An herbal finishing salt is a flavourful condiment and a creative way to preserve the freshness of the herb garden for use throughout the year. Herb finishing salt can be used to flavour fresh vegetables from the garden or garnish your other culinary creations. It is easy to make and packed with aromatherapy, making the preparation process a therapeutic journey in itself.
Ever since I planted a culinary kitchen garden years ago, I’ve been loaded with herbs. They’ve become a staple in my garden and one of the first things I added to the garden in my new house.
I have giant rosemary, sage, oregano, and mint plants that refuse to be contained. I’m harvesting, preparing, and giving away a LOT of herbs to the point where my neighbours are locking their doors and closing the blinds when they see me coming with an armful of greenery!
I’m kidding, of course.
They don’t seem to mind herb deliveries all that much. How could they? Fresh herbs smell fabulous and have such a large effect on health and well-being.
And with so many herbs growing in the garden, a finishing salt is a great way to preserve their flavour and bring it to meals throughout the year.
Herb finishing salt makes for a great and easy-to-create garden gift.
Rosemary Lime Herb Finishing Salt
I made these little jars of rosemary lime herb finishing salt for a Burpee Home Gardens dinner event that I hosted years ago. Thankfully, I had a ton of fresh rosemary because I had to make 25 jars of herb salt. Since then, I make them every time my rosemary bush is ready to harvest.
I’ve pared the recipe down to 10 jars to make it a bit more manageable here, but you can scale it up or down depending on how many jars you want to make in the end.
This recipe is for rosemary and lime flavour, but you can easily customize it with other herbs. Also try lemon instead of lime if you wish!
Herb finishing salt is great for topping meat and vegetables in cooking.
Make It!
Harvest fresh herbs from the garden and use them for this recipe within a week. Dried herbs don’t have the essential oils and aroma that make this salt something special.
Yes, you want fresh herbs for this recipe!
Remove the leaves from the stems of the rosemary. The stems are too woody; you just want the tender green leaves for this recipe.
To remove the leaves, pinch the stem at the top with your fingers and hold the top of the sprig of rosemary with your other hand. Pull down on the branch to remove the leaves.
Note: you want four cups of the leaves, not the leaves and the stems.
Only use the rosemary leaves, discarding the woody rosemary stem.
Add the leaves to a powerful food processor or Vitamix blender, or hand cut the herbs finely. I used the dry attachment of my Vitamix and it made quick work of chopping up the rosemary leaves. I went from almost a full blender of leaves to about two cups of chopped-up leaves in seconds.
Set aside the herbs in a bowl.
You want your herbs to be quite fine for this recipe.
Add the coarse salt to the blender/food processor and pulse to grind up the salt to your desired texture. I like to have a few larger grains of salt in the mix, but at least 80% of it is fine.
Mix the leaves with the salt in a large bowl. Add the zest of four limes and stir.
Leave the salt, lime, and rosemary to infuse for another week. Leave the lid open to allow the moisture from the limes and the herbs to evaporate.
The tiny scoop is a must-have when gifting these herb finishing salts.
Serve herb finishing salt with a tiny wooden pinch spoon because a) it’s cute and b) it keeps fingers out of the salt.
I bought the adorable 1″ wood scoops for $2 each at The Soap Dispensary in Vancouver, BC. I’ve been looking for an online source for these little scoops but the smallest I can find is these 3″ wood scoops. If I find an online source for the smaller ones, I’ll be sure to post it here.
Use a dash of finishing salt on meat and fresh vegetables from the garden to add a little bit of extra freshness and garden flavour to every meal.
Make sure to store your herb finishing salt in air-tight jars once it’s done infusing.
FAQ About Herb Finishing Salt
What is the shelf life of herb finishing salt?
I use this herb finishing salt for a year. It could last even longer, as the salt acts as a preservative. The herbs inside will begin to fade in flavour somewhat is the 6-month mark.
For me, I use it up before then, which is good timing as the herb garden should be growing again by then.
Should I seal the mixture while it’s infusing?
I leave the mixture out in the open for a week to let the herbs infuse into the salt. I zest the fresh lime right into the salt mixture. You want to leave the mixture open and not sealed while it’s infusing to allow the moisture from the lime and fresh herbs to evaporate.
Can these be made with other herbs?
Absolutely! Try it with basil, mint, oregano, thyme…you name it! The process is the same no matter what herbs you add. The lime is also optional, as it’s just for flavour and will not affect the shelf life of the finishing salt.
More Herb Recipes to Try
Fresh Lime and Rosemary Herb Finishing Salt
This finishing salt is packed with flavour to top off meats and vegetables, and also packages as a beautiful hostess gift.
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Infusing time7 daysd
Total Time7 daysd15 minutesmins
Course: Seasoning
Keyword: herb finishing salt
Servings: 104 oz jars
4cupscoarse sea salt
4cupsfresh rosemary leaves
4largelimes
Use fresh herbs from the garden for this recipe to maximize taste.
Remove rosemary leaves from the woody stem.
Add the leaves to a powerful food processor or Vitamix blender until the herbs are fine. Set aside herbs.
Add the coarse salt to the food processor and pulse a few times until it has reached the desired texture.
In a large bowl, mix in the salt with the grinded rosemary leaves. Zest the four limes directly into the bowl and stir.
Let the herb finishing salt infuse uncovered for a week.
Once a week has passed, package your herb finishing salt into airtight containers.
Use a scoop when using the herb finishing salt to keep fingers out of the mixture.
Good news: calendula isn’t known for having many adverse side effects. It is possible, though, that this herb could cause an allergic reaction, especially in people with known allergies to marigolds or plants in the Asteraceae family. It might also interfere with certain medications, like sedatives, blood pressure meds, or medications for diabetes. If you’re concerned, check with your doctor about potential contraindications before plunking down your cash on calendula.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. We call BS (Bad Science) on that! There are ways to help your aging dog go energetically (and pain- and fog-free) into their senior years, with plenty of new – or at the very least revived – tricks to boot. Starting with all-natural, all-healing, 100% safe ashwagandha.
Senior dogs, like senior people, face a unique set of health challenges. These include things like reduced mobility, aching joints, cognitive decline, and decreased energy levels, to name but a few. But it does not have to be this way: Ashwagandha to the rescue!
This adaptogenic herb has been helping humans thumb their noses at so-called geriatric decrepitude for more than 4,000 years. Now it’s increasingly gaining a reputation for doing the same for our furry best friends. KSM-66 Ashwagandha pure root extract, in particular, has shown enormous promise as a safe, natural remedy to support the health of our fur babies as they enter their sweet senior years – and improve their quality of life for longer.
Benefits of KSM-66 Ashwagandha for Senior Dogs
Enhanced Mobility
It comes as no surprise that one of the key issues with aging lies in achy, breaky joint health. Arthritis and joint pain are extremely common issues in older companion animals, significantly impacting their mobility and comfort. KSM-66 Ashwagandha’s anti-inflammatory properties can help manage these symptoms:
By reducing inflammation and pain in the joints, it can improve flexibility and movement.
This, in turn, improves your senior’s ability to once again enjoy their daily walks and playtime.
And this, in its turn, helps your dog stay active and engaged, which can only but improve their brain health.
It’s a veritable chain reaction of health benefits.
Boosted Energy and Vitality
As our beloved furballs age, they also often experience a decline in energy levels, leading to reduced activity and engagement. KSM-66 Ashwagandha tackles this by:
Regulating cortisol levels,
thereby promoting a balanced response to physical and emotional stressors.
Once that is under control, the knock-on effect is:
a natural boost in energy and vitality,
improved stamina, and even
a renewed, puppy-like zest for life.
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
The aging process, undoubtedly, has the potential to be a stressful one. Things don’t work like they used to, and your dog is not immune to the feelings of confusion and frustration that arise from this. The end result? Added stress and anxiety to an already increased pain-load. (Thanks creaky joints.)
Here, too, KSM-66 can help, being clinically proven to help reduce both stress and pain! In a recent study, dogs who received KSM-66 showed a 27% reduction in anxiety, and a 44% reduction in pain severity!
Less stress, less pain; happier, healthier fur kids with a liveliness that belies their years. (Say hello, once more, to the zoomies!)
Supercharged Immune Function
A robust immune system is crucial for maintaining health in senior companion animals. (You don’t need eight plus years of veterinarian school to know this!)
KSM-66 Ashwagandha’s recognized immunomodulatory effects can help enhance the body’s natural defenses. By supporting immune function in this way it works to help protect your aging dog or cat from infections and illnesses, contributing to their overall well-being.
Improved Cognitive Function
One of the most significant challenges faced by any senior – pooch or person – is cognitive decline. This often manifests as confusion, disorientation, and changes in behavior. Help is, however, at hand.
KSM-66 Ashwagandha has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties that can support brain health and cognitive function by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. This translates to the potential for your dog to maintain mental clarity and alertness as they enter their golden years. All of which adds up to one thing: better quality of life for longer.
Need more convincing? A completed study, currently under peer review, presented conclusive proof that KSM-66 Ashwagandha can play a significant role in improved cognitive and emotional well-being in geriatric dogs. The study showed that when geriatric dogs were given KSM-66 supplementation, the following happened:
A significant improvement in Canine Dementia scale scores for sleep, anxiety altered activity, and disorientation.
A significant increase in Serotonin and Dopamine.
No adverse reactions occurred during the study period, which shows that ashwagandha is not only effective, but also safe!
None of us wants to see our beloved fur kids suffer; but all of us would like to keep them with us for longer! KSM-66 Ashwagandha offers us a natural ally to achieve the impossible: both quality of life and improved longevity for aging dogs. How’s that for a new trick?
Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
African Blue Basil, Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum
Whether you garden in-ground or in a single windowbox, there is a plant that will lure every pollinator in the neighborhood to your green space. African blue basil’s myriad flowers, in bloom for months, guarantee a flurry of constant and diverse pollinator activity from morning until twilight, and from early summer until frost. There is never a dull moment. And with the right plant for pollinators, even a tiny urban space can contribute to a pollinator pathway—a pesticide and herbicide-free corridor of plants that provides food and shelter for pollinating insects, which are in decline due to loss of habitat and to widespread pesticide use.
It doesn’t hurt either that spending ten minutes on a bee safari is a very effective way of disconnecting from digital noise and reconnecting with the small things that matter.
Above: Windowbox-grown African blue basil in late summer on my Brooklyn terrace.
In a small space every inch counts, and the ideal plant has to work hard: It should be low-maintenance, bloom for months, have fragrant and edible leaves, and offer an irresistible nectary for a host of beneficial insects. That’s asking a lot. A very small handful of plants checks all those demanding boxes. African blue basil comes out pretty much at the top.
Above: A native carpenter bee visits African blue basil.
Native plant advocates might frown at a non-native being promoted for pollinators, but there are some mitigating factors to consider. Not everyone has the space for a collection of native perennials chosen for a bloom-sequence staggered for months-long interest (with a couple of exceptions, most perennials tend to flower for just a few weeks). And some perennials, like milkweeds and bee balms, resent being potted and perform best in-ground. City gardeners are often confined to containers, while most urban dwellers have no more than a windowsill to grow anything. African blue basil fits this demographic perfectly.
As a low desert gardener, it’s exciting to learn how to grow a crop that I already use, is good for you, and grows well in warm climates. Ginger definitely qualifies on all three accounts. Learning how to grow ginger is easy, and growing it is even simpler (especially if you live in a warm climate).
Ginger is a heat-loving, tropical perennial herb grown for its bamboo-like leaves and flavorful rhizomes. It is grown as a long-season annual in all but the warmest locations.This article includes information on growing ginger in warm and cool climates, as well as tips for growing ginger in containers and indoors.
Ginger is grown from rhizomes. Rhizomes are fleshy stems that spread horizontally underground and contain several buds or growing points. The ginger rhizomes are planted below ground and send up bamboo-like shoots that give energy to the developing ginger below ground.
Ginger shoots emerge from the ground when the weather is nice and warm in the spring. Throughout the long days and warm months of summer, ginger grows well. As the days get shorter and cooler, the leaves turn yellow, and the ginger begins to go dormant.
2. Purchase and prepare ginger before planting
You can buy ginger online from seed companies, but you can also purchase organic ginger from your local market. I get mine at Sprouts. When purchasing ginger rhizomes for planting, look for light-colored, thin-skinned organic ginger that is plump and firm with several bumpy nodules.
To prepare ginger for planting, cut rhizomes into 2-3″ (5-7cm) pieces (each piece containing at least 2 to 3 nodules). Allow cut ends to dry and heal over before planting.
3. Give ginger plenty of time to grow
Ginger needs a long, warm growing season of about 10 months to grow well.
Zones 8 and warmer generally have enough time to start and grow ginger outdoors. Plant outdoors after your last frost date and when the soil warms in the spring. In the low desert of Arizona, plant ginger in March.
Plant rhizomes with nodules pointing up 2″ (5 cm) deep and 6–8″ (15-20 cm) apart.
Plant 4 ginger per square foot in square foot gardeningGinger sprouting in the garden
In cooler climates, you will need to pre-sprout rhizomes indoors before planting. Count back 10 months from your first fall frost date. This is the time to begin pre-sprouting your ginger.
To pre-sprout ginger, plant rhizomes 2″ (5 cm) deep in small pots on heat mats. Keep warm and slightly moist (but not soggy; it will rot). Once ginger sprouts, provide supplemental lightinguntil it is warm enough to plant outside. Gradually let plants become accustomed to outdoor conditions for a week and then carefully transplant sprouts to larger containers or garden beds outdoors. For more detailed information about how to pre-sprout ginger, read this blog post.
4. Give ginger plenty of warmth
Ginger does not grow well in temperatures below 55°F (12°C). Temperatures below freezing cause damage to the leaves and also kill the rhizomes.
In cooler climates, choose your warmest location to plant ginger. Look for an area that gets reflected heat from a block wall. Consider planting ginger in a container. Containers often heat up more quickly in the spring. Move the container to a sheltered location when temperatures fall.
To grow ginger in containers:
Use a container for growing ginger that is at least 12″ (30 cm) deep.
Container-grown ginger may need more frequent watering and fertilizer.
Harvest container-grown ginger by dumping it onto a tarp or into a wheelbarrow.
In hot summer locations, provide shade for growing ginger. Although it prefers warm soil, intense sun often damages the growing leaves. Look for an area to plant ginger that receives shade naturally, or provide shade for growing ginger.
5. Grow ginger in good soil and fertilize as needed
The best soil for ginger is rich in organic matter and well-draining. Rich, loose soil may provide enough nutrients for growing ginger. Mulching the soil with additional compost or straw helps provide nutrients, control weeds, and retain water.
While ginger is growing, you can add a few inches of compost to growing ginger sprouts, similar to “hilling” potatoes. This can encourage more growth in the rhizomes.
If your ginger is not growing well, consider feeding every few weeks with an organic fertilizer such as liquid seaweed or fish emulsion. Testing your soil will help you determine exactly what the soil is lacking.
Ginger developing below ground
6. Water ginger correctly
Ginger grows best with regular water, especially when the plant is actively growing. Well-draining soil is important as the rhizomes do not like soggy conditions. Do not overwater. As temperatures cool, reduce watering.
7. Harvest ginger at the right time
In cool climates, harvest ginger all at once before freezing temperatures. In warmer climates, harvest ginger after the leaves begin to yellow and die back. Wait to harvest as long as possible for the largest rhizomes.
To harvest, gently dig up the entire plant.In warm areas, you can grow ginger as a perennial. Leave the ginger in the ground and harvest as needed. Plants will go dormant during the cooler months and shorter days of winter, but new shoots will emerge in the spring.
8. Preserve harvested ginger in a variety of ways
After harvesting ginger, rinse it well and cut off shoots and large roots. The leaves can be used in tea.
Store fresh ginger in the refrigerator or freezer in reusable storage bags. Unpeeled ginger keeps for about a month in the refrigerator or for up to a year frozen.
Dehydrate ginger by peeling (young, fresh ginger may not need to be peeled) and slicing. Dehydrate at 95°F (35°C )for 8-12 hours or until ginger is crisp and breaks when bent. I use this dehydrator from Amazon.
Sliced ginger before dehydratingSliced ginger after dehydrating
Store dehydrated slices in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Process small amounts of the sliced ginger into powder. Once ground, the powder will begin to lose flavor, so grind only a small amount at a time.
Process dehydrated ginger in blender to turn into powderStore dehydrated ginger in sealed glass jars
Process peeled ginger (young, fresh ginger may not need to be peeled) with a small amount of water in the blender.This is the blender I use.
Process young unpeeled ginger in a blenderPulse until smooth
Freeze in herb or ice cube trays. Use individual portions as needed. When processed this way, ginger lasts up to a year in the freezer.
Freeze in ice cube or herb traysStore frozen cubes in freezer bags for up to 1 year
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After years as a wellness writer, I’ve become all too aware of the fact that gut health is the foundation for a happy, healthy life. Because of this, I’m always looking for solutions to help me prioritize my gut and microbiome health—in ways that fit into my routine easily and effortlessly.
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland’s vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking.
After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook’s Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I’ve worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown cookbook.
Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I’m on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
Feverfew is a pretty, cheery flower that has some excellent medicinal benefits. From preventing migraines to helping with menstrual problems, this herb is a wonderful addition to any herbal garden. Here’s how to grow, harvest, and use the feverfew plant.
Perhaps, like me, you were wandering around your garden one day when you saw a cheery mass of white-petaled, yellow-centred flowers standing about two feet high in the garden. Looking a little bit like chamomile, but as you get closer and give it a smell, yikes!
It doesn’t have that sweet apple smell that chamomile has but instead resembles something more like a dirty sock. It’s feverfew!
Feverfew is such a pretty flower and it always has a welcome home in my garden. I don’t plant it because, in these parts, it’s a wild medicinal plant that pops up easily each year without much thought.
It’s a good thing because feverfew isn’t just pretty; it has some wonderful properties. It’s most famous for being used as an ongoing treatment to reduce the severity and number of migraine attacks in some sufferers. But in addition, it also provides a calming relief to tension and arthritis.
There’s a lovely cultivar called white stars that has plenty of double white flowers on shorter seven-inch plants. This highly attractive feverfew is a great cut flower in arrangements, dries well for dried flower arrangements, and looks great in containers or at the front of the garden.
Let’s dive into feverfew!
Feverfew doesn’t have the best smell, but its beauty and herbal properties make up for it.
Lori’s Green Blessings
This article was reviewed by herbalist Lori Snyder. This is not to be used as personal medical advice; always consult your healthcare professional for individual concerns.
Here’s what Lori has to say about feverfew:
“Feverfew has so many medicinal benefits and is easy to grow. I like making alcohol tinctures as alcohol extracts chemical components that are not extracted with water.
According to Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, prepare fresh leaves within 2 hours of harvesting, 1 part pulp to 5 parts (45% proof alcohol), and let sit for 7 days. Filter. Dose 5-20 drops every 2 hours for acute conditions and 3x daily for chronic conditions.
Note: Feverfew may inhibit the blood platelet activity that plays a role in clotting, affecting blood-thinning medication.”
Feverfew is best harvested right before or during flowering.
History of Feverfew
Throughout history, feverfew has been traditionally used to treat migraines, arthritis, and menstrual and labour pain. Today, feverfew can be found throughout Europe, Australia, and North America, but it was originally found in southeast Europe.
Since feverfew has had so many names throughout history, it can be hard to find it listed in older texts. One herb that is believed to be feverfew is parthenion. The name, derived from the Greek word for maidenly, was often associated as a women’s herb and was most frequently used to treat uterine problems. However, there are at least three herbs that were referred to as parthenion! Feverfew is likely one of them.
The herb parthenium is also suspected to be feverfew. As the story goes, it was once used to save the life of a slave who had fallen from the Parthenon, Athena’s famous temple, during its construction in the 5th century BC.
In the 1st century, Greeks began using the herb as an antipyretic, a medicine used to reduce fevers. During the 18th century, feverfew got its nickname as the medieval aspirin.
Although it did not arrive until the mid-19th century, it also had many uses in the Americas. The people in Costa Rica used the herb as a digestion aid, a cardiotonic to help the heart, and as an enema for worms. Costa Ricans and Mexicans were both known to use the herb to help regulate menstruation. Feverfew has long been a powerful aid for women!
Cut feverfew for an easy garden-style flower arrangement.
Feverfew Benefits
While its name and history may suggest it is a fever relief, it actually is not very effective in reducing fevers. That being said, feverfew benefits are numerous. Here are a few ways to use this herbal remedy.
Feverfew for Migraines
Ever since the 1970’s, feverfew has been a popular choice for migraines and headaches. Studies show that not only does feverfew reduce the severity of migraines, but it also helps to reduce the frequency when taken regularly. It also can help to remove nausea that is associated with migraines.
However, it is best used as a prevention tool rather than as an on-the-spot cure for headaches.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The ability to help migraines comes from its anti-inflammatory properties. This means it has also been used to help the diaphragm, assisting with issues such as:
asthma
cough
phlegm
chest congestion
pain associated with arthritis
general pain relief.
Feverfew Benefits for Menstrual Issues
As its history suggests, feverfew is also extremely beneficial for menstrual issues. It can help to regulate a cycle, helping with deficiency, scanty periods, and delays, as well as clots and excess. It can also be used to help relieve menstrual pain and spasms.
Make a feverfew tincture by letting feverfew sit in alcohol for 7 days.
How to Grow Feverfew
Feverfew (Tannacetum parthenium) belongs to the daisy family Asteraceae. It is sometimes called ‘feverfew’ because of its feathery leaves. Keeping consistent with its history, it has many other names like featherfoil, mid-summer daisy, flirtwort, or wild chamomile. It commonly grows along roadsides and in gardens and is often confused for German chamomile.
Water: Average water needs: water regularly and do not overwater.
Warnings: May be a noxious weed or invasive in some areas.
Feverfew is a perennial and attractive landscape flower. It has a strong, herbaceous aroma and white flowers with yellow centers. It is best to start this plant in late winter and plant early spring. Set 15 to 18 inches apart in all directions.
Feverfew is often mistaken as chamomile. But the smell and the leaves are the best giveaway.
Feverfew Companion Planting
Because it repels bugs, it grows well alongside mint and other tea plants and in beds where bugs are not wanted. This insect repellent ability makes it a great option for growing near doorways.
However, you want to be careful about what plants are growing nearby. Feverfew will repel bees and butterflies which may be needed as a pollinator for some of your plants.
How to Maintain the Plant
For maintenance, consider deadheading the spent blooms. This will encourage more blossoms and will prevent excessive self-seeding.
Six-month-old, well-rooted plants may tolerate frost well and winter temperatures to -20F (-29C). Most plants die in their second or third summer after heavy blooming. In early spring, after plants emerge from winter, mulch with rich compost.
This feverfew has some aphid damage, but it is pretty hardy to pests.
How to Harvest, Dry & Store Feverfew
While all parts of the plant can be used in medicine, the leaves are most commonly used in commercial products. Like most herbs, fresh is always better. However, I know we can’t always have fresh herbs at our disposal so it is important to properly dry and store our herbs for the colder seasons.
It is best to harvest feverfew right before flowering or during flowering. The night before you intend to harvest, gently hose down the flowers. This will help clean the plants, particularly if they have attracted aphids. Gather mid-morning when the flowers are still full, but there is still an abundance of greenery. Cut no more than ⅓ of the plant so it doesn’t die.
Thoroughly wash the feverfew again, then tie in a bundle and hang to dry in a warm, dark area. Or, layout on a dehydrator tray to dry until crispy. To store your feverfew, put in in an airtight container in a dark room out of direct sunlight.
Wait two weeks until the plant is completely dry before storing it in an airtight container.
Feverfew Recipes
Feverfew has a variety of properties that make it a great addition to your herbal remedy cabinet. Whether combined with other herbs for headache management or using it alone to support the body, it is an effective herb.
There are some precautions that go along with feverfew. Some herbalists have varying opinions, however, it is best to use caution. Consult with your primary care provider and experienced herbalist before using feverfew to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
That being said, there are a number of ways to enjoy the benefits of feverfew, and none are complicated. Rosemary Gladstar suggests, “Some people find that eating a fresh leaf or two directly from the garden helps to prevent migraines.”
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post to learn how to make a headache tea and a bruised skin compass with harvested feverfew plant.
Suffer from headaches? Make this feverfew tea.
FAQ About Using Feverfew
What is the common name for feverfew?
Feverfew may also be referred to as featherfoil, mid-summer daisy, flirtwort, and wild chamomile.
Are chamomile and feverfew the same thing?
No, but they do look similar. The best way to tell the difference is by looking at the leaves. Chamomile has feathery, fluffy leaves. Meanwhile, feverfew leaves are wider and look more like parsley.
Another easy identifier is smell. Chamomile blossoms smell like apples while feverfew has an unpleasant scent that is more herby and almost smells like a dirty sock.
Can I take feverfew daily?
Yes! Most who take it for headache relief do so daily, either as a tincture or a tea. Feverfew works best at preventing headaches rather than stopping them. As a tincture, the recommended dosage is 2-4 ml at 1:4 strength.
Feverfew is considered a medium-strength herb, and long-term use in high dosages should be avoided.
More Herbal Guides for Common Garden Plants
Feverfew Headache Tea + Bruised Skin Compress
Feverfew benefits are far and wide. Here’s how to use this plant to prevent migraine headaches, as well as treat bruised skin.
Bruised Skin Compress Supplies
How to Make the Headache Tea with Feverfew*
Add herbs to a cup.
Pour boiling water over the herbs, then cover with a saucer.
Steep for 15 minutes, then strain out the herbs.
Add honey to taste. The tea may be slightly bitter.
How to Make a Compress for Bruised Skin
Add dried feverfew to a cup.
Pour boiling water over the herbs, then cover with a saucer to retain the essential oils.
Steep for 25 minutes, then strain herbs and allow the tea to cool.
Soak your cloth in cooled tea. Then apply to the bruised area to facilitate healing. Refresh as needed.
*Do not consume if you are pregnant, nursing, or in conjunction with blood-thinning medications. Do not give to children under 2 years of age
There are two main reasons that you might consider planting a pollinator garden in pots instead of in the ground: Either you don’t have a garden bed—or you’ve run out of space to plant anything more in your garden. In either scenario, a container garden can support pollinators just as well as an in-ground garden. Even if you aren’t dealing with space constraints, you might consider adding some pollinator pots, says Alicia Whitaker, a master gardener and a co-leader for the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators’s South Fork chapter. “If they’re near an outdoor seating area, the gardener can see and enjoy the wildlife that will be attracted.” Plus, she notes: Containers are also a great option if the gardener has a mobility issue or other handicap that makes gardening in the ground difficult.
Above: A bumble bee nectaring on goldenrod. Photograph by Kim Eierman.
Here, nine tips on how to garden for pollinators in pots:
1. Be prepared to water often.
The most common mistake with any container garden is underwatering. “The soil in pots dries out faster, especially in a very sunny and hot environment, such as a windy deck or brick patio surface,” says Whitaker, who notes that people often underestimate the water needs of container plants because they are accustomed to worrying about overwatering indoor houseplants.
2. Go big.
Above: Susan Nock, a Boston-based garden designer with a specialty in container gardens, filled a large pot with tall grass, agastache, foxglove, daisies, scabiosa, verbena, angelonia, and sweet potato vine for a dynamic, pollinator-friendly design. Photograph by Susan Nock.
Garden pros recommend choosing the largest container possible. “A higher volume of soil will dry out less quickly,” explains Whitaker. But there’s another reason to go big: The more plants you cram into a pot, the better the chances the pollinators will find them. “When we use large pots or gang pots together in groups, we create some floral targets for pollinators,” says ecological horticulturist Kim Eierman, the author of The Pollinator Victory Garden and founder of EcoBeneficia. “That’s really important. Having a larger target makes it much easier for the pollinator to find the resource.” If you’re worried about weight, you can use a false bottom planter.
3. Amend the soil.
Both Whitaker and Eierman suggest mixing compost into the container’s soil, to nourish the plants and encourage root growth. “I apply a limited amount of compost a couple times a year to beef up the soil biology because there’s no interchange with any other soil,” adds Eierman. “I just put it on top and let rain do its thing.” Whitaker adds, “We often hear that native perennials prefer leaner soil and don’t require fertilizer, but the artificial environment of a container calls for better soil and the regular use of organic fertilizer.”
4. Consistency + variety is key.
Just like humans, pollinators need a diverse diet, but that doesn’t mean you need to run out and buy dozens of different plants. Eierman says to aim for a balance between diversity and sufficiency of given plants. So, rather than having many tiny plants of a wide variety of species, focus on a few types. “It’s better to have a more substantial amount of that one species,” says Eierman. Whitaker adds, “Think drifts, not polka dots.” When pollinators forage they’re looking for that one plant species, so a repetition of bloom from container to container can attract them without having one massive target, Eierman notes.
5. Give the bugs color cues.
Above: This composition of ‘Giga Blue’ pincushion flower, ‘VIBE Ignition’ purple salvia, and S’unSparkler Firecracker’ sedum by Monrovia demonstrates how you can do a monochromatic pollinator design using one color but different plants. Photograph via Monrovia.
“We know that pollinators have their color preferences,” says Whitaker. Hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers, while many bees love purples and yellows. Butterflies are drawn to a wide range of colors, but moths are attracted to white blossoms. “it’s good to have a variety of colors, and a variety of shapes,” says Whitaker, noting, “There are almost no wrong choices.”
Mosquito repellent plants are garden heroes: colorful flowers and herbs with natural fragrances that chase away buzzing insects even as their perfumes soothe humans.
The first step in your plan to thwart mosquitoes? Grow plants such as lavender, basil, mint, scented geraniums, and marigolds. But unless you’re planning to plop your chair down in the middle of a flower bed, you may not enjoy the full protective benefits. So we came up with a plan to bring the full power of your anti-mosquito forces to the deck or patio: a mosquito repellent floral arrangement. (We placed ours on a side table next to our favorite reading chair.) Read on for step-by-step instructions.
Lavender’s strong scent, which comes from essential oils that can be distilled from its flowers, is often used for aromatherapy. While there is little scientific evidence to back up claims that lavender oil has health benefits, inhaling its fresh, herbal scent calms many people. But not mosquitoes.
Above: Florists at work.
I asked a couple of aspiring florists named Clementine and Eve to arrange the mosquito repellent plants and flowers in a few clear glass vases: a deconstructed floral arrangement. (If you don’t have vases of different heights and shapes on hand, you can just as easily arrange the flowers in mix-and-match drinking glasses or glass jars to get the same effect.).
Above: Jagged lavender (L. pinnata buchii) with feathery leaves and deeply purple flowers goes into a vase, roots and all.
Whether you are camping or enjoying a little backyard entertaining around a fire pit, you can easily repel mosquitoes by tossing in a few herb branches. Burning herbs is a natural and safe way to keep mosquitoes from making you their next meal. Read on to find out which fresh plants and herbs repel mosquitoes and how to use them.
Spending time outside is one of my favourite things to do. I can garden practically all day and not be the least bit bothered by insects. Then, the evening comes, and the mosquitoes come out. UGH! My least favourite insect of them all!
Without any mosquito intervention, I become the meal du jour, and my lovely day turns into an evening of waving hands and smacking myself in an erratic and awkward dance to prevent the inevitable itchy welts that are sure to follow.
As I have learned more about plants over the years, one of the things I have discovered is methods for using plants to naturally repel mosquitoes.
This allows me to appreciate the natural benefits of plants while also avoiding the use of potentially damaging chemicals in commercial bug sprays.
Over time, I developed my natural bug spray which is made with essential oils and has worked wonders when it’s mosquito season.
Another method that I use to deter mosquitoes is burning branches of herbs over the fire pit (or campfire). And I’m going to tell you how you can too!
Most herbs will work with this trick, some better than others.
History of Burning Herbs
Indigenous Peoples, healers, herbalists, religious leaders, and the spiritually devoted from all over the world have burned herbs as a part of their religious and cultural traditions for centuries.
Indigenous Peoples sustainably harvest sacred plants native to the land with appreciating and reverence. Drying and bundling them, and burning them in a cleansing practice called smudging. Smudge sticks are used for ceremonial and purification purposes.
These practices are steeped with tradition and deep spiritual meaning. With all that has been taken from Indigenous Peoples, non-native folks need to avoidculturally appropriating these rituals.
Burning herbs has a long and important history for many cultures and religions.
How to Burn Herbs With Appreciation For Other Cultures
In modern herbalism, so much of what we use today is based on the practices of many cultures. There is a deep appreciation for the history of using (and burning) herbs and allowing herbal studies to include both the past and the present.
Burning herbs over a fire for their herbal properties is a respectfully different practice than the use of smudge sticks for ceremonial or religious purposes. Smoke cleansing is the act of burning herbs without the cultural or spiritual, and is an enjoyable way to experience the beneficial herbal properties.
When I burn herbs over a fire to repel mosquitoes, I do so with appreciation and gratitude for both the ancient knowledge of herbs as well as the use of herbal plants (not sacred plants) to safely and effectively keep bugs at bay.
We can use and appreciate the ancient knowledge of herbs passed down.
Which Plants Repel Mosquitoes?
To put it mildly, I hate getting mosquito bites. My immune system reacts very strongly to their saliva, which means I end up with large, itchy, welt bites that bother me for days. I used to use large amounts of bug spray to save myself from mosquito bites, but the spray bothered me, too.
Fortunately, there are natural ways to successfully deter those pesky bugs!
Mosquitoes hate strong-smelling herbs like:
We can use these herbs in several ways to help deliver the one-two punch that will keep pesky bugs away so we can enjoy evenings outside.
A tool for your mosquito-repelling tool belt is to toss a few branches of herbs (fresh or dried) into the fire. Thankfully, what smells heavenly to you will send bugs packing. Let’s dive a little deeper into each herb to find out why.
You can use fresh or dried herbs for this trick.
Lavender
Lavender has a well-known and widely used pleasant scent that, fortunately, people love and mosquitoes hate. Burning lavender is highly effective at repelling flying insects.
Fun fact: you can also rub the plant directly on your skin to release its oils as another way to tackle pest control.
Lavender is best harvested just before the buds open.
Mint
Members of the mint family (peppermint, etc) all have a strong, pleasant smell that flying insects hate. Mint is also extremely prolific, so it’s easy to have a big bundle at the ready when you grow it in containers in your garden.
Pineapple mint.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is part of the mint family that has pleasant white flowers and a mild lemony fragrance. It works well to keep mosquitoes away.
However, lemon balm’s potential downside is that it grows fast and can quickly take over your garden. To keep it from running wild, it’s best to plant lemon balm in a container or other contained space.
This can be a great way to keep your lemon balm in control.
Sage
Burning sage emits pleasant aromatherapy that makes an evening outside even better. The other benefit is that the same smell deters mosquitoes and other flying pests.
Culinary sage is a perennial, so you can harvest from it every year for this trick.
Citronella
One very well-known and common ingredient in mosquito-repelling candles is citronella. Its strong smell does a great job of masking the very aspects that attract mosquitoes to us. Fortunately for us, citronella is easy to grow.
There are also citronella-scented plants, such as this geranium.
How to Burn Herbs in a Campfire
Burning these herbs is as easy as tossing them right into the fire. Place the herb bundle to the side rather than directly in the center of the fire so it doesn’t burn down too fast.
The smoke will carry the scent, so as long as they’re burning, the mosquitoes should leave you alone. Depending on the size of your fire, you can use a little or large bundle of herbs. Keep a few bundles handy to continually toss into the fire as needed.
Use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs often have a stronger scent than dried.
Of course, just the smoke from the fire helps keep bugs away. But, by adding in some herbs that keep mosquitoes and biting insects away, they help to mask your smell. So, if you’re like me and seem to attract biting insects away from other people, the addition of herbs to your fire could likely be that extra step you need to REALLY keep the bugs away.
I often use dried herbs, as I dry them throughout the season and have them on hand.
How to Repel Mosquitoes Without a Fire
You can still create bug-repelling smoke even if you don’t have a firepit. Making your own citronella candles is easy and inexpensive if you use recycled materials. See how to make these Citronella Candles or theseTerracotta Pot Citronella Candles to have throughout your garden.
I hate the smell of citronella in the store-bought candles and find these much more enjoyable.
For an extra line of defence, don’t forget to spritz on this all-natural bug repellent that really works (and I would know because even though I don’t love mosquitoes, they LOVE me)!
This bug spray only takes a few minutes to make.
I’ve also been dabbling and planting a few mosquito-repelling container gardens to have around the areas I tend to frequently be in and I have to say, they have been helping tremendously.
Between burning herb bundles and using these other DIY methods, you can finally (and safely) say “buzz off!” to pesky mosquitoes and get back to enjoying your evening outside.
Rachel Perlmutter is a recipe developer, food stylist, and culinary producer at The Kitchn. Originally from Houston, Texas, she spends her free time trying to perfect kolaches and breakfast tacos that taste like home. Rachel currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner, dog, cat and rabbit, where they all share a love of seasonal local produce.
It seems like as soon as summer hits, everybody starts talking about growing lavender, and for good reason! This herb is beautiful, edible, smells amazing, and has great health properties. What’s not to love!? Here’s what you need to know about growing lavender.
Lavender is a gorgeous ornamental with a dazzling fragrance. Its wonderful, delicate flavour adds depth to many different types of recipes, and it is one of the most popular ingredients in natural beauty recipes and aromatherapy.
All of that, plus it is hardy, drought resistant, beneficial to bees, and deer and rabbits leave it alone.
And it’s by far one of my all-time favourite flowers. The bees love it, I love it!
Lavender can be a bit tricky to grow and keep properly so that it is tidy and healthy, but this essential guide to growing lavender will provide you with a few tips that will help keep your lavender in top shape for years to come and the know-how you need to prune, propagate, and use this versatile garden staple.
Here’s what I’ll be covering today…
Bumblebee visiting some Spanish lavender.
Types of Lavender
While there are many varietals in different sizes, scents, and colours, lavender plants fall into two main categories: English and Spanish.
English Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Easily identifiable by its gray-green leaves, long slim purple flower spikes, and breathtaking fragrance, English lavender comes in different shades of purple as well as white and pink varieties.
It is actually native to the Mediterranean but grows well in England’s climate, which is why we know it as “English lavender.” This type of lavender is regularly used as a culinary ingredient (it is one of the herbs in the famous herbs de Provence mixture), aromatherapy, and natural beauty recipes.
English lavender with buds about to bloom.
A few popular varieties of Lavandula angustifolia are:
‘Hidcote’
With its silvery leaves and strongly scented flowers, it’s no wonder that Hidcote is the most popular variety for growing lavender in home gardens.
‘Munstead’
Munstead is also no wallflower in the fragrance department, but the plant stays a bit more neat and tidy with a compact habit. This lavender has the best flavour for cooking with.
‘Thumbelina’
Small-space gardeners will love Thumbelina, a dainty beauty that grows only 12” tall and yet will bloom up to three times a season!
Spanish Lavender
Lavandula stoechas
Spanish lavender can be identified by its slender leaves and plump, pineapple-shaped flower tops which are more pinkish-purple than most English lavender.
Legend has it that Spanish lavender was used by ancient Romans to perfume their baths, but it is not commonly used for aromatherapy today.
Spanish lavender is more often planted as an ornamental and to attract bees. Bees prefer Spanish Lavender to English lavender because its flowers are bigger and more open, which means they are easier to pollinate.
Spanish lavender is more pinkish purple.
How to Care for Your Lavender
Growing lavender is easy once it’s established and in the right location. Here’s what you need to know to keep your lavender plant happy.
Location and Sunlight
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, so it likes cool winters and hot, dry summers reminiscent of its native climate. It needs sandy, well-draining soil and full sun. Lavender is drought-resistant and hardy to zone 7 or 8.
Water
Lavender requires very little water once established. When you first plant your lavender, water regularly.
In its second year, you won’t need to provide any supplemental water. It’s hardy to drought and used to the hot hot heat.
Younger lavender plants will need more supplemental water than older plants.
Pruning Lavender
Pruning is the number one thing you can do to keep your lavender happy. You can always tell an older lavender plant that was never pruned as the base becomes bare and the outer parts leggy.
Proper pruning keeps your plant healthy and neat and promotes growth, branching, and blooming. Lavender blooms on new stems, so pruning early or late in the season will be most beneficial. Start pruning in the second year after planting, and repeat each year after that.
First, follow the 4 Ds of pruning. Then, you can cut back up to one-third of the plant at a time, taking care not to cut into the woody stems. Pruning new growth promotes more new growth, whereas cutting into the woody stems will just cause those stems to die.
If you like the plant to be neat and tidy, then lavender should be pruned three times throughout the season:
Prune once in early spring, just after the new growth appears
Prune again in summer after the first bloom
Prune a third time in the fall after the second round of flowers has finished
You don’t have to prune all three times; you can prune only once or twice a season if you want the plant to grow wilder and leave all of the flowers for the bees. It’s all about personal preference!
Prune once the bees are done with the flowers.
Harvesting Lavender
You can also harvest lavender buds for crafts and recipes. If you time it right, pruning and harvesting can be the same thing, but they can also be very different. The purpose of pruning is to maintain the shape of the plant, and harvesting is the act of removing the flower buds for another use.
Spanish Lavender doesn’t require harvesting.
The key is to harvest lavender BEFORE they open fully. See the picture below for reference, as the one on the left is still in bud form while the others have started to bloom already.
Growing lavender in bulk is easy when you know how to propagate. You can grow a garden full of lavender from just one plant by taking a cutting and rooting it following this technique.
Take a Cutting
Using a sharp knife, cut a straight piece of stem with no flower buds on it. Cuttings should be about three to four inches long. Remove all of the leaves from the bottom two inches of the cutting, and scrape the skin off of the stem on one side of the bottom two inches with your knife.
Cuttings are best taken after the plant has finished flowering.
Plant the Cutting
You can either dip the cutting in rooting hormone first to help encourage root growth, or else just plant it straight into a pot of good, well-draining soil. Lavender roots easily so root hormone is not necessary, but may help.
Poke the cutting two inches deep and pack the soil lightly around it so that it stands up straight on its own. For a mini “greenhouse,” simply cover the cuttings with an upside-down plastic Ziploc bag. Place cuttings in a sunny spot and water when the soil feels dry.
Soon, you can have a whole lavender field of blooms!
How to Use Lavender
After harvesting and, if you wish, preserving your lavender, there are a myriad of uses for it. Lavender can be used fresh or dried in floral arrangements, baking, cooking, and cocktail recipes, aromatherapy, and natural beauty recipes, and is a useful supply to have on hand for many crafts.
For months, from early spring to the edges of summer, ground ivy’s tubular blue flowers announce its (often resented) presence in sunny lawns or in the high shade of garden or woodland trees. Its leaves are tiny and toothed; when nights are still cold and crisp, they are more burgundy than green, and its earliest flowers are periwinkle-blue. In lawns that are mown regularly the plants form compact, woven mats. Left to grow, they become slender and tall, festooned with flowers that turn gradually paler as the weather warms.
Crush a stem, and sniff its leaves: minty, with an oregano undertow. Collect a handful to scatter across a salad, to muddle into a drink, or to brew into a strawberry and rhubarb cordial (find that recipe below).
Above: A lawn blooms blue with ground ivy in early spring.
Ground ivy’s strong flavor and refreshing scent make it an appealing, low maintenance, and cold-hardy culinary herb. Botanically, it is Glechoma hederaceae, a potent perennial member of the mint family. Although it is credited with many other common names in English, the two that are most familiar are creeping Charlie and gill-over-the-ground. The latter name’s etymology give us a clue to one of its uses: “gil” is derived from guiller—to ferment, in French; ground ivy was used in beer making (Peterson, 2011). It is native to Europe and and has long been used as a medicinal, culinary, and brewing herb.
Above: Ground ivy is impervious to mowing, and forms dense, steppable carpets.
While its spread can be aggressive where it is not native, its threat seems to be mainly to lawns. In the context of the persistent mania for a weed-free lawn monoculture (whose success often depends on herbicide use and a lot of synthetic fertilizer), I find this lawn weed hard to dislike.
Above: In early spring ground ivy’s leaves are tinged with burgundy, especially if it grows in full sun.
Above: Left unmown, ground ivy can grow tall before its stems flop to the ground, where they take root. Above: A bowl of ground ivy on a rainy spring day. Above: Cucumber, salted rhubarb slices, and sheep feta with pomegranate molasses and ground ivy.
I like to scatter its pretty flowers across salads where their piercing freshness is offset by juicy or salty elements.
Above: Ground ivy has become one of my favorite herbs to pair with strawberries.
Rosemary, a resilient Mediterranean native, is a beautiful ornamental landscape plant, a prized edible herb, and an excellent companion plant for your vegetable garden. Its heat and drought tolerance make it one of the easiest plants to grow.
Although rosemary is easy to grow, it’s also easy to kill. Learn what to do (and what not to do) when growing rosemary with the tips in this article. Here are five tips to help beginner and experienced gardeners get started growing rosemary.
5 Tips for How to Grow Rosemary
1. Don’t plant it in your garden beds full of rich soil
Rosemary struggles when grown in rich soil. Instead, plant it on the outskirts of your garden in native, slightly alkaline soil with a pH level of around 7. The beautiful purple flowers will attract bees and wildlife to your garden.
Flowering rosemary attracts bees
Well-draining soil is essential for rosemary. This means the soil should be able to drain water quickly, preventing the roots from sitting in water for too long. This plant is susceptible to root rot and other moisture-related conditions, which can turn it yellow, wilt, and eventually lead to its demise. Understanding and providing the right soil conditions is key to maintaining a healthy rosemary plant.
Root rot
Rosemary thrives in full sun and prefers temperatures between 70-85°F (21-29°C). It tolerates full sun even in Arizona’s low desert.
Rosemary does well in hot, dry conditions
2. Plant from transplant; rosemary is not easily grown from seeds
Growing rosemary from seeds is notoriously tricky. It’s best to plant transplants. When choosing transplants, choose vigorous plants with healthy leaves. Before purchasing, remove the transplant from the container to ensure it is not overgrown or rootbound.
The best time to plant rosemary will vary depending on your location. It is generally recommended to wait until the last frost has passed before planting. Older plants tolerate frost, but young plants like warm soil to help them get established.
Plant rosemary from fall to early spring if you live in a mild winter climate. In the low desert of Arizona, plant rosemary from October to November and from February through April for the best results. Give plants ample time to establish their roots before the summer heat sets in. This low desert planting guide is available in my shop.
Planting guide for the low desert of Arizona
In zones 8 and higher, rosemary is grown as a perennial and can grow large (several feet (1 m) wide and tall ). Give rosemary room to grow.
Live in a humid area? Provide plenty of airflow; don’t crowd (allow 2-4 feet (.6-1.2 m) in every direction), and ensure it has good drainage. In zones 7 and lower, grow in a container and bring it indoors during the winter.
Terra cotta pots are a good choice for growing rosemary in containers. The porous nature of terra cotta allows the plant to dry out between waterings, which helps prevent root rot.
3. Don’t stress over caring for rosemary
Rosemary thrives on neglect, making it a low-maintenance addition to your garden. Water it often until it establishes, then let it do its thing. Just remember to let the soil dry out between waterings and avoid over-soaking. It’s as simple as that! Read this post, “How to Grow Herbs in Hot Climates,” for more tips about caring for herbs.
An annual light top dressing of compost or mulch in early spring nourishes the microbial life in the soil. Additional fertilizer is not recommended.
4. Harvest rosemary – but not too much!
It’s best not to prune more than ⅓ of the plant at one time.If desired, prune lightly each spring or fall for shape. This means removing the top few inches of the plant to encourage bushier growth. Cutting back more than that or extensive pruning during the year’s hottest months will stress the plant.
Harvest individual sprigs as needed. Young stems have the freshest flavor. Rosemary flowers have a more subtle flavor than the leaves but are edible and make a beautiful garnish.
If you can grow rosemary year-round, use it fresh; there is no need to preserve it. Young stems have the most flavor. I rarely preserve it. However, you can preserve it by drying, freeze-drying, or freezing.
Strip rosemary leaves before drying and storing. Tostrip leaves from the stem, hold the tip and pull it upward through pinched fingers or a grater.
5. Propagate unlimited rosemary from cuttings
Unlock the potential of unlimited rosemary with propagation. It’s a breeze to propagate in late winter or early spring.
Choose young shoots that aren’t flowering and are 6-8 inches long. Remove the bottom half of the leaves and root in water. Change the water every few days to keep the environment oxygenated and prevent rotting.
After a few weeks, you should notice root hairs forming in the water. Pot up the rooted cuttings when several roots are an inch or more long. It’s an exciting process and fun to grow new plants.
