Lazy Gardening Series: Part 4: Herbs

 Welcome to the fourth part of our Lazy Gardening Series; a series that challenges everything you know about working hard in the garden. If you missed the first parts to our series, start here: 

• Part 1: Plan for, don't react to wildlife
• Part 2: Soil Health
• Part 3: Garden Bed Planning

I'm convinced that working with nature for our food is top priority, so these tips are all organic, don't require you to spend tons of money, and absolutely possible no matter your experience level. Let's get growin'!

Part 4: Don't underestimate HERBS!

Let me tell you one of my biggest garden regrets to this day: thinking herbs weren’t “for” me. I used to think of herbs as the accessory to the garden. Plus, I never really knew how to use them in the kitchen, so why bother?

If you've been following along in the series, you'll know herbs have TONS of benefits for the garden. But furthermore, they have nutritional and medicinal benefits as well! Let me change your mind about using herbs in the garden. 

1. Easy to multiply and grow (year-round!)
• Many of our favorite herbs can be grown and propagated with very little effort. By trimming a piece off of your adult plant and sticking it in water or a sand mix, the baby plant with develop roots and establish itself into its own plant in no time. Great for gifting, filling pots around your garden, and growing indoors. 

• 

  Nasturtium flower from my garden last year

  In July, try propagating: Mint, Basil, Rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, lavender, tarragon, lemon balm
2. Aromatics
• The part that truly makes a magical and inviting garden. Delicious to who matters, and repulsive to those who don't. Herbal aromatics are used to attract or repel different garden friends & foes. The more variety you have, the better. 
• Smells wonderful to humans: Basil, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, mint (try chocolate mint!), pineapple sage
• Keeps the foes away: Nasturtium, Chives, Dill, Calendula, Thyme, Oregano

3. 

   Sunshine Garden Center- Flower Farm Basil Bouquets

   Flowers
• Some of the most darling flowers I have seen are from herbs. The flowers from herbs attract droves of pollinators, bringing the good bugs to your garden! Letting your herbs flower is a semi-controversial topic. Once a plant goes to flower, it's energy shifts away from creating delicious foliage, and focuses on the flowering to reproduce. If you're planting herbs, you can keep some for their foliage but let some other plants flower. You won't regret it! 
• Pro-tip: In late summer, harvest your flowering basil for basil bouquets. They smell out of this world incredible, AND encourage the plant to bush out and create more flowers!
4. Medicinal Properties
• Herbal medicine is something I am still learning about. However, it's no surprise that eating plants and flowers that are high in nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals can possibly make an impact on your health. Each herb has different applications- in teas, salves, pastes, tonics, or simply dried. Make sure to research how to use the herbs in your garden. 
1. Basil: Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial
2. Rosemary: May improve memory and circulation
3. Mint: May aide in digestion and soothe nausea
4. Chamomile: Improve sleep quality, soothes skin conditions, general relaxation
5. Nasturtium: Anti-viral, anti-fungal, antioxidant rich
5. Use in the kitchen
• Saving the most common use for last, there are hundreds of culinary combinations you can try in the kitchen with the herbs you grow. Before the first frost, you can dry your herbs to use them all winter long, making your own nutrient-dense seasoning mixes
1. Rosemary- Roasted meats, potatoes, focaccia bread
2. Mint- Teas and desserts. Garnish.
3. Cilantro- both seeds and leaves can be used in South American/ Mexican dishes and Indian curries
4. Basil- Italian dishes like pesto, sauces, and tomato dishes
5. Dill- Use in fish dishes, potatoes, pickling cucumbers, yogurt-based sauces, homemade ranch! 

I could go on about herbs all day! After finding out about their superpowers, you can't get me to shut up about them! Hopefully these five reasons have convinced you to try a few new herbs in your garden this year. 

You can find a variety of herbs at Sunshine Garden Center in Diamond, IL. Take a picture of your flowering herbs or your herb-filled garden bed and tag us on social media @sunshinegardencenter. 

Have further questions? Stop by the store and ask for Courtney, or email info@sunshinegardencenter.com.