Jan 22 2023
Latin Name: Artemisia tridentataBotanical Family: Compositae (daisy family) Latin Name: Salvia spp.Botanical Family: Labiatae (mint family) The ancient Romans associated sage with immortality, longevity, and strong mental capacities. The Latin verb sapere, from which the common name derives, means both “to have a good taste” and “to have good sense,” thus linking the plant with wisdom. Artemis, the …
Jan 21 2023
Fennel The ancient Greek word for fennel is “marathon”, based on the Greek victory over the Persians in 470 BC at Marathon, a battle that was fought in a field of fennel. Fennel is mentioned as early as 3500 years ago in the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical manuscript for the treatment of flatulence. …
Jan 20 2023
Mint or Mentha is much more than a plant grown to brew tea. The aromatic fresh green leaves can be used in the kitchen to spice up a fruit salad, sherbet, and ice cream. There are numerous other reasons to grow mint. The list includes the following: Planting Mint This fragrant perennial becomes a constant, …
Jan 13 2023
Although I have not yet met all the hundred or so types of thyme, I have to say I have yet to meet a thyme I did not like. Thymes are one of the most fragrant and pleasing herbs any gardener can grow. It is hard to pass a growth of thyme and not run …
Jan 12 2023
Over 500 different sages grow wild around the world. Most of us are familiar with more than one of them, although we may not realize they are from the same family. There are aromatic culinary sages, colorful sages for flower beds, perennial ones and annual ones. All require sun and ordinary but well drained soil. …
Jan 11 2023
Alliums flourish all through the temperate regions of the world. Although their native habitats vary from mountain slopes to middle East hot meadows and cooler woodlands of North America, all have common characteristics. They all have a family resemblance in root, leaf, flower and aroma. All of them are hardy bulbs. All have simple straight …
Jan 10 2023
When we think of culinary herbs we frequently think of those with aromatic leaves, like rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano. But there are herbs that concentrate their flavor in their seeds as well. Many cultures make good use of these flavoring seeds in their native cuisine. Caraway seeds add flavor to rye breads, anise and …
Jan 09 2023
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), that king of the culinary herbs, has an unique scent and flavor that have made it a favorite in cuisines as diverse as Thai, Italian African and Indian. Over 60 species of this tender annual herb, a relative of mint, are cultivated world wide. Native to India and Africa, basil is …
Jan 07 2023
In college I learned that I love to cook. I also learned that fresh herbs are painfully expensive at the grocery store, especially on my very tight retail clerk’s budget. So, one of the very first things that I ever grew from seed was a small pot full of herbs. It was then that I …
Dec 04 2022
Basil is one of most popular plants in herb gardening around the world, and their flavorful leaves are a wonderful addition to any home cooking. However, for those who do not live in a tropical climate where Basil can thrive all year round and easily reseed themselves, it could be a challenge to keep your …