Herb Gardening For Dummies E-Book

Karan Davis Cutler

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 588

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

A plain-English guide to the world of herb gardening Starting an herb garden isn't free, but it certainly outweighs the growing costs of buying retail herbs. Plus, adding homegrown ingredients to your meals is a healthy and tasty way to improve upon any dish you whip up at home. This friendly, hands-on guide is an excellent introduction to the world of herb gardening. It gives you tips and advice to grow a thriving herb garden that will add depth and flavor to home-cooked meals-as well as boost your health. * How to choose, plant, and care for herbs * Covers ready-made versus homemade soil mixes, starting plants from seeds, and other fundamentals * How to prevent insects, pests, and diseases from invading your containers * Over 30 herb recipes for everyday uses, including rubs, marinades, beauty products, and more Whether you're interested in getting step-by-step instructions for starting on your first herb garden or already have one and want to learn new tips and techniques, Herb Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition has you covered!

Leseprobe

Herb Gardening For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Herb Basics

Part II: Deciding How and What to Grow

Part III: Getting Down to Earth

Part IV: Cut and Dried: Handling the Herbal Bounty

Part V: The Part of Tens

Appendix: An Encyclopedia of Herbs

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Herb Basics

Chapter 1: Why Grow Herbs?

What Makes an Herb an Herb?

Seeing Why and Where to Grow Herbs

Herbs in your garden

Herbs in containers

Considering Culinary Herbs

Upping your nutrition quota

Finding ways to cook with herbs

Adding flavor to oils, vinegars, dressings, and marinades

Brewing herbal teas

Exploring Medicinal Herbs

Making history

Going mainstream

Food or drug . . . or neither?

Creating Herbal Body Care Products: Beauty or Bust?

Using Herbs for Hearth and Home

Looking at Herb Folklore

Sage renders men immortal, and other tall tales

Virtues of delight

Read All About It

Chapter 2: Herbs 101

What’s a Wort? Plant Name

Clearing up common name confusion

Getting scientific with names

Looking at the Herbal Cycle of Life

Surveying Herb Anatomy

The root of the matter

Stem dandy

Leaf it be

Factoring in flowers

Caution: Invasive Herbs Ahead

Plants that will make you rue the day

Location is everything

Underground travelers

Avoiding Dangerous Herbs

Herbs from the Wild

Part II: Deciding How and What to Grow

Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Home Ground

Climate Is Key

Factors that influence what you can grow

Weather matters

Using Climate and Zone Maps

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map

Determining your growing season

The Heat Zone Map

Native versus Exotic Plants

Giving Herbs What They Want

Making the most of microclimates

Letting the sunshine in

When the wind blows

Water, water everywhere

Location, Location, Location

Chapter 4: Designing Your Herb Garden

Getting Started

Catering to convenience

Deliberating one-shot deals

Creating an herbal oasis

An Herbal Nod to History

Formal designs — tux optional

Informal designs — the laid-back look

Incorporating Design Basics

Garden bones: Hardscapes

Color considerations

Fuzzy, frilly, shiny, lacy

Developing good habits

Aroma wasn’t built in a day

Chapter 5: Herb Garden Plans

Raising ’em Right: A Beginner’s Garden

Flying High: A Garden for Bees and Butterflies

Will’s Way: A Shakespearean Conceit

Something’s Cooking: A Culinary Garden

Patio Pleasures: A Garden for the Senses

Tied Up in Knots: A Garden for Teas and Medicines

Fine Friends: A Mixed Garden

Themes and Variations

Rock gardens

Under the big topiary

Gone fishin’ — moisture-loving herbs

Chapter 6: Herbs in Containers, Indoors and Out

Why Containers?

Choosing and Using Containers

Clay pots

Wood

Plastic

Resin, fiberglass, and polypropylene

Self-watering containers

Creative containers

Cachepots

Choosing Soil Mixes and Fertilizers

The unreal dirt

Mixing it up

A no-drainer

Now, the Easy Pot: Putting It All Together

How dry I am

Fertilizer: A strict diet

Surviving the big chill

Ideas for Outdoor Container Combos

The whiskey sour barrel

All in a row

Hang ’em high

Growing Herbs Indoors

What really works

Gimme shelter

Caring for Herbs Indoors

Moving day

Bright lights, big payoff

Air of superiority

Eating and drinking

In sickness and in health

Part III: Getting Down to Earth

Chapter 7: There’s No Place Like Loam: Preparing Your Soil for Planting

What Plants Need from Soil

Soils 101

A feel for texture

A sense of structure

It’s a Jungle Down There: The Soil Ecosystem

Organic Matter: Rx for Soils

Compost Happens

Gathering the raw ingredients

Speeding up the process

P.S. . . . pH

Testing your soil’s pH

Modifying pH

Starting Your Garden from Scratch

Spade power: Clearing sod by hand

Shade power: Clearing sod with covers

Herbicides — the last resort

Preparing Beds

Rototilling

Hand digging

Raised beds

Chapter 8: It’s Time to Plant

Seeds or Plants?

It’s Seed Time

Planning your seed purchases

Seedy business

Starting Seeds Indoors

Containers, planting medium, and more

Sowing the seeds

Once Seedlings Are Up

Good light

Cool room temperature

Good air circulation

Water

Fertilizer

Room for roots

Potting up

Buying Herb Plants

Moving Indoor Herbs Outdoors

Direct Seeding Herbs Outdoors

Remembering What’s What

Chapter 9: Everyday Care and Feeding

Thyme Waits for No Gardener

The H (How) of H2O

How much water is enough?

Water smart

Putting on the Feed Bag

The big three

Organic versus synthetic fertilizer

Keeping Weeds Under Control

The basic approaches

Herbicides: The big guns

Mulch: The Great Cover-Up

Mulch musings

Organic mulches

Inorganic mulches

Keeping Tidy

Thinning

Pruning

Cultivating

Cleaning up

Going on pest patrol

Stretching the Season

Bedtime for Borage

Chapter 10: Managing Pests in Your Herb Garden

Controlling Pests and Diseases Organically

Start with prevention

Monitor the garden

Identify the problem

Decide whether control is necessary

Let’s Get Physical

Beneficial barriers

Traps

Repellents

Using Biological Controls

Attracting Beneficials

Turning to Organic Sprays and Dusts

Beating bugs

Downing diseases

Playing it safe

Identifying Common Pests and Diseases

Bad bugs

Disturbing diseases

Outwitting Wildlife

Part IV: Cut and Dried: Handling the Herbal Bounty

Chapter 11: Harvesting and Preserving

Bringing in the Sheaves

Gathering leaves and stems

Salvaging other parts

Cut and Dried: Proper Drying and Storage

Just hanging around

Rack ’em up

Modern methods

The Big Chill: Freezing Herbs

Getting Crafty with Decorative Herb Parts

Desiccants for decorations

Microwave blossoms

Pressing business

Chapter 12: Culinary Concoctions

Mixing It Up

Creating Classic Combos

Crafting Herbal Vinegars and Oils

Making flavored vinegar

Making flavored oils

Living It Up with Herbed Butters and Spreads

Blending Herbal Salad Dressings

Marinating in Style

Preparing Dried Herb Mixes

Making an Herbal Cuppa Tea

How Sweet It Is

Jolly jellies

Heavenly honey

Crystallized confections

Chapter 13: Herbs for Healing and Soothing

Proper Use of the Herbal Pharmacy

Following a few simple rules

A word for moms (and moms-to-be)

Dazed and Infused: Herbal Remedies to Drink

Infusions

Decoctions

Tinctures

Syrups

Salved by the Bell: External Herbal Medicines

Poultices

Compresses

Oils

Who Ya Gonna Call? Stress Busters

Stop and smell the roses

Perchance to dream

Chapter 14: Herbs for Beauty

Having a Herbal Hair Day

Creating Skin Cleansers and Soothers

Bewitching hazel

Comin’ up roses

Scented soaps

Down the primrose bath

Kiss a Little Longer

Herbal Fragrances

Chapter 15: Herbs for Hearth and Home

Keeping Your House Clean

Getting the Bugs Out

Herbs to Dry For

Potpourris and sachets

Decorating with dried herbs

Herbs to Dye For

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Gifts to Make from Herbs You Grow

Herb Wreaths

Dried Culinary Herb Blends

Scented Herb Soaps

Drawer and Closet Sachets

Herb Bath Salts

Bath Sachets

Dream Pillows

Eye Pillows

Herb-Infused Honey

Pressed-Herb Notecards

Chapter 17: Ten Lists of Herbs for Different Uses and Garden Situations

Classic Kitchen Herbs

Herbs for Sweets

Herbs for Containers

Herbs that Attract Butterflies

Herbs for Sunny, Dry Gardens

Pretty Herbs for Ornamental Gardens

Herbs with Edible Flowers

Herbs for Tea

Easiest Herbs to Grow from Seed

Herbs That Should Not Be Ingested

Appendix: An Encyclopedia of Herbs

Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Bay (Laurus nobilis)

Bee balm (Monarda didyma)

Betony (Stachys officinalis)

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Caraway (Carum carvi)

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita, Chamaemelum nobile)

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Cilantro or coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Costmary (Tanacetum [Chrysanthemum] balsamita)

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Elecampane (Inula helenium)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Horehound (Ballota [Marrubium] vulgare)

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum)

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla [Lippia citriodora])

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

Marjoram, sweet (Origanum majorana)

Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis)

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)

Mints (Mentha spp.)

Mustard, black (Brassica nigra)

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium, Hedeoma pulegioides)

Rose (Rosa spp.)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rue (Ruta graveolens)

Saffron (Crocus sativus)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Savory, summer and winter (Satureja hortensis; S. montana)

Scented geranium (Pelargonium spp.)

Sorrel (Rumex spp.)

Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum)

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Tarragon, French (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa)

Thyme (Thymus spp.)

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Violet (Viola odorata)

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Herb Gardening For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

by Karan Davis Cutler, Kathleen Fisher, Suzanne DeJohn, & the Editors of the National Gardening Association

Herb Gardening For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938831

ISBN: 978-0-470-61778-6

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Karan Davis Cutler: A former magazine editor and newspaper columnist, Karan Davis Cutler is the author of seven other garden books. She publishes regularly in horticultural magazines and is an eight-time winner of the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America.

Kathleen Fisher: Kathleen Fisher was an editor of The American Gardener, published by the American Horticultural Society, and a longtime newspaper reporter and magazine editor. The author of several books and many articles, she died in May 2005.

Suzanne DeJohn: A writer and horticulturist at the National Gardening Association for 14 years, Suzanne now writes, gardens, and runs a pet-friendly B&B in northern Vermont.

The National Gardening Association (NGA) is committed to sustaining and renewing the fundamental links between people, plants, and the Earth. Founded in 1972 (as “Gardens for All”) to spearhead the community garden movement, today’s NGA promotes environmental responsibility, advances multidisciplinary learning and scientific literacy, and creates partnerships that restore and enhance communities.

NGA is best known for its garden-based curricula, educational journals, international initiatives, and several youth garden grant programs. Together these reach more than 300,000 children nationwide each year. NGA’s Web sites, one for home gardeners and another for those who garden with kids, build community and offer a wealth of custom content.

For more information about the National Gardening Association, write to 1100 Dorset St., South Burlington, VT 05403, or visit the Web site at www.garden.org or www.kidsgardening.org.

Dedication

To Kathy Fisher, who was bright, capable, and enormous fun — and who died far too young. And to our mothers and fathers, who encouraged our interests in plants and in words.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

We’ve depended greatly on the kindness of many (herb-growing) strangers — and friends. For specific help, we are indebted to Gwen Barclay, Hank Becker, Kathy Bond Borie, Rosalind Creasy, Barbara Ellis, David Ellis, Donald M. Maynard, Patsy Jamieson, Susan Romanoff, and Holly Shimizu.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

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Introduction

You’ve probably already decided that you want to grow herbs, so we’ll keep this introduction short and sweet so that you can dive right into the more important and exciting stuff. But just in case you need a little more convincing, here are a few compelling reasons to try your hand at growing herbs:

Herbs are versatile. As a group, herbs are both ornamental and practical, beautiful and useful. Most are fragrant, many taste good, and some are highly nutritious. Plus, they’re just plain interesting — many have colorful names and equally colorful lore associated with them.

You get the freshest harvest. There’s a big difference between herbs plucked fresh from the garden and the dried herbs sitting for who knows how long on the grocery store shelf.

You can control how they’re grown and stored. If you want herbs that haven’t been sprayed with synthetic pesticides or irradiated after they’re dried, then you have two choices: Buy expensive organic herbs (if you can find them) or grow them yourself.

The variety is almost endless. You’ve seen peppermint and thyme in the dried herb section of the supermarket, and perhaps you’ve even seen them fresh in the produce aisle. But have you ever seen chocolate mint or lemon thyme? Or horehound, hyssop, or lemon balm? Probably not. For anything out of the ordinary, you’ll have to grow it yourself.

About This Book

We cover a lot of ground in this book, from preparing soil to choosing herbs to using the harvest in a variety of ways. You can access the information in whatever way suits you — you can read the book from cover to cover, refer to selected chapters as you need them, flip through pages to browse the contents, or use the detailed table of contents and index to home in on specific information. Because you may not read the book straight through, each chapter includes the background information you need to understand the topic at hand.

Conventions Used in This Book

Although we keep garden jargon to a minimum in this book, we do use some garden shorthand. To help you navigate, here’s a list of some of the conventions we use:

When we refer to a plant’s hardiness — a plant’s ability to survive extreme winter weather — we’re using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map. You can view the zone map in Chapter 3.

All temperatures are given in degrees Fahrenheit.

In general, when we refer to a plant we use the most common of the common names, followed by the botanical name in italics.

All Web addresses appear in monofont, as in www.dummies.com.

What You’re Not to Read

We understand that readers are in a hurry and just want the nuts and bolts on a subject. If you find yourself in that boat, feel free to skip over sections in sidebars. We think this information is interesting or useful (or it wouldn’t be in the book), but it’s not critical to the topic at hand.

Foolish Assumptions

We’ve crammed much of what we know about growing herbs between these yellow covers. We wrote each chapter primarily for beginners. At the same time, we hope that what we have to say also interests intermediate and even experienced herb gardeners.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into five parts, starting with background information, and then leading you step-by-step through the process of growing, harvesting, and using herbs. You can also find an encyclopedia of herbs in the appendix.

Part I: Herb Basics

This part covers some background information on growing herbs, how herbs have been used throughout history, and some basic botany principles.

Part II: Deciding How and What to Grow

Before you sow your first seed or set out your first transplant, you’ll want to evaluate the growing conditions in your garden. This part shows you how to do so. And even the most spontaneous gardener benefits from have a basic garden plan, so we get you started on that aspect, too.

Part III: Getting Down to Earth

It’s time for the nitty-gritty of herb gardening. In this part, we demystify soil so that you know what you’re digging in and how to improve it. Then we look at techniques for planting and caring for herbs, as well as dealing with pest problems.

Part IV: Cut and Dried: Handling the Herbal Bounty

For some gardeners, gathering and using herbs are the fun parts. (It’s all fun for us — yes, even the weeding.) This part is all about harvesting herbs, preserving them, and using them in all sorts of ways, in the kitchen, home, medicine chest, and more.

Part V: The Part of Tens

A side benefit of herb growing (or perhaps the main benefit for some people) is the array of gifts you can make from what you’ve grown. In this part, we suggest ten great gift ideas. And if you can’t decide which of the dozens of herbs to try, you can find lists for different garden situations, culinary uses, and other ways to help you choose.

Appendix: An Encyclopedia of Herbs

If you have a question about a particular herb, turn to this appendix. Arranged alphabetically by common name, the encyclopedia includes specific information about how to plant, grow, preserve, and use individual herbs.

Icons Used in This Book

This book uses a variety of icons to highlight really helpful tips, common pitfalls, and other useful information. Here’s what they mean:

This icon flags special techniques and helpful shortcuts.

This icon warns you of potential trouble — be it herbs that are dangerous to you or things that are dangerous to your herbs.

This icon highlights important pieces of information that you’ll want to keep in mind as you garden.

You don’t have to read this information to understand the topic at hand. But if you’re interested in the more technical side of herbs or simply want extra detail, you may want to.

Where to Go from Here

This book is organized so that you can jump into any chapter that grabs your attention. If you’re an experienced gardener who wants to add herbs to your plantings, consider skipping over some of the introductory material in Part I and go right to Part II. Because healthy soil plays such an important role in successful gardening, we hope you’ll find time to read through Chapter 7. If your garden is up and growing and you’re looking for ways to manage pests, refer to Chapter 10. You can read the other parts of the book after your pest problems are under control.

One of the great things about growing herbs — and about gardening in general — is that there’s always more to discover and new plants and techniques to try. We hope this book is helpful to you as you explore the wonderful world of herbs.

Part I

Herb Basics

In this part . . .

Whether you’re hoping to grow a basil plant or two to spice up your frozen pizza or you envision yourself tending row after row of medicinal and culinary herbs (or your herb-growing goals fall somewhere in between), you’ll be more successful if you understand some of the basics of herb gardening before you get started.

In Part I, we open the door to the fascinating and sometimes zany realm of herbs. We touch on some of the reasons gardeners choose to grow herbs and survey the variety of roles herbs can play in the kitchen, medicine chest, and elsewhere in daily life. We delve into a bit of botany, including some must-have information on common and botanical names. And finally, we offer some thoughts about herbs you may want to avoid.

Along the way, you discover some of the magical powers attributed to specific herbs. For example, did you know that you should drink horehound tea, hot from the fire, if you’re poisoned by your stepmother? And if you place a sprig of rosemary under your bed, “Thou shalt be delivered of all evil dreams.”

Chapter 1

Why Grow Herbs?

In This Chapter

Recognizing herbs

Using herbs in food, medicine, crafts, and more

Enjoying the history and lore of herbs

Gardeners love kindred souls, and if you decide to grow herbs, you’ll be in the company of plenty of kindred souls, both in the present and from times past.

Even before recorded history, herbs were the sources of countless culinary, medicinal, and craft materials. Historically, growing herbs wasn’t a hobby; it was necessary for survival. Then, during the last half century or so, chemists began developing synthetic forms of aromas, flavors, medicines, and dyes that formerly had been extracted from herbs. (Notice how often artificial flavors and colors appear in the ingredients lists on packaged foods.) Because it was cheaper to make these imitations in a lab than it was to grow and extract the real thing, herb gardening fell out of favor to some degree. Now that the “better living through chemistry” heyday is over, there’s renewed interest in getting back to natural sources of the stuff we ingest and otherwise use in our daily lives. And herb gardening is experiencing a renaissance.

This chapter is a potpourri of herb information — our effort to introduce you to the subject, including some of its historical and entertaining aspects, and to inspire you to join the legions of herb gardeners, past, present, and future.

What Makes an Herb an Herb?

Before we talk about growing herbs, it’s only fitting to define the meaning of the word herb. (We pronounce it “erb” with a silent “h.” If you want to sound British, pronounce the “h,” as in the name Herb.) What, exactly, is an herb? Different resources define the word in different ways, depending upon their frame of reference.

A biologist might use the term herb as shorthand for herbaceous plant — a plant that forms a soft, tender stem rather than a woody stem. However, that definition leaves out many plants that are typically considered herbs, including rosemary, a charter member of the culinary herb hall of fame. And it includes plants like daffodils, which aren’t on anyone’s herb list.

Some ethnobotanists (people who study plants in the context of how they’re used by different social groups) might define herbs as “useful plants,” but hundreds of plants are useful, such as corn and oats, that few of us would call herbs. Others define herbs as “plants grown for medicinal qualities and for seasoning foods,” but that definition leaves out dye plants, plants used in rituals, and those used for making cosmetics, crafts, and more.

The Herb Society of America (HSA) follows the “big-tent” philosophy and defines herbs as plants valued for their “flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticide properties, and coloring materials.” If it’s good enough for the HSA, it’s good enough — and broad enough — for us. So if you’ve planted something that tastes or smells good (or bad), cures what ails you, or can be used in some way, feel free to call it an herb. You won’t get an argument from us.

As for this book, we focus on some of the most common herbs that are popular for their flavor, their medicinal qualities, and other purposes. Most of their names will be familiar, even if you haven’t sown a single seed.

Seeing Why and Where to Grow Herbs

If you garden at all, you’ve probably grown some herbs, even if you weren’t aware of it. If you have bee balm, lavender, roses, or sage in your ornamental beds, you’re growing herbs. Ditto if you tuck in some basil, fennel, or garlic among your edibles. But if you need more convincing to add herbs to your garden plant palette, here are a few reasons to give them a try:

Herbs are versatile. They’re pretty, smell nice, are useful, or all of the above.

Many herbs are easy to grow. Annual herbs like basil, cilantro, and nasturtium are among the most reliable plants, even for beginner gardeners.

They benefit other plants. Even if you don’t plan to harvest and use the herbs directly, you’ll enjoy the way some herbs repel pests and attract beneficial insects.

Herbs are great conversation starters. Once you know a bit of lore about the plants you’re growing, you can entertain garden visitors with their historical significance or fun factoids.

They’ll kick up the flavor of your culinary creations. Fresh rosemary, thyme, or tarragon can turn an everyday dish into a gourmet delight.

You’ll save money. If you’ve ever looked at herbs in the supermarket, you’ve probably noticed two things about them: They usually appear wilted or shriveled, and they’re very expensive. If you grow your own herbs, you’ll have access to the freshest herbs possible — clipped right before you need them — for a fraction of the price.

Herbs in your garden

You don’t need a special herb garden to grow herbs. Most herbs are very companionable and happily share garden space with more flamboyant ornamentals or more familiar edibles. (A notable few, described in Chapter 2, are decidedly invasive and should be avoided or grown in a confined area.) For ideas on designing your herb garden, as well as incorporating herbs into your existing beds, flip to Chapter 4.

Herbs in containers

Even if you don’t have a backyard garden, you can still grow herbs. Most herbs readily adapt to growing in containers, and some can even be grown on a sunny windowsill. And even if you have a big yard, you may want to grow some of your favorite culinary herbs in pots just steps away from the kitchen for easy harvesting. Find out more about growing herbs in containers in Chapter 6.

Considering Culinary Herbs

Before the advent of refrigeration, herbs with antibacterial properties, including garlic, oregano, and thyme, were enlisted to help preserve foods that had to be stored for use during times of scarcity, such as in midwinter when fresh foods were hard to come by. These and other herbs and spices with strong flavors and aromas were also used to mask the tastes and smells of foods that were beginning to go rancid, making them more palatable.

Now that we can control the temperature in our refrigerator with the turn of a dial, most of us enjoy herbs for the way they enhance the flavor and coloring of food and drink. Most recipes contain one or more ingredients purely for aesthetics — better taste, more attractive presentation. What would pickles be without dill, or pesto without basil?

Purists use the word herb to refer to plants grown for their leaves and stems; spices are those cultivated for their flowers, seeds, bark, wood, resin, and roots. You also may come across the word potherb. That’s an old term that refers to vegetables and herbs used in salads, soups, and stews. For our purposes, spices are culinary herbs.

Upping your nutrition quota

If aesthetics aren’t a good enough reason to grow herbs, consider the fact that many herbs are good for you, too. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a teaspoon of dill seed contains 32 milligrams of calcium; a teaspoon of ground basil contains 6 milligrams of magnesium.

But when it comes to nutrients, the herbal champ is the chili pepper: One teaspoon of chili powder contains potassium, sodium, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), niacin, and vitamin A. (However, if you decide to substitute chili powder for your multivitamin, we recommend taking each teaspoon with a gallon of milk to offset the heat of the chili.)

A few culinary herbs have recently made the news because of their antioxidant levels. Antioxidants

Chapter 2

Herbs 101

In This Chapter

Understanding plant names

Exploring the basics of botany

Being wary of invasive and toxic herbs

Finding out about endangered herbs and wildcrafting

In this chapter we cover some of the basics of herb gardening — and gardening in general. Like all hobbies, gardening has its own set of terminology, and getting a handle on the terms makes communicating easier. So we start with how plants are named, and then move on to life cycles and anatomy. It’s not the most exciting part of herb gardening, but this information forms a foundation from which you can begin to build your herbal oasis. Later in the chapter are some important words of caution.

What’s a Wort? Plant Name

Plant names are one of the special pleasures of gardening. Who wouldn’t want to grow a marmalade bush, maybe next to a bread-tree and just down from a chocolate vine? Herbs, among the first plants to be cultivated, have some of the most evocative common names: liverwort, adder’s tongue, heartsease, lamb’s ear, monkshood, corn cockle, toothache plant, lady’s bedstraw, lady’s mantle, love-lies-bleeding, queen-of-the-meadow, boneset, star of Bethlehem, scullcap, lungwort. The list goes on and on. . . .

Speaking of lungwort and all the other worts you’ve probably come across in your gardening travels . . . just what is a wort? It’s an archaic word for “plant.” You see it attached to other words, usually nouns that tell something about what people believed the plant did or how it looked. Lungwort cured lung ailments, spiderwort healed the bites of spiders, and feverwort brought down fevers. Bellwort has bell-shaped flowers, ragwort has ragged foliage, and we don’t have to tell you how spoonwort’s leaves are shaped.

Another word you’ll come across is bane, as in leopard’s-bane and wolf’s-bane (which are reputed to repel leopards and werewolves, respectively). If something is the bane of your existence, maybe there’s a plant to repel it. Just remember that if something has bane in its name, it may well be toxic to you, too.

Clearing up common name confusion

As fun as they are, the problem with common names is that they’re not unique; the same name can be used for more than one plant. Starflower, for example, is one name for borage, but it’s also the informal name for a native California wildflower and 60 of its cousins, a large clan of perennials that grow from corms, and any number of other plants that at one time or another conjured up the image of a star in someone’s mind.

What’s more, one plant may have many common names. Take southernwood: It’s a shrubby perennial that repels flies, fleas, and moths (and once was prescribed as a cure for pimples, worms, baldness, cramps, and convulsions, and as “an antidote against all poisons”). It’s also called lord’s wood, maid’s ruin, lover’s plant, lad’s love, lemon plant, boy’s love, old man, old man’s tree, mugwort, garden sagebrush, and wormwood.

The common names of herbs are great fun, and each has a story — even the ubiquitous dandelion. Its name comes from both Latin (dens leonis) and French (dent de lion). Each alludes to the plant’s serrated leaves, which supposedly resemble the teeth in a lion’s mouth — giving rise to another common name for the plant, lion’s tooth. But there’s more. The dandelion is called earth nail in China because of its long root. In France, the dandelion is known as pissenlit, which highlights its diuretic effect. Tradition holds that anyone who even picks dandelions will wet the bed. Hence, another common English name for the dandelion, pissabed. Other names? Blowball and pullball, after its fluffy seed head; and priest’s crown and monk’s head, allusions to the flower head after its seeds have blown away. Even if you have no intention of growing herbs, finding out about them gives insight into times past.

Getting scientific with names

Over the centuries, a string of prominent scientists has tried to clear up all the naming confusion, but it took Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707–1778) to get everyone using the same two-word (or binomial) system to group and name plants. Achieving agreement wasn’t easy, especially because some conservatives were scandalized by Linnaeus’s views on plant sexuality, but the general rules were established in 1753. (Linnaeus exacted his revenge by naming several noxious weeds after his critics.) Here’s how botanic nomenclature, or scientific naming, works.

Genus and species

Every plant has at least two names, a genus name and a species name, that together make up its scientific name (also referred to as its Latin name, botanical name, and Latin binomial). A genus is a collection of similar plants; genera is the plural. A species name, sometimes called a specific epithet, is a descriptive name for a distinct group within the genus. (The word species is both singular and plural; there’s no such thing as specie, unless you’re talking money.) When written, scientific names (both the genus and species names) are set in italics, and the genus name is capitalized. For example, Viola is the genus name for all the violet-like plants, of which there are more than 500. The common violet is one type, or species, within the genus Viola; its species name is odorata. So the common violet’s scientific name is Viola odorata.

Sometimes the term species is abbreviated as “sp.” (singular) or “spp.” (plural). A genus name followed by “spp.” refers to more than one species within that genus, but not necessarily all the species within that genus. For example, you might say, “Mints (Mentha spp.) are popular herb garden plants,” without specifically naming spearmint (Mentha spicata) and apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) as examples, or specifically excluding Australian mint (Mentha australis), which may be common down under but is relatively unknown elsewhere. In a list of botanical names, the genus name is sometimes abbreviated after the first mention. For example, in a list of different mints, such as Mentha spicata,M. suaveolens, and M. australis, Mentha is abbreviated as M. The species name is never abbreviated.

The species name often reveals something about the plant, and different plants can have the same species name. For example, odorata means “sweet” or “fragrant,” so any plant with a form of odorata in its species name — such as sweet woodruff, or Galium odoratum — is fragrant. The species name officinalis means “has medicinal uses.” Now you know something about Althaea officinalis,Borago officinalis, and Rosmarinus officinalis — marsh mallow, borage, and rosemary — they all have medicinal uses. Once you become familiar with some of these terms, you’ll be able to tell something about the herb just from its name.

Cultivar and variety

In addition to their genus and species names, many herbs have a third, or cultivar, name (the word derives from “cultivated variety”). The cultivar name is neither italicized nor underlined but is capitalized and placed in single quotation marks (for example, Viola odorata ‘Royal Robe’). A cultivar is a plant produced not by Mother Nature but by plant breeders and gardeners through cultivation. A cultivar is different from the species and from other cultivars in one or more respects and is often touted as better. ‘Royal Robe,’ for the record, has gorgeous, deep violet blooms and flowers in spring and again in autumn.

You often see the word variety used interchangeably with cultivar. In fact, the two are different things: A cultivar is intentionally bred or selected, whereas a variety is a naturally occurring form that is different from the species. Varieties are designated by the abbreviation “var.” followed by the variety in italics. For example, rosemary, which has blue flowers, is Rosmarinus officinalis; the naturally occurring white-flowered rosemary is Rosmarinus officinalis var. albiflorus.

Pronunciation

We admit that all these distinctions are pretty picky, and that scientific names are a mouthful. Pronouncing them doesn’t come easily. We’ll let you in on two secrets: First, plant names are horticultural Latin, not classical Latin. And second, no one really knows how the Romans sounded when they spoke. Whether you pronounce Petroselinum (the botanical name for parsley) petroh-seh-LINE-um or petroh-seh-LEEN-um isn’t all that important. Knowing exactly what plant you’re seeing or buying is all that matters.

Remembering scientific names is no walk in the park either. Don’t despair. The longer you garden, the more names you’ll recognize and remember. And sometimes, just when you’ve got a name committed to memory, the name will change because scientists have discovered something new about the plant. However, the two-word (or binomial) system is always the rule.

Following is a table of some Latin words that are commonly used in species and variety names.

Latin Term

English Translation

alba, albus

White

angustifolia, angustifolius

Narrow-leaved

annuua or annuus

Annual

argentea-, argenteo-

Silvery

aurea-, aureo-

Golden or yellow

biennis

Biennial

caerulea, caeruleus

Blue

coccinea, coccineus

Scarlet red

cordata, cordatus

Heart-shaped

dioica, dioicus

Having male and female flowers on separate plants

floribunda, floribundus, floridus

Having showy and/or abundant flowers

-flora, -florus

Referring to the flowers of a plant

-folia, -folius

Referring to the leaves of a plant

fragrans

Fragrant or sweet-smelling

Latin Term

English Translation

frutescens, fruticans, fruticosus

Shrubby or bushy

glabra

Smooth or hairless

glauca, glaucus

Covered with a waxy coating, or bloom

hirtus, hirta, hirsutus

Covered with stiff, bristly hairs

humilis

Low-growing or dwarf

lact-

Milky (can describe color or sap)

leuc-

White

lutea, luteo-

Yellow

macro-

Very large

maculatus

Spotted

micro-

Very small

mollis

Soft or covered with soft hairs

montana, montanus

Native to mountain habitats

nana, nanus

Small or dwarf

nigra, niger,

Black or very dark

officinalis

Referring to plants with medicinal properties

pallida, pallidus

Pale

palmatum, palmatus

Having palmate (handlike) leaves

perennis

Perennial

-phylla, -phyllus

Referring to the leaves of a plant

pumila, pumilus

Small or dwarf

purpurea, purpureus

Purple

repens, reptans

Creeping

rosea, roseus

Pink

rubra

Red

rugosa, rugosus

Wrinkled

sativa, sativus

Cultivated

sempervirens

Evergreen

tomentosa, tomentosum, tomentosus

Densely covered with wooly hairs

tuberosa, tuberosus

Producing tubers

veris, vernalis

Flowering in early spring

-virens, virida-

Green

vulgaris

Common

xanth-

Yellow

The terms in the following table usually indicate a plant’s native region.

Latin Term

Native Region

boralis

Northern

canadense, canadensis

Canada

chinensis

China

indicus

India

japonica, japonicus

Japan

koreana, koreanus

Korea

nipponicus, nipponicum

Japan

occidentalis

Western Hemisphere

orientalis

Far East

persica, persicus

Persia (Iran)

sinensis

China

Looking at the Herbal Cycle of Life

Like other garden plants, herbs have different life cycles. Herbs can fall into any of the following categories:

Annuals: These plants burn the candle at both ends: They germinate, flower, set seeds, and die in one growing season. No matter where you live, you have to plant basil, borage, calendula, summer savory, and other annuals every year.

Biennials: Biennials live for two growing seasons — germinating and forming leaves in the first year, then flowering, setting seeds, and dying in the second. Some biennial herbs, such as parsley, are treated as if they were annuals and are harvested in their first year. Biennials grown for their flowers or seeds, such as angelica and caraway, need a second season in your garden.

Perennials:

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Designing Your Herb Garden

In This Chapter

Discovering your garden style

Looking at garden designs through the ages

Handling hardscapes: The hard stuff

Making your design eye-pleasing

When people think of an herb garden, they often imagine a formal garden laid out in a knot shape or another precise geometric pattern, but this is just one way to grow herbs. You can also grow herbs in informal beds or mix them in among ornamentals and vegetables — after all, many herb plants are beautiful in their own right, and many are edible, too.

Ideally, you’ll have a design in mind before you buy or sow your first herb plant. But if you’re like most gardeners, herbs are at least occasionally an impulse buy: You see a plant you like and buy it — but when you get it home, you wonder where to plant it. Although it pays to have a general design in mind, flexibility is also important — that is, unless you’re that one-in-a-million gardener who can actually walk past an herb display without buying at least one plant.

In this chapter, you discover the basics of designing an herb garden. Once you have the fundamentals down, you’ll be ready to create your own herbal nirvana. Or, you can flip to Chapter 5 for specific herb garden plans. And because most herbs are ideal for containers, too, Chapter 6 is devoted to that subject.

Getting Started

As you consider how and where to grow your herbs, keep in mind that the definition of herbs assumes that you want to use them in a practical way. So before you make that trip to the nursery or dig your first hole, ask yourself a few questions:

Why am I growing herbs? Primarily for their beauty? Or for use in the kitchen, or to make tinctures or salves?

How often will I harvest? Will I snip a few sprigs every day, or do one big harvest each year?

Do I want a separate herb garden? Or would it make more sense to incorporate herbs into existing vegetable and ornamental gardens?

Catering to convenience