Find a Place for Some Herbs in Your Garden

Herbs have always been a big hit with cooks and chef’s alike but are now making a popular return in the gardening sector too,
growing just a few dotted around in the garden can pay dividends when adding them to salads and cooked meals and rather than buying pre-packed types that can loose there goodness and need constantly replacing, with a live plant it stays fresh and keeps multiplying itself so that you never run out saving you a packet too!
 
I have a trough outside of my kitchen window with a small selection of herbs planted in it and when i get inspired to actually cook and i need some fresh herbs i just lean out of the window and pick them! how easy is that and there isn’t a single food mile involved so I’m being good to the environment too!
 
I grow the good old favourites mainly like parsley,mint and thyme and also have a clump of horseradish that i sometimes use in a sauce, chamomile is also a favourite of mine and after a stressful day there’s nothing better than a cup of chamomile tea, just a few freshly harvested sprigs in a cup of boiling water does the trick and tastes refreshing.
Another favourite of mine is fresh garlic, even though the smell may leave a little to be desired this herb is handy in the kitchen when added to casseroles and stir-Fry’s and a little dropped in to a shepherds pie tastes fantastic, this herb is really good for your health also and is known to help reduce blood pressure and can be used to combat the common cold, it also has antibiotic tendencies that help heal wounds if used externally.
 
Fennel and Borage are well known to herbalists for there ability to ease flatulence which can come in handy and Balm is a well respected herb for women struggling with the menopause and people who suffer with digestive complaints, as i mentioned earlier chamomile is good as a cup of herbal tea but also has tendencies to soothe a headache or a gassy stomach!
 
One herb that i couldn’t live without is Lavender, this strong scented herb is a good way of aiding a restful sleep and really does work for me, by nature i am a very light sleeper so a few drops of lavender oil on my pillow sends me into a deep sleep, i used to have lavender plant growing in my kitchen window but had to banish it to the garden because i just felt sleepy all the time when washing the dishes in the sink, and there’s nothing worse than waking up on the kitchen floor!!
 
If cooking a meat dish i always add a sprig of Rosemary or the odd Bay leaf as this really infuses the flavours and brings out the best in a meal, when boiling potatoes a Bay leaf always comes in handy here too and goes well in the pan and helps to liven up the taste a little, as does a handful of garden Thyme tossed in a fresh salad along with a few finely chopped stems of Chives of Garlic.
 
This year i am going to make a point of adding to my herb collection, as i am getting more adventurous in the kitchen I am getting more daring with what i add to the food for flavour so my collection will have to grow a little!

Its amazing what herbs can have uses for and not just in the kitchen, so many have medical values and are used in many remedies and solutions that we can all use today, something which is natural and harvested from the ground.
 
A little knowledge is helpful when using herbs in the ways that I have mentioned and would not recommend you run out and start eating up your plants if unsure what they are!
If buying your plants from a garden centre or even supermarket they will be supplied with an advice label in the pot which will give you the name of the herb and what it can be used for and good books are available which give you an insight into the world of herbs………….always a useful read.
 
So if you want to liven up a pan of spuds or ease a niggling headache or even have a good nights sleep a few selected herbs could be just what you need, and to think…………….these little chaps could be growing away in your garden ready for the taking!