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How to grow and use fresh herbs from your herb garden

Ranked #685 in Healthy Living, #14,005 overall

Everyone can grow fresh herbs. All you need is a plant pot!

You only need one plant pot to grown fresh herbs. If you're lucky enough to have a yard, a small herb garden in your yard gives all your food the biggest possible lift for a very small effort.

I'm very lucky- I have a whole herb garden. Right now, as we head into winter, the herbs are dying back, and most will need cutting down, but some, such as bay and sage, may still be good enough to use all year round. My herb garden gives me a great choice of fresh green flavours for my meals.
My herb garden gives me green living on my doorstep. I can make delicious fresh herb teas.The lemon balm ( melissa) is a calming herb, good for night time to help get a good sleep. Lemon balm grows very easily in my herb garden. The peppermint is a traditional aid for digestion. Just add boiling water, wait 5 minutes and drink!Some call the use of herbs and herbalis "alternative medicine" To me it's not alternative- it's absolutely basic simple good common sense to grow and use your own fresh herbs.
The flowers also look great in my herb garden. .
It's all free- all its takes is a little of my time and my herb garden makes me happy!
Some of the herbs can't be found in the shops, and even those that can are best from the herb garden.

Here we will show you some of the herbs you can grow, what these herbs look like, how to use these herbs in cooking, and we'll give you lots of useful links to help you plan your very own herb garden. Grow your own herbs and see what a difference it can make to your cooking and health, with the natural remedies herbs provide.

If you don't have enough room for a herb garden, grow your own miniature garden in a pots indoors.

For natural, healthy green living, herbs are a must. The photos are all my own. You may use them if you credit them to me.

My top favorite herbs in my herb garden.

Here are some of my favorite herbs.

We are located at Grasmere, in the North West of England, as far North as Newfoundland, but with a mild damp climate, due to the Gulf Stream. We vary rarely have extremes of hot or cold.The soil is well drained.
Its nearly midsummer, so it stays light till after 10pm and day breaks around 4 am, so there is lots of daylight, which the herbs love.

At White Moss House I grow rosemary, sage, bay, lemon balm ( melissa) sorrel, chives, fennel lovage, marjoram ( oregano), apple mint, peppermint, sweet cicely, borage and lavender. I use these herbs in salad, to enliven many vegetable, meat and fish recipes, to drink as herbal teas, and to make herbal remedies. Fresh herbs are easy to grow and wonderful to use.

This lens is an account of my personal Lake District herb garden, but I have collected together information from all over Squidoo in a special lens with all you need to know about herbs,, from planning a herb garden to using herbs in cooking, for herbal remedies, and around the house. Take a look for one stop information about herbs and herb gardens on Squidoo.

Do you love lovage?

Lovage- great for soups and stuffings

Lovage is not widely grown, but it is a really useful herb.It grows very easily in my herb garden.
It is from the celery family, the the scent and taste are similar to celery.

At White Moss House we make a Leek and lovage soup. This has featured on our award winning gourmet dinner manu for many years. Leeks, lovage, onion are softened in olive oil, then the stock is added, with celeriac or potato to thicken a little. This is pureed, sieved, and then garnished with a lovage leaf. Beautiful.

Finely chopped leaves also mix well with a cream cheese to stuff chicken, fish, or to melt on top of a large flat mushroom or tomato .Great for vegetarians.

Lovage cordial is a traditional herbal remedy, and lovage is used in alternative medicine.

For lots more lovage recipes and lovage tips, take a look at How to grow and use the lovage herb.

Read all about herbs.

I love reading about herbs. Here are some of the best books.

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My Grasmere herb garden is at White Moss House, Grasmere

Fresh green herbs outside in my herb garden.

iris sun white moss


We love to cook, and the best thing for lifting simple food to great heights for no cost is to grow your own herbs.My herb garden add zing to every meal.
We live in the English Lake District - known for its cool, damp climate. Outside my back door I have a wonderful herb garden No, we can't grow hot weather herbs, but we can easily grow lots of herbs that will lift your meals and make you feel good. Its easy - getting started is the hardest part.

I've planted borage this year- great for Pimms- the essential English summer drink!
The beautiful blue flowers look great as a garnish on any dessert.

Sorrel

Sorrel makes a wonderful green sauce

sorrel whitemosshouse grasmere


Sorrel is a sharp , acidic herb, that goes well with fish dishes. It can be used in a pesto, or sweated in olive oil then pureed to make a sauce.
The baby leaves can be eaten as a salad. I grow two varities in my herb garden- one is plain green, the other variagted with red stripes.
For lots more about sorrel, including some great sorrel recipes, take a look at How to grow and use the sorrel herb
Its does grow in the wild, but unless its very young I wouldnt recommend using wild sorrel in you cooking, as its get tough and stringy!
It grows very well in the Lake District. and in my herb garden.

What's wrong with sage?

Sage is bottom of the poll!

Here's a picture to remind you of how pretty sage can be!
You can find out more about sage here.

IMG_0724


Well, I can see that if you have to choose one herb as a favorite perhaps it wouldn't be sage, but it has a great flavor and beautiful flowers.When in flower it looks beautiful in my herb garden.
At White Moss House we serve the Lake District local lamb coated with a herb crust of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme! Yes, just like the old English folk song "Scarborough Fair" made so famous by Simon and Garfunkel.
Its also great in any stuffing for chicken or pork, or served with the meaty Cumberland Sausage a famous local dish from Cumbria.

This is what you need to start a herb garden.

Here's everything one one pack

Here you get a great range of herbs seeds, and a stacker to plant them in. Even if you only have a tiny space, you can have your very own herb garden
Garden Stacker Planter + Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Kit- Great Gift Idea- Grow Cooking Herbs- Seeds: Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro / Coriander, Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard & Sage- Includes Stackable Planter

Garden Stacker Planter + Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Kit- Great Gift Idea- Grow Cooking Herbs- Seeds: Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro / Coriander, Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard & Sage- Includes Stackable Planter

Amazon Price: $59.95 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

11 inches across, 2 feet high- do you have that space? If you can't find the ground space, you can hang this stacker ( chain included) This set comes with instructions. It's so easy. It's also a great Mothers Day gift idea .
Quite simply, if you don't already have a herb garden, but this and start one now.

Borage- a beautiful blue herb flower.

The blue borage flower will enhance any dessert.

I sowed some borage seeds in 2009 . it was the first time in many years that I'd grown this herb, and I was very happy to see lots of the lovely blue star shaped flowers appearing.

borage


Some of the flowers turned out white- making my herb garden look even more magical.

A few borage flowers on the top on a dessert, even a simple ice cream, look great. People are really impresed to see borage decorating a dish.

A of course, it's a MUST with Pimms!

Read more about Beautiful Borage here.

Beautiful Blue Borage
I grow borage in my herb garden for the beautiful blue borage flowers. Borage is really a summer herb. It's used to garnish summer drinks and desserts. Rig...

Can't get enough of herb gardens?

I've found some great herb garden sites for you to visit.

My herb garden is my great love, but I also love reading about and visiting other people's herb gardens. My herb garden can learn a lot from the experts.
Enjoy looking at these great websites
The sites listed here are all UK sites, but I think herb lovers all over the world will enjoy reading them
The National Herb Centre near Banbury, UK
A wonderful website full of herb information
The Herb Garden, Chesterfield, UK
A herb garden created by herb lovers over 25 years ago. If you can't visit this herb garden in person, take a look at their website- it's inspiring!
Jekkas Herb Farm- my #1 herb resource
Jekka is the herb queen- her herb books and her herb garden are my best source of inspiration.

Grow herbs, help the bee

The bee is in danger around the world- herbs can help

The bee has been suffering in North America and Europe. No one exactly knows why ,but we do know that bees are vital to pollination and the livelihood of our planet.
Bees love herbs- grow herbs as part of the campaign to help bees. Bees especially love lavender. Find you how to grow and use lavender for yourself and the bees.

bee lavender



Here is a bee on my lavender at White Moss House in summer 2009.

The National Trust in the UK has launched a project to help bees. You can help too. Take a look and please help bees!
Bee Part of it- the National Trust campaign to help the bee
Bee part of it- help the honey bee. The National Trust is doing its part- can you help?

Herbs in a small garden

My herb garden is quite big, but even the smallest yard can have a herb garden

Bench with Herbs: Sage, Parsley Thyme, Rosemary, Dill, Fennel, Basil Sorel, Chives, Tarragon

Use a mixture of pots, and stage them on walls, benches, up turned buckets- anything that gives the herb height and a chance to see the sun.
A beautiful display like this is easy to achieve with a little planning.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Love reading about herbs?

Here sre some more articles for you to enjoy about my herb garden

The best gifts for herb lovers
Christmas, Valentine's Day, Birthday, Mothers' Day, any day. Great gifts for herb lovers.
Lovage and Sorrel- two unusual herbs for your herb garden.
The spotlight is on lovage and sorrel- two great but largely unappreciated herbs. Lovage and sorrel are so easy to grow,and have so many uses in cooking and for alternative herbal remedies.

Here's a great gadget to keep your herbs fresh and handy

Pick your herbs and store them neatly in the fridge

This clever gadget keeps the stalks of your herbs in water, and protects them with a clear top. Slim, neat, non slip base, sits perfectly in your refrigerator door for handy fresh herbs at all times.
Prepara Herb Savor

Prepara Herb Savor

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

Test show that fresh herbs wilt very quickly when picked, but this clever herb savor keeps herbs fresh and tasty for up to three weeks, Just top up with fresh water. A very clever, space saving, practical item.

What's your favourite herb ?

Its so hard to name one they're all great!

So many herbs, so much choice!
Which do you like best?
Please let me know if your favourite is not on the list.

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Herb gardens and herbs- what's in the news

Herbs and herb gardens are always in the news.

See what today's buzz about herbs and herb gardens is.
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine San Francisco Opens Herbal Clinic
The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine has now added an in-house herbal clinic to its 913-room facility in San Francisco. Patients can receive premium quality organic herbal remedies selected by trained professionals.
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine San Francisco Opens Herbal Clinic
The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine has now added an in-house herbal clinic to its 913-room facility in San Francisco. Patients can receive premium quality organic herbal remedies selected by trained professionals.
Herb Gardening: Starting Herbs From Seed and Transplanting
Some herbs are better started from seeds while others are better started from a cutting off an existing plant, or a starter plant you get from a farm or nursery which can be transplanted. Herb recommendations for both seed starting and transplanting ...
Herbal Spring Tonics for Healing and Beauty!
Read on for beauty, dietary and healing ideas as well as resources for where to get your ?spring cleaning? herbal materials! By the time the warm weather rolls around, most of us are feeling pretty sluggish and are ready for a little ?spring cleaning?.
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eBay is a herb lover's treasure trove.

Have you ever thought of using eBay for gardening products?

Always changing, always good value, see what eBay can offer you for your herb garden
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My herb garden is in England's Lake District National Park.

Here are some of the lenses I've written about the Lake District

I've written many pages about the Lake District. here are just a few for you to take a look at.
Traditional Lake District Food
Traditional Lake District Food is spicy and distinctive. Lake District recipes as we now know developed in the 18th century ,when exotic spices, fruits and...Lake District Tea Bread Recipe
Tea bread is a traditional Lake District recipe, perfect for afternoon tea What is tea bread? Well, it's a sort of fruit loaf that uses tea ,( yes tea that...Rydal Water Walk.
This walk round the lovely lake of Rydal Water, in England's Lake District, takes most people about 2 hours. It takes in some of the most beautiful scenery i...Things to do in Ambleside,English Lake District
Ambleside is a village in Cumbria, in England's glorious Lake District. Ambleside is the base for many Lake District activities, in the centre of the Lake Di...Herdwick sheep , the Lake District sheep.
Herdwick sheep are the sheep of Cumbria, in the Northwest corner of England. The Lake District is the most famous part of Cumbria, loved by visitors for its ...

One of my favorite songs- find out all about the history of this famous tune

Not really about herbs, but a great song!

Do you think Paul Simon wrote this song? Take a look and find the real truth behind the song.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Does "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" make you think of herbs, or do you think- "Scarborough Fair- a great song!" " Are you going...

Are you growing your own fresh herbs?

10 good reasons why you should be growing fresh herbs.

10 reasons to grow herbs
I'm a herb evangelist, trying to persuade you that growing herbs is an easy way to improve your wellbeing and quality of life. You can start with just a few ...



This lens won the top accolade of a Squidoo purple star. Read more about Purple stars via this link.

Purple - passionate about everything purple
This lens was inspired by the award of my fourth purple star on Squidoo. I now have seven Purple Stars. I love purple! The latest Purple star was given in ...

More about herb gardens on squidoo.

Herb gardens are much loved.

Lots of lensmasters love their herb gardens.
Check out some of these great lenses.
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Where to stay in England's Lake District.

Here are two great places to stay in England's Lake District.

I have to admit I'm biased- these are our own businesses. We'd love to welcome you!
White Moss House, Guest accommodation owned by Wordsworth
White Moss House Is a 4 Star Guest House, open for Bed and Breakfast. The house was owned by the poet William Wordsworth, who bought it for his son, Willie ...Brockstone Holiday Cottage Grasmere
Brockstone Cottage has the most amazing views over Rydal Water and the Lake District mountains, and you can rent this holiday cottage for your Lake District ...

White Moss House - home of my herb garden

News from White Moss House,Grasmere bed and breakfast.

I try to add a bit of news about White Moss House, Grasmere, Rydal, and the Lake District every day. White Moss House was owned by Wordsworth. The area was loved by Wordsworth and the Romantic poets.We now run White Moss House as a Grasmere B & B.

Please stop by my blog!

Feel free to comment!
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Here are lots more of my articles about how to grow herbs.

More of my herb tips.

How to grow and use the herb Sweet Cicely
Sweet cicely- what a lovely name for a herb, and sweet cicely is such a pretty, delightful herb for your herb garden. Not only does sweet cicely look pretty,...Lovage - how to grow and use the lovage herb
Lovage- a little known herb that is easy to grow in your herb garden and which makes a big impact in soups, salad, stuffings and stews. Lovage is a very vers...How to grow and use fresh herbs from you herb garden
You only need one plant pot to grown fresh herbs. If you're lucky enough to have a yard, a small herb garden in your yard gives all your food the biggest pos...How to grow and use lavender.
If you only grow one thing, grow lavender. The scent of lavender calms, soothes and lift the spirit. You can grow lavender in a tub, on a windowsill, in a y...All about herbs.
Here's a great collection the best herb lenses.There are tips on how to grow herbs, how to use herbs, and lot of great herb recipes. One of my very first len...Beautiful Blue Borage
I grow borage in my herb garden for the beautiful blue borage flowers. Borage is really a summer herb. It's used to garnish summer drinks and desserts. Rig...How to grow and use the sorrel herb.
Sorrel is a great herb that is often overlooked. Sorrel is easy to grow and has lots of uses.Sorrel is a secret right under your nose, waiting to be discover...

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Do you like my herb garden?

I hope you like my herby lens- please leave a comment!

  • desa999 May 18, 2012 @ 3:24 am | delete
    Lovely coverage on a great topic. We love herbs!
  • caffimages May 9, 2012 @ 3:51 pm | delete
    Great lens, keep up the good work. I grow lots of herbs and even had a mint collection for a while!
  • caffimages May 9, 2012 @ 3:51 pm | delete
    Great lens, keep up the good work. I grow lots of herbs and even had a mint collection for a while!
  • ckolander Apr 30, 2012 @ 1:08 pm | delete
    Amazing lens! I nominated it for a purple star! :)
  • whitemoss Apr 26, 2012 @ 10:56 am | delete
    Thanks for pointing out the typo! Don't know how I missed it!
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I'd love you to visit someof my other lenses.

If you find time to visit any of these lenses, please leave me a message in the guestbooks- Thank you.
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My herb garden has been blessed by Squid Angels.

Angel blessings for my herb garden

A special thank you to the angels who scattered their blessing over my herb garden.
My herbs respond very well to such encouragement!

More Angel Blessings for my herb garden

Thank you Squid Angels for your blessings.

My herb garden is honored to have received angle blessings from these great lensmasters.

by

whitemoss

My home White Moss House was owned by Wordsworth. It's now a guest house in England's Lake District You can stay here!
I'm a Squid Angel for the... more »

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Jekka Mc Vicar is the best author in the world on herbs IMO! 

A great book from a top herbalist

New Book of Herbs

New Book of Herbs

by: Jekka McVicar

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

Jekka Mc Vicar grows herbs and wins prizes every year at the Chelsea flower show. What she doesn't know is not worth knowing.

Here's a great ebook for herb garden lovers- for your Kindle 

Kindle Guides to herbs - store all the info on your Kindle

Herb Garden Gourmet

Herb Garden Gourmet

by: Tim Haas, Jan Beane

Amazon Price: (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

Food from the herb garden for gourmets- on your Kindle.

Here's the starter pack you need for your new herb garden 

A great selection of herbs for you.

12 Culinary Herb Assortment (Sage, Rosemary, Spearmint, Basil, Oregano, Cilantro, & More!) Seeds by Seed Needs

12 Culinary Herb Assortment (Sage, Rosemary, Spearmint, Basil, Oregano, Cilantro, & More!) Seeds by Seed Needs

Amazon Price: $11.85 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now

This is a great selection of the most popular herbs for you to sow right now.

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