Herb Gardening

I have been wanting to plant and grow more herbs. I have already grown basil... I use it as a companion to my tomatoes. Basil - Probably the most widely used companion for tomatoes as basil attracts bees to aid in pollination, as well as repels whitefly, aphids and spider mites. Basil sprays (organic) are also thought to destroy these same pests, while some gardeners also believe that tomatoes grown near basil will also produce tomatoes with a basil tinged flavor. Though I have never noticed this. And of course, using basil as a companion also provides plenty of this lovely herb for the kitchen.

Garlic chives - On an interesting note, garlic chives were a popular Chinese herb used medicinally to reduce fatigue and have been used as an antidote for ingested poisons! The leaves and roots are suppose to help bug bites as well, though I have not tried this. Garlic chives are a fascinating, useful and ornamental herb to grow in your garden!

Parsley - Parsley has many health benefits and has been used as a cure for many ailments. It contains more vitamin C than any other standard culinary vegetable, approximately three times as much as oranges and about the same as blackcurrants. The iron content is exceptional (twice as much as spinach) and the plant is a good source of manganese, calcium and potassium. It also contains flavonoids that act as antioxidants.

Parsley is also rich in vitamin A, well-known for its effects on vision, plus can mitigate risks of atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Raw parsley cleanses the blood, dissolves sticky deposits in veins, maintains elasticity of blood vessels, facilitates removal of moderately sized kidney and gallstones, treats deafness and ear infections, and benefits the sexual system. Chewing parsley prevents bad breath!

Parsley is also good as a topical remedy for bruises. Next time you have a bruise, crush up some parsley leaves and apply straight to the affected area.

Parsley is one of the most important herbs for providing vitamins to the body. It's like an immune-enhancing multi-vitamin and mineral complex in green plant form. It grows in most climates and is readily available throughout the year.

I also grow french marigolds. Neither nematodes, nor whiteflies like marigolds, which makes them a wonderful companion for tomatoes, as well as other plants.