I still remember my first city garden: a 4-by-5-foot, cinder-block raised bed in the corner of a tiny, concrete backyard. I was so excited to finally have dirt of my own that I ran to the nursery and bought one of every kind of seedling they carried. Of course, the fruits of my reckless abandon were almost entirely zucchini, and I wept as I watched those courgettes overgrow everything — except the herbs! Undaunted, the peppermint, thyme and oregano thrived, providing me with far more flavoring and garnish than my poor vegetable harvest, limited cooking repertoire and small family required.
That summer, using my herb haul to the fullest became my goal. Certainly, I could dry or freeze the overage, but that seemed a lackluster end for my accidental herbal triumph. Besides, how much dried thyme was I likely to use over the years before my efforts withered to tasteless, grayish-green dust?
Dinner out for my birthday solved the dilemma. I chose olive oil and vinegar to dress my salad, and the waiter brought two fancy bottles of fragrant liquid. One contained the familiar golden- green olive oil, but the other had a prize dancing inside: a lovely sprig of rosemary. The flavor of that herb-infused vinegar was fantastic. Eureka!
The next day, I began researching how to make herbed vinegars and found it far simpler than I had imagined. In addition, I discovered that my garden bounty would be just as happy to share its flavor, nutrition and healing properties with many other edible and medicinal liquids, and I could prepare a wide range of herbal products right in my own kitchen.
In the years since, I’ve studied with several herbalists and created many herbal preparations. It’s delicious fun and very satisfying. To date, the most difficult part remains figuring out which amazing concoction to make next.
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Denne historien er fra Healing Herbs 2025-utgaven av Hobby Farms.
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Denne historien er fra Healing Herbs 2025-utgaven av Hobby Farms.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The RISE of Opportunist WEEDS
Be prepared to see increasing changes in weeds we fight, such as poison hemlock and poison ivy, and in the crops we grow.
LIVESTOCK Health
Prepare yourself for how to spot symptoms of illness in your farm animals so that you can get them help before it's too late.
CUT FLOWER Farming
If you're considering growing flowers for sale, brush up on these five key things to know before diving in.
WINTER Survival
Keep your land, animals and yourself in good shape this winter with this helpful advice.
COVERAGE CONCERNS
Avoid common insurance mistakes for rural and hobby farm businesses.
FARMER'S GUIDE Berries
Set the stage for tasty strawberries, blueberries and brambles with these soil-boosting garden tips.
Preconditioning CALVES
Follow our step-by-step guide to get more money for your calves.
Soil Conservation
Often, outside of having a specific problem that needs to be addressed, soil conservation isn't something every farmer readily thinks about. Yet conserving the soil should be at or near the top of every farmer owner or manager's list of concerns because absent the prevention of soil erosion, we have the opportunity for another dust bowl.
Year-Round Lettuce & Salad Mixes
It's easy to think of salad greens as just a spring- or fall-garden crop, but it's possible to enjoy freshly harvested lettuces, mustards and more from your own garden year-round.
Barn Improvements
Days are never long enough for a farmer. From dawn to well into the night, tasks arise that often require immediate action. Having to search for tools or equipment is an enormous time waster and incredibly frustrating when you can't find what you need, especially when you know you have it.
