The Gardener's Rake » herbs

Herbs for Natural Insect Control

Denise — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:16:17 +0000

Living close to a creek and seeing the results of insecticides and pollutants from the road and erosion has only strengthened my appreciation for natural remedies for pest control in the gardens and backyard.

photo credit: Mick E.Talbot
Our wet summer has also caused a serious mosquito problem, so I have been mixing up my own ointments to ward off these insects.

Herbs such as basil, catnip, lemon balm, rosemary and rose geraniums are a few of the plants that have insect-repelling qualities. By growing an herb container garden or mini herb garden you can have these herbs close at hand for making a natural insect repellant ointment.

Catnip and Lemon balm are especially good for warding off mosquitoes. Researchers at Iowa State University found the essential oil in catnip to be about 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, the widely used synthetic repellent.

photo credit: kthread

To create an ointment, crush the leaves of any of these plants to release their scents and rub them on your exposed skin. I usually store the ointment in a brown or blue glass container and store in the refrigerator. Unfortunately my cat really likes catnip so he tends to get a bit wound up when I am making the catnip ointment.

Tip: You can grow you own herbs and make an essential oil or stop at a health food store and pick up top quality essential oils.

The recipe below will make an insect repellant for various pesky insects

Herbal insect repellent

2 teaspoons total of any of the following essential oils: basil, catnip, cedarwood, citronella, juniper, lemon, myrrh, pine, rosemary or rose geranium. (You can use one herb or a combination or two or three.)
1-cup 190-proof grain alcohol (available at liquor stores)

Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Place in a small glass jar for storage. I prefer dark jars to keep light out. Light will weaken the mixture in time.

To use, rub a small amount on exposed skin. When ever you make any ointment or cosmetic place a small amount on the skin and wait to see if you have any reaction such as a rash or red skin.

Rose geranium is also excellent for keeping ticks off of you dog and cats.

Herbs have many medicinal , natural cosmetic and crafting uses. They also can help control insects just by being planted among you vegetables and flowers.

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How to Dry Herbs Successfully

Denise — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:19:18 +0000

There are several ways to store herb that you have grown in your garden. Freezing and drying are the most popular forms of storage.

I dry most of my herbs. I like the look and the smell of the barn when I have the herbs hanging while drying.

My barn works the best for me for drying as its dry and dark. Many people use a dark closet or even an herb drying cabinet.

And with modern advance the microwave will also dry herbs. Some question if the microwave dries out the essential oils in the herbs so that they are not as potent.

The following you tube below shows how to dry herbs

There are several points I consider important when drying herbs.

Pick the herb in the morning. Rinse and make sure the herb is dry. I usually wait and start to dry the herb until the next day.
When you feel the herb is dry, check once again. If the herb has any moisture left in the leaves it will mold when put in a jar.
Store the herb in a glass jar and keep out of sunlight. Sunlight will delete the oils left in the jar.
Herbs that are left whole, not crushed, will keep their herbal strength longer.

Herbs are easy and fun plants to grow. With the many uses for herbs you will find they are a wonderful addition to the yard and gardens.

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Build your own Hydroponic system cheaply.

Denise — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:39 +0000

This you Tube shows how to build a hydroponic growing system.

Hydroponic growing gives you wholesome fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers year round. They grow very healthy, have less health issues and take less space. The only considerations is the cost of setting it up, the chemicals needed to nourish the plants and proper lighting.

This You Tube will give you a few ideas on how to set one up. One thing I noticed was that you can find a fish tank for a lot less than the video said. I have seen them in discount stores for $5.99 or at auctions of garage sales for a few dollars.

There’s no doubt I will be trying hydroponic gardening for tomatoes and herbs. Possibly I will add flowers later. It should make the winter month move more quickly here in NW PA.

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Teaberries or Partridge berry plant information

Denise — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:54:45 +0000

Teaberries have always been a favorite plant of mine. Here is a description of the plant.

This description of the partidge berry also know as teaberry is directly from the Federal United States Forest Sevice website http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/mitchella_repens.shtml

Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens L.) aLso know as Teaberry

Partridge Berry is a member of the Madder Family (Rubiaceae). The genus name Mitchella was given to this plant by Linnaeus for his friend John Mitchell, a physician who developed a method of treating yellow fever. The species name repens refers to its trailing or creeping habit. Partridge Berry is found throughout eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Texas and Florida.

Partridge Berry is a native perennial, a small, woody, trailing vine with 6 to 12 inch, slender, trailing stems that does not climb but lays prostrate on the forest floor. The trailing stems root at nodes which come in contact with the forest surface and may spread into colonies several yards across. The dark-green, evergreen leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, with a pale yellow midrib, are ½ inch across, with a short stalk. In late spring, a pair of white flowers (with a single calyx) appears. Each small, fragrant flower has four brilliant white petals that are pubescent and unite into a funnel-shaped tube that is also fringed with hairs. The pair of flowers occur in two forms (dimorphous). In the first form the pistil is short and the stamens are long; in the second form the pistil is long and the stamens are short. This structure prevents each flower from fertilizing itself. Both flowers must be pollinated to obtain a single scarlet berry. Each berry is the result of the fusion of each ovary of the pollinated pair of white flowers. As such, each berry has two bright red spots on its surface.

Partridge berry is a fairly common inhabitant of deciduous and coniferous forests in rich organic soils with dappled sunlight to complete shade. Depending on latitude and elevation Partridge Berry flowers from late spring to early summer. Partridge Berry is pollinated by insects. The ensuing scarlet berry contains eight seeds. The fruits are tasteless and generally survive through winter and into the following spring. Birds are the primary consumer of these fruits and the subsequent distribution of seeds. Seeds require a cold stratification through the winter and some will germinate the following growing season with many seed not germinating until the second growing season.

Some gardeners consider Partridge Berry a must for winter gardens. During the cold days of late winter Partridge Berry is a treat to the eyes with its deep, dark-green leaves and occasional scarlet berries. In a garden setting this evergreen prefers shade, accepting the morning sun. Partridge Berry is extremely difficult to propagate from seed. The best way to introduce this native into your garden is through 1 year old cuttings or by division. In the garden situation they will form a thick, substantial ground cover. Once established they are relatively trouble free with the only required maintenance of keeping garden debris from covering the mats. As always, do not wild collect plants from public lands and only from private lands when the landowner grants permission. Partridge Berry is a commonly available plant from native plant nurseries especially those who specialize in woodland plants.

Take special note in the picking of plants form other peoples property. Always ask permission.

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Teaberry plants bring back childhood memories

Denise — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:12:02 +0000

I remember teaberry gum as a child. We were not given many sweets or gum as children but once in a while my parents gave us teaberry gum. I always liked the flavor and aroma of the gum. I was amazed one day while playing in the neighboring field to find a pretty plant with evergreen leaves and a small fragrant berry. I picked a small section of the plant and took it to my mother to see if she knew what it was.

It was teaberry and she told me the berry was safe to eat. It was not long before me and my brothers were hunting for teaberries. I mainly found this plant as a child in the neighbors open fields near the creek or forest lines.

Just recently I found many of the plants on an old dirt road that runs through a forest in Warren, PA. I have removed, with permission, some of the plants to a safer place. Being along the road it is only a matter of time before they will be dug away from snowplows and backhoes keeping the road in good shape.

The teaberries bring back childhood memories of long sunny days in the field. I also really like the look and aroma of this plant.

The berry is good to eat and many people like the plants to use in terrariums. The following link has more information on the plant. This plant also has herbal uses. http://thegardenersrake.com/teaberries-or-partridgeberry-plant-information

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Joe-Pye-Weed, Stately Herb and Perennial.

Denise — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:25:49 +0000

The weather is rather dreary in NW PA. today. But that has its advantages, the gardens needed a day away from bright sun and I needed a day away from watering. Mother nature always does a better job!

For some reason I have unusual plants on my mind today. There’s something about those plants that stand out from the crowd.

One year when I was foraging for flowers that would work for dried flowers I stumbled across Joe-Pye-Weed. On my property it grows near the creeks and along the tree lines. It caught my attention because of the size of the plant and flowers.

Not knowing exactly what is was I turned to my wild plant identification book and started to look. It was Joe-Pye-Weed, perennial herb. Note: Always ID a plant before you touch it. This lets you know its growing characteristics and if it’s poisonous.

Joe-Pye-Weed is a 5 to 6 foot tall perennial that grows wild in North America. It will do equally well in a perennial border. This plant has tall, upright purple stems and purplish foliage. The stems are adorned with fluffy pink-mauve flower heads that appear in early autumn. Because of its height it need to be planted at the back of the border.

It requires rich soil and needs to be given compost or well-rotted manure mulch in the spring.

Over all it has few needs and will grow well. I use the plant mainly for cut flowers and dry many of the flowers for later use in dried arrangements.

Tags: Joe-Pye-Weed, wild flowers, foraging for plants, drying flowers

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Growing Yarrow: Herb, dried flower and useful weed.

Denise — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:14:20 +0000

Yarrow is one of my favorite plants. It is considered a weed by many but has many herbal, crafting and flower uses.

I plant yarrow in my wildflower and perennial beds. Yarrow is a perennial hardy up to zone 3. Once established it will return year after year with little care needed. It has soft, frilly green foliage and groups of delicate white flowers make it similar to baby’s breath.

I dry yarrow and use it in artwork and in dried arrangements. What is particularly useful with yarrow is that once it is dried you can spray the flower heads different colors, which makes it very useful in flower arrangements or glued to wreaths. Yarrow comes in other pastel colors if you buy plants or seeds from a nursery. I myself just use that I have foraged and moved from the property.

Yarrow also attracts needed insects to your garden. Lady beetles and predatory wasps swarm to yarrow. These insects are not harmful to garden plants and eat other insects, which can be harmful to your garden. Yarrow also attracts butterflies to your garden.

Medicinal uses

Make a medicinal herbal infusion with yarrow to treat a variety of ailments. Yarrow contains many oils and alkaloids including linalool, camphor, salicylic acid, azulene and tannins useful for both internal and external medicinal application. Make the infusion by placing a handful of fresh yarrow flowers or foliage in a pint of boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes.
Drink a cup of the infusion to help reduce fevers and relieve pain. The salicylic acids in yarrow are similar to the active ingredients in aspirin and work as natural pain relievers and fever reducers.

Let the infusion cool and soak a rag in the liquid for external use. Apply the rag to wounds to prevent inflammation or to already inflamed areas to reduce swelling. The azuliene in yarrow is an anti-inflammatory.

NOTE: Always use care when using any herb. You may have an allergy to the plant or it may affect medicine that you take. Do research and ask questions.

Yarrow has been grown in my gardens for over 10 years and will continue to be an important “must have” plant.

Tags: yarrow, uses for yarrow, one mighty useful weed, yarrow for crafting, dried flowers

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Bugleweed: Flowering Perennial and Groundcover

Denise — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:55:42 +0000

At a greenhouse auction I attended last night I picked up a large flat of mixed perennials. Four of the containers had Bugleweed plants. I have heard this perennial flower/groundcover can be invasive so I wanted to find out more information on it.

The plants grow along the ground, forming a mat that can keep weeds from making headway. Some people even use is as more of a grass in hard to maintain areas as it will choke out all weeds. They have a rounded leaf and bloom in May and June with irregular flowers in spiked clusters.

They grow in ordinary, well-drained garden soil, with full sun or partial shade. They are considered easy to take care of. In areas with mild winters or under a good snow cover, they are evergreen.

Bugleweed is excellent as ground cover and make a stunning edging at the front of a border as they emphasis the other flowers colors. They are perfect for tumbling over rock edges and if you add another ground cover with color this makes a great statement. If you use these as a ground covers place the plants 10 inches apart. They will quickly fill an area.

These plants do grow quickly but are easily uprooted so can be weeded down or moved to other areas. Many consider this plant invasive but with a little care it can be easily maintained. If you want to propegate the plant do so in the spring or fall.

There are two varieties available. Ajuga pyramidalis which bears brilliant blue flowers on 6-inch spikes and will stay bushy. It does not spread as widely as other varieties. In the fall, the leaves turn to purple-bronze. Ajuga reptans is the ground cover that spreads more rapidly.

Bugleweed related varieties: Metallica Crispa has purplish-brown leaves with crisped edges, and Alba bears white flowers. Burgundy Glow bears blue flowers with leaves in three colors: new growth is burgundy-red, but as the leaves age, they become creamy white and dark pink. Rosea has rose flowers.

Bugleweed does have several herbal uses but as with any plant that can be used herbally, it’s best to research the plants uses thoroughly.

I will watch this ground cover carefully to see how invasive it is. As with most plants that tend to be invasive a little care can usually control them. If not, they are not in my gardens.

Tags: Bugleweed, perennial flower, perennial used as ground cover, perennial with herbal uses

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How to create you own Container Herb Garden in Minutes

Denise — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:39:14 +0000

Growing herbs in containers are fast and colorful. You can also place herb containers on your porch within easy reach of the kitchen for adding fresh herbs to your meals. I grow around 40 herbs that are used for spices and 25 that are used for medicinal uses. Many of these can also be used for crafting and art.

The following You Tube video will show you how to set up a container herb garden in a matter of minutes. Herbs have so many uses and are also colorful and mix in well with vegetable and flower garden plants.

Tags: herb container gardening, fast and easy herb garden, you tube herb garden video

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The Joy of Mowing: Wild herbs in the Yard

Denise — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:32:20 +0000

As strange as it may seem, I enjoy mowing. And it’s a good thing since I mow about five acres. People ask my why I mow as much as I do and its really quite simple. Living near the Conewango Creek you get snakes and river rats if you don’t make a lot of noise and keep the grass down

Today as I was mowing I had to stop a few times and collect a few wild herbs growing in the yard. I picked violet leaves, red and white clover buds and leaves and plantain. I also harvest my first stinging nettle leaves.

The violet leaves I use in teas. Earlier in the spring I use the violet flower for jelly or candy the flower for a fancy dessert topping.

Red and White clover are great dried and added to teas. I occasionally add the red clover to dried flower that I scent for pomanders. The plantain I collect and dry for a friend who makes salves.

The stinging nettle I use in a tea. It’s good for backaches and arthritis.

There something about fresh dried herbs that is refreshing. Its also fun the watch for these herbs as I mow and stop to harvest them.

I have many wild herbs that grow in my yard. I would say around 100. They add color and variety to the yard along with the fun of harvesting them. I have also learned uses for many of them. It’s like having a garden scattered though out the property.

And although I really don’t want snakes in my yard, they are welcome to play in the swamp on the corner of the property. I explore the swamp in the late fall, early spring and in the winter. In the summer I let the snakes enjoy it!

Tags: wild herbs, harvesting wild herbs, the joy of mowing,

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