Grow Your Own Culinary Herb Garden
Growing your own herbs is very rewarding. You get the freshest herbs and you save money by not having to purchase them. You also get the peace and relaxation that tending a garden brings.

The Culinary Herbs, also known as the Aromatic Herbs, are the one to choose for your garden. The herbs you want to cook with are Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Chives, Dill, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Mint, and Cilantro. These herbs are used in every type of International cooking: From Asia to the Americas and everywhere else.

What Is The Best Way To Grow Your Own Herbs?
The best way to grow herbs depends on how much growing room you have, how much sun you get, as well as how long your growing season is.

I live in Georgia and my growing season is from April to October. I usually start herbs in a sunny window as seeds and put them in pots when I move them out doors. (To find your season for growing plants and herbs, go to the USDA Zones and enter your zip code or click on your state.)

You may have a shorter growing season and therefore choose herb plants that you can just pop into a pot or in the garden.

You may prefer growing herbs in a garden or raised bed. If you do, (and with pots as well), the soil must be rich in nutrients and have good drainage.
What Are The Best Conditions For Growing Herbs?
Whichever method you choose to grow your herbs, some things about growing herbs are universal:

You must have well drained soil.
Where you put or plant your herbs should get at least 6 hours of sun a day. Preferably facing south or west.
You should have moderately rich, but not over fertilized soil. Overly fertilized soil will lessen the flavor of the herbs.
Soil with a pH of between 6 and 7 is needed. Luckily, most of us have this.
The soil around the herb should be kept moist, but on wet.

If you plant in a garden bed, be sure to amend the soil with compost and really work it in well. For planting in a raised bed or pot, be sure to use an organic potting mix. It may be more expensive but I have always found it is best to avoid fungus and bugs.

If you are planting your herbs in pots as I do, use a pot with a hole in the bottom for drainage. Put a few pieces of broken pot or crockery in the bottom to keep the soil off the hole. I usually put one plant in one pot.

What Is The Best Layout For An Herb Garden?
The layout for your first culinary or kitchen herb garden is not complicated.
Follow the directions on the plant container or seed packet as to:

The height and width the herb grows to. Some herbs grow very fast, very quickly, They need airflow around them to avoid mold.
Whether it needs full sun, or prefers moderate sunlight.
Space them according to the directions.
Water. Place your garden near a source of water.

Which Herbs Should Not Be Placed Together?
Mint is an herb you never put in with any other herb or plant. It is very invasive. If you plant Mint in the ground or in a garden bed, it will take over the whole bed, and you will start to see it growing in your grass. Always put mint in a pot first. Then when it is contained you can plant it in the ground.
Dill should never be planted next to parsley or sage, They won’t thrive if they are close to dill.
Sage and Chives don’t do well together.
Sage and Basil don’t go together. (You may begin to see why I put mine in separate pots.)

Information About Specific Herbs
Basil- I always put basil in a big pot. It grows fast and large. It must be cut back every week. If you allow basil to flower, it might change the taste: it might become bitter. I plant a sweet basil and a Thai basil.
Oregano- used in Italian or Mediterranean cooking, with Basil and Garlic it becomes the Trifecta of flavor. Oregano has a hearty flavor that adds to pasta and roasted vegetables.
Rosemary- has a ‘piney’ slightly bitter note which goes well with meats and roasted potatoes. Sometimes I strip the stem of its small leaves to add to a beer bread. When I roast or grill a chicken I might put a whole stem of Rosemary on the top of the bird.
Rosemary does not like to be wet. It is the only herb that I mix a handful of orchid bark in with the potting soil in its pot before planting. Rosemary needs to drain well. Like Basil, it needs cutting back frequently.

Thyme- There are so many varieties of Thyme, you must choose the one you like the best. I usually have a French or English Thyme for cooking and a Lemon Thyme for fish.

The most often used herb, thyme goes well with soups and stews, meats and bread. It is often combined with Sage and Rosemary in many western European dishes. Thyme also needs trimming on occasion.

Parsley- You see the flat leaf or curly leaf version of Parsley, but I prefer the flat leaf. It’s just a personal choice. Parsley is most often used as a garnish but you can cook with it too. It is usually seen in salads as it has a light peppery taste, or put in a dish as the last step in cooking.

Tarragon- This herb is famous for its use in French cooking. It is most often seen with chicken and vegetables.

Sage is commonly used in stuffings, with chicken or meat. The dried version has a much stronger earthier taste then the fresh sage, which is much lighter in taste.

Dill- has an anise like flavor and is frequently used with pickles, fish and potatoes. It is great with yogurt.

Chives- This herb is wonderful with garlic mashed potatoes or anywhere you want a mild onion flavor. Like basil and thymes, it does need to be trimmed every week or so.

Cilantro- The seeds are known as Coriander. This herb is at the center of a controversy. It has been suggested that the way one feels about Cilantro may run in families. In other words, it’s genetic. Whole families hate it and other whole families love it. Cilantro is considered essential to Spanish or Latin cooking and gives a kick to guacamole, salsa, and marinades.

Mint- Like thyme, there are many variations and flavors to mint. It is a matter of personal choice. I like peppermint and I use it in remedies and also in teas, and with lamb. But you have to be careful when adding mint to a dish, too much and the food will taste like toothpaste. So go slowly.

So there is a basic plan for planting the Culinary Herbs and a little about each herb. To see some recipes using these herbs, go to the Recipe page.

If you want more information about herbs, please see my first book on herbs, Harvesting Wellness: Herbs For Cooking & For Symptom Relief, With Recipes.

Poor gut health seems to be an epidemic in the modern world. In most cases it comes down to what we are eating and what we are able to digest.
What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?
There is not one specific cause, but often a poor gut is associated with fatigue, upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation, and skin problems to name a few. It may also show up as autoimmune disease and even worsen stress and other mental challenges.

What Is The Gut Microbiome And Why Does It Have An Effect On How Your Gut Feels?

Your GI tract is not sterile. Everyone has microorganisms in their GI tract. The right mixture of organisms is necessary for normal function of your stomach and intestines. When the balance is upset, then we have stomach or ‘gut’ problems.

Recent research shows that having this natural bacteria, in large enough quantities, can help reduce the risk of such conditions such as IBS or conditions.

Your lifestyle may be what upsetting your Microbiome if you:
Are not getting enough sleep.
Are very stressed.
Eat a diet high in surgery and processed foods.
Have recently taken antibiotics.
Or like me, recently underwent chemotherapy.

As a result your microbiome can affect your;
Immune function
Hormone levels
Weight
And how you handle diseases you are exposed to.
And in general, how you feel.

How Can You Improve Your Gut Health?
Try to limit or decrease stress. Yeah, I know, it’s not easy. Try meditation (which worked for Me.)
Increase physical activity, try walking- I did this too.
Get enough sleep. Try for 6-7-8 hours if possible.
Drink more water. This actually helps.
Make sure you don’t have a food intolerance? If you are alway bloated, have an upset stomach, feel sick, have lots of gas, or acid reflux after a certain food or group of foods (like dairy), you have a food intolerance which is making things worse.
Take a prebiotic or probiotic- WARNING. People who have a severe illness or a weakened immune system should not take probiotics. Also, not all probiotic supplements are high quality or beneficial for your health.
It’s best to speak with a healthcare professional when choosing a probiotic or prebiotic supplement to help improve your health.
Eliminate as much of the processed foods as you can.

What You Should Eat For A Healthy Gut

Eating a diet high in fiber likely contributes to a healthy gut microbiome as well. You may also positively impact your gut by eating foods high in micronutrients called polyphenols present in:

Vegetables
Fruits
Coffee
Tea
Wine
Legumes. Like beans, chickpeas.
Whole grains, like quinoa and unprocessed oats.
Nuts
Garlic. Believe it or not, garlic really helps the microbiome.
Fermented foods are a good natural source of probiotics, No need for pills here.
(sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi)
Collagen boosting foods such as salmon skin, and bone broth are good for your gut.

This is the route I took when I tried to regain good gut health after chemotherapy ‘killed off’ all my good healthy bacteria and left me a mess.
I started slowly eating more fruits and veggies, wine and coffee, but I had a problem letting go of some processed foods like crackers and cookies.

It wasn’t until I cut almost 85% of the processed food and dairy out of my diet that I really began to feel good. I had to experiment with foods, and make some changes gradually to avoid GI upset.

If you decide to make changes in your diet to improve your gut health, go slowly, don’t start all these things at once, consult your doctor. Everyone’s gut is different.

This article is only a basic look at gut health and how to improve it. In a later article I’ll write about probiotics and prebiotics.

Why Cook With Herbs? It seems that herbs bring out the flavors in food by releasing natural polyphenols. The act of heating and cooking herbs releases compounds like antioxidants that stimulate the taste buds. The smell or aroma...