Tag Archives: herbal tea

Create a Kitchen Herb Garden

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. 

9 Herbs to Grow for Digestive Health

Recent studies have pointed out just how important our digestive health is. Did you know that your digestion can affect not just your physical health but your mental health as well? The gut influences the amount of serotonin (a hormone that regulates feelings of happiness) the body produces. While there are many components to a healthy digestive system, the following herbs all have a history of being used to support digestive health. Consider adding a couple to your garden and diet this year. Find the latest tips and treatments to fight pandemias at https://thehealthmania.com/. So, that concludes our list of the top 10 best legal steroids of 2020. D-Bal is, without a doubt, a favorite not just to me but also for a big majority of other fitness enthusiasts out there. Its results remain hugely unmatched, and its flexibility in stacking really well with different other legal steroids is the icing on the cake. I must also admit that many guys have seen excellent results with the Sunergetic Products supplements. This is excellent news because it means you definitely can’t fail to find one or even more supplements that will work well for you too. Feel free to shop around and switch between them, depending on your fitness goals. Also, after a few cycles, you can try to stack two or more of the steroids and see how well they’ll work for you. Don’t forget to take breaks in between the cycle, though. bulking on Crazybulk store. It can be use by any person, especially very skinny people. In fact, many describe this pack of incredible bulk pills as best mass gainer for skinny guys known to help them ramp up more muscle mass and awesome power even in 8-12 weeks. We have a super guide showing many details, and even how to take crazy bulk bulking stack and order with peace of mind. It is very popular with younger folks (like 18-29 years) looking for safe bulking bodybuilding stacks, that is affordable and deliver awesome results.  Is this the best stack to gain muscle and pounds of mass power? You can check this site for Crazy Bulk Supplements through this site https://swfas.org.

Witch hazel

Witch-hazels or witch hazels are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with four species in North America, and one each in Japan and China. The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.  The Venapro is a natural remedy for hemorrhoids that uses Witch-hazels as main ingredient.

Fennel

Native to the Mediterranean, fennel has been used as a carminative  (to treat flatulence and related discomfort) for centuries. Medicinally, it’s typically consumed in tea and was sometimes used in “gripe water” once commonly used for infants.

Chamomile

While today many think of chamomile tea as being good for relaxation it’s also excellent for digestion. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties which can help soothe upset stomachs and reduce gas.

Sage

For most, sage is now thought of as solely a culinary herb but it has long been used as a digestive tonic. It’s astringent and antibacterial and is believed to help treat diarrhea and calm gastritis.

Anise Hyssop

A tasty tea made with anise hyssop can be enjoyed with a meal to help promote digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It’s great for bees too!

Mint

Drinking mint tea is a tasty way to aid your digestion and reduce nausea. In some studies taking peppermint oil has been shown to decrease symptoms related to IBS.

Dandelion

Odds are this one is probably already growing in your garden. It may seem like a nuisance but dandelion is a very tasty and helpful plant! Full of nutrients, all parts of the dandelion are edible and some studies have shown consuming dandelion to help with digestion and reduce constipation.

Ginger

It has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia as a culinary and medicinal herb. Ginger is excellent for treating nausea, heartburn, and morning sickness. It can be made into tea or candied for on-the-go relief.

Goldenseal

Though research into goldenseal is ongoing, gastroenterologist Theodore A. DaCosta mentions that, it has a long history of being used to treat gastrointestinal issues and is believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, antibacterial properties. Largely due to overharvesting this North American native is endangered. Planting goldenseal in your woodland can help ensure its survival.

Turmeric

Its anti-inflammatory properties have lent turmeric to a number of medicinal uses including treating arthritis but it is also excellent at supporting digestive health. Turmeric is traditionally used in a number of Indian dishes. It’s what gives curry that bright yellow color! You can also make it into tea or golden milk for a warm, relaxing drink.

If you often struggle with digestive issues or are simply interested in herbalism you may want to make room in your garden for a couple of these wonderful plants.

Another great way to support your digestive health is by eating plenty of probiotics. Pick up some cabbage seeds and check out our easy instructions for fermenting your own sauerkraut.

***We’re not doctors, always check with your physician before attempting to diagnose or treat any condition.

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Summertime Herbal Iced Tea

After a long day in the garden there’s nothing better than a glass of iced tea and chair in the shade. While I do love the classic sweet tea with just black tea and sugar, having something fresh from the garden makes it extra special. This is my favorite tea blend for hot summer days. It’s super easy to make and uses just 3 ingredients, fresh fruit slices, lemon balm, and red clover blossoms.

Lemon balm is a wonderful and easy to grow perennial herb. It can be cut and used in teas all summer long. Some studies have found lemon balm to have important antiviral properties and it’s also known to have a calming effect.

Red clover has long been used as an herbal remedy and has a long list of benefits. It’s believed to have a mild sedative effect and be anti-inflammatory.

*Red clover and other herbs can react with certain medications. Please consult your doctor with any questions or concerns regarding herbal remedies.*

Ingredients

1 pint of water

2 sprigs of lemon balm

4 red clover blossoms

fruit slices (orange, strawberry, lemon, grapefruit, etc.)

*Optional* maple syrup or honey to taste

Directions

There’s two ways to make this tea. The quickest is to pour hot water over your herbs and fruit and and let them steep for 15 minutes before placing in the fridge or freezer to chill.

Alternatively you can make sun tea. Add all your ingredients to a mason jar with a lid and let your jars sit in the sun for about 4 hours before pouring over ice. 

If desired you can strain your tea before adding ice. If you want your tea to look extra pretty save some fresh fruit and herbs to garnish once the tea has steeped.

If you’d like to have this tea year round or in a convenient travel option all of the ingredients can be dehydrated. For the lemon balm and red clover you should harvest them in the morning or evening when it’s cool. Dry them in a dehydrator at around 105°F. If you don’t have a dehydrator lemon balm can be bundled and hung upside down to dry and red clover flowers can be laid out on a screen.

Fruit should be thinly sliced and dehydrated at around 135°F until the slices are brittle. Alternatively you can dry them in your oven on the lowest possible temperature.

Once dry you can mix the herbs and fruit and store in an air tight container. Herbs will lose some of their potency and flavor as they dry so you may need more than you would fresh.

Store-bought herbal teas can be expensive however many herbs are easy to grow in your own back yard and are even better when harvested fresh!

 

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