The tincture is the result of extracting the oils – the chemical components of each herb, made by soaking the herb in a mixture of water and alcohol. Because the alcohol acts as a preservative, the tincture is wholesome and usable for at least two years if stored in a cool dark place.

Do not forget that when the tincture is to be used for children or if you prefer not to drink alcohol yourself, heat the potion to nearly boiling so that the alcohol will evaporate away. This will of course leave a higher concentrate of the medicinal content in the potion.

Herbs can be used in many different ways to treat anything from acne to worms but for the purpose of this article we shall concentrate on remedies for treating various respiratory, nose and throat infections by using tinctures of Echinacea, chamomile, cinnamon, golden seal, and hyssop. These can then be used variously as teas, compresses, inhalants, gargles, or like any medicine; a teaspoonful at a time.

To combat a heavy cold or influenza, make up a cup of tea with two teaspoons of Echinacea in a cup of hot water (to remove the alcohol use near boiling water and allow to cool down to drinkable temperature). This may be sweetened with a spoonful of honey. Instead of two spoons of Echinacea use one plus a spoonful of chamomile or even cinnamon as alternative concoctions and see which is most comforting.

For treating sinus problems, catarrh, excess mucus; use teas made individually, or as mixtures, of golden seal, hyssop and cinnamon. Again a spoonful of honey may help the medicine go down. Any of these tinctures (try any combination to find which suits you best ) put into a small bowl filled with boiling water will make a pleasant inhalant. Just cover your head over the bowl with a large towel and breathe in the fumes.

A sore throat can be treated by gargling with a strong tea made from any single one, or mixtures, of these herb tinctures. Just make up a small glassful with water as hot as you can comfortably use and gargle immediately. Again, to remove the alcohol use near boiling water and allow to cool down to a usable temperature. A throat spray can be prepared in the same way. For a freshening mouthwash, make up a small amount of strong just warmed tincture and water mix in a small glass. Thoroughly rinse around your mouth and spit out until all used. Do this three or four times a day while symptoms persist.

Another way to ease a sore throat or blocked nose is by making a hot compress. Use a clean flannel or small towel soaked in and rung out from a strong mixture of herbal tinctures and water as hot as you can bear. Put on your chest, or round your neck, or even wrapped around your face. Feel the heat and breathe the fumes for immediate comfort.

At the end of a busy day put several spoonfuls of a tincture into a hot footbath. This will comfort and refresh your feet, and inhaling the fumes will soothe and relax you helping you to fall into bed for a deep rejuvenating sleep.
My name is John and I’ve been interested in growing and using herbs for longer than I care to think about. Having carried out a great deal of research on the subject I’ve now compiled a huge amount of knowledge which I would like to share. To see more great information about herb garden plants, please visit my website where there is so much more information generally about herb gardening. Also you will find there are details of a free herb gardening mini-course that I have prepared for you, at: http://www.herbgardendelights.com.

We can each do our duties by contributing to composting as composting entail materials from nature that are recycled. Among them are vegetables, animal manure, grass, dried leaves, sawdust, etc. Those can be used for the sole aim of gardening especially if you are into organic gardening unlike the broader term of recycling, which comprise synthetic materials. With compost, it gives rise to healthy plant and in turn healthy produce.

Organic food has becomes popular as more people found it to be beneficial to health and in addition to that, now you have organic soap, organic tissue, cloth and countless more. The trend is towards causes that help Mother Earth or our selfish and careless ways, if left uncheck will lead to the gradual destruction of our only dwelling.

We need to have a deeper understanding of the process of decomposing, which encompasses wastes or the remains of plant. Compost is awash with minerals and can be use as a substitute for garden soils. Compost can be created easily as practically all organic materials can be turned into compost and it is comparatively easy to use as well.

Composting can be messy and troublesome to some of us as it is smelly but there are many motivations why we should get ourselves into composting. Firstly, all the materials are readily available as well as give all the nutrients and minerals that the plant requires. In addition, compost can help to prevent soil erosion by improving water retention. For a farmer, it is useful to prevent pests on top of the containment of diseases.

Environmentalist and conservationists rejoice as compost diminishes the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. These are sufficient reasons for those who care about mother earth to put in time and effort in composting. Composting is the natural part of recycling, as with the 3 R’s of recycling, to reuse, recycle and reduce, the future generation that inhabits mother earth will appreciate your concern and effort.

About the Author
Jason is the creator of websites and recycling and composting are his concerns. You can access the website at http://www.lookatcomposting.com.

Chives are a “must” by the kitchen door. Your clump of chives will send up green spikes even before the snow is gone. The purple heads of their flowers are pretty among the long green leaves. Chop the leaves into anything which will take an onion taste.

Hyssop makes a good small hedge. It may be used sparingly in stews.
Lemon Balm spreads so rapidly and grows so fast that you will find it escaping to far parts of the garden. Its strong lemon flavor is good in iced drinks and hot tea, and it is a fragrant addition to sachets and potpourris.

Lovage grows to more than 6 feet tall. It is especially good in soups and makes a nice background plant.

Mint, whether it be spearmint, peppermint or applemint (sometimes called wooly mint), is easy to start from a root or cutting, but it must be confined, or it will pop up in every corner of the garden.

Rosemary is an evergreen. Plants are difficult to obtain, but if you can buy one about a foot high it will grow to 4 feet. You must take it indoors for the winter.
Sage, that well-known seasoning of poultry dressings, makes a pretty grey-green plant in a corner of the garden. I can never resist hanging a few sprays in the kitchen. It is nice both to smell and to look at.

Summer Savory is better than Winter Savory as a culinary
herb. Since it is delicate, it may be safest to pot a plant or two for the indoor garden, unless you live in a part of the country where the winters are mild. The savories are especially good with fish and green beans.

Sweet Cicely is a giant chervil. This decorative plant has graceful, fernlike leaves and white flowers. The whole plant -leaves, roots and seeds-is anise-flavored.
Tarragon is best known for its use in vinegar and also gives a flavorsome accent to chicken and fish. Tarragon is a good herb to know about, but don’t bother too much about having it in your garden. You can buy a bottle of tarragon vinegar much more easily than you can locate a plant.

Thyme is hardy, but it will do no harm to give it a thin covering of leaves for the winter. Thyme vulgaris is the one which you will want for cooking.

Ground Covers
There are several herbs which make good ground covers. Thyme serphyllum is one. Other old-fashioned herbs, well known to gardeners of Colonial days, are camomile (English), sweet woodruff and germander. Sweet woodruff will grow in the shade, but the others, including thyme, prefer sun.
Although the dried herbs which you can buy are good, their flavor cannot compete with your fresh-from-the-garden seasonings. Once you have plucked a fresh leaf of basil and dropped it in the stewed tomatoes, or smelled the tang of thyme as your foot brushes it on the garden path, you will never again be without your own garden of herbs.

This annual is characterized by its small yellow flowers arranged in umbrels and by its quickly forming seeds. Famous for their use in pickles, the seeds of dill are also excellent in sauerkraut, sauces and salads. The fine feathery leaves are also used by Europeans for flavoring.

The self-sowing dill should be sown thickly and does not require thinning. Like other herbs, it needs a great deal of sun.

FENNEL (Foeniculum duke)

Sweet fennel is a beloved seasoning of Italians. You may eat the stalks raw, use the leaves with fish, the seeds with eggs, cheese, vegetables, fish and in cakes.

Foeniculum vulgare, another type of fennel, is a tall, aromatic plant which does well in almost any soil. Stems, leaves and seeds are all useful for flavoring. Fennel has bright green, feathery foliage and tiny yellow flowers in umbrels.

Start fennel from seed in a sunny spot. Although the sweet variety requires a rich soil,  vulgare does better in a limy location.

GERMANDER {Teucrium chamaedrys

This hardy perennial makes a fine, attractive hedge. Its leaves are dark green and glossy and its flowers are a bright purplish-rose hue. The dwarf form {var. þrostratum) is a good ground cover, growing to a height of about 6 inches. It is slow to start, but spreads rapidly and is particularly charming in a rock garden. The spiked pink flowers are not fragrant. Nevertheless, they are very handsome against the plant’s glossy, dark green leaves. This type of germander is not very hardy and will have to be replanted every few years. Start germander from seeds, or beg some cuttings or roots from a friend.

HOREHOUND (Marrubium vulgare)

Horehound has been known since ancient times for its medicinal properties, and since the nineteenth century as a flavoring for candy, but only in relatively recent years has the culinary value of its leaves and flowers been recognized. It has small, oval, crinkly, greyish-green leaves. The tubular white flowers grow in whorls close to the stalk at the upper end of the stem. Both leaves and flowers may be used to season cakes, candies, sauces, meat stews and in teas.

It is becoming a weed in much of the United States and spreads rapidly by seeding and spreading roots. The bushy plant grows to about 18 inches in height. Start horehound from seed.

HYSSOP (Hyssopus officinals)

With its smooth, dark green leaves and blue flowers blooming from early summer until frost, hyssop makes a lovely hedge. About every 4 years, however, the plants will become scraggly and should be replaced. Remember to cut back your hyssop hedge after the first blossoms appear. This herb has a spicy, minty fragrance. You can use its leaves, stems and flowers in medicinal teas and sparingly to season vegetables and stews.

Start growing hyssop from seed sown indoors, from cuttings or by root division.   It does best in partial shade.

LAVENDER (Lavandula spied)

Beautiful lavender not only has a lovely aroma, but it is nice to look at, too. Its long narrow leaves are bluish-green; its flowers are blue, and the whole plant is fragrant. Valuable as an ingredient in sachets and potpourris, lavender makes an attractive hedge which will last as long as 3 years if your climate is a very warm one. In most parts of the country, however, you will have to bring it inside during the winter. L. spica or spike lavender is most hardy in the northern states. L. vera or L. qffìcinalis, the English lavender, is the most fragrant.

Start lavender from young plants or root cuttings.

LEMON BALM (Melissa offcinalis)

This lemon-scented plant is wonderful for seasoning iced drinks and hot tea as well as for use in potpourris, sachets and floral bouquets. It spreads so quickly that unless you watch it closely, it will cover your entire garden. Lemon balm grows to 1½ or 2 feet tall. The oval leaves have slightly serrated edges and clusters of small, whitish flowers.

Start from seed or young plants. Lemon balm will sow itself, but a second method of propagation is by root division.

LOVAGE (Levisticum qfficinale)

This handsome, hardy perennial makes a good background plant, for it grows as high as 6 feet. It puts out fairly inconspicuous yellow flowers growing in umbrels and pale green, shiny, celery-like leaves. For a celery taste use the young tender leaves either fresh or dried in soups. The seeds are excellent in cakes, candies, meats and salads, and if you like, you may blanch the stems and eat them raw.

Start lovage indoors from a plant or a root which you might get from a friend or herb dealer, or sow seed early. Let lovage have a rich soil in a sunny or semi-shady place.

The English variety of camomile makes a beautiful ground cover, for it grows low and spreads gracefully over the earth. It blooms from midsummer until the first frost, producing small white and yellow daisy-shaped flowers. It has light green pinnate, or feather-shaped, leaves, and should get plenty of sun even though it does fairly well in shade. Plant seed, and camomile will self-sow from then on.

CARAWAY (Carum carvï)

With its delicate finely cut leaves and small creamy flowers growing in umbels similar to Queen Anne’s lace, caraway is quite lovely. Dry the seeds for use in cakes, rye bread, kraut, cabbage, pickles, cheese and stews. Bake a sprig of caraway with fruit.

It grows to about 2 feet, but if planted in the spring, it will only reach 6 to 8 inches the first year. If sown in the fall, seed may be harvested early the next year. Buy your first seed and it will self-sow thereafter.

CATNIP {Meþeta cataria)

Catnip produces downy, heart-shaped leaves which are green on top, grey underneath. It has purplish flowers. Catnip tea is still used medicinally, and you may also want to grow a clump of this herb for the delight of your cat.

The plant is rather weedy and does best in a rich soil without lime.   Start catnip from seeds in the spring or the fall.

CHERVIL (Antkriscus cerefolium)

For culinary use treat chervil as an annual. Even though it is really a biennial, replant it each year. Chervil produces flowers like those of miniature Queen Anne’s lace, with foliage similar to parsley. If allowed to flower, chervil will set seeds in the second year of growth. If kept from flowering by cutting, the anise-flavored leaves can be used until the frost.

Start chervil from seed and give it a shady spot in which to grow.

CHIVES (Allium schoenoprasum This plant is a “must” for it is delicious in any food which is enhanced by an onion taste. The slender tubular leaves of chives grow in clumps; its flowers are handsome lavender pompoms. Use chives fresh. Just cut off a few bits whenever you need them.

Start chives from bulblets or plants (from the grocery) in a rich soil and in a sunny place.

SWEET CICELY (Myrrhis odor aid)

Sweet cicely is often called giant sweet chervil. It has small white umbrels of flowers but it is more to be admired for its downy fernlike leaves. It has a licorice taste, similar to that of fennel. Older plants form a decorative mass of lacy foliage up to 3 feet high, a graceful background for the lower-growing  herbs.

The hard, large seeds should be planted early in the fall to assure germination in the spring. Also, the roots of old plants may be divided in the spring. Sweet cicely thrives best in semi-shade.

CORIANDER (Coriandrum sativum)

This may have been one of the first herbs ever used in cooking. More than 5000 years ago the Chinese ate the root boiled and used the seed for flavoring. Although the seeds are unpleasant when fresh, they are delicious when dried. Use them in meats, cheeses, soups, salads and cookies. The foliage is fernlike,  the pink flowers fragile.

Coriander can be started from seed and will do well as long as it gets enough sunlight.

COSTMARY (Chrysanthemum balsamita

Costmary is also known as “Bible leaf” and “sweet Mary.” It is hardy, a large, decorative plant with light green leaves nearly a foot long. The flowers are small and yellow; the leaves taste minty. Use them to season meat, cake and in teas.

A good background plant, growing as high as 5 feet, costmary requires thinning. It does best if partially shaded. Although you can start costmary from seed, root division is the best method of propagation.

CRESS or LAND CRESS (Lepidum sativum)

Garden cress is also known as “peppergrass.” It does, indeed, have a peppery taste and its small dark green leaves give a nip to salads. If you have a canary, give him some garden cress.

Santolina is sometimes known as French lavender. A fragrant, small plant, with soft grey, fine foliage, it is very decorative. The button-like discs of flowers are yellow. Formerly it was used as a moth repellent and packed with clothing. Now it is grown as an ornamental plant. Except for the color of its leaves, it is not at all similar to lavender in spite of its name. A bush may grow to 6 feet across, making santolina a favorite edging for knot gardens. Start it from plants and let it grow in a sunny spot.

SAVORY (Satureia hortensis)

A fragrant, shrubby plant with small, narrow downy leaves and tiny flowers ranging from pink to purple, savory is a valuable addition to any garden. Summer savory has the best flavor, similar to that of marjoram although stronger and more aromatic. The dried leaves are particularly good with beans, in soups, stews and ground meats. Of the 130 to 140 known species of savory, winter savory, S. montana, is also worth cultivating. It is not as fine a culinary herb as summer savory, but you can use it discreetly. Since the seed of savory does not germinate well, start it from root cuttings. Let savory have a great deal of sunlight and a fairly poor soil.

SORREL, GARDEN (Rumex acetosa)

Sorrel dates back more than 4000 years. It is sometimes called “sour grass” because of the acid taste of the large fleshy leaves. These broad leaves, arrow-shaped at the base, give a tang to salads. The greenish flowers grow on tall spikes. Sorrel usually grows from one to two feet in height. It is easily started from seed.

TANSY (Tanacetum vulgare)

A strewing herb of medieval times, tansy was also formerly used in cakes and puddings eaten at Easter, and it was dried for teas. Cookbooks of the 16th and 17th centuries included recipes calling for tansy, but today it is grown only as a background plant. It attains a height of about 4 feet, has fernlike leaves and flowers which resemble small yellow buttons.

Since it spreads naturally in the manner of a weed, sow tansy in a relatively empty corner of your yard or garden. It will grow in either sun or shade.

TARRAGON (Artemisia dracunculus)

A. dracunculus is the only true tarragon. Fresh or dried, the leaves are an excellent seasoning for vinegar, fish, poultry and salads. For its appearance and its superior taste, tarragon is an aristocrat among herbs.

Since true tarragon does not set seed in America, you will have to start with a plant. Propagate by cuttings or root division. Each plant requires much sunlight and about a foot of space in which to grow. If you do not bring tarragon indoors during the winter, you should cover it well with leaves. Since true tarragon plants are difficult to obtain, you may decide that growing it yourself is not worth the trouble. In that case, you can buy commercially packaged tarragon.

THYME (Thymus vulgaris)

There are more than 60 varieties of thyme, but T. vulgaris is the best for culinary purposes.   Its greyish, arrow-shaped leaves spread rapidly; its flowers are attractive. If you would like to collect many species of one herb, the thymes would be a good choice. T. serpyllum, ‘‘lemon thyme” makes a charming fragrant ground cover, for it is low-growing and spreads quickly.

Start seeds of thyme indoors before transplanting the seedlings to your yard. Propagate by cuttings or layering. Although thyme is hardy, it should be protected during the winter by a covering of leaves, and it requires a great deal of sun.

WOODRUFF, SWEET (Asperula odorata)

This plant is especially popular because it will grow in the shade. The foliage is hay-scented, the entire plant fragrant. Sweet woodruff has light green leaves which grow in whorls of 7to9 and tiny white flowers arranged in flat clusters. It makes a very charming border plant. Its penetrating sweetness is released when it is crushed.

Seeds should be fresh and sown in cold frames indoors; then transplant the seedlings outside where they will self-sow in the future. You can also get new plants by root division. Sweet woodruff grows wild in shady woods.

This flamboyant plant puts forth bright orange and yellow flowers. It is a cheerful addition to any garden and can be used as a substitute for expensive saffron. Pot marigold should be started from seed. It is self-sowing and thrives best in rich soil.

MARJORAM, SWEET (Marjorana hortensis)

Of the more than 30 species, M. hortensis is the most valuable for kitchen use. The leaves are similar to oregano in taste and may be used either fresh or dried. They are small, greyish-green in color and quite pungent.

Start marjoram from seeds sown indoors, from stem cuttings or crown division. It does best in a warm, moist, light chalky soil, and you will have to keep it cut back to inhibit its woody growth. If your climate is relatively cold, treat marjoram as an annual.

MINT

Of the more than 40 mints the most popular are: peppermint (Mentha piperita); spearmint (M. spicatä); wooly mint (M. rotundifolia); variegated applemint (M. gentilis variegatà). All the mints are zesty and extremely useful for culinary purposes-hot teas, cold drinks, jellies, sauces and candies. They are easy to grow and must be restrained as they spread rapidly. To get them started, buy or beg a root or a plant. They need lots of moisture.

NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum minus)

The nasturtium is well known for its bright, showy flowers. The dwarf variety (T. minus) makes a pretty border. Use its petals in teas and salads. T. majus is the larger or climbing variety. The leaves of both varieties are round, tender and peppery, delicious in salads.

Start nasturtiums from seed. Like other herbs they need a sunny place in which to live.

OREGANO

Oregano, the well-known herb so essential in Italian cookery, is actually wild marjoram. The type which grows in the United States is inferior in quality, however, and you will not want to grow it yourself. The dried oregano sold in stores may be of any number of species. Choose the one with the taste and scent that most pleases you.

PARSLEY (Petroselinum hortense)

This biennial should be treated as an annual. The familiar foliage can be used the first year. If undisturbed through the winter, seeds will form the second year, but the leaves will not have as good a taste as the first year.    Parsley is

very slow to germinate, but grows rapidly once it has come up, and will be good even after a few light frosts. You may want to grow both the curly- and flat-leafed varieties; the former for its appearance, the latter for its taste. The curly-leafed parsley makes a very charming border.

Sow parsley seed in drills or light furrows. Later, thin the plants so that each will have about 4 inches in which to grow. Parsley thrives in either sunlight or partial shade.

PENNYROYAL (Mentha pulegium)

Although actually a mint, pennyroyal grows prostrate rather than erect as do other mints. It is the smallest of the mints. Unlike spearmint, it does not spread and therefore does not need to be confined. A hardy perennial, it is attractive for its furry, small oval leaves and bluish-lavender whorls of flowers.

Pennyroyal tastes like other mints, but is rather strong. Our grandmothers called it “pennyrile” or “pudding grass” and used it in cooking, but today pennyroyal is grown only for its usefulness as a ground cover.

Buy roots or plants and then propagate by root division. Select a partially shady spot for its home.

ROSE GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens)

Rose geranium is a perennial which is quite sensitive to cold and must be brought indoors during the winter. It is famous for its use in jellies and cakes, in sachets and potpourris.

Get stem cuttings from a friend or buy a plant.   It rarely blooms but is wonderfully fragrant.

ROSEMARY {Rosmarìnus qfficinalis)

The most widely known herb of history and folklore, rosemary resembles an evergreen. Its leaves look like long oval pine needles, even more so when dried to preserve their warm, pungent spicy taste. Rosemary is a tender perennial which you must bring inside during the winter. Shrubs will grow from 3 to 5 feet tall outdoors, but grown as a house plant, rosemary will probably be less than a foot high and will trail its lower branches gracefully over the sides of the pot.

Although it is possible to start rosemary from seed, it is safer to buy a plant about a foot high. Propagate by stem cuttings or layering. Rosemary does best with abundant sunlight, in a thin, gravelly soil.

RUE (Ruta graveolens)

In medieval times rue was used to season salads, fish and eggs, but it has a somewhat unpleasant aroma and its taste is no longer much liked. It has also been used as a medicinal herb, but be careful; some people develop a rash when handling this plant.

Rue provides an extremely pretty border or low hedge, having bluish-green divided leaves and gay yellow flowers. Start from seed or get cuttings or roots.

SAGE (Salvia officinalis)

Sage is perhaps our best known herb. There are 500 species of which a large number have either a medicinal or culinary value. S. qfficinalis is the one used for the Thanksgiving turkey dressing. Three other common varieties of sage are: S. rutilans, “pineapple” sage; S. sclarea, clary; S. splendend, the common red salvia used in flower gardens.

Sage’s grey-green soft, furry leaves are attractive. Gut the bush back after the blue flowers are gone. Put the plant in a corner where it can remain undisturbed.

Start sage from seed. It may be propagated from root division, cuttings or layering. It thrives in a poor soil if it gets plenty of sun

For example, tarragon may be in the seed rack but it is not a true tarragon and is hardly worth planting. True tarragon does not set seed in this country, so it is necessary to buy plants. Then there is basil. I bought “sweet basil” and got the “great ocimum sweet basil.” Later, I bought another packet with the same label, same brand. It turned out to be “small ocimum bush basil.” Now I save and plant my own basil seeds, so I can be sure what variety I’m planting.

But don’t worry. Except for tarragon and basil, commercially packaged seeds are reliable

Mix the small herb seeds first

Mix small seeds like those of marjoram or thyme with fine sand so that they can be distributed uniformly. This is not necessary for larger seeds.   No matter where you are planting, always soak slow-germinating seeds in warm water for several hours or overnight. You will learn which are slow-germinating by reading the instructions on the seed packets.

Most of the seeds are so tiny that I broadcast, or scatter, them within the bounds of the lines that I have drawn in the soil. Sometimes I make shallow furrows with a finger tip or twig and space the seeds in these as well as I can. Herbs will come up fairly thickly, and that is fine. One of the many delightful things about herbs is that they have flavor practically from the moment that they stick their little tips through the ground. You can use them as soon as they are large enough to thin out.

After sowing, take a handful of crumbled soil and sprinkle it very lightly over the fine seeds. One-sixteenth of an inch is deep enough for small ones, but the larger seeds may be covered a bit deeper. Moisten the ground lightly to keep the seeds in place. Wooden stakes about a foot high should be put at intervals along the rows or around the edges of the beds to hold sheets of heavy plastic above the tender seedlings. The plastic canopies will protect the new plants from hard rains. When the weather is fine, it is a good idea to remove the plastic overnight to help the tiny plants toughen. When the seedlings are well started, remove the plastic permanently. Seeds, and later, seedlings should be watered only when the soil seems quite dry.

Planting in Flats, Pots or Boxes

Herbs are like people. They need light and air, food and water, a little attention, but not too much coddling. Some must be started indoors, chiefly because in most parts of the country the growing season is rather short. Perennials are better started indoors in cold frames or flats from either seeds or cuttings, and the plants set in the garden in late spring. But if you prefer, you can buy young plants at a nursery.

There are a few things which you will need to know about starting seeds in flats, pots or boxes. To me this is the only tedious part of herb growing, and come March, I’m envious of those who live in sunny climes. Still, if you want more than a half a dozen varieties of herbs, you must learn to cultivate seedlings.

As for seed planters, you don’t have to buy a thing. Berry and other small fruit or vegetable boxes lined with foil, coffee cans, milk cartons cut crosswise-all are excellent for raising seedlings. Small flats are much more convenient to handle and store than are larger ones. Now on the market are excellent small portable greenhouses for starting seedlings. They control the humidity and temperature and act as neat and dependable baby sitters for your tiny seedlings

A good standard seeding mixture consists of 2 parts of good garden loam, 1 part leaf mold or peat moss, and 1 part sharp sand. Since herbs need an alkaline mixture, 1 quart of ground limestone or well-crushed plaster, 1 pint of bone meal and 2 quarts of well-rotted manure should be added to each bushel of the mixture. If you do not wish to make up this mixture, peat moss or sterile vermiculíte mixed with a little sand is especially good. Be sure you wet the vermiculite mixture thoroughly. Fill each container for seeds within a half inch of the top.

Sowing the Herb seeds themselves

Sow seeds on the surface and then cover with a thin layer of dirt or sand. Punch a few holes in a piece of clear plastic and cover the containers. The ventilated plastic bags in which oranges and potatoes are packed make good coverings, and you can slip a whole flat inside of one of them.

Try this for a miniature hothouse. It isn’t my original idea; I saw it at a flower show, and adopted it. You start with a gallon vinegar or cider jug. Cut off the bottom-you know how, with a string wrapped around, set afire, and plunged into cold water. Put the jug over the can or box of newly planted seeds. Leave the lid off the jug for circulation of air.

For fine seed, moisten the soil well and press down evenly in pots or flats with a small board or brick. Make shallow depressions with the edge of a thin board or ruler and sift the seeds thinly into the grooves. Press them down with a board and cover very thinly with fine sand.

Plastic bags or the jug hothouse will prevent the seeds from drying out before germination begins.

However, if the soil does dry out, put the flats or pots into water up to half their height until thoroughly moistened. The water should be absorbed upward from the bottom so that the seeds will not be disturbed. If only the top of the earth seems dry, water lightly.   Do not let the soil get soaking wet. For spraying the seeds and later for watering the seedlings, a clothes sprinkling bottle is ideal.

Feed the seedlings sparingly with liquid fertilizer when they begin to sprout. After you have transferred them to larger pots or outdoors, a feeding once every two weeks will be sufficient.

How much light for growing herb seeds?

Seeds will not need light until they poke their little noses above the surface of the earth. When this happens, give them a warm window in which to grow. Temperature should be from 60° to 70° Fahrenheit until the seeds sprout, then 55° to 65° is best. Seedlings need fresh air too so leave a window near the boxes open a crack. You will have to watch the temperature carefully. If the new plants get too much sun, move the planters back from the window a little.

On the other hand, if the sprouts seem spindly, they probably are not getting enough light. Be sure to turn the containers every day or so to keep the plants from growing lopsided. You can use fluorescent or incandescent lighting if necessary. If you use artificial lights, however, do not leave them on for longer than 14tol6 hours a day as most plants need a period of darkness.

”Damping-off” is the greatest hazard in growing seedlings. This fungus disease attacks the stems of young seedlings just where they emerge from the earth, and causes them to rot and break off.   It is caused by too much moisture.

There is a garden club called “Plant and Pray” and that name pretty well sums up my system. If a plant could sigh, it would do so when I put it in the ground. But, fortunately for me, herbs are the friendliest, the most adaptable of all plants. Most herbs love sun, but will grow in partial shade. Of course they need some sunshine to develop their fragrant oils, and if they get too little sun, their flavor will not be so good.

The herbs do not overly care whether their soil is poor or rich. In fact, rich soil will produce large leaves, but relatively little fragrance and flavor. Unless you want herbs for looks alone, do not use much fertilizer. Although a light loam is preferable, our own herbs must grow in clay. And they do. We have always garnered all the herbs we and our friends can use.

Planting the Herb Garden

The actual planting of your herb garden is a simple matter. But whether you have your herbs all gathered together in one small patch, or spread out over a large area, there are some basic planting procedures to follow.

Most seeds may be sown directly in the garden in spring. When planting seeds outdoors for new plants to bring in for the kitchen window, try to get them in the soil by midsummer. By fall the plants should be well established in the pots and boxes in which they are to grow during the winter, so that they will not have to undergo the shock of transplanting at the same time as the change from outdoor to indoor living. If your growing season is short, or if you wish to start using your herbs early in the summer, it is best to start some seeds in flats indoors even before the warm weather sets in. If you do not have the space or time for starting your own flats, you can usually buy seedlings or small plants from a nursery or seed company.

Preparing the Soil

If you are starting your herb garden outdoors in the spring, here are some simple directions.

First, plan where each variety is to go. Remember that the perennials must stay in their original positions for longer than a year. Arrange them so that they will not be disturbed, and so that the taller plants will not overshadow the smaller herbs. It is wise to plant the thick, heavy-leaved varieties requiring the least moisture-sage, thyme, winter savory, marjoram-in one part of the bed, and those which need more frequent watering in another.

Good drainage is a special requirement of herbs. Even those such as the mints, which love water, do not like to stand with their feet in a puddle. A gentle slope is the best place for your garden if the soil is not naturally porous. In Elizabethan times, many herb gardens were raised above ground level, with boards, rocks or other materials filled in with earth to make a raised bed

The herb bed should be spaded to a depth of6tolO inches. Spade bone meal or lime in with some well-rotted manure, and pulverize the soil to the full depth. For the thymes, lavender, rosemary, and burnet, mix old, well-broken plaster into the soil. The mints, tarragon, lovage, and angelica will appreciate a fairly rich bed of loam and compost, although they, too, like a slightly alkaline soil.

Kinds of Herbs to grow

Parsley, chives, garlic, spearmint, dill and sage appear in almost every garden. And they are among the most valued herbs. Do you raise violets, roses, nasturtiums and marigolds? These, too, are herbs, even though we call them flowers.

Along with these herbs, add thyme, summer savory, sweet marjoram, basil, lemon balm (Melissa), borage and chervil, and you will have a good start on a herb garden which will provide for most of your needs.

Herbs are fun to grow, and they are easy to raise unless you choose to make a major project of it. Unfortunately, I have never developed a “green thumb”; most plants don’t “just grow’5 for me. But herbs do. With very poor conditions, I manage to have all the herbs I want for myself or to give to friends.

What do herbs need to grow?

Although herbs are supposed to need plenty of sunlight and an alkaline soil, mine get shade and clay. They do best with lots of space in which to grow; I have practically none. Our climate is dry, the winds hot, the growing season short. And still, should you stop by some afternoon, I can give you a cup of tea flavored with lemon balm, herb-flavored canapés, and buttered scones spread with rose geranium jelly.

Fortunately for lazy gardeners like myself, those herbs most frequently used are also the easiest grown. One packet of seeds for each will be more than enough. If you have only a small space, divide the seeds with a friend, or save some for a second planting later in the summer, for plants to take indoors during the winter.

When deciding which herbs to put in your garden, remember that it must be suited to your particular way of life. If you enjoy entertaining and love to cook, you will want a garden planted mostly with culinary herbs. If you wish for fragrance primarily, you would choose some other herbs. Or if a collection of as many herbs as possible is your goal, still another plan would be needed.

Basic Herbs to Grow

Practically everyone who grows herbs has her own basic list, and you will not be long in finding yours. However, to start with, try these:

Sow seeds of: Sweet basi,l Parsley Borage,Dill, Burnet, Sweet marjoram, Chervil, Summer: savory, Get roots of: Spearmint, Lemon balm, Peppermint, Chives (bulblets)

Get plants of: Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, The Culinary Seeds

Although when we speak of using herbs, we generally refer to the leaves, there are some which are better known for their seeds.   Of these the most popular are:

Anise Coriander Mustard

Caraway Cumin Poppy

Cardamon Dill Sesame

Celery  Fennel

Cooking Herbs to grow

Since the leaves as well as the seeds of fennel, mustard, dill, anise and caraway are used in cooking you  may  want to include one or all of them in your herb garden. However, herbs grown for their seed alone are scarcely worth the space and bother. The crop is too small to be of value, and you can buy fresh seed inexpensively packaged at any grocery store.

to include one or all of them in your herb garden. However, herbs grown for their seed alone are scarcely worth the space and bother. The crop is too small to be of value, and you can buy fresh seed inexpensively packaged at any grocery store.