Herb Compendium
Table of Contents Getting started 3-4 Mint 5-6 Basil 7-8 Chamomile & Sage 9-10 Sage 11-12 Lemon Balm 13-14 Parsley & Cilantro 15-16 Lavendar 17-18
I
Note from the Author Starting your own herb garden is an easy and incredibly rewarding uptaking. There are numerous ways to customize your herb garden to suit your needs and lifestyle. This book will guide you through the basics needed to create a garden tailor made
II
Preparations Preparing for your garden may seem like a rather mundane task, but it is vital to ensure your garden can thrive.
Pots Pots are very non-committal and they are ideal for beginners. They can be moved as needed, and you have more control over the environment of the herbs. They can be inside, or outside, you can have multiple pots, and you can control the size of your herbs.
Bed An herb garden requires much more maintenance. You need to take into account animals, such as deer that may eat your herbs; the location and size of your bed. They are more of a commitment, and not advisable for beginners. They allow for a much larger variety of herbs to be planted, they look beautiful in a backyard, and they don’t need to be replanted every year.
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Watering There are a few ways to go about watering your garden. There’s the traditional hose or watering can method, but if you want more freedom, you can create an irrigation system for your outdoor beds, or you can use the wick method if you’re planting in a pot. The wick method is very simple, and is my preferred method of watering. It allows you to go long periods of time without watering, it is very affordable, and it is easy to do. There are a variety of different tutorials that are readily available on youtube.
Choosing Your Herbs Now comes the fun part. Choosing your herbs. There is a lot of freedom in this part of the process, but there are a few things to take into consideration. Its best to choose herbs that you will use often, whether you’re using them fresh, dried, or ground into a spice. You should take into account the variety of each herb you want. Most herbs have several variations that can differ in taste, appearance, and smell.
IV
Mint Variations Pineapple: Has a subtle tropical taste with notes of menthol.
Strawberry: Smells like artificial strawberries,
Spearmint: Has a much
and has a lovely fruity
more mild flavor. It
undertone
contains less than 1% menthol so it is great
Chocolate mint: Smells
if you don’t want an
like chocolate, but has a overwhelming mint flacitrus flavor, similar to vor. an orange Peppermint: Contains 40% menthol. It Has a very strong mint flavor, and will have an intense cooling effect on your beverages.
V
Growing conditions Mint needs a lot of water to thrive. They are better suited to be grown outside. They are incredibly sturdy though and once you plant mint, it will come back every year with little to no maintenance. Mint spreads like a demon though. It is not ideal to be planted next to any other herbs because it will choke everything else in your garden out. It is best to plant in its own pot.
Uses Mint is incredibly versatile. It can be used in a variety of drinks. You can add lemon and mint to your water in the summer to keep cool, make mint juleps, or tea. It is very easy to dry and used to make your own tea in the colder months. It is a beautiful garnish, and is an easy pallet cleanse.
VI
Basil Variations Classic Basil: A beautiful mix of sweet and savory. It is very versatile and has a slight anise, and minty flavor.
Thai Basil: Has a sweet sharp flavor. Tastes a bit like licorice or anise. Purple Basil: Has a very strong clove flavor and lacks any sweetness. It is not ideal for cooking, but is a beautiful addition to salads, pasta, and pesto. Lemon Basil: Has a sweet tangy flavor. It has lemon and anise notes. It also smells very strongly of lemon. Dark Opal Basil: has a very strong smell and a very sharp savory flavor. Has notes of ginger, cinnamon, anise and cloves.
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Growing Conditions Basil is a hearty herb. It grows easily with very little attention, and spreads a considerable amount. They can choke other plants out, but they are still safe to plant with other herbs. They look beautiful, and they do a beautiful job of deterring animals and pests from your garden.
Uses Basil is very easy to use. It is a beautiful addition to salads, mediterranean cuisine, and it makes a beautiful garnish. It can be made into pesto, and Thai basil is incredible in fresh spring rolls. Basil can also be dried, though I am not as fond of dried basil.
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Rosemary Variations Tuscan Blue: Is preferred by most chefs. It is the quintessential rosemary flavor.
Foxtail Rosemary: has a very peppery taste, and has a very forward pine scent.
Growing conditions Rosemary is very easy to take care of once it is developed a bit. It needs lots of water, and does not tolerate acidic soil. Rosemary is very effective at deterring deer from your gardens, and can be planted at the edge of your garden to protect the rest of your herbs from deer.
Uses Rosemary is ideal for brushing and seasoning meats. It’s paired well with Sage, and butter. It dries incredibly well, and can be an easy way to spce up your recipies all year around.
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Chamomile Variations Moroccan Chamomile: Is not technically a Chamomile, but has a very similar flavor profile. It has a much stronger scent, and is mostly used for fragrances and oils.
Roman Chamomile: Smells and tastes like apples. It is sweeter than other varieties, but has a very traditional chamomile flavor.
Yellow Chamomile: Smells like apples, and has a slight flavor of apples, but it is much more subtle. It is very sweet, and has an earthy and traditional floral flavor.
Growing conditions Chamomile thrives in
Uses Chamomile is great for
cooler weather. They
making tea. It can be
need partial shade, and
used both fresh or dried.
dry soil. They can be
It is also great for fra-
finicky when they are
grance oils, or can be
first starting out, but
boiled to make your home
after a little while
smell lovely.
they become very low maintenance.
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Sage Variations Clary Sage: Has a very broad and earthy scent. It has a strong scent and flavor and should be used in moderation. Purple Sage: Tastes like citrus and rosemary. Has a very strong and complex sound.
Common Sage: has a very earthy taste. A bit peppery, with undertones of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon.
Pineapple Sage: Has an incredibly strong pineapple scent and grows stunning red flowers. The taste on the other hand does not resemble a pineapple. It has a very herby and green taste.
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Growing conditions: Sage does better in spring and fall as opposed to the summer. Sage should be planted 18-24 inches apart from all other plants. They need to be pruned if they become larger or woody. They need to be replaced every few years to keep your plants thriving. They are a mediterranean plant, and require full sun exposure.
Uses: Sage is ideal for brushing and seasoning meat. It is best with red meats, like lamb and beef. It can be dried and used all year around to season meats and pastas.
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Lemon Balm
Variations Citronella Lemon Balm: Used to repel mosquitos, have a very distinct citrus scent.
Quedlinburger Lemon Balm: Has a very strong lemon flavor, so much so that it can be used as a substitute for lemon juice in recipes. It is ideal for infusions and essential oils because of its strong lemon flavor and scent.
Variegated Lemon Balm: Has a beautiful green and yellow color on the leaves. It has a minty and citrus flavor.
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Growing Conditions Lemon balm does best when planted in the spring, and needs full sun. they are quite agreeable and can thrive both indoors and outdoors. They can be a touch dramatic, but they bounce back very quickly. They are overall very agreeable and a great addition to your kitchen counter.
Uses Lemon balm is ideal for infusions, and essential oils. Lemon balm is a natural mosquito repellant. It can help with mosquito bites as well. They have a very strong lemon flavor and do well in teas and as garnishes for fresh summer salads.
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Parsley Varieties Italian Parsley: makes a great garnish. Italian Parsley maintains that fresh flavor, but has very soft and large leaves. They make a great garnish and have a very mild taste. Japanese Parsley: Has a taste similar to celery. It is slightly bitter, and thrives in cooler temperatures.
Hamburg Parsley: has a strong carrot and celery flavor. It has a larger root and visually resembles a parsnip.
Curly Parsley: Has a very fresh leafy flavor, but has a harder texture. As the name suggests it is curlier and much more noticeable texture wise in food.
Growing conditions
Uses
Growing parsley is a tricky
Parsley is very ver-
business. It is a very frail
satile and can be
herb, and it is incredi-
used in most any
bly fragile. They are easily
dish to add a bit
overwatered, and underwa-
of color and add a
tered, and they can break or
fresh flavor. They
fall over very easily. They
are wonderful with
do best in full sun, very
meats, pastas, fish,
moist, and well fertilized
and salads. Real-
soil.
ly anything. They
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Cilantro Variations Lemon Cilantro: Has a lemony scent, and has a stronger citrus scent than most cilantro
Leisure Cilantro: Is very strong and incredibly pungent. It is a bit sturdier than other variations.
Vietnamese Cilantro: Has a very fresh taste with a bit of a spicy flavor. It loves
Growing conditions Similar to parsley, cilantro is incredibly difficult to grow. It is very fragile and incredibly dramatic. It is very sensitive to too much or too little sun and water. It needs things to be just right in order to grow.
full sun, but the leaves lose their taste as they mature.
Uses Cilantro has a very fresh and lemony scent. It does well on fresh savory foods and is ideal for fish. You do have to be careful when using Cilantro though, because some people have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap.
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Lavender Variations English Lavender: Have a strong scent as well, and they thrive in colder climates. They also live longer, and are much heartier.
Lavandin: Is a cross between Portuguese and English Lavender. It has a very strong herbal taste, as opposed to french lavender which is very sweet and floral. Is ideal for essential oils.
French Lavender: French lavender is very traditional and has a very sweet scent, and a bit of a vanilla flavor.
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Growing Conditions Lavender needs lots of water. They thrive in low to moderately fertile soil. They do much better outside than inside. They are very effective at deterring deer from your garden. They become easier the bigger they get, but can be quite difficult to get started.
Uses Can be dried, can be made into oil and used to help with headaches and insect bites. Helps with sleep, and can make great tea. It also is great for infusions, like in honey and oil. And is great for adding a floral twist to baked goods.
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