Man in the Moon Herbs

"Balm, given every morning, will renew youth, strengthen the brain and relieve languishing nature." so claimed the London Dispensary in 1696. The is quite a tall order for this pretty little plant! Lemon balm is an easily grown perennial with lemon scented somewhat hairy leaves. It likes a moist soil in a sunny spot with a bit of midday shade. The leaves are the most commonly used part of the plant and are best used fresh as they lose most of their scent when dried. Harvest before the plant flowers for the best flavor. Lemon balm is good finely chopped in salads, added to white sauces and makes an excellent tea. To make a simple tea, steep 2 tablespoons of lemon balm leaves in a cup of boiled water for 10-15 minutes. It is an especially refreshing and cooling iced tea when blended with a little fresh peppermint. Add some honey if you like a sweeter tea. Traditionally, lemon balm was used to treat heart problems, insomnia and gas.Charlemagne insisted it be planted in every ...

I finally slowed down enough from the hectic pace of the past month to take the time to peak at my garden. Everything is waking up and calling to me to tend to its surroundings. I don't clean up until spring which is not what the gardening experts tell you to do, but it fits my schedule better. There, next to the front steps, was a bright green patch of chives! Chives are a happy plant. It is one of the first herbs to appear in the spring and thrives on benign neglect. They are member of the allium family and grow well in full sun to partial shade. While they prefer a rich soil, chives do well in poorer soil so long as it's well drained. When harvesting, cut the leaves leaving two inches for regrowth. They are best used fresh but you can freeze them for later use. I haven't had any success in drying them. However, in the fall it's easy enough to put some in a pot to bring inside for the winter so you have fresh all year long. Just put your chives in a sunny window and k...