Herbs

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Notes from Herbs: The Secret Properties of 150 Plants.

Chervil one of the traditional fines herbes of French cuisine.

Never overheat or the flavour will be destroyed.

It works as a good spring tonic for detoxing - it cleanses, stimulates digestion, and lifts the mood.

Tarragon one of the traditional fines herbes of French cuisine. It invigorates nearby plants, especially sweet peppers and eggplant. Secretions from the root repel damaging nematode. It is a digestive sedative and carminative herb. Replace every three years as the flavour deteriorates as the plant matures.

Caraway prefers full sun but can take a little shade if soil is well drained. It has analgesic, antispasmodic, carminative, and digestive properties. Peas will benefit if grown with caraway as their neighbour in the same row. Never plant with fennel as it will inhibit the growth of health of each other.

 


Good King Henry is a perennial plant native to Europe, western Asia, and North America. Contains high levels of iron, calcium, vitamin B1 and vitamin C. Has antiseptic, digestive, and laxative properties.

 

Cilantro prefers light, well drained soil in sunny position and dry conditions. Keep well away from fennel, which inhibits its grow. Happy next to dill, chervil, and anise. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, digestive, expectorant, and fungicidal.

Sweet Woodruff is an astringent, slightly bitter herb. Was used as a strewing and bedding herb. As it dries, the scent intensifies and wards off insects and moths.

Flax is a highly nutrias omega rich food. They are high in magnesium. It has various medical properties: antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, digestive, anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, and mood regulator.

Salad burnet is a good companion herb for thyme and unusually is not overwhelmed by mint. It is astringent, diuretic, and tonic. Makes an excellent addition to a leaf salad.

Summer savoury is the bean herb. Beside beans or onion, savoury will keep beetles at bay and promotes healthy vigorous growth. It is used as a digestion aid and diuretic. Its antiseptic properties may enable intestinal flora to revive and fight off bacterial infections.

Feverfew used as a headache remedy. It is antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, and a vermifuge. Best eaten in a salad as it is bitter. Self-seeds and can be rampant.

Tansy planted near roses, squashes, and cucumbers invigorates them. It also attracts ladybugs and is a valuable compost plant, rich in potassium and other minerals but use only the leaves. Tansy is a deterrent for ants, flies, and mice. [grow only common thyme T. vulgarism and wild thyme T. serpyllum from seed and others thymes cannot be guaranteed to come true. Planted near eggplant and cabbage will deter pests. Helps digestion by breaking down fatty foods.

Nasturtium is fully edible the leaves, flowers, and seeds are best eaten raw in salads. An excellent facial wash may be made from infusing the leaves. Antiseptic, antimicrobial, antibiotic, anti fungal, and tonic, nasturtium is an excellent healing herb for skin complaints. Likes well-drained soil in full sun where it can sprawl and climb. Not frost hardy.

Valerian is calmative. Sedative and nerving, it reduces anxiety and stress; relives pain, tension headaches, and vertigo. Rich in phosphorus, the leaves help the compost pile. Earthworms seek out the herb and aerate around it.

Bibliographical Info

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2015
ISBN-10: 0-226-27117-X

These are notes I made about gardening. See more gardening notes