Labiatae. Annual. Sun and moist, well drained soil. Protect from wind, frost & scorching, midday sun. Feed plant regularly. Water at midday, not evening. Mist leaves in hot weather. Excellent indoor plant. Transplant out into the garden after last frost.

Companion plant: tomatoes. Interplant with hot pepper plants to discourage beetles, one pepper plant for every five basil plants. Do not plant near rue.

Harvest: Pick leaves when young. Gather tops as flowers open. Uses: (Tear leaves or pound with oil rather than chop. ) Preserving: dry leaves or freeze them (first paint both sides with olive oil). Store whole leaves in salt dry-pack or infuse them in vinegar. Use leaves in soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, sauces, or anything that contains tomatoes.

PESTO: Process or puree- 2 cups fresh basil, 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley, 3 cloves peeled garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts. Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Last, add 1/2 cup olive oil at slow speed. Serve immediately or freeze pesto in ice cube tray and store in ziplocks for easy access later.

Origin: India, Greece, Italy. Hindus have used basil for well over two thousand years.

Onagraceae. Hardy biennial to 4 feet. Needs a sunny & open site, well drained. Transplant to 12" apart. Clear yellow blossoms open at night and disperse their fragrant odor. Long flowering season. A pleasing plant to have along pathways and in moonlight gardens. Self-seeds freely.

Companion: attracts butterflies

Boiled root tastes like parsnips. Slice fresh root in salad or on sandwiches. Native Americans made a tea from the roots. Infuse leaf & stem for an astringent facial steam or add to hand cream for extra softness. Evening primrose oil is a natural source of gamma-linolenic acid, treats eczema and rashes.

Origin: Native to North, Central and South America.

Labiatae. Perennial herb with slightly sprawling growth habit. Provide full sun/ afternoon shade and good drainage. Average soil. Pinch back to control sprawl and encourage bushiness. Small white flowers in summer.

Companion: Grow to attract bees and butterflies.

Strong pepper flavor. Use in Italian and Mexican cooking. Chop leaves for salads and butter sauces, add to meat dishes, pizza, tomatoes, egg and cheese dishes. Add to vinaigrette. Throw stems on barbecue embers to give food a slight flavor.
Infuse as a tea for coughs, stomach disorders, nervous headaches and irritability.

Origin: Mediterranean and S. Europe.

Labiatae. Perennial herb with slightly sprawling growth habit to 18". Spikes of white flowers in loose clusters in Summer. Full sun/ afternoon shade and good drainage. Needs fertile, moist soil for best growth. Good indoors or outdoors. Pinch back to control sprawl and encourage bushiness.

Harvest: As it is flowering.

Uses: Slight pepper flavor, more refined and has a lighter perfume than oregano. Use in Italian and Mexican cooking. Chop fresh or dry leaves finely for salads, meat dishes, pizza, casseroles, egg, bean, and cheese dishes. Add fresh leaf to spinach to make sweet Italian fritters. Add to vinaigrette.
Add flowering stems to herbal bouquets and herb breads. Combines well with onions, bay, thyme, basil, and garlic. Fresh leaves & flowers added to tea for a general tonic.

Origin: Native to the Mediterranean coast. Ancient Greek & Roman herb, into Europe and England by 1400s.

Hardy Perennial. Zones 3 to 7. Grows to 12 inch. Needs rich, moist, well-drained, acidic soil in shade or part shade. native habitat is in hardwood forests. Protect from slugs.

Begin to divide/harvest in the 4th year.

The most valuable of U.S. native medicines . This herb has been in use for centuries by Native cultures as a cure all, to treat high (or low) blood pressure problems, impotence and an aid to recovery.

Caution: there is an estrogen-like compound in ginseng which can aggravate fibro-cystic breast disease

Geraniaceae. Tender Perennial. Give a sunny well-ventilated spot. Provide well drained potting compost. Grow in pots so they can be moved indoors in winter, or mulch well for protection. Cut back 1/3 of growth before bringing indoors. Scents vary as do flower colors. Leaves cascade gracefully from hanging baskets or spill over a wall.

Companion: attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Some scented geraniums are able to clean contaminated soil they're planted in.

Harvest: Pick leaves just before flowers open.

Uses: Used sparingly, to add flavor to foods. Toss fresh flowers in salads. Chop fresh leaves or infuse in liquid, then discard leaves, use to flavor sauces, custards, jellies, ice, butters, syrups and vinegar.
Infuse as a tea or add to a wine cup. Cook with watercress soup and bake with fish in cider.
Cold-pressed oil from Attar of Rose is used in European perfumes. Add leaves to bath water, use in potpourri and herb pillows.

Origin: South Africa. Introduced in Europe and England in 1600s.

Scrophulariaceae. Hardy Perennial 2' to 3'. Succeeds in ordinary well-drained garden soil. Requires plenty of moisture in the growing season. Very ornamental plant, very hardy, needs some protection from winter sogginess.

Companions: Butterflies & hummingbirds love the red flowers.

Harvest: Cuttings in the Summer, divisions in Autumn.

Use: A decoction of the roots treats chest pains and stomach ache.
A decoction of the leaves treats of chills and fevers.

Labiatae. Self-seeding Annual to 3’. Related to basil, has coleus-shaped leaves. Easy to grow in average soil, full to partial sun.
Transplant seedlings 9 to 12 inches apart. Branching stems with large leaves covered with little hairs. Short, pinkish flower spikes in Summer. Pinch out the flower spikes as they develop to encourage more bushy growth.

Uses: Foliage gives off a spicy cinnamon-like fragrance when rubbed or bruised. In Japan and Korea, the leaves, seeds and flower spikes are a basic culinary herb, shisho. Use flower buds fried in tempura batter. Use leaves in sushi. Oil from seeds is extracted commercially in Japan and Eastern Asia.
Warning: Avoid consumption during pregnancy.

Labiatae. Perennial to 4' Sun, average, well drained soil. Scented, lavender flowers in Summer/fall. Tolerant of drought and maritime exposure. Makes a great south hedge. A very ornamental plant. Cut the plants to the ground in the spring in order to encourage strong new growth and plenty of flowers. The crushed leaves are very aromatic.

Companions: Attracts bees & butterflies.
The small lavender flowers are sweet, add to salads, drinks, use as a garnish, crystallize for cake decorations. A cooling medicine has been used to treat fevers. Great for bouquets.

Umbelliferae. Self-seeding biennial herb. Provide full to partial sun and rich, moist, slightly acid soil, pH 6-6.8. Grows well indoors and outdoors. Feed after hard cuttings. Recommend re-plant every year, 2nd year growth usually bitter and tough.

Companion plants: roses, tomatoes & asparagus. Grow near roses to improve their health and scent.

Harvest: Leaves are cut as needed. Seeds should be collected as soon as ripe.

Uses: Rich in vitamins, minerals and antiseptic chlorophyll, making it a beneficial as well as attractive garnish herb. Add raw leaves to salads, chop finely and sprinkle over sandwiches, egg dishes, vegetable soup, fish and potatoes. Add to sauces and vinaigrette. Add toward the end of cooking time to enhance the flavor of dishes. Chew raw to freshen breath.
Infuse leaf or crushed seed as a tea for digestive tonic, mild diuretic and minor arthritis relief. Use leftover tea as hair tonic or facial steam.

Origin: Uncertain, possibly Sardinia. Use since antiquity in Sicily, Greece and in the Benedictine monastery gardens at St. Gall.

Hydrangeaceae. A deciduous shrub growing to 10'. Hardy to zone 5. Easy to grow in any moderately fertile soil. Tolerates poor soils & heavy clay. Give full sun. One third of the stems can be cut down to the ground each year in order to promote fresh growth and heavier flowering of the white, aromatic flowers.
State flower of Idaho.

Companion: Scented flowers in Summer are pollinated by Bees.

Uses: The dried, powdered leaves or wood, mixed with pitch or oil has been used as a rub on sores and swollen joints. Poultice of the bruised leaves has been used to treat infected breasts. A strained decoction of the branches & flowers has been used as a soak for sore chests, eczema and bleeding hemorrhoids.
The leaves and flowers are rich in saponins. crush and mix with water for a cleaning lather for the body, clothes etc. Wash your hands with the fresh leaves-pick a couple of leaves or some blossoms, wetting your hands and rub vigorously until you have a lather.
This soap is a very gentle and doesn't remove the body's natural oils. So is not an effective cleanser against oil. An infusion of the bark can also be used.
The stems can be used in making coiled baskets. Wood is strong, very hard. Used for tool handles.

Origin: NW United States & British Columbia

Pinaceae. Evergreen tree to 60' at a fast rate. Sun & all well-drained soils. Drought
tolerant. Extensively planted for timber and shelter, wind
resistant, can be grown as shelter belt. Flowers May to June, Companion:
Needles contain terpene, released when rain washes over the needles, has a
negative effect on the germination of some plants. Edible Use: Condiment. A vanillin flavoring is obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood. Medicinal Uses: Turpentine from the resin is antiseptic, diuretic. Used internally in the treatment of kidney & bladder complaints. Beneficial to the respiratory system, treats diseases of the mucous membranes, coughs, colds, influenza & TB. Externally, used as a rub and steam bath to treat rheumatic problems. beneficial for skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils, and used in liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths & inhalers. Other Uses:Tan or green dye from the needles. Resin and turpentine from the wood used in ointments and plasters. Turpentine consists of an average of 20% & has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for making varnish. Rosin is the substance left after turpentine is removed. This is used by violinists on their bows & in making sealing wax, varnish etc. Pitch can also be obtained from the resin & is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc. Wood - non durable. Used for rough carpentry
and furniture. **The wood, sawdust and resins from various
species of pine can cause dermatitis in
sensitive people.
Origin: Europe - Austria.

Labiatae. Tender perennial bushy herb, to 3 feet if left unrestrained. Full morning sun, protect from hottest afternoon sun. Best kept in container to move inside in the Fall. Beautiful specimen or conservatory plant. Small, purple to white orchid-like flowers in Summer. Large fragrant leaves.
Uses: Patchouli oil is distilled from the dried leaves. The oil is used in the East to scent linens. Use leaves as a fixative in soap & potpourri. Infuse leaves in distilled water or witch hazel for a light scented body splash.
In China, Japan & Malaysia the herb is used to treat colds, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, halitosis, dry skin and anxiety.
Origin: Native to tropical Asia, mainly Indonesia and the Philippines. Cultivated commercially in India, China Malaysia and South America.

Perennial growing to 3’. It is hardy to zone 3. Needs fertile, humus rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in cool shade or semi-shade. Plants do NOT tolerate heat and drought. Very ornamental plant, Great for Woodland gardens, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade. Beautiful white flowers in Spring. Division in March or October.

Not browsed by deer or rabbits. The young shoots are very attractive to slugs, so give some protection.The flowers are pollinated by Bees. Self-fertile.

Uses: Young shoots - raw or cooked. Excellent vegetable when boiled and used as an asparagus substitute. Root is cooked. The flavor is slightly bitter, counteract this by slicing root crosswise, cooked in water, changed during the cooking process. Steam and sun-dry nine times and the root is delicious. The roots are rich in starch, extracted by beating or grinding the dried root, then used to make bread or can be mixed in other foods such as soups, stews.
A tea made from the roots is laxative. Used in the treatment of indigestion, excess menstruation, lung ailments, general debility etc. It is a folk remedy for hemorrhoids, rheumatism and skin irritations.
A poultice or a decoction of the fresh roots is applied to cuts, bruises, sores etc.

The root has been burned as an incense.

Primulaceae. Hardy Perennial to 18".
Sun to light shade; moisture retentive loam. Very ornamental, grows well in the spring meadow.
Divide in Fall, every other year. Yellow flowers in spring have sweet milky fragrance, like the breath of a cow (cuslippe is the Saxon word for this 'cows lips' thus the origin of the common name)
Companion: Pollinated by Bees Moths & Butterflies.
Harvest All parts in the Spring or Fall & dried for later use.
Uses:Young leaves, raw or cooked in soups etc. greens available even in late winter. Fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute. Flowers - raw, cooked, in jam, as garnish, pretty in salads. Used to make a wine with sedative & nervine properties.Very long history of medicinal use in treating spasms, cramps, paralysis & rheumatic pains. Flowers & the leaves are diuretic & expectorant. The yellow corolla of the flower is antispasmodic & sedative, treats over-activity & sleeplessness, especially in children. Potentially valuable to asthma & other allergic conditions. An oil was produced by crushing flowers, this treats bruising. Plant contains saponins, which have an expectorant effect, & salicylates which are the main ingredient of aspirin & have anodyne & anti-inflammatory effects. **Not for pregnant women, those sensitive to aspirin, or those taking anti-coagulant drugs. The root contains saponins which are strongly expectorant, mildly diuretic, slows clotting of blood, treats chronic coughs. Homeopathic remedy is used to treat kidney complaints.
Origin Europe

Rare perennial to 6". Full sun to partial and well amended soil. Keep moist but well drained. Flowers on short spikes over broad, low clumps. Flowers are a mixture of shades of white, pink, blue, and rose red. Blooms from Spring to Fall. Plant 8"-12" apart. Great plant for the rock garden, border or pond setting.

Uses: Infuse leaf as a gargle for sore throat and mouth sores, anti-biotic wash for wounds. Not suggested for internal use

Origin: Europe

Hardy Perennial groundcover herb often found growing in waste ground, grassland, woodland edges, spring meadow, usually on basic and neutral soils. Thrives in any soil in full sun or in light shade. Self heal is a good plant for growing in the spring meadow. Flowers June to August.

Companions: Pollinated by Bees.

Harvest: Gather whole plant when flowers bloom, dry for later herb use. Leaves and small flowers are edible. For drying, best harvested in mid-summer

Uses: Leaves, raw or cooked, can be used in salads, soups, stews. Make a cold tea or sun tea of the freshly chopped or dried and powdered leaves. Very tasty.

Self heal has a long history of folk use, to treat of wounds, ulcers, sores; internally as a tea in to treat fevers, diarrhea, sore mouth, internal bleeding. It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi, etc. It can be used fresh or dried. Research shows antibiotic and hypotensive action.

An olive-green dye is obtained from the flowers and stems.

Origin: Europe

Hardy evergreen perennial groundcover. Average soil and water needs. Prefers full to part shade. The leaves will wilt in hot weather when grown in full sun. In flower March to May, and the seeds ripen from May to June. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Great for: Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.

Companion: The flowers are pollinated by Bees and flies. Plant is a valuable early nectar source for bees. Not troubled by browsing rabbits or deer.

Harvest: Leaves are harvested in the spring and dried for later use.

Uses: Leaves, raw or cooked, added to salads or used as a potherb. The young leaves make a palatable cooked vegetable. The plant is an ingredient in Vermouth.

Lungwort has a high mucilage content, makes it useful in the treatment of chest conditions, chronic bronchitis. Combines well with other herbs such as coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) in the treatment of chronic coughs including whooping cough and can also be taken to treat asthma.
The leaves and flowering shoots are astringent, diuretic, emollient, mildly expectorant.. They are often used for pulmonary complaints and in treating sore throat. The leaves can also be used externally to stop bleeding.

Tea from the plant & distilled water is used as an eyewash for tired eyes. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant for bronchitis, coughs and diarrhea.

Pycnanthemum flexuosum
Mountain mint

Labiatae. Perennial to 3'. Succeeds in most soils but prefers a rich loamy soil in full sun or partial shade with plenty of moisture in the growing season. Hardy to at least -15 Clusters of white button shaped flowers. Not invasive like other mints- grows more like a bush.
Companions: insects
Harvest: The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and can be used fresh or dried.
Uses: Leaves have strong mint flavor in tea. The leaves and flowering stems are popularly used in the treatment of bowel complaints. The plant is also used internally in the treatment of stomach upsets, fevers colds and sinus headaches. Flowers excellent in dried arrangements.
Origin: N. America