If you go to the spice section in the grocery store, you will see many types of herbs. How many of those do you use in your cooking? Did you know that you can grow many of them in your own garden?
Herb gardens are great for cooking purposes, but they can also be home to medicinal and fragrant plants. And if all of those benefits aren’t enough, they are quite beautiful as well.
Cooking Herbs
There are many cooking herbs that you can grow in your garden. Basil, bay, dill and chives are just a few of the many delicious spices that come from easy-to-grow herbs. Most plants grow large enough to provide a bountiful harvest that you can share with friends and family.
Fresh herbs are much tastier than the store-bought ones because they haven’t sat around long enough to lose flavor. So a little bit goes a long way. Some cooking herbs are perennials, so they will come back for you to enjoy year after year.
Medicinal Herbs
Many herbs are known for their medicinal qualities. Yarrow, St. John’s wort, and hyssop are some of the most used medicinal herbs. Herbal remedies can be found for almost any common ailment, and they are less expensive and often have fewer side effects than traditional medicines.
Fragrant Herbs
Many herbs have a pleasant fragrance in addition to culinary uses and medicinal qualities. So some people grow herbs simply for their beauty and scent. Some fragrant herbs mingle well with regular flowers to add beauty and fragrance to a traditional garden.
Making Money with Herbs
Growing an herb garden can turn into a profitable business. Many herbalists dry and grind culinary herbs to sell, and some even make their own signature blends. Others grow medicinal herbs and sell them to companies that make herbal medicines, or directly to customers.
Herbs Make Great Gifts
Culinary, medicinal and fragrant herbs make thoughtful and useful gifts. You could give entire plants or cuttings so that recipients can grow their own. Or you could dry and grind culinary herbs that they can use in cooking. For a friend or family member who is sick, you could prepare an infusion or tincture and deliver it to him or her.
Another great way to present culinary or medicinal herbs is with recipes. You could print the recipe on some pretty stationery or a note card, package the other ingredients with it, and present it to someone who loves gourmet food or enjoys using home remedies.
There are many benefits of growing an herb garden. It puts the things you need for cooking and herbal remedies right at your fingertips. It allows you to use the ingredients fresh instead of buying them from the store, where it’s hard to tell how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf. And it allows you to make money from the herbs or give them as gifts. The many uses for herbs make herb gardening well worth the time spent.
