Here it is winter and I am yearning for the taste of my favorite fresh herbs. I prepared for this moment by making a variety of herbal vinegars in the early fall. It is a great easy way to add a gourmet zip to so many recipes – from salads to meats. Additionally, herbal vinegars can be used for cosmetic uses, medical purposes, plus household uses. Who would have thought you could have herbal vinegars on hand to beat the heat, as well as to battle illnesses and insects.

An herb garden is an oasis of scents, textures, and flavors that add just the right zing to summer meals. But we aren’t the only ones who enjoy a burst of flavor on a hot summer day. Honeybees and other pollinators are drawn to the delicious nectar found in flowering herbs.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are a great combination, but let’s not forget one herb that’s easy to grow and an extremely versatile addition to the garden: dill.

If you could only grow one group of edibles, herbs should be at the top of your list.

If, like many of us, you have been trying to eat more locally produced food lately, no doubt you have already learned how to keep the produce bin stocked with beans, tomatoes, lettuce and corn by growing them at home or visiting the local farmers’ market. Nothing beats local produce for flavor and nutrition, and eating close to home helps conserve the fuel that would have been used to transport the food across the country. But what about those wonderful, exotic flavors like ginger? They will always have to come from far away, right?

I really enjoy cooking with fresh herbs, but buying the packaged variety at the grocery store can really add up. So, this winter I’m growing my own indoors. We created a space-saving herb garden to hang on our kitchen wall. The design keeps herbs handy without taking up limited shelf or counter space.

Except for water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Tea is a refreshing beverage that contains no sodium, fat, carbonation or sugar. It is virtually calorie-free and has been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits, including reducing some forms of heart disease and cancers.

What should I do with my herbs for the winter? Will they all die? Should I bring them all indoors? These are the most frequently asked questions about herb gardening this time of year. Herb gardening does not necessarily stop as soon as the basil flowers and goes to seed. Fall is a good time for cleanup in the herb garden and growing can continue indoors once the weather cools off to ...

Recently, a woman came up to me after an herb-growing presentation at a garden show. “I love cooking with herbs,” she said. “I could grow my own. But we live in an apartment with a tiny balcony and no yard.”
I hear that “no room” complaint frequently. And, while it’s somewhat understandable when it comes to growing vegetables, it’s shortsighted with herbs. Herbs lend themselves well to container growing. Indeed, they aren’t called “potherbs” for nothing ...

What can produce a mild sedative effect, relieve cramps and gas and produce antibacterial and antiviral properties, according to modern research? Lemon balm. No new discovery, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) was noted by the 16th century physician Paracelsus as healing patients at death’s door. The Roman scholar Pliny, another believer in the effects of lemon balm, thought ...

If you drive through any small town across America, you will find either (or both) Mexican or a wide variety of Asian restaurants. Where burgers, pizza or fried chicken and mashed potatoes were once all that was available to choose from for supper, a huge variety of flavors have cropped up. Today, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Guatemalan and a vast array of other ethnic restaurants exist throughout the country ...