Gardening with Long Term Herbs

Herbs should have a place in every garden no matter what size garden.They are versatile plants that add appeal to just about any type of garden with their attractive foliage, fragrance and flowers, but more importantly, herbs have more benefits than just they way they look in a garden, in fact more so then any other type of plant.

They are used for culinary purposes, making dishes that much nicer with both taste and presentation and if that is not enough, they contain powerful antioxidants in which our bodies need in order to eliminate free radicals that destroy cells causing a great number of bad things to happen such as premature aging, heart disease and cancer, so by eating herbs you are helping yourself to fight those very diseases.

They have also gained a widespread popularity as a natural approach to physical ailments, such as high cholesterol, digestive disorders, arthritis, immune system boosters, energizers and so on. Herbs are the basis for many conventional medicines that have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years and even some prescription medicines today contain them.

So now that you have read the reasons as to why herbs should be in your garden, I have created a list of long term herbs, herbs that last from year to year without having to replace them, thereby; saving you from having to take money out of your pockets every year. I hope this list will be of use to you my fellow gardeners. Enjoy.

Long Term Herbs

Allium-Chives:

• Description:Hardy perennial. Height and spread 30 cm.
• The purple globe shaped flowers are composed of bulbils and flower all summer. Leaves are green,cylindrical, and hollow, and have a mild aroma and flavor similar to the onion.
• Harvesting:Cut fresh leaves during the growing season. Divide flower heads into individual bulbils
• Uses: Both leaves and flower heads can be used in Salads, soups and dishes and are an excellent culinary herb. The leaves stimulate the appetite and aid digestion. They are also mildly antiseptic.

Foeniculum-Fennal:

• Description:Hardy herbaceous perennial. Height 4-7. feet Spread 18 in.
• Large flat umbrels of small yellow flowers appear in the summer followed by aromatic seeds. The feathery, thread like foliage is a soft bronze or green in color.
• Harvesting:Pick leaves to use in summer prior to flowering. Pick flowers to use fresh as they open. Harvest seeds just as they change color from green to brown, dry well.
• Uses:The seeds have the best medicinal properties. An infusion of seeds eases flatulence and colois in young children and prevents heartburn and indigestion in adults. A mild infusion can be used as an eye wash.

Lavendula-English Lavender:

• Description:Perennial evergreen shrub. Height 1-3 feet. Spread 1-4 feet.
• Erect plant with narrow, silver, oblong leaves. Purple blue flowers carried on spikes 2-3 inches long appear in the summer. Both leaves and flowers are highly aromatic.
• Harvesting:Pick flower stems when in full bloom, once color is bright and vivid,preferably on a cool morning once the dew has dried. The cooler they are the more oils that will be released,if necessary submerge the cut end of the stems into a bucket of water once picked. They can be stood in a dry vase to dry out. If flowers are to be used later tie together in small groups and hand in dark dry place.
• Uses:Dried lavender can be used in savory dishes with other herbs such as mist and rosemary. Medicinally lavender oils are used for skin conditions, respiratory ailments, digestion, nervous system such as stress,insomnia and migraine headaches.

Laurus-Bay:

• Description:Perennial evergreen tree. Height: 23f. Spread: 8f.
  Small pale yellow flowers blossom in the spring,followed by oval berries which are black when ripe. The golden,oval and pointed leaves are aromatic when crushed. Laurus nobilis is the hardier type.
  Harvesting:As this is an evergreen, the leaf can be picked fresh all year round. Pick berries in Autumn.
  Uses:Bay leaves can be used in cooking to promote digestion,especially of meat. You can you the leaves fresh or dried.

Mentha-Mint:

• Description:Hardy herbaceous perennial. Height up to 60 cm and spread indefinite.
• Small purple mauve flowers grow in cylindrical spikes in summer. The spearmint scented and flavored leaves are bright-mid green, oval shaped and very wrinkled. Spearmint can vary in flavor and color depending on the soil it is grown in.
• Harvesting:Pick leaves before flowering or after it has been cut back and the plant has started to regrow.
• Uses:Medicinally, it relieves indigestion, nausea,wind,diarrhea and colic. Mint tea soothes colds and can be used as a wash to bring down a fever or as a throat gargle.

Monarda-Bergamot-Bee Balm:

• Description:Hardy perennial. Height 3 feet. Spread 1-2 feet.
• Busy clump forming plant, with ovate-lance shaped, mid-green leaves, bearing bright whorls of scarlet to pink flowers on each stem in summer. Both leaves and flowers are highly aromatic.
• Harvesting:Gather edible leaves and flowers in bloom. Dry in small bundles in paper bags in a dry, well ventilated area. Bee Balm can be used as tea, or as an aromatic suitable for sachets and potpourri.
• Uses:Medicinally it is used as an antiseptic, diuretic and stimulant. An infusion is medicinal used internally to treat colds, catarrh, headaches, and gastric disorders, to reduce low fevers and soothe sore throat. It also relieves flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain, and insomnia. Steam inhalation of the plant can be used for sore throats, and bronchial catarrh. The flowers are edible and can be used to garnish salads. The fresh or dried leaves can be used in teas.

Nepeta-Catmint:

• Description:Hardy herbaceous perennial. Height and spread are 45 cm.
  Clusters of small blue flowers in summer. The oval grey leaves are toothed and have a pungent aroma.
  Harvesting:In spring pick young leaves for culinary use. When plant is in bud pick leaves to dry for medicinal use.
  Uses:Young leaves have a slightly bitter minty flavor and go well in soups. Medicinally they are use to treat childhood ailments such as colic,colds and coughs. When smoked the leaves cause a mild, cannabis like euphoria.

Oreiganum-Oregano:

• Description:Hardy herbaceous perennial. Height and spread 45 cm.
• Clusters of tiny, tubular,pale pink or mauve flowers appear in summer. The oval leaves can range from golden yellow to dark green. In winter the leaves die back to form a mat on the ground. The vigor and flavor of the oregano is affected by the planting site and the hours of sunlight.
• Harvesting:Pick leaves before flowering to use fresh or dried. After the end of the summer cut back and use the fresh leaves immediately;fresh leaf flavor deteriorates quickly in cold weather.
• Uses:For maximum flavor, use the herb dried in cooking. Oregano is a good antiseptic due to its high thymol oil content. It is used to test respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma.

Oxalis violocea- Wood sorrel:

• Description:Hardy perennial. Height Rose-colored underground bulbs produce heart-shaped, bright green leaflets that have several flowers clustered atop on thin stalks up to 8 inches long. The bell shaped, half inch wide flowers, blooming in mid-spring and are either violet or white in color. Each leaf is ternate and has three hearth-shaped leaflets, a bright green above, and purplish to dark red on their under surface, especially at the base.
• Harvesting: Gather entire plant in bloom, use fresh, or dry for later herb use.
• Uses:The leaves, flowers, and bulbs of Wood Sorrel are edible and medicinal. The leaves have a pleasant acid taste, due to the presence of considerable quantities of binoxalate of potash. Can be used as an attractive and tasty garnish for spring salads.The entire plant is used as an alternative medicine, and a decoction is made from its leaves and is given to treat high fevers, both to quench thirst and to allay the fever. It is also used to relieve hemorrhages and urinary disorders, as a blood cleanser, and will strengthen a weak stomach, produce an appetite, and check vomiting. The juice is used as a gargle and is a remedy for ulcers in the mouth, it is also used to heal wounds and to stanch bleeding.  

Primula-Primrose:

• Description:Hardy herbaceous perennial. Height and spread 15 cm.
• Sweetly scented,pale yellow flowers with a deep yellow center appear in the spring.The stems are covered in fine hairs..The mid green,oval shape leaves are textured. The primrose has become increasingly rare in the countryside. It is now illegal in the U.K to dig up plants that are growing wild.
• Harvesting:In autumn,dig up the roots of a 3-4 year old plant for medicinal use. In spring pick flowers and leaves to use fresh in salads or to dry for medicinal use.
• Use:Add flowers and young leaves to salads or puddings. Medicinally, the flowers, leaves and roots are used to treat respiratory tract infections,insomnia,and anxiety. The flower are used in infusion to treat minor wounds. Do not take if allergic to aspirin.

Rosmarinus-Rosemary:

• Description:Hardy perennial evergreen. Height and spread up to 80 cm.
• Small pale pink to pale blue flowers appear in early spring and last until early summer. The highly aromatic leaves are are,thin and needle-shaped,colored with green and splashed with yellow.
• Harvesting:Pick fresh leaves throughout the year.
• Uses:Rosemary leaf has many culinary uses. Medicinally it alleviates hangovers and restores memory. Rosemary aids recovery from long term stress and chronic illness. Its essential oil is used as an insect repellent. Run into temple to alleviate headache.

Thymus-Thyme:

• Description:Hardy evergreen perennial. Height 15 cm, spread 20 cm.
• Pale pink , mauve and white flowers appear in the summer. The leaves are slightly spoon shaped, aromatic and very small ranging from mid green to dark green.
• Harvesting:This evergreen herb can be picked all year round. For making herb oil or drying pick springs before flowering.
• Uses:Added to cooking they aid digestion and help break down fatty foods. They also have strong antiseptic properties. An infusion or tea makes a great remedy for sore throats and hangovers.

Viola-Violet:

• Description:Hardy perennial. Height and spread 38 cm.
• Small tri colored. Pansy like flowers with blue,yellow,purple,white and black petals. They flower throughout the summer until first frost. The leaves are heart shaped or oval with toothed edges.The flowers are edible and look attractive added to salad dishes.
• Harvesting:Gather flowers in full bloom, leaves anytime, and rootstock in fall. Dry root for later use.
• Uses:Medicinally violas are used as a syrup for treatment respiratory ailments. Roots can be used as a laxative. Teas can be made from entire plant and is used for digestive disorders. Used externally crushed leaves reduce swelling and sooth irritation. Flowers can be used in a bath and are thought to be soothing and aromatic. Eugenol, Ferulic-acid, Kaempferol, Quercetin and Scopoletin, constituents derived from the plant are showing promise in the treatment of many kinds of cancer, arthritis, aids and gum disease.

Verbena hastata- Blue vervain:

• Description:Hardy perennial. Height 5 feet. Spread 2 feet.
• Clump forming plant with stems branching near the top bearing stalked lance shaped,pointed,toothed leaves producing stiff panicles of numerous violet-blue to pinkish flowers,occasionally white in early summer.
• Harvesting:Fresh vervain leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season. For drying harvest the flowers in summer. Gather entire plant just before flowers open, dry for later herb use. Gather after flowers fade and dry to loosen seed for roasting
• Uses:Medicinally both the leaves and roots are used as, analgesic, antiperiodic, astringent, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, sedative, tonic, vulnerary. It is also used for fevers,ulcers,gravel,easing pain in the bowls and expelling worms. It can also  be used for kidney stones,bladder infections and nervous conditions such as insomnia. An important medicinal herb used by the western and Chinese herbalists to treat nervous exhaustion,headaches and liver and urinary tract infections. It can be administered as a medicinal tea but is very bitter.The chemicals constituents of this plant are being studied and may be viable in treating cancer and other diseases.

The majority of herbs are perennials if you need growing information follow the links:

• How To Grow And Care For Perennials
• Preparation For Perennials In The Spring
• How To Start Seeds

Other Links Of Interest

• How To Utilize Space For A Small Garden
• Popular Garden Plants and Their Meanings
• How To Prepare Your Garden For The Winter

Copyright © 2008 Tanya Kime-Wallace