Different Types of Herb for Your Gardens
Herb gardens bring pleasure to those who wish to grow them. The task of growing herbs is meant to be enjoyable, not burdensome. If you are one of those who take delight in growing herbs, you may be interested of their practical uses in food and health. On the other hand, you may simply like to admire the beauty of decorative herbs.
Herbs are grown for specific purposes. The most common is cooking. Herbs add spice and flavor to any dishes. Culinary herbs ?as they are commonly known ?are also referred to as sweet herbs. There are annual, biennial and perennial culinary herbs which have tender roots and ripe seeds. They are also aromatic in nature. Cooking herbs are not added to all kinds of food, there are specific herbs good for specific dish. If you mess that up you may not get the desired flavor that will impress your family or friends. If you have been cooking for a while, you can attest that basil leaves are good for soups and oreganos go well with pasta, while chives are great in baked potatoes.
Aromatic herbs can also be grown in herb gardens. Some of these are culinary herbs as well. Aromatic herbs are added to perfumes, toilet solutions, and other substances that need fragrance. Only a few nurture these plants in their herb gardens, but it is still worthwhile to venture in these herbs. Marjoram, lovage, rosemary and basil can be dried to serve as potpourri or incense for sweet scent.
Medicinal purposes are perhaps one of the oldest uses of herbs. During the time when antibiotics and hospitals were not known to mankind, these plants were used by our ancestors to cure simple illnesses, heal their diseases, or even save their lives. Marshmallow root is known to soothe inflammations such as sore throat. Hyacinth is a diuretic which can rid of excess water in the tissues. Yarrow can help relieve a cold fever. The use of these herbs may seem primitive enough, but if you want natural remedies and would like to avoid antibiotics or other commercial drugs available, you might as well resort to these medicinal herbs.
Another kind that does wonders in herb gardens are ornamental herbs. Decorative herbs ?as they are otherwise known ?may not have as noble purpose as culinary or medicinal herbs, but they still realize the idea of fun gardening. If you are the type who are inclined to aesthetic functions of plants more than culinary or medicinal, try planting these herbs. They are not meant to be harvested, of course, but they make good ornaments. If you want a dual function, you can plant decorative herbs that can either be medicinal or culinary at the same time. Valerian, chicory and borage will make good medicinal and ornamental herbs, while ariegated thyme, mint lavender and chives can be grown for both ornamental and culinary purposes.
