Herb Uses
Herb Uses: Everything from Alternative Medicine to Ornamental Herbs
When I ask most people about herb uses, I usually receive one simple answer: you eat them! Whilst it is definitely true that one of the major roles of herbs will always be as culinary herbs, there are many more uses than that.
In fact some gardeners grow herbs with no intention of ever eating them. These herbs are often called ‘ornamental herbs’ and are often important part of herb garden designs. A great tactic is to grow herbs that are both ornamental and culinary. That way you maximize the number of uses for the herb. Ornamental herbs are usually divided by color and size (Make sure that bigger herbs don’t obscure the prettier, smaller herbs). A great tip is to design your garden using photos (These can be easily found on the internet). Simply move the photos around to get an idea of how the garden will look.
If you are really interested in having an aesthetically-pleasing garden, you may also consider selecting your herbs as aromatic herbs. Obviously some species have stronger smells than others, so gardeners often divide them by type (Italian garden herbs for example all compliment each other) or select a couple of weaker smelling herbs and a stronger one. A great tip is to look for combinations that are popular combinations for making scents and perfumes: that should give you a good idea of what scents work best together.
Another one of the many herb uses is tea herb gardening. These herbs are often renamed ’tisanes’ to distinguish them from the plants that make up the caffeine-rich brew most of us wake up to. A quick trip to the health food store nearest you will soon tell you which herbs make up the best cups of tea. Despite what many people believe, not all herbs are suitable for making tea/ tisanes. Try to make a drink out of a herb such as the valerian herb and you will quickly see what I mean!
Whilst herbs such as valerian are not so popular as tisanes (Or even culinary herbs for that matter!), they are great for growing in a medicinal garden. The uses for herbs such as these is huge. Whilst it can be difficult to determine what herb treats what ailment, there is likely a herb that can help no matter what your condition is. Just remember that herbs alone are only one part of a big picture and to truly maximize the benefits you need to make sure to live as healthily as possible.
Of course one the key herb uses will always be for eating. There is plenty of advice on this site and my e-books about growing flavorful herbs. Gardeners will also have to decide where to grow their herbs as the windowsill herb garden is getting more and more popular and gardeners are finding many herbs that grow well as indoor herbs. The key thing is to look at the herbs that you use the most regularly and grow those. Likewise many of these herbs also have medicinal and tisane uses, so even if you grow a lot there will always be a use for the extras.
The number of herb uses are vast. Therefore all gardeners can easily find a herb for them, even if their space and conditions are limited. When you start to plan your garden, a bit of thought to your herb uses can really help you maximize the potential of your garden.
