Herbal Tea Garden Design: Using Mint, Lemon Balm And Chamomile For A Themed Garden Area.

Popular Medicinal Plants: St. Johns Wort, Ginseng and Gingko Biloba for Natural Health.

Hear what Sheri Ann Richerson, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening, Magical Gardens and 101 English Garden Tips has to say about growing and using dill weed.

Hear what Sheri Ann Richerson, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening, Magical Gardens and 101 English Garden Tips has to say about growing spearmint and bronze fennel.

I’ll never forget the first time I went herb shopping. I read a book about housecleaning with herbs. How cool I thought. The lady who wrote the book talked about putting mint in her wash water, so away I went in search of mint. I knew I liked the smell of mint and the way my mouth felt cool when I chewed mint gum, so I reasoned why wouldn’t I like cleaning with mint?

When I got to the nursery I was shown a candy mint. The lady encouraged me to smell it. It did have a candy smell to it, sweet, but refreshing. That plant was going home with me. What other plants were there that smelled good I asked. She showed me numerous other herbs, but I don’t remember any of them as clearly as I do the candy mint.

When I got home, I planted it in the ground and promptly cut off all the leaves – every last one. I assumed it would grow back. What a mistake! Not only did I lose the plant but when I went back to get more they were all gone! I did however, enjoy mopping the floor and doing dishes that day! What a delight it was to work with candy mint!

That was my introduction to herb gardening. Within the next two months I had a proper herb garden complete with different varieties of mint, dill, horseradish, lemon balm, thyme, oregano and a slew of other fragrant leaved herbs including scented geraniums.

Since I had no idea what to do with these plants other than use them in my wash water, I went to the library to find out. Wow! Potpourri! How cool that idea was! I could make my own. Then I discovered I could make incense. Awesome! The real eye opener however was that they were edible! Imagine that, scented and edible! What more could one ask for!

From that day on, herbs went into everything. Friends started talking about coming to my house to eat weeds in their foods. Even my kids were saying I fed them weeds! I patiently explained they were herbs, but not a lot of people caught my drift. I kept on using them, experimenting, sometimes using a bit too much, sometimes not enough. My love of herbs grew. No garden was complete without them. I brought them into the house in winter, then as I graduated to a greenhouse, added them there.

My first few herb gardens were hodge podge gardens with this herb and that herb mixed together. No one but me could tell what the herbs were. I tried labeling but the labels broke or were blown away. Today my herb garden is being revamped. It is being moved into raised beds with one type of herb per bed. I am still working on labeling ideas, but at least they are organized.

From that tiny candy mint plant years ago, I have evolved. Herbs I now grow include culinary sage, yarrow, thyme, lemon balm, lime balm, hops, horseradish, comfrey, spearmint, peppermint, pineapple mint, banana mint, chocolate mint, fennel, chamomile, rue, hyssop, motherwort, parsley, dill, oregano, lady’s bedstraw, sweet grass, vanilla grass, echinacea, St.John’s Wort as well as a slew of others. On my most wanted list is candy mint, ginseng and goldenseal.

If you haven’t started an herb garden, there is no better time than now. Growing your own herbs will not only delight you if you toss a few into your wash water, but will liven up your cooking, your bath time and many can be used medicinally to boot!

Although this is another plant that is technically classified as an herb, I find it quite evasive, so therefore I consider it to be an exotic herb more than anything else. I have been on the hunt for seeds or starts of this plant for over three years without a bit of luck. If anyone has or knows of any sources, the information would be greatly appreciated.

The botanical name of this leafy forest tree is Boswellia Thurifera, and it hails from the Burseraceae family. The tree is most commonly known for the highly scented gum resin that it gives off. This resin is obtained by making a deep, longitudinal incision in the trunk of the tree. Just below this incision, a narrow strip of bark that measures approximately five inches long is peeled off allowing the milk-like juice to run out. Once air touches this juice, it hardens and the incision is deepened. It takes approximately three months for this substance to harden into the yellowish “tears” that we purchase. Sap from the Frankincense trees can be gathered from May until about the middle of September when rain showers end the harvest season.

Although young trees yield the best harvest, the older trees will also yield fluid which is more of a clear, glutinous fluid that resembles coral varnish.

Grown on the Somali coast line, without soil, these trees seem to grow out of polished marble secured by thick oval masses of substances that resemble lime and mortar. They produce white or pale rose flowers on short pedicels in single axillary racemenes that are shorter than the leaves.

Frankincense can also be found on the coast of Southern Arabia where the Somalis make yearly visits to collect the resin of the Frankincense.

Although Frankincense is a stimulant, it is seldom used internally anymore although at one time it was in great demand. It was thought to be an antidote to Hemlock, as well as during the tenth century it was used for tumors, vomiting, ulcers, fevers, as well as dysentery. The Chinese were also known to use it for leprosy.

The most common use these days for the Francinsense resin is incense and pastilles. It is also commonly substituted for Balsam Of Peru or Balsam Of Tolu in the manufacturing of plasters. Another modern day use of Frankincense is steam inhalation which is supposed to aid in relieving bronchitis and laryngitis.

Religious use of Frankincense can be found among the Jews, Greeks, at the feast of Bel, Among the Egyptians and of course, it was a gift to Baby Jesus and is used among modern day Christians, and other religions.

Most commonly associated with spiritualiy, it is easy to see that Frankincense has many other useful properities. If you have not yet tried the resin of this plant, I would definitely reccomend getting some and trying it, I find the odor very pleasing.

As far as growing Frankincense, there is little that I personally have been able to find to that effect, but I am sure someone out there has either grown it, or have some type of experience with it, and I would love to hear from you.

Until next week, happy gardening.