Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis, is a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean, but now grows rapidly throughout the world. It’s a member of the mint family and because all mints have square stems, identifying this herb is as easy as crushing a leaf between your fingers. If the aroma released is sweet, lemony, and slightly…
Growing Herbs
Whether you want an herb garden for culinary herbs to season your scratch-cooked meals or healing medicinal herbs to nourish and support your family's wellness (or both!) we will help you start growing herbs in your own backyard.
Learn all about growing herbs like thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, mint, and more!
10 Reasons to Grow Basil
Basil is one of the most popular herbs used in cooking and for good reason! It has a slightly peppery and sweet flavor that everyone seems to love. Turns out that it’s also a great plant to have in your herb garden for many reasons! Besides being a delicious addition to food, basil is easy…
10 Reasons to Grow Chamomile: For Your Health and For the Garden
A cup of hot chamomile tea is the perfect way to end to any day, as it helps to calm the mind and relax the spirit. I know that I enjoy it most evenings. Beyond its ability to tame frayed nerves, chamomile has many other benefits, both for the garden and for us. I love…
10 Benefits of Growing Chives
Chives are often one of the first plants to pop up in the springtime and they are a welcome sight after a long and cold winter. I love growing chives for many reasons beyond putting them on a baked potato with sour cream (but that’s an excellent reason to grow them, too!). They are great…
The Benefits of Oregano
Oregano is an amazing herb, and definitely one that everyone should have in their backyard herb garden. Not only does it add great flavor to your favorite dishes, it’s also a powerful medicinal herb. Many of the common culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage also have healing benefits, and do double duty in the…
The Benefits of Thyme
Thyme is on your side, yes it is! Really though, thyme is a wonderful plant, and an herb that everyone should have in their garden. Besides being an awesome culinary herb, thyme also has some powerful medicinal benefits, and it’s great for the bees. Thyme is a hardy perennial that doesn’t take a whole lot…
10 Reasons to Grow Mint (Without Fear)
Mint has a bad reputation for taking over the garden, for good reason. But, there are many reasons to grow mint in your backyard without fear! Even though mint is a highly beneficial plant, due to its spreading nature, many of us opt to just go without it all together. The problem with doing this…
The Many Uses of Rosemary
To me, rosemary is a given. What I mean by that is, whatever life gives me and wherever I end up, I will always have rosemary. While thyme and sage are also amazing perennial herbs with multiple uses, for some reason I have a special fondness for rosemary. It may have started in my early…
How to Grow and Cook with Sage
I don’t know about you guys, but I love sage. The sage in our garden has flourished throughout the year, and has really become a beauty this fall. Maybe that is why it has become the quintessential fall herb, although it could also be because it goes so well with Thanksgiving dishes. What I love…
Growing and Foraging for Lemon Balm
You have probably seen lemon balm growing whether you knew it or not. In the mint family, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb that spreads rapidly and has become a fairly common “wild” plant. When I’m out foraging and I see what looks like a plant in the mint family it is more…
