Easy Herbs for Simple Uses in North Carolina

I've always had a kitchen garden, but when I moved into this house, I think I got myself a cafeteria garden. The astounding number of perennial herbs that like North Carolina sunshine and soil can brighten any weekend gardener's life. I came into a house just rambling over with rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, and mint. I was soon to discover that chives even grows wild in the lawns in North Carolina.

You'd think I'd be satisfied, but this only wetted my appetite for more: More knowledge, more herbs, more uses for herbs.

When I realized how low maintenance herbs were, I decided to plant tarragon, lemon balm, bee balm, roses, and more sage. I have a variety called pineapple sage, a tender perennial that dies back in the winter.

Herb Teas

Having your own outdoor tea garden is really wonderful. Making fresh herbal teas (not from dried herbs) will also preserve the essential oils that give herbs their medicinal qualities. Lemon balm when steeped in water makes a tea that's said to soothe the nervous system. Rosemary has long been used to improve memory and relieve stress. Bee balm flowers are not only pretty but were used by Native Americans for digestive and bronchial problems.

Some herbs need to be dried before they make a good tea - like rose hips. They have to be allowed to ripen on the bush until red and then picked and dried. However, once dried you can enjoy them all winter long in a rose hip tea just shock full of vitamin C!

Cooking With Herbs