Wooden Herb Stripper
November 1, 2023 12:29 pmIf you love cooking but the tedious task of stripping the leaves off your home-grown herbs is a frustration, this…
If you love cooking but the tedious task of stripping the leaves off your home-grown herbs is a frustration, this…
Wash away the dust of the day with these homemade herbal soaps Making herbal soaps to use yourself or to…
They may look sweet, but nasturtiums have a surprisingly peppery taste, similar to mustard or watercress. This makes them great…
The idea of window box farming sounds delightfully quixotic and impractical. Actually, it’s an invitation to those who look longingly…
Closely related to ginger and turmeric, galangal is the up-and-coming spice you need to know about. If you’ve watched one…
We can thank the plant world for providing a cornucopia of herbs that deliver not only essential vitamins and minerals,…
The light lemon fragrance and flavour of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) makes this an appealing summer herb. While its flavour…
If you are a lover of all things hot and spicy, here is a herb that, surprisingly, can be added…
Don’t overlook groundcover herbs for plant health and fragrance. Do groundcover herbs have a role to play in the food…
Pets also need some pampering in winter, so try these herbs for pets. Like people, animals feel the cold and…
With the arrival of autumn, we start thinking about soups and stews. It is with a sense of anticipation, not…
This strange flower will leave you speechless – because you’ve got no feeling in your tongue. The electric daisy is…
Lady Bonin, renowned tea expert, gives us some insight into her world Tea has been my obsessive passion for the…
While the versatile chickpea is the main traditional ingredient of hummus recipes, we have taken liberties and expanded the thinking…
April and May are traditionally the months to harvest and preserve herbs. While many of the bushy perennial herbs will…
Some plants grow well together and some don’t. In the vegetable garden you can get the best out of a…
Seldom seen, white or snowy borage is a delicately beautiful addition to the herb or ornamental garden. I love having…
When we’re talking insect repellent herbs, lemony herbs are particularly useful in repelling mosquitoes, flies or garden pests like whiteflies…
Herbs benefit our pets almost as much as they do us. Here is our list of the many benefits of…
A healthy way to beat the thirst February is the hottest month of the year, and there’s nothing more refreshing…
These peanut butter-based DIY dog treats are easy to make and a good source of protein and healthy fats for…
Summer isn’t complete without ice cream. This dessert is synonymous with the season, refreshment and the outdoors. Making it is…
Whether your holiday season entertaining is going to be gourmet or casual, here are seven quite ordinary herbs for the…
Herbs are trending as bridal bouquets. That shouldn’t be surprising, because herbs have always had a special meaning: rosemary for…
Herbs are the food gardener’s best partner in the quest to grow veggies organically. The partnership goes far beyond planting…
In May the herb garden undergoes a change in character. The focus is more on health and the menu switches…
Preserve the last of your summer herb crop for all-year flavour. Summer’s coming to an end, and unfortunately that means…
What is the taste of summer? Cool watermelon, juicy and refreshing; pineapple, sweet and tart; slivers of golden mangoes and…
Herbs can elevate a plain old boring biscuit to something better and prettier to display (and eat!). Herbs for biscuits…
A fresh start, for the bees After clearing the mess from a pumpkin patch disaster, we sat down and drew…
Herbs to Plant in Spring The mantra of organic gardeners is that ‘healthy soil makes healthy vegetables makes healthy people’.…
Baking bread is an age-old craft, and adding flavour with fresh garden herbs makes it even more satisfying. There’s not…
French Tarragon French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a frost-hardy perennial with narrow green leaves that have an anise flavour. It…
This is a wheat-based salad, but you can replace the wheat with millet for a gluten- and wheat-free version. Borage…
Herbs are the major ingredient in Thai curry paste, which forms the base of vegetarian curries as well as chicken,…
Mother’s Day is on its way, and if you want to be more original than giving Mum choccies and smelly…
Mint is often seen as the delinquent in the food garden, overgrowing other plants, slurping up their food and water,…
Have the freshest leaves at your fingertips by growing them on your kitchen windowsills. If you think you need a…
Purple is the ‘new colour of health’, as well as the choice of Pantone’s trendsetters. Foodies flirting with ‘botanical’ flavours…
Watermelon and Herb Salad Watermelon and herbs make the idea complement to any summer braai. The freshness of the herbs…
There is no need to ever be without herbs. For a year-round supply, grow them in pots. Herbs grow so well…
Try something different in your next herb pot by using a variety of flowering herbs and variegated leaves. Utilise taller…
Sage Winter is generally a difficult time for growing herbs, but one herb that is certainly worth nursing through this…
Bay, the noblest of leaves It may come as a surprise, but sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) has a long association…
Make your own fragrance The allure of lavender is its aromatic yet fruity fragrance that always lifts the spirits. The…
If you plant just one herb, it should be lavender, for no other herb combines so many qualities in one…
Basil is regarded as the king of summer herbs – and that includes the perennial varieties which have as many…
Dilly for Dill With its feathery, blue-green leaves and clusters of yellow flowers in summer, dill (Anethum graveolens) is an…
Calendula Home Remedies With a good supply of fresh or dried calendula petals, you can set up your own home…
Calendula In winter, Calendula Officinalis rubs shoulders with pansies, petunias and violas on the seedling rack in garden centres. That’s…
Myrtle What comes to mind at the mention of myrtle? Topiary, or hedging, or maybe a sprig in a bride’s…
The Wonders of Lovage Use lovage to revitalise your meatless Mondays! The strong, meaty taste of its leaves is a delicious…
Coriander Whether you know it as coriander, cilantro, dahnia or Chinese parsley, Coriandrum sativum is commonly used by cooks across…
Ingredients: 1 clove garlic, chopped2 egg yolks1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon Dijon mustard½ cup light olive oil½ cup sunflower oil2…
Flavourful Fennel Spicy and sweet, fennel is a cook’s dream and a delight for gardeners who love its striking foliage…
Herbs for a hot pot Herbs grow so well in pots that there is almost no excuse for not growing…
This herb can take the heat There’s no place for mild herbs in Mexico’s hot and spicy food. Herbs have…
Grow a Mojito No herb garden should be without mint to add flavour to food and minty freshness to punches…
Five Herb Amigos Make sure your herb garden includes this convivial band of herbs, so frequently used to complement Mexican…
How to dry herbs The most natural process of preserving herbs is to dry them in a cool, airy room,…
Thyme for All Seasons Although its growing season is in the warmer months, thyme is the perfect choice for the…
Frost-hardy rosemary is a boon in winter: it makes the perfect protective, edible hedge, infuses a steamy bath with its…
It’s known as a vegetable, produces stalks that are considered a fruit, and it has been known for centuries as…
Herbal Eye Candy Although herbs are mostly grown for practical reasons such as for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses, there…
The Gourmet Herb Artichoke As a vegetable, globe artichokes (Cynara scolymus) are considered a gourmet delicacy. As a garden plant,…
Sweet basil is the basil that everyone knows, with large, soft green leaves and sprays of white flowers. It grows…
Perennial Fennel, Bronze Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Foeniculum vulgare is a beautiful garden herb that grows into a stately two-metre high…
Raise a Kitchen Garden: The initial effort required to build a raised garden is handsomely rewarded once it is up…
Thyme is one of the top five herbs used in Caribbean cooking, being the mainstay of green seasoning. In addition…
Spicy, steamy, exotic, mysterious… there are so many more words that can be used to describe the subcontinent of India,…
If your eagerness to grow your own herbs and vegetables is being stymied by the lack of an area that…
The ideal site for a food garden is one that is level, gets at least six hours of sun, has…
There are many stories told about the magic and romance that involve the fragrant herb Rosemary, including the claim that…
Herbs are an organic gardener’s best resource, especially when it comes to preparing the garden for summer. Quite a number…
Lavender Their fragrance and range of flower colours, from lilac to deep purple, pink and blue, make lavender irresistible to…
Grey French Lavender No list of grey-foliaged plants would be complete without the inclusion of lavenders, most of which have…
Cumin Cuminum cyminum by Margaret Roberts Cumin is a true exotic, a flavour-filled treasure! It has played a vital role…
Borage This annual herb is equally at home in the herb, veggie or cottage-style garden. The plant forms a basal…
