7 Herbs and Their Uses

Herbs are beautiful, useful additions to any garden. They have countless benefits and uses ranging from potpourri to spices for food and infusions and teas for your health. 

This is a just a brief guide to 7 herbs that you can grow in your garden and just a few of their benefits and uses. The lists could go on and on. 

Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Lavender is an aromatic perennial evergreen shrub. Its woody stems bear lavender or purple flowers from late spring to early autumn, although there are varieties with blossoms of white or pink. The leaves are long, spiky, and very narrow, and the stems branch out near the ground.

Uses & Benefits

• Lavender yields a highly effective essential oil with very sweet overtones, and is chiefly used in balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications. 

• Lavender is used in the treatment of insomnia, nervous stomach, and anxiety as well as flatulence, colic, and depressive headaches. 

• Lavender, in the garden, attracts bees and other beneficial garden pollinators.

• Great for repelling fleas

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub in the mint family. It has thin dark green leaves and blue flowers. It is a pungent and distinctive plant with a sweet, resinous flavor.

Uses & Benefits

• Rosemary is used as a seasoning for poultry, lamb, stews, and soups.

• The branches can be cut every year for wreaths or for ceremonial incense.

• It has a wonderful woodsy scent and is great in air fresheners and aromatherapy mixes.

• Rosemary infused oil is an intensive treatment for dandruff.

• Used externally, Rosemary Oil can help soothe the stomach and relieve pain from indigestion, menstrual cramps or other difficulties.
• Can be used in mosquito repellent

• Deters small pests such as mice

Sage, Salvia officinalis 

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Sage is a hardy perennial.  It takes the form of a low-growing shrub. The soft gray-green foliage is great in planters or the garden. Sage plants do best when well-hydrated through the hottest parts of summer if you want a steady supply of supple foliage.

Uses & Benefits

• Most commonly dried and used in cooking

• Sage has been found to be useful for treating depression, stress and anxiety, along with other health issues. (Webmd)

• Sage can also be used in cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps. 

• Burning sage removes unpleasant odors, such as lingering cigarette smoke or cooked fish smells. White sage is burned in Native American traditions for purification and protection purposes.

• Sage can be used as an insect repellent. 

• Great for repelling deer

Thyme, Thymus vulgaris

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Thyme is an aromatic herb in the mint family.  It can grow to a height of fifteen inches, with small rounded leaves and pink flowers on woody stems.  It prefers a sandy, dry soil and plenty of sun.

Uses & Benefits

• Thyme has many culinary uses and is often included in seasoning blends. 

• Oil of thyme is the main ingredient in the mouthwash Listerine. 

• Thyme is a strong antiseptic used externally for infected cuts and scrapes and internally for oral and respiratory infections.  

• Teas of thyme have been taken orally to treat allergies, asthma, colds, and coughs. 

• Inhaling essential oil of thyme placed in hot water as aromatherapy may encourage coughing up of phlegm and stop spasms of the bronchial passages.

• In the garden, pollinating bees are drawn to thyme, whilst harmful cabbage worms are repelled.

Basil, Ocimum basilicum 

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Basil is a highly fragrant member of the family Lamiaceae. The plant grows from a thick taproot and has silky round leaves that are oftentimes pointed. They are green in color, although some varieties feature hints of red or purple. The plant produces small white flowers which are clustered on a single spike at the top of the plant. Basil plants are often grown as annuals but may survive for several seasons with some care.

Uses & Benefits

• Basil is commonly used as a fresh or dried herb in cooking and is popularly used in beverages in Southeast Asia.

• The unique array of active constituents, called flavonoids, found in basil provides protection at the cellular level.

• Basil is a very good source of vitamin A.

• Basil is also a good source of magnesium, which promotes cardiovascular health by prompting muscles and blood vessels to relax, thus improving blood flow.

• Planting near tomato plants enhances the taste of tomatoes.

• The strong scent of basil attracts beneficial bees and other pollinators.

• Basil deters flies.

Mint, Mentha spp

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

Mint is a perennial with very fragrant, toothed, opposite leaves and square stems. Mint plants produce a terminal flower spike and the flowers can be white or purple in color depending on variety. Mint plants are fast growing and can become very invasive. They will continue to grow for many years once established. 

Uses & Benefits

• Mint leaves are used fresh or dried to make teas, jams and desserts.

• Essential oil can be extracted from the leaves and is used as a flavoring.

• Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser, and it promotes digestion.

• It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation. 

• Menthol oil derived from mint can be very soothing for nausea and related motion sickness.

• Improves oral health.

• Mint's highly aromatic foliage acts to repel ants, white cabbage moths, and other pests.

Chives, Allium schoenoprasum

Common name, Botanical name

Characteristics 

The chive plant is a perennial herb and member of the onion family (Allium). It forms small bulbs from the roots. The leaves of the plant are tapering, hollow and cylindrical and have a soft texture. The chive plant grows in clumps and produces large pale purple flowers in a dense cluster of 10–30 individual inflorescences.

Uses & Benefits

• Chives are consumed fresh as a culinary herb in a variety of dishes.

• Chives comprise more vitamin A than any other allium family member vegetables.

• They also have some other essential vitamins such as vitamin C, and K.

• The leaves are packed with other B-complex vitamins as well as some essential minerals such as copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and calcium.

• Chive is known to repel a number of harmful insects including aphids, beetles, cabbage worms, Japanese beetles and slugs.

Before and After: Bedstuy, Brooklyn Backyard Garden

It's time for some before and after photos of a yard we recently transformed in Bedstuy, Brooklyn!


This yard started out as completely bare construction-fill dirt and turned into a beautiful oasis for a family to enjoy. It is full of hardy native plants that provide new habitat for important pollinators to enjoy as well.

BEFORE

Bare dirt and rock

DURING

Bringing in the plants!

The plants chosen for this yard are beautiful, mostly native plants that bloom from April through October, providing a new habitat for many birds, butterflies and other pollinators. These plants are low maintenance and tough.

Pea Gravel layout

We had a pea gravel patio with metal edging laid out.
Pea gravel is a great permeable option that allows for water drainage and helps prevent runoff.
Then we added much needed nutrients to the soil with compost, planted all the plants and mulched.

AFTER

We also added some edible veggies and herbs to the back porch right outside the kitchen door. 

This fringe tree smells amazing!
It has a sweet honey-suckle smell.

Scientist Spotlight: George Washington Carver

Earlier this year, I attended Making Brooklyn Bloom at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. I had the pleasure of getting to hear Onika Abraham’s powerful talk. The talk was in the spirit of Sankofa, to memorialize Kristopher Morgan Powell, local Bronx historian who passed away last winter. He was the creator and writer for Bronx River Sankofa. Sankofa is an Akan word used in Ghana that translates to “go back and fetch it”. She explained that this word is from a proverb stating “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten” which is to represent the importance from learning from the past.

In our first edition of Scientist Spotlight, I'd like to highlight an important scientist from the past whom Ms. Abraham also spoke about in her talk: George Washington Carver.

George Washington Carver 

George Washington Carver was born in 1864 in Missouri. His mother was a slave owned by Susan and Moses Carver. When George was just a baby, his mother was kidnapped by slave raiders. Around this same time that he became an orphan, slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment. The Carver’s raised George and his brother James. As George got older and wanted an education, he had to travel in order to find it because there were no schools for black children where they lived.

He eventually became the first African-American to study at Iowa State Agricultural College in 1891. He combined his love for art and science to study botany. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1894 and a graduate degree in 1896. His bachelor’s thesis was “Plants as Modified by Man”. His graduate studies included in depth work on plant pathology.

George working in his lab.

Carver excelled in his studies and became the first African-American expert in his field. He was contacted by Booker T. Washington to head the agricultural department at the all-black Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Here, Carver conducted agricultural research and also conducted “some of his most significant work–seeking solutions to the burden of debt and poverty that enmeshed landless black farmers.” (1) His goal was to fix the relentless cycle of debt and poverty experienced by black farmers dependent upon sharecropping and cotton.

In the effort to create more economically sustainable lives for poor farmers, Carver pioneered a mobile classroom to bring lessons on better farming practices to the farms.

He “gave demonstrations on such topics as using native clays for paints, increasing soil fertility without commercial fertilizers, and growing alternative crops along with the ubiquitous cotton. To enhance the attractiveness of such crops as cow peas, sweet potatoes, and peanuts, Carver developed a variety of uses for each. Peanuts especially appealed to him as an inexpensive source of protein that did not deplete the soil as much as cotton did”. (1)

Mobile Classroom

As he became more widely known, he used his fame to travel through the South to promote racial equality.Carver later became more famous for his work with peanuts and peanut oil, which became widely used in massage for people with medical issues, such as polio. He was thought to ‘have the cure’ and people from all over sought him out.

During the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, “people from all over the world asked Carver for agricultural advice because he was able to show farmers how to maximize plant production and improve the soil at very little cost”. (2)

George Washington Carver, born into the most unfortunate circumstances, lived a frugal life dedicated to helping improve the lives of others. On his grave was written, He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.

In the spirit of Sankofa, I think George Washington Carver represents an important part of the past which we should look back and learn from.

A painting by Betsy Graves Reyneau of Carver cross pollinating flowers.

1- http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/george-washington-carver

2- http://shs.umsystem.edu/historicmissourians/name/c/carver/

More info from : 

http://www.biography.com/people/george-washington-carver-9240299#tuskegee-institute

http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/tuskegee/gwcwagon.htm

15 Flowers You Can Eat

Spring is so beautiful. There are flowers everywhere we look. 

Did you know you can actually eat many flowers?

Here is a list of 15 beautiful flowers that would make a great addition to your delicious dishes.

Calendula / marigold

The petals of these flowers are edible and have a peppery, spicy taste.  They add vibrant color to any dish.

Borage

These are lovely blue-purple flowers that have a mild taste like cucumber.

Anise hyssop

Flowers and leaves of this plant are edible and have a subtle licorice flavor.

Allium

The allium family includes plants such as garlic, chives and leeks. All the blossoms from this family are flavorful and edible.

Chrysanthemum

Mums come in a wide range of colors and flavors, mostly a peppery flavor. Only the petals of these flowers should be eaten.

Cilantro

Cilantro flowers share the same flavor as the leaves and are best eaten fresh, not cooked.

Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)

Citrus flowers are very sweet and have a lovely but strong scent. They should be used sparingly to jazz up a dish.

Fennel

The beautiful bursting yellow fennel flowers have a subtle licorice flavor similar to the leaves.

The delicious hibiscus doughnuts from Dough!

Hibiscus

Hibiscus flowers are used throughout tropical regions mostly as a tea. The flower has a tart cranberry flavor.

Johnny Jump-Up

These flowers are cute and delicious. They have a subtle mint flavor and are a great addition to many dishes.

Lavender ice cream- yum!

Lavender

Lavender flowers, as the leaves, have a lovely sweet, spicy taste. They have a calming scent and can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

Mint

Mint flowers are minty! Add pretty fresh taste to any treat.

Nasturtium

These flowers are bright and are brilliant in a dish. They are very flavorful with a spicy pepper taste.

Pansy

The petals of the pansy have a very subtle taste but the whole flower can be eaten for a bit more flavor. The colorful flowers make a great edible decoration for many treats or salads.

Squash and pumpkin

Squash blossoms have a mild squash flavor and are great for stuffing.

Before you go snipping flowers all over town..

It is best to eat only flowers of plants that you have grown. Flowers from a florist or found elsewhere may have been treated with pesticides, which you do not want to be eating.

Before eating flowers, the plant should be checked for signs of disease or insect damage. Flowers from these plants should not be eaten.

The pistil and stamen, the male and female parts in the center of the flowers, should be removed before eating.

Clean flowers with warm water and then dip in ice water the restore crispness.

Check out some great edible flower recipes here!

Warning- Not all flowers are edible and some flowers are poisonous! Some plants with edible flowers may have other poisonous parts and vice versa. Always research before eating! 

For a list of more edible flowers and some that are toxic check out this site.

Hardscaping

A major decision in garden design is choosing the right paving option for your garden. 
In the end, the choice is a matter of preference and style. Everyone has a different taste, so get creative! 
Here is a little guide to explain some of the options available.

Common hardscaping materials include concrete, brick, stone, wood, and pavers. 

Concrete

Concrete is a relatively cheap option that is very versatile. Instead of having a poured concrete sidewalk in your yard or garden, why not try concrete pavers? They are less susceptible to cracking and because you can have grass or stone between pavers this option helps eliminate run off.

Brick

Brick adds a classic look to your garden. You can stick with the classic deep red or try brick in a variety of colors. There are also endless patterns for brick laying.

Stone

Stone is another great option for hardscaping. It can be used as your main material or in addition to other materials. Common stone available for hardscaping are flagstone, sandstone, slate, limestone and quartzite.  Stones permeability makes it a good environmentally friendly option. 

Wood

Wood is typically used in hardscaping for fences, walls, and decks, but wood chips can also be used to create a rustic looking pathway.

Pavers

Almost any stone type can work as a paver, but the most commonly available options are either sandstone, limestone, slate, or granite. Pavers can be laid in a connected pattern or spread out with sand, gravel or even greenery between them to create a permeable surface for water to seep through.

There are many hardscaping options out there for your garden space. There is much room for creativity. You can stick with one material or mix many. Recycled materials are also a great option. You could use old glass bottles or salvaged building materials. Have fun with it!