Herbs are one of the ways to easiest and arguably even the best ways add a powerful healthy punch to your life. For both culinary and medical purposes keeping fresh herbs always on hand is easiest done with a kitchen herb garden.
First I must admit, when it comes to herbs, I’m a bit like an addict. One potted herb plant is just the starter drug, pretty soon you find yourself surrounded.
And maybe that is just me, but if you find yourself following that path, don’t judge just love and accept it! Happiness lives there…
Ounce for ounce, herbs and spices have more antioxidants than any other food group. -Michael Greger
Herbs have this almost romantic thing about them. The power they hold, the flavors, the ability to completely change a dish! The great thing about herbs is that a little is all you need. Making even the smallest of space more than enough!
With herbs doubling for both food and medicine why not have a kitchen herb garden?
1. Thyme
Thyme is powerful, I mean it might as well be a superpower! Healing, immune-boosting, companion planting. Really the uses are endless. There are many different varieties, some even creeping beautiful carpet varieties. It is an easy to grow perineal, and bees love it! The benefits are also endless. I delve into this on a bit more here.
Thyme can easily be grown inside in a clay pot to keep handy and fresh all winter long. Which is a really great idea since thyme is so effective at clearing out congestion and infection (both internally or externally).
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2. Basil
I am ashamed I never gave basil it’s due until I learned how incredibly easy the stuff is to grow! In addition to starting from seed, it propagates from cuttings extremely well. If (for some odd reason) you find your self wanting 100 basils plants that’s totally easy too!
Basil has a strong history all around the world in more than 100 different varieties. It believed to be a strong plant of abundance in the feng shui world and considered a plant for luck.
Alternatively, basil is also a powerful yet still gentle herb for the nervous and digestive systems, improving everything from stomach cramps and gas to nervous tension and anxiety. Basil is also considered to be slightly sedative, making it a top choice for insomnia, fatigue, irritability or even a restless child. Not to mention the fresh leaves make a good little poultice to take the sting and itch out of bug bites.
If ease of growing yet powerful and a multitude of uses makes a plant more appealing then basil just might be the one for you!
3. Cilantro
Cilantro is a personal favorite. When it comes to salsa, its basically a cilantro salsa with a dash of tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Then there is the Vietnamese dishes (something I crave) the highlight of the dish is the heavy dose of cilantro. And just an FYI if you also love healthy ethnic food check out my Pinterest (I have a board for healthy ethnic food, Yes your welcome).
Let me put taste and my food obsessions aside for a quick moment, cilantro is one herb that is absolutely amazeballs. It should be consumed regularly for the health benefits alone.
Cilantro is very effective at removing heavy metals from the body. Which is a very powerful thing in its self. Additionally it is has been studied and shows positive effects on sleep, the ability to help prevention of cardiovascular disease, lowering blood sugar, and even has positive research showing its anti-anxiety effects.
So if you (also) have a love affair with Vietnamese foods, fresh salsa, or salads topped with on the fresh cilantro, then this will be the easiest kitchen herb to start to grow!! Cilantro is a super easy addition to any kitchen herb garden, and its amazing health properties make it a no-brainer!
4. Rosemary
Rosemary is one I want to have growing everywhere. Yes, I know I make every single herb sound like it “the best one ever”! Well that because they are, all of them. I dream of a big ol’ circle of rosemary surrounding my porch! However, rosemary is a perennial herb and can take a while to get them that big and healthy. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy them indoors until that time happens.
Rosemary can grow very well in pots. They will even outgrow the pots and you can split them to plant outdoors or more for inside! However, you may want to research the different varieties with your hardiness zone.
Rosemary is one of those star-child kinds of herbs. You know the one herb that can do so many things. Rosemary is known to enhance the cellular uptake of oxygen. That makes this one especially helpful for the brain, for memory and focus and to ward off migraines. Make a tea with fresh rosemary or simply chew on a leaf or two next time you have a headache, and I promise that headache is no more. Furthermore, rosemary is also a powerful stimulant to the circulatory system, making it great for the cardiovascular system. It is a great anti-inflammatory agent helping in situations like arthritis and joint issues.
Any herb that has this kind of medicinal power and still adds so much flavor to recipes should definitely be considered for the kitchen herb garden.
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5. Oregano
Another great herb to grow especially throughout the winter season. This herb not only adds flavor and variety to your recipes it also has great anti-bacterial properties. And is very effective at curing and even preventing the common cold. Thankfully that is not where this herb stops, it also has great anti-inflammatory properties. There are also studies coming out showing the oregano even has cancer curing abilities, I am sure there is more research to come there!
Oregano being a powerful but still flavor-filled herb that can also be easily grown indoors in a pot, it is an absolute must for the kitchen herb garden.
These are some of the best and of course easiest herbs to grow both for cooking with and use medicinally. Starting these herbs is nothing more than throwing a little dirt in a pot along with some seeds add a little herb growing love, and you will be well on your way to herb addictions too. Keep these on hand and fresh, growing through the winter you will keep sickness at bay while keeping those comfort foods full of flavor! If you find yourself unable to stop at five (trust me I know, I can’t) Aloe vera, dill, parsley, chives, and lavender are all out there waiting for you too! ♡♡♡
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From our family to yours, thanks for stopping by
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Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.