Fenugreek: The Forgotten Herb

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an ancient herb from the Legume family of plants, Fabaceae.  It is sometimes called Foenugreek, bird’s foot, Greek hayseed or goat’s horn.  Not often seen in modern gardens, fenugreek is herb, spice, vegetable and medicinal all rolled into one tidy little plant.  Grown primarily as an arid-land crop in countries such as India, Nepal, Argentina, France and Spain, fenugreek does well in xeriscape gardens.   Because of its diverse uses, this herb deserves a much stronger presence in the kitchen, the medicine chest and the garden.

Herbal Tea: Just Plain Good

By Jill Henderson

Mention the word tea, and most thoughts turn to a strong hot cup of Earl Gray or a tall glass of sweet iced pekoe. But these days tea is more than black—it is green, or herbal, or something akin to hot chocolate. Regardless of how you have thought of it in the past, one thing is certain: tea is medicinal.  And now, with the spring season swinging into early summer, many of the kitchen herbs in my garden are rapidly reaching their flowering stage.  Of course, leafy herbs are at their  peak of perfection just as the flowers begin to open, but I like to allow a few stems to bloom, as well.  The flowers of most herbs are not only flavorful when used fresh or dried, but they also can have medicinal properties themselves and are excellent additions to many herbal tea blends.

Essential Herbs: Lemon Balm

By Jill Henderson

Lemon balm is one of my favorite herbs for many reasons.  To start, it is by far one of the easiest herbs to grow and it’s beautiful to look at, as well.  I particularly like the way lemon balm attracts beneficial insects and butterflies  to my garden.  Occasionally, even the hummingbirds find it intriguing.  I am also partial to lemon balm tea, especially on a cold winter night.  It’s deep earthy lemony flavor brings back a touch of summer sunshine and its soothing and calming properties make it a valuable medicinal herb.

Wild Walk: Goldenrod

By Jill Henderson

Today is the autumnal equinox, the point at which the sun is in line with the earth’s celestial equator. The position of the sun as it relates to our watery blue planet is a calendar by which all living things in nature keep time. In the northern hemisphere, this event marks the beginning of fall and the steady decent into the shorter cooler days of winter. And while fall is already evident in the changing leaves of sassafras and sumac, the meadow below my house is still lush and green. Having been left to its own devices for some time, the meadow is rife with ragweed, asters, and a flush of early goldenrod.