Hedge Herbal Index
Written by Spindrift
Saturday, 23 January 2010
There are so many herbs out there all worthy of this list but I couldn't include them all, so I have chosen the most common, and the ones I find the most useful.
ALOE VERA
Parts used the bitter juice and the gel, for burns, cuts and wounds.
ANGELICA
The stem is used for crystallizing (it's really lovely) the leaves can be used as a tonic tea for colds and to reduce flatulence.
BASIL
A few leaves stepped in wine for several hours will make a good tonic, it's pungent flavour compliments tomatoes and garlic in cooking and is used in pesto souse.
BAY
This is so useful and very easy to grow in the garden, you can hang a bring to freshen a room, crumble leaves for potpourri, add it in bouquet garni for stews, soups and sauses.
Infuse a leaf as a to digestion.
BERGAMOT
This is a most decorative herb to grow in your garden, the leaves make a wonderful tea, and you can add them to salads, and stuffing. The flowers can be added to potpourri, the tea can help with menstrual pain and insomnia.
BORAGE
The flowers can be crystallized for cake decoration, and for garnishing salads. The young leaves can be added to cold drinks or chopped in salads or sandwiches. Plant the it near strawberries as the stimulate each other, Use in a salt free diet as Borage is rich in mineral salt.
CALENDULA/MARIGOLD
One of the most versatile herbs, it not only looks lovely but also I wouldn't be without it. Flower petals add colour to potpourri, you can add the petal lavishly to give saffron colour and a tangy to rice, fish, soup, milk dishes, omelettes ect. Sprinkle the leaves in salad and stews. You can also make an infusion of the flowers as a healing mouth wash for the gums.
CHAMOMILE
Grow this plant near an ailing plant and it will revive it, the flowers make a wonderful facial steam, also an herb pillow. You can use the flowers in the bath to help with sunburn.
CATNIP
This plant attracts bees to your garden, you can rub the leaves on meat to flavour it, and use in salads when it young and tender. The leak and flower top contain vitamin C so infuse to relieve colds
COMFRY
The fresh leaves can be used in salads, but it's most remarkable power is that it can knit bones, and promote tissue growth; it will also help heal bruises and minor burns I couldn't be with out this in my garden.
DILL
The seed you use in fish dishes, pickles apple pies, cake, and lots of other things. The leaf you can chop finely and add to soup salads, cream cheese or egg dishes. The seed containminerral salts so can be used in salt frr diets.
ELECAMPANE
The seed heads when dry make good winter arrangements, the root when burns over embers scent a room, the root also applied as decoction aleviviates acne. The root as expectorant eases bronchitis and coughs.
ECHINACEA
The main use for this herb is an immune enhancer, for skin diseases and general infections; it's also a good remedy for tonsillitis, inflamed gums and sinus trouble.
EVENING PRIMROSE
Well I think every one knows about evening primrose oil, but I grow it because it looks great in the garden and at night the flowers seen to glow.
FEVERFEW
An infusion of the leaves rubbed over the skin acts as an insect repellent, it can be used as a mouthwash after a tooth extraction, and it can also be used as a mild laxative.
FENNEL
An infusion of the crushed seed is a well-known remedy for digestive complaints, such as colic; Fennel is also useful in the treatment of aneamia. As a culinary herb it's main used are with fish and stews where the leaves are mainly used, you can boil the root as a vegetable.
GARLIC /RAMSONES
This you can use in salad, soups or as a vegetable, it grows wild as is free from pest and diseases, a clove can be left in a vinaigrette, or you can rub it around a salad bowl to give flavour. It can be used to ease toothache, lower blood sugar levels, and as a digestive tonic.
GOLDEN MARJORAM
The leaf is chopped finely for salads, butter, and sauces for fish in the last few min.. Of cooking, you can add it to pizza, tomatoes or egg and cheese dishes. Infuse as a tea for colds and headache; add a decoction to bathwater as a relaxant.
GOOD KING HENRY
Steam the flower spikes and toss in butter like broccoli, the young leaves can be eaten raw in salads. The leaf raw or cooked is a good source of iron, vitamins and minerals. A poultice and ointment cleanses and heals skin sores.
HEARTEASE/WILD PANSY
This tiny flower looks so pretty in the rockery, you can use the flowers to decorate sweet dishes. An ointment made from it is good for eczema and acne and also cradle cap, and an infusion of heartsease leaves added to bath water has proved to be beneficial to rheumatic diseases.
HOREHOUND
This I wouldn't be without, it make a great remedy for coughs, just 9 leaves mixed with a spoon of honey and you can take as required, this can be given to children chop the levees finely, they do look a bit odd to them. It also works for sore throats and colds, and it really does work.
HOUSELEEK
They say you can add this to a salad but I must say it's an acquired taste (yuk) The leaves are an astringent and when broken in half can be applied to burns, insect bites and other skin problems, it will also soften the skin around a corn. It can be infused as a tea for a septic throat.
HYSSOP
I grow this mainly for the bees, and butterflies it attracts
The flowers are delicious tossed in a green salad, the leaves aid digestion of fatty foods, but they are a bit pungent so use them sparingly. An infusion is used for coughs and whooping coughs, asthma, and bronchitis
JERSALEM SAGE
Herbalist prescribes this for chronic arthritis, rheumatism, tonsillitis and swollen glands; an extract from the roots can destroy snails. The leaves when dried can be used in soups and stews
KOREAN MINT
This is a hardy perennial, and has a lovely purple flower which can be dried for flower arrangers, it's leaves make a refreshing tea, and they are good chopped in a salad or scatted over pasta, they as also useful in potpourri.
LAVENDER
This has to be my all time favourite
You can use in ice-cream, herb jelly, biscuits it will even flavour steak, it a strong antibacterial so it helps to heal cuts, a few drops of the oil in the bath water will calm a fretful child. You can make scented pillows, and draw sachets, the list is endless.
LADY'S MANTLE
Tear into small pieces and add to a salad, they also look good in a flower arrangement, and make a good green dye for wool, in vet nary medicine they are used for diarrhoea. The are used by herbalists for mensal disorders.
LEMON BALM
Add the leaves to vinegar, wine cups, or beers, Lemon balm tea is said to relieve headache, and after a meal will help digestion.
LEMON GRASS
I grow this in a container, as it had to be brought indoors for the winter, but it's wonderful for stir-frys, and curries, and looks really nice on the patio, and smells good when the wind moves the grassy leaves.
MALLOW
Young tender tips of the mallow can be used in salads, or steamed as a vegetable, young leaves of the dwarf mallow can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like a spinach. A decoction can be used in a herbal bath for skin rashes, boils, or ulcers.
MELILOT
I grow this in my garden as it attracts bees, you can scatter the dried leaves among clothes to deter moths, the aromatic leaves can be added to potopurri.
MINT
There are so many different mints I will have to get to them at a later date but here are a few facts, Spearmint,and peppermint grown near roses deter aphids, scatter fresh or dried leaves around food to deter mice. Infuse either individual or blended mints as a refreshing tea, leaveas use in potpourri.
NETTLE
I know this sounds strange but it's a most usefull plant. Young nettles are rich in vitamins minerals,eat in a salad, or boil as veg.. or drink as a herbal drink or tea, you can even make soup. The whole plant can make a greenish yellow dye for wool. The astringent young leaves can also be used as a facial steam.
NASTURTIUM
They have started selling these in some supermarkets now to use in salads! country folk have always used them. the pickeled flower buds provide a good substitute for capers. The fresh leaves contain vitamin C and iron, as well as an antiseptic substance which is at it's best before the plant flowers.
OREGANO
I use this a lot and I guess a lot of people grow it now, I use it not only for Italian dishes but for fish, and cheese dishes. I let it flower so the bees and butterflies can enjoy it too.
ORRIS/ IRIS
I included this as no potpourri would be any good with out powered orris root, it's used as a fixative, and smell nice on it's own
PENNYROYAL
This wonderfull little plant grows everywhere in my garden , in the cracks in the patio, and on the edge of the garden, ants don't like it so they stay away from where it is grown, it's a flea repelant so you can keep rubbing your pets with it, and make little sachets of it to put in there bed to help deter fleea from there. If you rub it on a mosquito, or horsefly bite the itch will disapear.
PINK CHIVES
These are lovely added to egg dishes, or mixed with soft cheese, the leaves are midly antiseptic and when sprinkled on food stimulate the appetite. I must addmit I love them because they are good to look at too.
POPPY
Nothing cheers up a garden like a poppy in full bloom.
Sprinkle the ripe seeds on bread and cakes for a pleasant nutty flavour. Add to curry powder for texture and flavour, and as a thickener.
PURPLE-FLOWERED SAVORY
This aromatice herb is wonderfull for useing to make vinegars, in stews, and soups. I dry it and use it all year round, although it's semi-evergreen, I found it can get a bit raggy in the winter so I use the dried leaves then.
PYRETHRUM
Not only is this a beautiful flower loved by butterflies, but it makes a great pest control, it's non toxic to mamals, sprinkle the dry powder from the flowers to deter common insects, mosquitoes, aphids, spidermite, ants.
ROSEMARY
This is one of the most usefull culinary herbs,especially for lamb dishes, it good for making oils, and vinegars,you can put som twigs on the Bar-B-Q to give of a wonderfull aroma, you can use the stems as kebab sticks and they help to flavour the food. Rosemary tea makes a good mothwash for halitosis and is a good antiseptic gargle.
RUE
I really do not believe people like to eat this herb ! it's bitter, but it can be added to fish and egg if you wish. It's used in the treatment of strained eyes, and headache caused by eye strain,the tea also expels worms. I grow this because it's a really pretty herb.
Sage
This has a most decorative leaf and can be used in wreaths and tussie-mussies.Infuse the leafe for a light balsmaic tea, or scatter it in salads. Mix with onion for poultry stuffing, make sage vineger.You can put the leaves among your linin to dicourage insects, and a tea made from the leaves makes a good gargle for soar throats and gum boils.
Salad Burnet
This dainty decrative plant makes a nice edging for a formal garden, the leaves make a great facial wash for sunburn, also the leaves which contain vitamin C can be sprinkled on food to help digestion
Soapwort
This grows wild where I live, butI grow in the garden as it's such a lovely flower, with a most aromatic appeal, it gives a soapy sap wich is excellent for revitalizing delicate fabrics, and is now used by museums. Toss the flower on green salads. Leaf, stem and root, you just cover with rainwater or any soft water and boil for 30 minutes, then use the liquid to ash and revive old fabrics. The flowers will perfume a room.
St. John's Wort
Oil extracted by macerating the flowers in vegetable oil and applied externally eases neuralgia and the pain of sciatica, ulcers and sunburn.
Sorrel
There are several species of sorrel and they are all useful. It's considered to have blood cleansing qualities the same way as spinch. A leaf may be used as a poltice to treat certain skin complaints, including acne.Use the juice to bleach mould and ink stains from linen. It can be used like spinach changing the water once to reduce acidity, it makes a lovely soup too.
Tansy
The flowers of the tansy can be dried to make lovely everlasting flowers for winter arrangments, hang the leaves indoors to deter flys, mix into your compost heap for it's potassium content. It produces a yellow/green dye for wool, use tansy tea externally to treat scabies, and to bring reliefe to painfull rhumatic joint.
Tarragon
This is I think the Rolls Royce of culinary herbs, it's flavour helps togive an appetite, and it complements so many dishes, fish, chicken, veal, rice, salad dressing.It's leaves are rich in iodine,mineral salts, vitamins A & C infuse as a genral tonic.
Valerian
The whole plant is decrative and looks well in boarders. You can add the root to stews ans tuffings, if planted by vegetables it stimulates their growth, the mineral rich leaves should be added to raw compost.
Vervain
Vervain is said to protect you from witches,so I may be handy to have around! it's used to strengthen the nervous system , Chinese herbalists use a decoction to treat supressed menstruation and liver problems.
Wood Betony
This is a wild herb but it merits incluing in a herb garden. The fresh plant makes a yellodye, a hair rinse good for highlighting greying hair, this can be made with an infusion of the leaves.It included in most herbal somking mixtures, and it's used to treat asthma, cystitis, diarrhoea, and neuralgia.
Wild Chicory
I must admit I onlygrow this for it's beauty, but you can add young leaves to salads roast the roots as a substitute for coffee.It can be usedto treat gout, and gall stones, bat as I say I just grow it because ti adds beautifull colour to my garden.
Woad
This is a strong astringent and the leaves can be used as a plotice for external treatment of ulcers and inflammations. It's main use is as a dye, the saxons used it for it's blue dye, and if any of you saw the film Brave heart, and saw Mel Gibson with his blue face, well thats what they use to use, it was suppose to scare the enemy( I don't care what colour he paints hims self I think he's a hunk)
Yarrow
This very unasuming plant hides great poers, one small leaf will speed the decomposition of a wheelbarrow of raw compost, planted next to otherplants it will activate the desease resistance of thpse plants. You can infuse the flowers for a facial steam and tonic lotion. It is also used as a poltice for healing wounds, and made into a decoction for wounds or chapped hands.
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