Bee Balm or Monarda – Queen of the Herbs in My Garden

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Image Credit: American Meadows Height: 24 – 48″ tall The Native Americans made healing teas from Monarda. “After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when American colonists dumped tea shipped by the British East India Company, in protest against British rule, the bergamot tea of the Oswego Indians became a popular…

Artemisia – Herb Named for an Ancient Greek Goddess

There are about 500 species of Artemisia. In this post, I’ll tell you about a few of those varieties, and I’ll tell you about the Ancient Greek Goddess Artemis. Diana and Cupid Painted by Pomeo Batoni at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1761 “Artemisia was named for the Greek goddess Artemis. In Ancient Greek Mythology,…

How to Start Creeping Thyme Plants for Your Garden — Start Early — Inside

English Creeping Thyme Image Credit: Breoudo Height: 2 – 3″ Creeping Thyme Used as a groundcover for rapid spreading. Attracts beneficial insects. Handles light traffic. Great for rock gardens. Creeping Thyme is popularly sown in rock gardens, along borders, fences & walkways, in containers & pots, or directly in the garden. This versatile groundcover also…

How to Create A Kitchen Garden — A French Potager — Includes Free Plan

Jacki Kellum Kitchen Garden 2021 I have read that as people began planting their food, as opposed to hunting and gathering it, the first kitchen gardens began.  The earliest cottage gardens were usually kitchen gardens–what the French would call a potager.In my mind, a kitchen garden is not the same as a place where only…

How to Create a Small Classic Symmetrical Herb Garden – Free Plan

“Growing herbs means you’ll always have a fresh supply of delicious flavors and pleasant scents whenever you need them. Many of these plants are also quite attractive, especially when carefully selected and arranged to show off their beauty, as in this plan. This classic herb garden idea features several easy-to-grow aromatic plants that are pleasing to the eyes…

Herbs I Will Plant in My Garden: A List

Allow me to admit that I have never grown many herbs before, but this year, I hope to change that trend, In the following post, I’ll tell you about the herbs that I intend to plant and why I decided to change my previous pattern. “Herbs have been used for thousands of years to flavor…

How Native Americans Used Herbs and Other Native Plants for Medicines, Dyes, Food, etc.

https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&context=all Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra ) Image Credit: The Monticello Shop Height: 8 – 12′ “Smooth Sumac, a native of Eastern North America from Quebec to Georgia, has been in cultivation since the early 17th century. Thomas Jefferson included this species in a list of native plants and seeds he requested from Philadelphia nurseryman John…