Herb Garden :Organic Medicine and Food
Pineapple sage
Basil * Bee balm, (Bergamot) * Salad Burnet * Butterfly Weed (Pleurisy Root) * Calendula * Catnip * Cayenne Pepper * Chrysanthemum * Comfrey * Coriander Seed, Cilantro * Dill * Echinacea (Coneflower) * Fennel * Garlic * Horseradish * Hyssop * Lavender * Lemon Balm * Oregano * Parsley * Pennyroyal * Rose * Rosemary * Rue * Sage * Savory * Spearmint * Sweet marjoram * Sweet Woodruff * Tarragon * Thyme * Verbena, Lemon * Yarrow * Wormwood
The home herb and vegetable garden has always been has a place of creative joy, family bonding, connecting to nature, and source of healthy, organic life giving foods.
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 Bulk Herbs |
 Bitters & Syrups |
 Herbal Extracts |
 Herbal Health |
Garden Remedies
In today's cash strapped economy, the garden takes on even more importance as many families are finding it difficult to afford healthy food. There are many books, websites and other sources that specialize in information for gardeners, so we are not going to try to duplicate them here. We do have a few recipes that have proven useful in our own garden, Homemade insecticide spray, weed killers, and herbs that boost mineral content of potted plants and garden soil.
One of the most common questions we get is: What are the best herbs for growing in the garden? For the most part herbs and wildflowers, many of which have medicinal properties, are very easy to grow and very forgiving of the missteps beginning gardeners often make. They are also some of the most useful plants to have on hand, whether in the kitchen or the medicine cabinet. The costs of starting a small garden is minimal, the value of freshly picked, home grown medicinal and culinary herbs is priceless.
You may debate which herbs and plants should be on any given "Best Of List" for the home garden, herbalists tend to prefer plants that grow best in their own regions (as well they should). The herbs listed above are the ones we have had success with at our North Carolina home. You can find more detailed growing information in the individual herb profiles.
Looking for something you can read offline? Join our mailing list and get a free copy of Methods for Using Herbs. This free handbook includes instructions on how to make basic herbal preparations at home. It covers making herbal teas, herb infused oils and balms, tinctures, and more.
Works Cited- . Fleas Fact Sheet , Ohio State University EXT, (): Pennyroyal has been used as a natural insect repellent for centuries. A little goes a long way. Linalool (Demize), a citrus peel extract, is a natural, fast-acting flea killer, giving short residual control. Other botanicals include d-Limonene (Flea-Stop), citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, pennyroyal oil, balsam, lavender oil, calendula, comfrey, rosemary, tea tree oil and yucca.,
- Valerie Ann Worwood. "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy" New World Library, (1993) Ants dislike peppermint, you can prevent them from entering by scenting cotton balls, spraying along shelves,and entryways
- Crushed garlic is a good addition to any homemade insecticide spray. Garlic cloves, placed in the ground around plants will deter slugs. Garlic is a natural pesticide against mosquito larvae.,
- Use lavender sachet bags to protect clothes against moths. Also flies and mosquitoes dislike the fragrance, use the oil in insect sprays, or add the cut flowers to flower vases. ,
- In the garden, neem stands out as a highly effective, but non-toxic insecticide. Neem contains more than 25 active compounds that combat insects.,
- Spray house and garden plants with geranium oil diluted in distilled water to discourage larvae from feeding,
- To protect against flies, gnats and mosquitoes, and especially bees bathe exposed skin with a double strength standard brew of Feverfew and let dry.