• The Herb Handbook

  If you’ve ever entertained the thought of growing your own herbs for cooking and/or improved health.
  
  Then Click Here!

• Recent Posts

  • Clove tree – Syzygium aromaticum
  • Chickweed – Stellaria media
  • Milk thistle- Silybum marianum
  • Purslane – Portulaca oleracea
  • Evening Primose – Oenothera biennis
  • Lemon Balm – Melissa officinalis
  • Tea tree – Melaleuca alternifolia
  • Lavender- Lavandula
  • Elecampane – Inula helenium
  • Hops- Humulus lupulus
  • Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba
  • Sweet woodruff – Galium odoratum syn Asperula odorata
  • Goat’s rue – Galega officinalis
  • Meadowsweet – Filipendula ulmaria
  • Fig – Ficus carica
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Tea tree – Melaleuca alternifolia

Tea tree is a half hardy to tender evergreen tree, 15-40m tall with thin peeling corky bark and narrow pointed leathery leaves. Its flowers are bottle brushed shaped.

Tea tree grows in moisture retentive to wet soil in full sun. They must be grown as conservatory plants in cool, temperature regions. Tea tree is propagated by seed or by semi ripe cuttings.

Tea tree is strong antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal. Tea tree is used for acne ,athlete’s foot, warts,verrucas and head lice eggs.

Lavender- Lavandula

Lavender has short , fat spikes of dark purple flowers topped by butterfly wing cracts and grows upto 90cm tall.

Lavender requires very well drained soil and plenty of sun. Lavenders hybridize easily , most do not come true from seed and they are propagated through heel cuttings taken in mid to late summer.

Infusion of lavender may be applied as a compress to ease headaches and are sometimes take internally for anxiety and nervous exhausition. Lavender essential oil is applied to sunburn, burns and scalds or used as a massage oil for tension headaches, migraine and muscular aches and pains. Inhaling the the fragance of lavender flowers or oil can be very calming, anti-depressive and may help relieve insomnia. The oil is applied to prevent and relieve insect bites and discourages head lice.

Lavender  flowers are used to flavour sugar for making cakes, biscuits,meringues , ice creams and desserts. They can be added to vinegar ,marmalade or jam or cooked with blackcurrants or soft fruit mixtures.

Elecampane – Inula helenium

Elecampane is a hardy perennial, with tall erect hairy stems which grow upto 2m in height.It has ovate,pointed leaves which are toothed at the edges and terminl yellow flower heads, shaped like shaggy daisies, in late summer.

Elecampane grows in rich ,moist soil in a sunny position. It is propagated by division of roots in spring or autumn or by seed which can be slow to germinate.

Elecampane is used to treat coughs, hayfever,asthma,catarrh and respiratory infection taken as infusions or decoctions. Elecampane is also beneficial on the digestive system when taken internally.When applied exernally it is said to relieve many skin inflammations and irritations and is used as an embrocation or rub for the relief of sciatica and neuralgia.

Hops- Humulus lupulus

Hops is a hardy twining, herbaceous climber. Hops has clinging hair stems with 3-7 lobed palmate leaves.Male and female flowers are borne in different on different plants. The male flowers are in small inconspicious clusters. The female flowers are conelike, pale green inflorescences which are the hops used in beer making.

Hops is a vigourous plant that grows under most conditions . It is propagated by softwood cuttings in spring.

Hops has sedative and antibacterial properties and is taken internally as a infusion or tincture for insomnia,nervous tension and anxiety. It is applied externally for skin complaints.

Young hop shoots can be cooked and eaten like asparagun. Dried flowers are added to pillows, essential oil are included in rejuvenating baths and hair treatments.

Hops are used to flavour ales, distilled oil and extracts used in the food industry.

Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo is a decidious tree which grows to 40m , it has lobed fan shaped leaves which turn yellow in autumn. Flowering takes place after 20 years with male and female flowers and fruits borne on seperate trees. Male trees have an earlier leaf fall and less spreading. Female fruits have a rancid smell when fallen. Ginkgo is a very robust tree and suffers from few pests, tolerates pollution well and a salty atmosphere.

Ginkgo is full hardy it does best in well drained but fertile soil and a sunny position.Ginkgo is propagated from seed sown in containers in autmn or from cuttings taken in summer. It should not be pruned as this leads to die-back.

Ginkgo leaves have recently been discovered to contain compounds called ginkgolides, which promote blood flow, inhibit allergic reactions and have been found to be helpful for Parkinson’s disease. The seeds are used in chinese medicine for asthma and coughs.

Ginkgo nuts are roasted and sometimes served with bird’s nest soup in Chinese cuisine.