The Joy Of Using Fresh Herbs
(This post was updated on November 5, 2023)
My love of growing herbs began back in the early nineties.
I had joined a women’s group called The Herb Society. We had regular meetings and drove to herb festivals together.
We learned about herbs because speakers came to enlighten us on the joy of herbs.
Designated members would bring a tasty recipe containing herbs for us to enjoy after the meeting.
We women became friends, brought together by our mutual love of herbs.
Herbal Treasures Book:
Herbal Treasures, written by Phyllis V. Shaudys, is my very favorite book about herbs. I purchased it first at one of the herb society meetings.
The book you see above is not my original copy. I believe I actually wore the first one out!
I ordered this one from some obscure place online because I had to have another copy of this book.
This is a black and white book unfortunately. No wonderful color photos to gaze at. Still, it is chock-full of great information and ideas on ways to use herbs.
This book was also my introduction to aromatherapy.
Tussie-Mussies:
This book introduced me to Tussie Mussies. Or “talking bouquets.”
I found a Tussie Mussie made up of herbs on Pinterest to show you.
Unfortunately, when you click through to the website, it no longer includes the Tussie Mussie any longer.
Herbs and flowers signify many things to me. When I’ve lost a beloved pet, I plant a memory garden in their honor.
I chose herbs/flowers to describe my love for that pet. For instance, rosemary stands for remembrance. Chamomile stands for comfort.
I was comforted by the scent of these herbs. Especially knowing what they signified in the language of herbs/flowers.
I would sit near the little garden and remember my beloved pet. And of course I’d cry because I missed them so. It was a part of grieving.
The Language Of Flowers:
Floriography is the “language of flowers,” dating back to Victorian times.
It allowed people to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken, through their choice of flowers.
Sounds so old-fashioned, doesn’t it? Well, it is. But it’s also wonderful.
Here’s an article about how flower-obsessed Victorians encoded messages in bouquets.
Using herbs enables all the senses: Sight, scent, sense of touch.
Rub the leaf of a pineapple sage plant and you will be rewarded with a gift. One that, for me, is truly glorious and unlike any other. The same goes for lemon verbena.
Growing herbs gives me joy in so many ways. I’ve grown container herb gardens, herb fairy gardens, etc.
Every year I have a garden. And every year I include herbs along with other plants and flowers.
- To learn how to make herb infused oil, click here.
- You can find the directions to make an herbal salve here.
- Click here for ways to use fresh basil, one of the most popular herbs for cooking.Â
- Another favorite and well-known herb for cooking is rosemary. Click here to learn how to properly grow and use rosemary.
- Click here for a homemade Italian seasoning recipe.
- For tea drinkers, this site will give you information for the best herbs to use in making tea.
- Click here for a recipe for fresh herb Italian salad dressing.
- Click here for a recipe for herb dill dip.
Get Unplugged:
In this era of immediacy, I like to get unplugged from all things electronic and go out on my patio.
I sit and listen to the birds. Watch the hummingbirds and butterflies flit around my herbs and flowers.
It is the ultimate treat for relaxation and contentment. A simple gift we can give ourselves that just keeps on giving.
Other Articles I’ve Written About Herbs:
- Herbs That Both Attract & Repel Insects
- Uses For Herbs You Might Not Know About
- 10 Best Herbs To Grow Indoors Year Round
- Bringing Cut Herbs Inside To Enjoy
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I began with Phyluss Saudys books when I discovered herbs in 1986. Still learning!
I love using herbs when cooking, but also for their medicinal purpose for some of them. I have a little herb garden and also many dried herbs in jars in the kitchen!
I'm super excited to get my herbs planted for the season! I have missed being able to go out on my deck and snip what I need for that night's kitchen creation. Unfortunately the only perennial herb that came back is the sage, not counting the chives of course that are in pots on the deck. The dill self seeded all over the beds, but everything else has to be planted fresh each year. Too bad.
What a lovely post! I so enjoy growing and using fresh herbs. Years ago, my cousin and I visited Caprilands, an herb farm in Connecticut. The owner, Adelma Grenier Simmons led us on a tour, and then she gave us a lecture in her barn. She treated us to a tasting featuring her recipes. I will always remember that she said that her parents let her plant herbs and experiment. Thank you for sending me on a trip down Memory Lane. I just ordered the book that you mentioned as well as one of Adelma's.
I love herbs. I grow basil, mint, oregano, and rosemary in pots. I will have to try to find this book. Have a wonderful day and a Happy Mother's day.
My family know that herbs are always welcome as Mother's Day presents. It is blissful to step outside and snip them fresh and I learned to love them much as you did, by joining a group and touring herb farms many years ago and reading about them. My father was old fashioned enough to still call them by the old way when I was a child, the H pronounced as in a man's name!
After a winter of rain, my garden is happy and I am actually able to water. And simply sitting in my garden watching the flowers grow is becoming a common occurance.
I just loved your post…I have a passion for herbs too…!
I would love to use fresh herbs in cooking but I find that when I do I am disappointed because I can't taste them! Maybe I just don't use enough. I particularly like Basil to put in a pasta dish. Never heard of lime basil but that sounds nice. I do love lavender, I think it is a herb, correct me if I am wrong Brenda. I have never cooked with it but love the color and smell. I have been using a lavender soap for as long as I can remember.
Is Hilltop Herb Farm by any chance the one you went to? When I lived in Texas in the early 70's, I went there. They had a farm and small restaurant. They had a tour of their garden and then a lunch prepared with herbs and talked about the preparation. It was very intimate, and Madeline Hill did the tours herself. I just looked it up, and this is what it has grown into…
https://artesianlakes.com/restaurant/
Herbs can be grown indoors in pots or outdoors in pots or the ground, which makes them accessible to just about everyone. They are delightful to look at, smell, and eat. By the way, Brenda, a book that I got as a gift years ago is very interesting — A City Herbal, by Maida Silverman. It is described on the cover as a guide to the lore, legend and usefulness of 34 plants that grow wild in cities, suburbs and country places. It features plants that most people call weeds, that often grow in waste places and sidewalk cracks. These plants, such as dandelions and Queen Anne's Lace, have some use, maybe as a tea, a salad green or perhaps a poultice. There are only drawings of the plants, but they are very nicely done. I see that the book is available at amazon.com. It's wonderful that you can enjoy your love of herbs in the solitude of your peaceful patio garden.
I enjoy growing herbs. I'm not much of a cook so really never use them. This year I added lime basil and chocolate mint. Can anyone give me suggestions on how to use them
Good Morning Brenda! I like to plant herbs too. I plant them in pots that I can put on our small deck. That way I can enjoy them when I am sitting out there reading or doing some embroidery/quilting by hand. The fragrance
is wonderful, plus it keeps some of the pesky little nats, etc at bay.
I love learning about Herbs and flowers from you. I planted some herbs for my Mom this year and she is loving it!