It’s time to get ready for garden season. If you are a gardener or not, growing herbs is a must. They are easy to grow and can be used in everyday foods plus you can make tea out of them. Learn why you should get your herbs growing this season. Grow herbs for daily use and tea.
Why Grow Herbs?
Herbs can add flavor to main dishes, and dressings and even become a part of your tea. I love herbs and think everyone should grow 1-8 herbs in their backyard. Grow them in an herb garden planter or grow them in your garden. When you have fresh herbs in your backyard, you will love the flavor they bring to your cooking. The more you use herbs the more you love them.
One good thing about herbs is the deer don’t like them and they won’t eat them.
Recommended Herbs to Grow
Parsley- Easy and versatile and a must to grow. Dry it for winter. Parsley is great in multiple food dishes and soups. My parsley grows for 7-8 months. It is an annual so you must replant every year.
Cilantro- Doesn’t like the heat, so it’s hard to time it with tomatoes. It is still great to make salad dressings and add to guacamole. Dry it for winter.
Rosemary- Grow it year-round- bring the plant in for the winter. Perfect in bread and soup or dry it for winter. I love this one in tea.
Thyme- This is my first time planting this fresh herb. I will dry it to add to the soups.
Oregano is great in Italian food and works well to dry for the winter. Add this herb with chocolate mint for tea.
Basil- A perfect herb to add to salads and main dishes, soups, and pesto. Freeze or dry this one. Good for respiratory health.
Lavender- Picky about the soil. English culinary variety is great to add to tea, simple syrups, and to decorate. Good for skin, and aromatherapy.
Lemon Balm– This herb is in the mint family and it spreads quickly. Fresh or Dry to add to tea. We like to mix with other herbs. Make pesto with this too.
Chocolate Mint– Every night pluck off a section and make fresh tea. This is good to mix with other herbs. We even dry some for winter. This plant multiplies and comes up every year. The herb that takes over.
Sage– Our sage comes back as a perennial. Add a few leaves mixed with chocolate mint to make a great tea. Dry and use in the winter with fall/winter dishes.
Health Benefits from Herbs
The more I learn about herbs the more I learn they have numerous health benefits. This made me love them more as I found ways to incorporate them into my foods and teas. Of course, these herbs are great sources of antioxidants and provide phytochemicals and nutrients.
Remember as in medicine, plants can work in each person’s body differently and you may have an allergy. You may find an herb does not agree with you. Take notes and monitor your body when you make tea or use them in cooking. Below are a few benefits with even more than the ones I highlighted.
- Basil- boosts the immune system, pain relief, respiratory health
- Lavender– promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
- Peppermint- helps with digestion and headache relief
- Thyme- aids in digestion and respiratory health
- Oregano- good for digestive issues, reduces inflammation and regulates blood sugars
- Lemon balm– noted to help with dyslipidemia, sleep aid, and relaxation
- Parsley- makes a good liver detox, plus heart health, and bone health benefits
- Cilantro- another good liver detox, helps with heart health, lowers blood sugars, reduces anxiety, and Cancer Prevention
- Rosemary– helps with memory and concentration, inflammation, and pain
- Chocolate mint– It is good for digestion, inflammation, immune system, dental health
These are all the herbs you most likely will choose to grow. Each year we try new ones. Last year we added Bee Balm and Yarrow and will try growing Chamomile this year. Try a new herb every year and decide how to use it the most.
How to Grow Herbs
Buy the starter plants for some of these herbs from the grocery store in the produce section, from a greenhouse, or plant by seed in a small pot before placing them in your garden. Many herbs mix nicely in your garden and help keep bugs away. Do not put chocolate mint in your garden; the vines under the soil will travel everywhere.
If you don’t have a garden make a small herb garden in a 2-foot by 2-foot area and plant a few herbs you can freshly cut in the summer. In a southern climate, you may be able to keep your herbs fresh all year long. If you have snow in the winter you will need to dry your herbs to use in the winter.
How to Use Herbs
- Add herbs to dressings, and mix in sauces, soups, and main dishes.
- Everything needs an herb or a spice to flavor it.
- Chop up cilantro, parsley, and basil and add it to your salads.
- If you dry the herbs you can air dry or dry them in the oven and chop and place in a jar for the winter months.
- Freeze some of the herbs with oil in ice cube trays to add to meals in the future.
- Here is a dressing I make with Cilantro called cilantro lime dressing and is one of my favorite ways to use cilantro besides, salsa and Pico. Recipe links are in blue.
How to Make Herb Tea
We make tea with fresh herbs in our cup with hot water and let it steep for 10 minutes. We also make tea with dried herbs. Use two herbs with dried chocolate mint and lemon balm combo tea. We dry the mint and lemon balm, place it in our cup, and pick it out after it has steeped. For the other dry herbs, we’ll add them to the tea ball to steep or mix with other herbs.
Plan and Plant Herbs
- Decide what herbs you would like to try. It may be one or it may be five.
- Plant your herbs in a pot or garden and watch them grow.
- Remember to pick the herbs each week for them to keep coming back.
- Get those herb gardens planned and ready to go- Spring is here.
What are your favorite herbs and how do you use them? Comment below. Grow Herbs for Daily Use and Tea.
If you want more blogs- Tea blog, Coffee Blog Part 1, Coffee Blog Part 2. Planting a Garden
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