Herb List

Supplied to Garden Centres by ‘Gardeners Kitchen’.

PLEASE NOTE:

THE INFORMATION GIVEN WITHIN HERBS & THEIR USES IS NOT INTENEDED AS A MEDICAL GUIDE.  PLEASE CONSULT A SPECIALISING HERBALIST OR HOMEOPATHIC PRACTITIONER FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AS THE DETAILS WITHIN ARE PURELY AS A GUIDE AND FOR INTEREST ONLY.

Anise Hyssop – Perennial Use Anise scented leaves to make tea or as a flavouring. Can be added to soups, stews and salads. An infusion can be used as an expectorant for coughs and sore throats, also to treat bites, burns and stings.

Aniseed – Annual Use seed crushed or whole in cakes, breads, apple pie, and add to fruit salad with figs, chestnuts and dates. Can be used as an infusion to produce an antiseptic tea for coughs and colds.

Angelica – Biennial Use young stems for crystallizing or cook with rhubarb to remove acidity. Tea made form fresh or dried leaves is a good tonic for colds and also reduces flatulence.

Aloe Vera The only plant to survive from the Garden of Eden, likes a warm environment. Extracts can be used for wound and burn healing, diabetes and elevated blood lipids.

Balm Lemon – Hardy Perennial Finely chopped leaves can be put into salads and used in white sauces for fish. Put into fruit salads, jellies and custards. An infusion of fresh leaves is a good relief for chronic bronchial catarrh, feverish colds and headaches.

Basil Holy – Tender Annual This is believed to be grown around the Buddhist temples. Delicious scent used in Thai cooking/stir-fry. Produces pink flowers on deep purple stems.

Basil Lemon – Tender Annual Leaves tend to be narrower than normal basil, but with a strong taste and smell of lemon.

Basil Neopolitana – Tender Annual Large crinkled leaves. As grown in Italy hence ideal use in pasta sauces.

Basil Red Ruben – Tender Annual Dark purple leaves fringed and quilted. Pinkish purple flowers, very strong basil scent. Good medium flavour.

Basil Sweet – Tender Annual Most popular, strong scent, good with pasta sauce, mixes well with garlic. As with most if not all basil a tea infusion aids digestion.

Basil Thai – Tender Annual Has a mild anise flavour, with small leaves and a purple steam, frequently used in thai red curries.

Bergamot Lemon – Tender Annual Unusual flowers of pink and purple, leaves can be used to make tea or dried for decoration. A tea infusion relives flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain, and insomnia.

Bergamot Wild – Perennial Wild flower with strong scented leaves used to flavour meat or make tea.

Borage – Annual Flowers and leaves have cucumber flavour, use flowers to garnish salads or add leaves to ‘Pimms’. Finely chopped leaves can be added to soft cheese, salads and sandwiches. Borage is rich in mineral salts.

Burnet Salad – Perennial Cucumber flavoured leaves use in salads and sauces. Add at the start of casseroles and cream soups. Can be added to drinks to give cooling effect. The leaf contains vitamin C and when sprinkled over food will aid digestion.

Caraway – Perennial Use ripe seeds on bread, cakes and with rich meat, also add to soup and stew. Leaves can be used in salads. Seeds can be used to produce a tea that will help the appetite and digestion, chew raw seeds to sweeten the breath.

Cardoon – Perennial Closely related to the Globe Artichoke this herb is grown for the edible flower head and leaf stalks. The flower is a large purple head but must not be cut before opening if to be eaten. Ideal for herbaceous borders.

Catmint Mussini – Perennial An attractive edging plant that is mildly fragrant. Use the leaf and flower top to make an infusion, good for colds and fevers.

Catmint Nepeta – Perennial Dried leaves have a sharp balsam like flavour and are used in tea. Fresh leaves may be rubbed into meat to add flavour.

Celery Leaf – Biennial Add small amounts of chopped leafs to salads, veg soups, cream cheese and stuffing’s. Ground seeds are used in celery salt; add to curries, pickles, soups and casseroles. The ground seed can be used as a substitute in a salt free diet.

Chamomile Lawn Roman – Perennial Flowers used for tea, skin wash and as a shampoo additive for blonde hair.

Chamomile Wild – Annual Has similar uses as the lawn above. CAUTION may cause server reaction in those with ragweed allergies.

Lawn Chamomile Treneague – Perennial This variety is for producing true Chamomile lawns as it does not flower and grows very short. Gives off apple scented aroma.

Chervil – Biennial Use leaves in soup, salads and sauces, also garnish similar to parsley. An infusion aids digestion and encourages perspiration. Can also be used in an infusion or facemask to cleanse the skin and maintain suppleness.

Chicory – Perennial Is a bushy with blue, lavender and occasionally white flowers. Leaves can be eaten as a vegetable or in a salad.

Chives – Perennial Has a mild, onion flavoured, long cylindrical leaves. Used in salads, soups and sauces. Also mix with butter and cheeses for dips.

Chives Garlic – Perennial Has long flat leaves, fine and slender. Use as ordinary Chives to dress salads, in soup and in butter or cheese dips. Flavour is mild onion/garlic.

Comfrey – Perennial The best use in this day and age is to put cut leaves in a water butt, the high Potash and mineral contents will infuse and make a good liquid fertiliser. CAUTION it is advised that Comfrey is not to be used internally.

Coriander – Annual Use the seed in ratatouille, curries and tomato chutney add whole seeds to soups and vegetable dishes. The fresh leaves can be used in curries, sauces, stews, salads and as a garnish.

Cotton Lavender – Perennial Used for a decorative hedging plant, but the branch can be used as a moth deterrent and leaves in potpourri. An infusion of fresh leaves can make a tonic and is thought to kill intestinal worms and help with menstrual flow.

Curry Plant – Perennial Gives a mild curry flavour when sprigs are added to rice, vegetables and stews, but remove before serving. Could also be used in pickles. Good as an insect repellent.

Dill – Annual The flower heads can be mixed with pickled cauliflower, gherkin or cucumber, whilst the finely chopped leaf can be added to cream cheese, potato salad, grilled meats and soups. The seed can be used in a salt free diet, as its high in mineral salts.

Fennel Bronze & Green – Perennial Roots can be boiled and used as a vegetable or used as a expectorant. Leaves can be chopped and added to soups, salads and cooked vegetables. Young stems can also be added to salads giving an aniseed flavour. Seeds can be added to bread or included in sauces and fish dishes. The seed can also be chewed to freshen breath.

Feverfew Golden – Perennial SMALL amounts of leaves can be added to food in order to ‘cut’ the grease. Is popular for treating migraine by eating three or four fresh leaves between bread daily. CAUTION not to be taken during pregnancy, may cause mouth ulcers.

Garlic – Annual Used as a vegetable and flavouring in many dishes. Crush and chop finely then add to curries, stir-fries and soups. Medicinal uses include treatment of high blood pressure, antibiotics and for digestion.

Heartsease – Annual This is also known as ‘Wild Pansy’. Use the leaves to garnish salads for colour. Is also renown as a heart tonic and used for high blood pressure, antibiotics and for the digestion.

Horehound – Perennial Infuse in fresh milk as a fly killer! Chop 8-10 fresh leaves finely and mix with honey, slowly eat to soothe a sore throat or cough. Helps treat bronchitis.

Horseradish – Perennial Young leaves can be added to salad and the root used to make horseradish sauce. Great fresh washed root into coleslaw, mayonnaise and dips for its hot pungent taste. Can also help stimulate digestion. NOTE avoid large frequent amounts when pregnant or if experiencing kidney problems.

Hyssop Mixed – Perennial The flower can be included in salads and the leaf in small amounts, with fatty meat and fish to help digestion. Flowers and leaves can also be added to potpourri for its aroma.

Jacobs Ladder – Perennial Used at one time for the treatment of headaches and fever. It is grown more for its flowers of blue and white.

Lavender (All Types) – Perennial This is a must for all herb gardens. Flowers are dried and used in scent draws. Fresh flowers are used in jams and can be crystallised for decoration. Flowers can also be infused in a tea for calming nerves and headaches.

Lemon Grass – Tender Perennial The stems and leaf buds are used chopped in oriental stir-fry dishes. Produces a lemon scented tea good for treating liver complaints. The plant also gives lemon grass oil, good as a tonic or stimulant and antiseptic.

Lovage – Perennial Use seeds in mashed potato, rice and over salads, crush and mix with bread or pastries. Fresh young leaves can be added to salads, stocks and cheese dishes. A tea made from young leaves has a savoury taste.

Marigold Pot Calendula – Hardy Annual The yellow petals will colour and impart a light flavour to rice, meat, fish soups omelettes, breads and milk dishes. An infusion from the flower will aid digestion and act as a mouthwash for healing gums.

Marjoram Golden – Perennial Leaves have a mild savoury flavour useful addition to soups, stews and omelettes.

Marjoram Sweet – Annual Chop leaves finely and add to salads or include in a butter sauce for fish. Flowers can produce an infusion for colds and headaches. The stem can be laid over the embers of a barbecue to give a mild flavour to food.

Marjoram Pot – Perennial Leaves can be blended with garlic and chillies and also added to egg, cheese, tomatoes and pizza dishes. Can be included in stuffing’s sausages and omelettes. Can also be used to produce an infusion for headaches and colds.

Mint Apple – Perennial This is the main culinary mint of continental Europe. Use fresh, dried or frozen leaves to flavour sweet or savoury dishes, sauces and drinks.

Mint Peppermint – Perennial Due to its high content of menthol, offers great cooling powers and is the most valuable of medicinal mints. Use to treat digestive complaints and gastric conditions also insomnia and tension. A tea makes a refreshing drink and is beneficial against cold and flu.

Mint Spearmint – Perennial The least pungent of the mints, use in sauces and in chocolate for desserts.

Mint Ginger Variegated – Perennial Use to make tea with a slight hint of spiciness or mix with other mints for a refreshing drink. Good ornamental variety.

Mint Pineapple – Perennial Use as above but has the scent of pineapple, again a good ornamental variety.

Mint Chocolate – Perennial Smells like a combination of mint and chocolate and is also a popular variety to flavour chocolate. Great dried and added to black tea, also makes a nice addition to chocolate desserts.

Onion Welsh – Perennial A great substitute for spring onion as this plant is perennial and comes from Siberia not Wales!

Orach Red – Annual A traditional wild herb, use larger leaves and young roots to produce an infusion for tiredness and exhaustion, a good tonic and stimulant.

Oregano Greek – Perennial The best culinary variety used to flavour meat dishes and add to salads. Also blend with chilli and garlic to add to a pizza, cheese dishes or tomatoes.

Oregano Wild – Perennial Use to flavour meat dishes and salads, the leaves are also used to make tea and beer.Good for treating coughs and sore throats, the antiseptic leaves can be chewed for toothache.

Parsley Curled – Biennial The leaf can be finely chopped and added or sprinkled over boiled potato, vegetable soups, egg dishes, fish and sandwiches. Add to cooked dishes to enhance flavour but not until the end of cooking. Chewing the leaf will freshen the breath and promote healthy skin.

Parsley Italian Giant – Biennial Similar uses to curled parsley but has a stronger and coarser flavour with edible succulent stems.

Parsley French – Biennial Similar to Italian slight difference in flavour.

Pennyroyal – Perennial Strong peppermint aroma given off when walked upon. Use to produce peppermint tea. Has attractive mauve flowers and is good for repelling ants. NOTE do not drink tea when pregnant.

Rocket Salad – Annual This has a superb leaf for salads which has a delicious spicy flavour making it quite unique and even compulsive eating. Very easy to grow, ideal for the windowsill.

Rosemary Mrs Jessop – Hardy Evergreen Upright variety, Pale blue flowers, good for hedges. Use the flowers tossed in a salad or pound with sugar then mix with cream before adding fruit puree. The leaves can sparingly used in both lamb and pork amongst others. Also put leaves on baked potatoes or herb butter for vegetables. Leaves can be used to treat depression, migraine and disorders of the liver and digestion.

Rosemary Severn Seas – Hardy Evergreen Semi-prostrate variety, mild-violet blue flowers, good for containers and borders. Use fresh leaves chopped in soups, also meat fish and poultry dishes.

Rosemary Common – Hardy Evergreen Upright shrub, small blue flowers. Use the fresh leaves in soup, lamb, pork, chicken and fish dishes.  WARNING all rosemary above can be used for culinary/medicinal purposes but excessive quantities or frequent use may cause poisoning.

Rue – Perennial Homoeopathically to treat phlebitis and varicose veins, as a herb to treat epilepsy and nervous conditions. CAUTION not to be taken internally only under medical supervision. Can also cause a skin irritation and/or leave the skin hypersensitive to sunlight.

Sage Tri-Colour – Hardy Evergreen Excellent ornamental variety for borders and containers. Use with meats and cheese to give mild flavour.

Sage Golden – Perennial Attractive variegated leaves excellent for borders. Use fresh or dried leaves for stuffing’s, meat dishes, and cream cheeses. Also use for vinegars and butters. Milder flavour than the common sage.

Sage Painted – Annual Grown mainly for its colourful bract cut and used fresh or dried in flower arrangements. The fresh aromatic leaves and seeds can be used to flavour food in similar ways as other sage varieties.

Sage Purple – Perennial This aromatic variety can be used as a herb or ornamental plant. Again used fresh or dried leaves in stuffing’s and meat dishes.

Sage Clary – Biennial This variety produces strongly aromatic textured leaves and has bi-coloured flowers in the spring and summer. Flowers can be used to make tea or decorate salads. The leaves can be made into fritters.

Sage Common – Perennial The most popular of the sages, use like other sage varieties. Leaves can be used to aid digestion and is an antifungal, antiseptic and contains oestrogen. An infusion of leaves drunk after a meal can help the digestion.

Savory Summer/Winter – Annual Enhances flavour as salt does therefore use the narrow leaves sparingly; to flavour beans, cabbage, peas and use with meat dishes and stuffing’s. An infusion of leaves help treat gastric, loss of appetite and indigestion.

Sorrel French – Perennial Use the leaves in salads and soups. Leaves can be used to produce tea. French Sorrel is not as high in Oxalic acid as some other varieties which can cause skin irritations.

St Johns Wort – Perennial The young leaves can be used in salads. Has been used to treat poor blood circulation and improve menstruation. Probably best known for it antibacterial properties in treating slow healing wounds and burns.

Strawberry Alpine – Hardy Evergreen Use the leaves as other herbs to add bite to teas. Eat the fruit with cream or produce jam, pies and cakes. The fruit is a good iron supplement. NOTE strawberries can cause an allergic reaction with some people.

Tarragon French – Perennial The best of the Tarragons, an essential ingredient in French cooking. Add sparingly to produce a subtle flavour which spreads quickly through other ingredients. Add to sauces, fish and meat dishes, excellent rubbed into chicken or mixed with chicken stuffing. Leaves are high in iodine, vitamin A and C, in mineral salts, is good for the digestion and as a general tonic.

Tarragon Russian – Perennial More Vigorous then the French, but has inferior flavour. Use similarly.

Tansy – Perennial Leaves can be rubbed over meat to give a flavour similar to Rosemary or can be stewed with Rhubarb. Hang bunches in the home to deter flies, will also deter ants and mice. NOTE use in moderation as is potentially toxic. Do not eat during pregnancy.

Thyme Common – Hardy Evergreen Use fresh or dried leaves to mix with stuffing’s, sauces, soups and marinades. Use carefully as fresh Thyme is extra pungent. Also add to bouquet garni with bay and parsley. Particularly good with foods cooked slowly in wine like game, poultry or shellfish. A tea will produce a digestive tonic and is good for hangovers! Also has antiseptic qualities.

Thyme Creeping – Hardy Evergreen As common but is a prostrate variety therefore good for ground cover.

Thyme Doone Valley – Hard Evergreen As common but is a low, spreading variety with green and gold variegated leaves giving a lemon scented aroma.

Thyme Archers Gold – Hardy Evergreen As common but with aromatic golden leaves.

Thyme Lemon – Hardy Evergreen As common but use at the front of the herb or scented borders. Has light lemon taste.

Thyme Lemon Variegated – Hardy Evergreen As above but with green and silvery-white foliage and an attractive lemon aroma.

Thyme Silver Posy – Hardy Evergreen As common but with white edged leaves giving a silvery appearance.

Wormwood – Perennial A tea made from the leaves can help stomach and gal bladder complaints. Use in small quantities to cook casseroles. A small number of shoots left to stand in vodka over several weeks will produce a drink that will aid digestion. NOTE do not use long term and avoid completely when pregnant.

PLEASE NOTE:
THE INFORMATION GIVEN WITHIN HERBS & THEIR USES IS NOT INTENDED AS A MEDICAL GUIDE. PLEASE CONSULT A SPECIALISING HERBALIST OR HOMEOPATHIC PRACTITIONER FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AS THE DETAILS WITHIN ARE PURLEY AS A GUIDE AND FOR INTEREST ONLY.


Gardeners Kitchen Ltd
Anchor Lane, Evesham, Worcestershire. WR11 8PA
England