Create a Scent Garden

Aromatic garden plants is the best benefit of an herb garden.  And you can grow an herb garden just for this purpose, never planning to harvest anything, but rather to sit and enjoy the glorious smells.

Karen Creel of GardenChick.com, gave a great list of aroatic plants in an article in The Essential Herbal Magazine.  That article got me thinking about a theme garden based on this idea.  Rather than worrying about what to do with this or that plant, just grow a garden that asks you to rest, take a seat with a good book, and enjoy the fragrance.

alternative garden - scented container with oregano, lavender, catmint, aromatic mint, geranium (in the back), rosemary, mini petunia 

What is Needed

You always need six hours of direct sunlight for an herbs garden, as well as well-drained soil that you amend with rich compost to give the herbs what they need to get lush and fragrant.  Always choose plants for your hardiness zone.  A smaller number can do well, but larger number zones will struggle in cooler weather or harsh winters.  Always plant taller varieties in the back and give the plants proper space to get larger over time.  Place the invasive plants, like lemon balm, mints or woodruff in a container to stop the spread.

Design Ideas

The Border

Create a deep border (8–12 ft deep) along a fence, path, or lawn edge.

Back Layer (Tall Structure)

• Climbing rose
• 
  Lilac
• Bee Balm
• Pineapple sage
• Lemon verbena

Middle Layer (Color + Fragrance)

• Lavender
• Calendula
• Scented geraniums
  
• Lemon balm
• Chamomile
• Catmint

Front Edge (Touch & Scent Zone)

• Corsican mint
• Sweet woodruff
• Lemon thyme
• Chocolate mint
• Spearmint (contained!)
  

The Circle Garden

Divide garden into four beds around a center feature (bench, sundial, birdbath).

Center Feature

• Rosemary shrub or lavender mound

Bed 1 — Mediterranean Herbs

• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Lemon thyme
• Curry leaf (container if needed)

Bed 2 — Tea & Lemon Garden

• Lemon balm
• Lemon verbena
• Chamomile
• Sweet cicely

Bed 3 — Mint Collection

• Chocolate mint
• Spearmint
• Corsican mint
  (sink pots to control spread)

Bed 4 — Flowering Pollinator Herbs

• Bee balm
• Calendula
• Catmint
• Pineapple sage
  

The Wandering Path

Create a curving walking path with herbs brushed as people pass.

Along Path Edges

• Corsican mint
• Sweet woodruff
• Lemon thyme

Waist Height

• Scented geraniums
• Lavender
• Catmint
• Chamomile

Fragrance Stations

• Chocolate mint corner
• Lemon garden (lemon balm + verbena)
• Pineapple sage surprise scent

Vertical Moments

• Climbing rose archway
• Lilac anchor shrub

Plant List

Here is a list of fragrant herbs to include in your plans:

• Bee Balm
• Cinnamon basil
• Calendula
• Chamomile
• Chocolate Mint
• Catmint
• Corsican mint
• Curry leaf
• Lavender
• Lemon balm
• Lemon thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Lemon Balm
• Lilac
• Patchouli
• Pineapple sage
• Rose, climbing
• Rosemary
• Scented geraniums
• Spearmint
• Sweet Cicely 
• Sweet woodruff

Four Season Herb Gardening

The key to a garden enjoyable through all four seasons is not just what you plant, but how you plant and care for it according to Janet Mancunovich.

At a garden expo I attended a few years ago, Janet presented a 4 season garden with the following details for creating a 4-season garden.

1. Begin planning in winter - read up the plants, plan bloom structures, place plant in the landscape plan expensively, choose bed sizes and be realistic about size and location. Remember that in a perennial garden only 6 to 10% of plants are in bloom at any one time.  Think about the art features you want to include and remember to leave them out all year, they should be waterproof. Order seeds and exotic plants for best selection.

2. Consider viewer angle and background.  Spots of color should be sized and positioned throughout the scene, Use long-interest plants in spotlight positions.  Those with an extended bloom, those that thrive in your growing conditions, look into texture and size as well as blooms. Use winter to thin shrubs and prune back stubble from last year.

3. Drop in some Spring bulbs in massed irregular groups. Double plant early bloom bulbs with late emerging bulbs to give continuous flowering.  Remove brown leaves but remember to save those persistent seed heads not only for interest, but for foragers. Plant your summer perennial herbs. Place mint plants in containers to keep them controlled and add focus plants. For late spring root some stem cuttings to fill in the landscape come summer.

4. Blend in the summer plants. Choose texture, shape and then color.  Use annuals and garden art to add to the landscape. Monitor the peak bloom times. Visit other gardens to  know what is blooming, don't trust the garden center show. Work in the landscape to cut back certain plants, like mums to adjust or delay blooms. Dead head and cut back plants after bloom, plant TLC. Plant basil plants later once the weather has warmed.  work on keeping the garden weeds under control which will increase the harvest.

5. Come fall, think foliage color. Seed bod shapes and forms as well as tall plant form and motion, then consider fall blooms. Take time to divide and redesign come fall.  Lift and divide and move plants in this ideal season. Make sure you have added in long-lived species and match plant energy level with the urgency of division. Plant garlic or shallots where they can remain for next summer harvest. Edge the herb garden so it looks neater through winter. Sprinkle seed for dill and cilantro to gather a fall harvest. Add a Fall/winter season art piece for visual interest. You can even try to extend your harvest with a row cover depending on the size of your garden.

Make a chart of focal group seasonal interest and make it a priority to fill in gaps with subsequent focal groups.

It is okay to draw the eye front for spring, left for summer and right for fall in the same landscape.

Four Seasons in the Herb Garden

With good planning and a palette of plants you can create an herb garden that has flowers and fragrances from early spring to late fall.  And it can also provide a selection of cuttings to bring indoors for use through the winter.

According to Barbar Pleasant in the Herb Companion Magazine in 2008, You should include these things to give your garden a year-round presence.

1. Include structure plants. Shrubs, narrow upright trees, but a trellis with berry bearing plants or an arbor at the entrance can lend height without causing shade to sun-loving herbs.

2. Use vibrant verticals. Too many rounded mounds are going to create a fuzzy indistinct landscape. A nice late flowering anise hyssop with tall flower spikes is perfect addition.  As in a spring flowering herb like Chives.  For summer the sage, basil and thyme will begin to bloom and each have a variety of heights that can add drama and color and pollinator activity. Try a blooming edible flower like hollyhocks or zinnas to bring out the summer glamor.

3. Unify with neutrals.  It will matter less if colors and textures don’t connect if you include plenty of grayish foliage. This has a cooling effect on the garden and help illuminate their neighbors. Silvery plants like lambs’ ear, and culinary sage, germander or santolina work well.  If you have large spaces to fill tray Russian sage or other Artemesia.

artemesia

wormwood

4. Plan for easy access. Don’t let anything get in the way of you and the herbs you use the most.  Put plants you love near edges, and use well-placed stepping stones. keep aromatics like lavender in a pace where they can be brushed against and enjoyed.

5. Celebrate small details. Give your garden an exciting edge by featuring the exotic textures and colors of unique culinary herbs, like purple or large leaf basils, variegated mints, tri-color or golden sage, especially in a container that highlights the colorful foliage is a must.  For winter choose mulch materials that please your tastes like pine needles on black compost. 

Varigated Basil perpetua

A Garden for Every Season

A true four-season garden is not created in a single burst of spring enthusiasm—it is shaped through thoughtful planning, observation, and gentle stewardship throughout the entire year. By designing with structure, texture, bloom timing, and seasonal interest in mind, the garden becomes more than a collection of plants; it becomes a living landscape that evolves month by month. Winter offers reflection and planning, spring awakens possibility, summer celebrates abundance, and fall provides renewal and preparation for what comes next.

Whether growing ornamentals or herbs, success lies in layering beauty with purpose—combining form and fragrance, harvest and habitat, artistry and practicality. Persistent seed heads feed wildlife, silvery foliage ties plantings together, and well-placed paths invite daily interaction with the garden. The goal is not constant bloom, but continuous interest: something to see, smell, harvest, or admire in every season.

When approached this way, the garden becomes a year-round companion. Even in the quiet months, it holds structure, memory, and promise—reminding us that gardening is less about chasing perfection and more about participating in the rhythms of nature. With planning, creativity, and care, your garden can truly live through all four seasons, offering beauty, flavor, and inspiration every day of the year. 

Introducing Herbs into your Garden with a Container

Happy Mother’s Day!  At least once a year I go back to my roots and remind myself why I cannot seem to exist without herbs.  I do not mean why I am a gardener.  That is genetic inheritance.  My grandparents on my mother’s side were farmers.  My grandfather on my father’s side was a flower gardener.  My father’s mother is the one who helped me to plant my first garden with pansies, bleeding hearts, columbine and coral bells among other plants.  So the gardening part was well ingrained before I was 10.  As a result Mother’s Day which is close to the frost free day for my area -- when outdoor gardening risks diminish, is a weekend I love to garden.

Herb gardening is uniquely mine in my family.  I really like to look at flower gardens, but except for a few old fashioned perennials I never grew many flowers.  Instead I prefer greenery, so I think that is why the herbs work so well for me.  And I find it fun to experiment with the vast flavors that herbs provide.  That keeps the scientist hidden inside me happy too!

When you cook with herbs it is not really just about adding fresh or dried chopped herbs to a dish.  It is much more subtle to make an herbal vinegar with fresh herbs and use it to craft a salad dressing or a marinade.  Or produce an herbal butter that you dot over plain steamed vegetables to bring out their true nature.

All of these suggestions can be done with a few herbs in pots on the patio.  So let’s discuss container gardening with herbs!

The most important thing to keep in mind when container gardening is that  this type of herb garden needs some attention in watering and timely pruning. And remember when placing plants in a container is to choose those with similar needs.  Herbs like marjoram, oregano, sage and thyme  all love lots of sun and need good drainage can all be placed together.  Any type of lettuce can be grown with others, but basil does best with other basil. Herbs can be cross-planted, so let basil and oregano share a pot.  Cilantro and dill with their light leaves look good together. When planting dill or cilantro, sew seed rather than purchasing plants.  In the hot months these will bolt (go to seed) so you can preserve a summer harvest by dropping a few new seed into the pot every two weeks.

If you like to combine herbs in containers, remember to place taller growers in the center and lower growers on the outside edges.  Thyme is a great companion in the pot to Basil, Dill and Tarragon.  Tarragon which can get 3 feet tall in the ground will be a much smaller grower in a pot, so remember to plan accordingly.  When choosing perennials for the container, try dwarf varieties or hybrids which generally have all the flavor and scent of the original cultivar, but often have a more decorative leaf and generally a smaller growing habit.

Planting your Containers

After deciding what herbs you would like to plant, you want to go and get the following supplies:

• Containers
• Potting Mix / Soil Mix
• Herb Seeds and/or herb seedlings
• Spade
• Watering can
• Base filler

A soil mix in the pots high in organic matter is a must.  I create my own blend rather than buying something that may not last the season.  5 parts top soil; 2 parts cool compost or peat moss; 1 part course (not play) sand.  The sand increases the oxygen and the compost provides the organic matter.  Later in the season I use a mix of 50% top soil and 50% compost to top off the pots as the soil sinks.  This adds more nutrients and replaces what is lost to erosion.

Select pots with holes in the bottom or sides, so excess water can escape.

Choose large pots, such as 12- to 24-inch-diameter planters. Choose plastic or composition planters instead of clay, which allow less water to evaporate from the soil.

If you are just starting out, you might want to use herb seedlings as they require less work than growing your herbs from seeds.

Once you have gathered all your supplies together, it's time to start creating your container herb garden!

Place a base filler in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage.  You can use Styrofoam peanuts, crushed aluminum cans, broken clay pots, or anything similar.  About an inch or so in the bottom is great.  Then fill your container with soil mix.  The amount of soil you put in depends on whether you use seeds or seedling to plant your herb garden. In general, if you are using seeds, fill your container to about 1 inch from the rim so that you will have room to cover your seeds with a little additional soil.

Always check the instructions on the seed packet as they will usually give you more detail on how best to plant your seeds. If you are using seedlings on the other hand, you want to cover the base of your container with only a few inches of soil so that you can fit the seedlings in. When you have arranged all your seedlings in the container you can fill the spaces around them with more soil.

As with seeds, you also want to follow the instructions that accompany your seedlings. If your seedlings to do come supplies with instructions, you can try looking up the information on the internet. These instructions are important for telling you the best growing conditions for your herbs. You might need to move your containers around to give them access to sufficient sunlight to help them grow.

Finally when you are done, give your containers a good watering! And of course do not forget to water your herb garden over the coming days.

Follow these steps and it shouldn’t be long before you have a beautiful and bountiful container herb garden just brimming with delicious fresh herbs!

Using the Herbs

There are simple ways to start using herbs.  Like individual sprigs of rosemary over broiled lamb chops;  Or adding ribbons of basil to your completed spaghetti to give it a burse of bright flavor.  Or mixing chopped fresh chives into butter whipped with sour cream for a topping on any kind of potatoes that makes them a special treat.  These can make using herbs simple, fast and give you a new taste on the palette. 

If your window or patio herbs start to get tall, cut them.  Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for several days with the stems wrapped in a damp paper towel and popped into a zip seal bag.  If longer storage is needed, chopped them and place the herbs in an ice cube tray, cover them with water and freeze.  When you cook soup, stews, chili or sauces, just drop in a cube.  If you like many, pop dinner into the crock-pot, remember herbs lose flavor during long cooking times, so just drop in a few cubes when you get home and by the time you are ready to eat the fresh dynamic of the herbs will be released  just by reaching into the freezer.

Just a few last tips:

1. Chose containers with trays or get trays and fill them with pebbles.  Herbs do not like to have wet feet, but they also like to have a bit of water to draw on in the heat of the day.  Placing the pot in a tray will keep you from watering twice during the hot days of summer.
2. Don't let your herbs flower, unless you want to look at rather than eat them.  Herb flavors change when they create flowers, so cut those flower heads off to preserve the best flavors for cooking and tea.
3. Throughout the growing season pinch back the ends of the branches to promote more branching and the production of more leaves to harvest.  Check daily for dryness and water when t he soil is dry about 1" depth.  Do not overwater and provide good drainage.
4. To test soil for dryness, poke your finger into the soil: If it feels dry to a depth of one inch in a 12 inch pot and two inches in a 24 or larger pot, water.
   
   

 

Immunity Boosting Herb Garden

Come winter time I begin thinking of what to plant next year.  I have discussed theme gardens before, but this time I thought I would focus on medicinal herbs.  Recent illnesses among my friends and family have made me more aware of the need to incorporate medicinal herbs into our daily life.  I admit that although I understand the medicinal properties of many plants.  I grow herbs because I enjoy the scents and flavors more than any other aspect.

So this year I decided to focus on the easiest ways to begin incorporating those medicinal properties.  Boosting or strengthening the immune system would help most people avoid chronic illness, so I decided to start there.

scale is 4 squares to 1 foot

I designed this garden based on an idea I found in the Herb Companion Magazine back in 2012 and sketched into my notes.  The Garden is round and about 4 and ½ feet in diameter with a raised center section about 2 feet in diameter located in the center.  Raising the herbs up in the center allows them to get more sunlight and to spread without crowding the plants that encircle them.

At the bottom is a diagram
of the raised center

It created a nice compact immunity boosting herb garden that you can try too!

I suggest one each of the plants listed except Echinacea which should number 3 and thyme which can number 3 to 5.

The Plants are:

E Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia or Echinacea purpurea) - This strong hardy perennial is easy to grow from seed and looks lovely when it flowers in the fall.  You can use the root to make tea or just the flowering tops both will boost natural immunity.

G Ginger (Zingiber officinale) The root is used in tea as it is both warming and anti-inflammatory and has been used effectively to help fight the flu and common cold. Not hardy in the Midwest this plant should be grown in a pot.

L Lavender – (Lavendula) - Studies have demonstrated lavender’s inherent anti-bacterial and anti-fungal disinfecting properties. It is a low growing shrub that makes a striking plant with it silver gray leaves and purple flowers.

M Mint (Mentha) - with many different species to choose from, almost all assist with illness symptoms like nausea, headaches and fever. Bushy shapes like apple mint and spearmint will look the best in this small garden, but a container may be needed to keep the mint under control.

Me Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) - The leaves and flowers have a pleasant wintergreen aroma and flavor, and are used internally for inflammation, fevers, heartburn, and peptic ulcers. Meadowsweet is a wonderful tonic for arthritis with its anti-inflammatory salicylates. A hardy perennial, it grows to 4’ tall, and 2.5’ wide. Plant in full sun or part shade.  

Mo Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)- is a short-lived herbaceous perennial, plant in full sun to part shade. Hardy to Zone 4. Plant 18-24 inches apart; grows 3 to 5’ tall. In cooler climates, it can take over and become quite weedy, so you may want to plant it where it can do its thing without stepping on anyone’s toes.

O Oregano (Origamnum vulgare) - Most known for its culinary properties, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which make it perfect for immune system support. It is believed to have enough antibacterial effect to kill MRSA.

R Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - A culinary wonder, this herb provides anti-inflammation, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. And research provides ample evidence that rosemary not only improves memory, but helps fight cancer.  Not hardy below 10 degrees, this plant should be grown in a pat to bring in for the winter.

S Sage (Salvia officinalis) - An anti-fungal herb you can add this to tea and use to make sore throat treatments.  A hardy perennial it can get larger over time so as a background plant is great.

T Thyme (Thymus) - Thyme has many medicinal properties it is anti-bacterial and can be used in all of its scents including lemon.  Hardy, they are a low grower and can fill in around the base of the Echinacea.

Almost of these plants will be available on May 12 & 13, 2017 at the Plant Sale of the Garden Club of Villa Park. Pre-order of plants is available thru April 20 with order forms available on the Club website.

Planning a garden in Four Squares

Some of my favorite days are spent when it is raining and dingy and I turn on all the lights in my workroom and drag out my favorite garden planning books and start to design gardens.  Sometimes they are gardens for my home, sometimes they are gardens for my patio and sometimes they are gardens for some imaginary house I will own with limitless garden space and someone else who will weed it.

Four Square Garden in Williamsburg

In the process of these imaginings I have come up with several great, reproducible ideas for gardens that I thought I could share.  These may help you with ideas for your own space so do not be afraid to borrow all the ideas you can use.

As will my Cottage Garden Plans there will be several different plans presented over several days so you can see the variety this style provides.  Unlike a Cottage Garden, a Four Square Garden is an organized and symmetrical plan.

This Four  Square garden is in Ohio

FOUR SQUARE

My husband and I believe the perfect home will be a four square style bungalow and we have been searching for one for years without much success.  However, in sympathy to this I created a garden space consisting of four even squares joined at the center with a decoration.  Although some days that center changes from a pain path into an elaborate container structure or a three dimensional abstract sculpture. Each of the Squares is its own individual theme garden. I like this design because I could call it my "Backyard Patches."

The squares each measure 9 feet by 9 feet this allows for easy reaching for 3 feet in from each side.  I run a path diagonally through each square to give access the to center spaces.  In one design of this garden I made a each square a different use for the herbs: Bath herbs, Tea herbs, Culinary herbs and Medicinal herbs.

Although many herbs cross over from one category to the other I was still able to fill each space with unique herbs.  And I could choose more unusual medicinal or tea herbs when the basic herbs seemed to end up in the culinary patch.  Here were the plants by section:

Culinary                                                               Tea
   Mustard                                                                     bergamot
   Cilantro                                                                      lemon balm
   Dill                                                                             lemon grass
   Nasturtiums                                                                lemon verbena
   Fennel                                                                        anise hyssop
   Chives                                                                        chamomile
   Marjoram                                                                   hyssop
   Oregano                                                                     mints              
   Parsley                                                                       scented geraniums
   Savory                                                                        catnip
   Tarragon                                                                     Meadowsweet
   Thyme                                                                        marigold, scented
   caraway
   lovage

Bath                                                                     Medicinal

   Comfrey                                                                      comfrey
   Chickweed                                                                  feverfew
   Nettles                                                                         penny royal
   Lavender                                                                     sage
   Rosemary                                                                    southernwood
   Sage                                                                            thyme
   Marjoram                                                                     borage
   Chamomile                                                                  valerian
   Roses                                                                           betony
   Aloe                                                                            marsh mallow
   Witch hazel                                                                 sage
   Lady’s mantle                                                             ginger
   Peppermint                                                                  St. John’s Wort
   Lemon balm                                                                Echinacea
   Calendula                                                                    primrose
   Clary sage                                                                   catnip
   Thyme                                                                         eyebright
   Yarrow                                                                        sweet cicely


The numbers match the layout in the photo above.

Another Four Square pattern I crafted was the single plant version.  This one has smaller squares within the squares each one containing multiple varieties of a single species, like Basil, Mint, Lemon, and Thyme (I'll use any excuse to plant a variety of thyme species.)

Here is the Plant arrangement list for the drawing above:

Lemon Herbs
Lemon basil
Sorrel
Lemon balm
Lemon thyme
Bergamot

Basils
tulsi basil (holy)
sweet basil spicy globe basil
purple basil
purple ruffled basil
lemon basil
lime basil
basil genovese

Garlic and Onion
onion chives
garlic chives
shallots

Sages
Common sage
Bergarten Sage
tri-color sage
purple sage
golden sage
pineapple sage (focal)
mint

Thyme varieties
lemon thyme
common thyme
silver thyme
golden thyme
wedgewood thyme
french thyme
english thyme

Mints
peppermint
spearmint
apple mint
variegated apple mint
pennyroyal
pineapple mint
curly mint
Corsican mint


Flowering Herbs
Although most herbs flower, as a dedicated herb grower I usually clip the flower heads off as soon as they arrive, but there are some herbs that you actually grow for the flowers.

Scented Marigold
Mexican mint marigold
bergamot
calendula (Pot marigod)
pineapple sage
Hyssop and anise hyssop

My favorite by far and the one that took me the most time to complete a design for was a color four square garden.  This one was designed with four complimentary colors and a color matching path.  Rather than put a path down the middle of of each square I made the squares only 6 by 6 feet so you could reach all the plants from the outside path.  Notice However that the colors were not placed in squares but in triangles to get the most attractive contrast when viewed from a distance or from above.

Silver
Peruvian sage
common sage
Bergarten sage
lavender
silver thyme / wedgewood thyme

Dark green to purple
peppermint
winter savory
purple sage
purple basil

Bright green
lemon balm
lemon basil
pineapple mint
lemon grass
variegated thyme
variegated mint

Golden
golden sage
golden thyme
calendula
lemon scented marigolds

With this garden I also planned a center diamond to accent the colors with a tiered raised bed
the bottom tier was dark green with rosemary and creeping thyme, the second tier silver with dusty miller and the third tier was purple and green with purple ruffled basil and red flowering thyme

Planting a Spa Garden - Designing Theme Gardens #2

January gave me great weather for herb garden designing.  It has been too cold or snowy to do anything else.  I have been repeatedly trapped in my apartment with nowhere to go and a book shelf full of books on landscaping, flowers and herbs.

Since this year we plan to get back into a house and I can actually have a pretty garden in addition to my production garden, I am pondering, scheming and planning.  I thought I would share some of the garden ideas I have pulled together.

Today I have for you a garden filled with herbs that can be used to craft personal Spa items. What could be better than a garden planned around plants that can be used to make luxurious, pampering potions for the bath and body? So many herbs make wonderful contributions to health and beauty, why not put them all in one place for easy access? Here are a few of my favorites that not only look great in the garden but will provide you with pure and effective spa treatments.

My first choice is calendula, Calendula officinalis. This sunny, easy to grow annual, also called pot marigold, can be used in lotions, balms, ointments, bath teas and facial steams. It prefers full sun, well drained soil and moderate watering. Calendula blooms all summer into fall and gives you lots of volunteer seedlings the next year. Harvest the yellow and orange blooms for a bevy of skin soothing treatments.

Comfrey, Symphytum officinale, is a must for the spa garden. Rich with allantom, a chemical that promotes cell regeneration, the whole plant is used in soaps, lotions, creams and salves. Very soothing to dry, irritated skin. Give it partial shade and a little extra water and it will return yearly.

Chickweed, Stellaria media, is another of my favorite plants. Considered a weed, it is a pretty little groundcover plant covered with white flowers. It is full of vitamins and minerals and is a tasty replacement for spinach in the kitchen. I harvest it throughout the winter where it hides under the snow. It likes to grow where it is cool, shady and wet. Very soothing for dry, irritated skin, I use it in salves, lotions, poultices and bath teas.

 

chickweed

Nettles, Urtica dioica, is a bristly plant full of trace minerals used for its anti-inflammatory effects on allergies, but it has been used for years as a hair tonic. A strong tea of the dried leaves used as a hair rinse will leave your hair soft and glossy. The seeds made into oil and rubbed into the scalp are reputed to prevent baldness. Nettles like to grow on the shady side with extra water. They can spread quickly if you provide the ideal conditions, so keep an eye on them and harvest with gloves.

Other herb rinses for hair health include rosemary (Rosmaria officinalis) for removing traces of accumulated hair products, sage (Salvia officinalis) to help darken and condition grey hair, and chamomile (Matricaria recutita) for blond highlights. Grow all three of these herbs in full sun, rosemary and sage like it on the dry side.

 

sage

Roses (Rosa) are a beautiful addition to your spa garden. The petals can be steeped to make rosewater, and combined with glycerin will provide a simple, effective lotion that will moisturize and tone dry, inflamed skin. Try dipping a washcloth into strained, cold, rose petal tea, wring it out and place over red, irritated eyes to relieve and refresh. Give roses full sun and rich soil to keep them happy.

Aloe is renowned for its healing properties. Squeeze the gel from the leaf onto burns, rashes, and irritated skin to provide immediate relief. Aloe likes full sun, little water and needs to be taken inside once it gets cold. They make great houseplants.

Catnip (Nepata cataria) is often discounted as an herb for people, but it is soothing, calming, a light sedative, purifies the blood, relieves colic, works as a digestive aid, and is mild enough for small children.

 

catnip

Lavender, Lavandula officinalis, is very soothing to skin and easy to grow, give it a hot, semi-dry area. I use the leaves and flowers in everything, from skin spritzers, creams and salves to hair rinses. Medicinally, lavender packs quite a punch.  It has antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, anti-depressant properties. Lavender benefits stress, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, headaches, migraines, insomnia, depression, colds, digestion.

 

lavender

Use an elderberry bush for something tall in back of your garden. It will provide you with fragrant flowers to dry and use to tighten pores and clarify skin. Used in a bath it will soothe and moisturize irritated skin. And take internally to avoid illnesses and boost immunity.  Elderberry will grow in sun or part shade and appreciates regular watering.

Some other plants to include are witch hazel, lady's mantle, raspberry, peppermint and lemon balm.

And to get you thinking how to use these herbs.  Here are a few recipes to get you started:

Rose Water

Cover 2 cups of unsprayed, fresh rose petals with 2 cups of boiling water. Steep until cool or overnight, strain and use. Keep leftovers in refrigerator. To make a stronger brew, after straining the first batch, reheat, but don't boil, and pour the rose water over a fresh batch of petals to steep.

Herbal Hair Rinse

1 tablespoon each of dried nettles, rosemary, lavender, dried rose petals and chamomile. Pour 1 cup boiling water over herbs and steep until cooled. After shampooing and conditioning, pour tea over hair and wring out excess. Dry as usual.

Lavender Catnip Honey for Women

Honey can help shed water weight, clear lymph nodes and balance lymph fluid, dry out sinuses, increase circulation, aid in the healing of ulcers, sooth sore throats and coughs, and help reduce allergies (if using for this purpose, make sure you use local honey.

Combine 1 cup honey with 1 Tbls. fresh or dried catnip and 2 Tbls. fresh or dried lavender flowers.  Warm the honey in the microwave or saucepan and allow to steep for 1 to 2 weeks.  Rewarm and strain out the herbs.  Then use in tea, or as an ingredient in lozenges or take off a spoon for a sore throat. 

Lavender Hand Cream

3 tablespoons grated beeswax

½ cup dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons spring water

2 to 3 drops lavender essential oil

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a heat-resistant container or double boiler.  Gently heat (do not boil) the mixture in a microwave or on the stove top over medium heat, stirring often, until wax and oils melt completely.  Pour the mixture into a container or jar and allow it to cool.  After it has cooled completely, give it a final stir before capping.  To use, massage the cream into clean hands.

Always make this in small batches as it has no preservatives and you do not want it to go bad before you use it.  I think a 6 to 12 month shelf life is about all you can hope for.