Your Kitchen Herb Garden

There are many herbs to choose from, whether you want to make soothing herbal teas or make your favorite dishes a little more fresh and flavorful. If you’re struggling to make decisions, the best advice is to start with herbs you already use or know you will use and add a couple more experimental varieties each year. Here are just of few of the many culinary and medicinal herbs you may want to include in your kitchen herb garden.

Culinary Herbs

  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Chives
  • Sage
  • Parsley
  • Cilantro
  • Rosemary
  • Dill
  • Lemon Balm
  • Borage

Medicinal Herbs

Note that many of the previously mentioned culinary herbs also have medicinal uses and vice versa.

  • Astragalus
  • Feverfew
  • St. Johnswort
  • Chamomile
  • Echinacea
  • Calendula
  • Catnip
  • Horehound
  • Valerian

Starting Herbs from Seed

Like flowers and vegetable crops, the requirements for starting herbs from seed vary from species to species. Some herbs like borage require light while germinating and should be pressed lightly into the soil. In contrast, others like echinacea have to go through a cold stratification to germinate properly. Be sure to carefully read each variety’s requirements for best results starting herbs from seed.

If you have other friends or neighbors that garden, you can also barter for starts of perennial herbs. Some like lemon balm and chives are easy to divide and transplant, saving you the work of starting them from seed. 

Garden Advice

7 Reasons to Grow Echinacea

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Choosing plants for your garden can be challenging. There are so many incredible flowers, herbs, and vegetables to choose from. While everyone should make a garden that is uniquely theirs, one plant that I think deserves a spot in every garden is echinacea.

Echinacea is beautiful.

This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but echinacea is a gorgeous addition to the garden! They look lovely, added to cottage or potager-style gardens.

We carry four varieties of echinacea:

  • Echinacea Pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)
    Drooping flower petals are 1½-3½ in. long and may range in color from pink, purple, or white, but are typically rosy purple, with a purple-brown flower disc. Long, narrow leaves.
  • Echinacea Angustifolia (Narrow-Leaved Coneflower)
    The plants are the smallest of the echinaceas (8-18 in.) and the spreading pink ray petals are the shortest (¾-13⁄8 in. long). The leaves are long and narrow.
  • Echinacea Paradoxa (Yellow Coneflower)
    The most exceptional of the echinaceas because the petals are yellow rather than purple, hence the name E. paradoxa. Leaves are long and narrow.
  • Echinacea Purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
    The flowers are 3-4 in. across with pink-orange cone-shaped centers and purple-pink rays. 

Echinacea is a native plant.

Selecting native species for your garden, whenever possible, is an excellent idea. Native species like echinacea tend to be low-maintenance. They’ve evolved to handle the climate conditions and pest and disease pressure found here in the Eastern United States. They also help provide food and habitat for native species.

Echinacea attracts butterflies.

As a native flower, echinacea is an excellent food source for native insects. You’ll frequently see native butterflies like yellow swallowtails and great spangled fritillaries visiting echinacea blooms.

Beneficial insects like bees and predatory beetles may also overwinter in dead foliage and stems. It’s best to avoid trimming back dead material until the temperature is consistently over 50°F in the spring.

Echinacea attracts birds.

Along with helping native insects, echinacea also helps native birds. You may spot goldfinches and other seed-eating birds visiting the flower seed heads in late summer and early fall.

Echinacea is a hardy perennial.

It’s easy to fall in love with flowers that bloom year after year. Echinacea will bloom for about two months each summer with little care and maintenance. It’s a great plant for busy gardeners. Also, echinacea will self sow and spread on its own. It isn’t so vigorous that it will take over your garden, but once you have it growing, it’s easy to transplant to other sections of your garden or share with friends.

Echinacea is drought-tolerant.

Echinacea has extensive root systems, and most varieties have a long taproot. These roots make them incredibly drought tolerant. If you live in an area experiencing more droughts or don’t get around to watering as often as you should, echinacea is a great choice.

Be sure echinacea gets enough water while the seed is germinating and it’s first getting established.

Echinacea is a potent medicinal herb.

You may have noticed that echinacea is frequently listed as an ingredient in “cold and flu” tea blends from your local grocery store. This is because studies have indicated that echinacea has immunostimulant, bacteriostatic, and anti-viral activity. It’s believed that echinacea can help your immune system respond and shorten the length of your cold or flu.

It can be used in teas and tinctures or infused in salves. A great thing about echinacea is that the entire plant is medicinal, including the roots, leaves, and flowers.

Additional Herbalism & Garden Resources