Essential Garden Herbs
By Mary Dudley, CGC Sustainability & Ecology Education Coordinator
After plotting out new beds for planting and cultivating healthy soil, my next step in garden planning includes crafting a long list of herbs to grow.
I use herbs every day, whether it’s in my handmade soap, culinary concoctions, medicinal salves or a warm cup of tea. My Ohio garden is the perfect fit for many different herbs, and I appreciate the perennial qualities of some while taking advantage of the ability to successionally plant annual varieties.
Weeds…or Herbs?
Before we dig into a few of my favorites, I want to emphasize that the herbs we find common today in our grocery store shelves were not always so common. And there are many herbs that were popular generations ago that we now consider to be weeds when they volunteer in our landscapes.
One of these tasty herbs you might only recognize as the plant that gives us annoying burrs when walking in the woods: burdock. Burdock is edible from the roots to the leaves and has been used as a staple herb in eastern countries for hundreds of years. According to Mount Sinai: “Burdock contains inulin, a natural dietary fiber, and is also used to improve digestion. As a root vegetable, it possesses considerably stronger antioxidant activity than common vegetables and fruits. In fact, recent studies confirm that burdock has prebiotic properties that could improve health.”
Chickweed is another common herb that boasts big benefits, such as “reducing inflammation and fighting germs. It also assists in weight maintenance and acts as an expectorant,” says Healthline.
While some lawn aficionados may despise the simple dandelion, it, too, has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. Besides being chock-full of vitamins A, C & K, dandelions contain nutrients such as folate, calcium and potassium that help prevent health problems and manage blood pressure. According to Cleveland Clinic, they’ve even been used around the world as a natural way to control Type 2 diabetes.
Herbs for Tea
While you may not have to plant the aforementioned herbs—since they readily root themselves thanks to the help of our local wildlife and accommodating climate—there are several other herbs I find essential to my lifestyle that you’re likely to recognize. My garden methods center around ease, simplicity and production value. As my young children take on more of a role in the garden, I also gravitate toward herbs that they can easily identify, are safe to taste and handle and will tolerate some neglect or trampling.
We drink a lot of herbal teas in my house, and the best herbs I have for a quick harvest to use fresh or dry are lemon balm, stevia, lavender and a variety of mints. We also usually take a handful of raspberry leaves and add a dollop of honey or maple syrup to sweeten the bitterness of the fresh herbs.
There are many mint varieties to consider. Because I usually let the kids pick their favorites, we end up with quite a bit of chocolate mint and peppermint. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health writes that the latter, in particular, “is promoted for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other digestive problems, the common cold, sinus infections, headaches, and as a stress reducer.”
Lemon balm is in the mint family, and just like other mint varieties, it will spread from its original location. Be sure to plant it in an area that you don’t mind being overtaken or confine it to a pot! We grow ours near the house, where they are restricted by the driveway and a sidewalk. WebMD says that “taking lemon balm by mouth increases calmness, memory, and alertness in adults under mental stress.”
Finally, the stevia leaves add a bit of sweetness, and we add the lavender to our evening teas to aid in calming our busy minds and bodies before it’s time to rest. We also use fresh lavender flowers in our homemade soaps and candles.
Culinary Herbs
Planning for meals always includes an herbal component, and our family leans towards a Mediterranean diet that utilizes lots of basil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, garlic, oregano, parsley and thyme. These herbs are essential in our garden, and after several years of cultivating them, we have our own stock of seeds we’ve collected and are sharing them with our neighbors and family members. Borage and nasturtium are also favorites for a tasty cucumber flavor or peppery pop, respectively, in salads.
This year I plan to add pea gravel under the plants to protect them from soil splash during heavy rain or watering events and hope that will preserve them longer into the season.
Other Uses for Herbs
Some of the herbs we prize in our gardens are not used in the kitchen but provide services to other plants or are used for crafts. I have planted comfrey and horseradish around the bases of several of my orchard trees to draw up nutrients from deep in the soil, while marigolds thrive in the corners of our garden beds to deter pests.
Goldenrod is a favorite for fall pollinators and provides a lovely deep-yellow dye for cotton fabrics. And this year my list has expanded to include medicinal herbs such as arnica, calendula, mullein and skullcap. The adventure just keeps on growing!
As you plan your herb garden, pay close attention to the herbs you use every day and research how to grow your top 10 (or 30 in my case). Swapping in a freshly harvested herb from your garden for one that you traditionally purchase dried in the store will be an entirely different experience. And if you’re like me, you’ll be hooked on incorporating more hardworking herbs into your landscape.