Your Home Grown Herbs

Well I always like a warm welcome! I did have a small "garden" back in our apartment days. It never took very well. I guess If I can count garlic as my herbs you can count scallions. I have a recipe where you juice a cucumber with mint leaves that is so refreshing it is amazing. I too love my herbs in salad in fact there is basil and chives in the garden salad for our lunch to day. I am having issues uploading pictures at the moment. I get through the whole process and then they do not show up online. Not really sure what it is I am doing wrong. But as soon as I figure it out I will post pictures of what my husband calls the herb jungle.

After that number in parentheses after your user name gets to 500, then posting photos becomes easier. The cucumber mint drink does sound wonderful. After having given up on having beautiful fresh herbs in an apartment I finally got my first AeroGarden a couple years ago and did that ever turn into an addiction, so now I have those, but also passive hydroponic containers of everything all over. I totally love being able to grow plants indoors with no dirt and no bugs.

I was looking at the aerogarden and wasn't sure if it was just a scam offer or a good deal. You say they work though? I thought they would be good for the kids to have their own little in the house garden (my little one thinks she has tweedlebugs), but didn't want to have dirt everywhere. hmmm, I think I may go look for one. Are they very big?

Oh how I love brushetta . .but then again I love anything combination of tomato and basil and of course garlic! Companion Planting is one of the great gardeners secrets for it is based on the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted in near proximity. Some find (and I am one of them) that Basil repels insects and disease, improves growth and flavor. Repels mosquitoes and flies (even fruit flies). Tomato and Basil together tastes so good so to me it makes sense that they love to grow together! As for Echinacea . . it is a potent medicinal plant and should be used sparingly in herbal recipes, rather than as a main ingredient. I am not a tea drinker except when I have a cold and thats when I put some rosemary, lemon and honey together. The roots are the most powerful part of the plant, the flowers can be dried and used for the tea and salads and this increases energy and keeps the immune system healthy. Herbs that go well with Echinacea are fennel, laurel bay, and rosemary And all of these help to increase the positive effects on the immune system that Echinacea stimulates. Besides the fact that the plant is so pretty . .the pink cornflowers it produces are just amazing! Hope this helps and that you can put some of this to good use! Happy Lotting to You

So when you plant the basil and tomatoes do you put them real close together or just alternate them?

Does it help to plant herbs by the tomatoes? I have never heard of this. What do they give back? I must say you have now put in my head to pick some of my early tomatoes and basil and make bruschetta! I have never grown echinacea as I do not know how to use it. Do you dry it and if so which part do you dry?

we were using herbal medicines ever since i was a child. my grandpa is into them and so does my mom, and i have inherited it... my other siblings are not though. you can find many herbal articles online. i was having a hard time looking for a book here, and i went checking online. i have been filing them in word whenever i see a good one and have colored pictures added too. but unfortunately my comp was formatted and all my files were deleted.

I only wish I had the knowledge of herbal use you have. Our country too many people depend on the pharmaceutical companies and the knowledge of herb use has practically disappeared. I have done a little studying on herbs but our local library does not have many books that go beyond teas. Some day I will have the money to get some of my own books. That was one of the reasons I started this discussion.