Gardening Site

When was the last time you caught a delightful scent as you crossed a herb garden? There are many types of herbs that smell good and stimulate our scent sense. Herbs not only assist in restoring health, or as cooking enhancements, but they are used widely in the art and science of aromatherapy. There are many kinds of herbs, that possess scent properties which are often designed to assist in attracting pollinators to drop by or symbiotic helpers that play a role in the particular herbs’ life cycle.

Lavender is one that will spring to anyone’s mind. This Mediterranean native is lovely to look at, with its small purple flowers. But it is equally delicious to sniff. Excellent for perfumed sachets, it is terrific just sitting around the border of a garden where it can also attract Black Swallowtail butterflies.

Sage has long been planted for its wonderful aroma, which it derives from being a member of the mint family. An annual herb originating from the areas of Asia Minor, it will delight the nose of anyone who rubs the leaves between thumb and forefinger and takes a whiff.

Caraway-Scented Thyme is another great addition to the garden. It makes for a lovely small bush, attracts butterflies and bees, and has a spicy scent that is a favorite of herbalists. Another member of the mint family, it will produce pink blossoms in the early summer.

Yet another member of the mint family is Sweet Majoram, an herb that has been around for centuries. It’s often used in perfumed soaps, but the spicy scent is wonderful just ground up as part of a potpourri bowl. Be sure not to confuse it with its wild cousin Origanum Vulgare, otherwise known as Oregano.

Harvesting and preserving your homegrown aromatic herbs is an easy task, which children especially like doing. So,you might want to enlist your kids’ help in this. If you harvest a large enough supply and preserve them well, you can have an endless supply of natural perfume, even during the winter months.

For basic short term storage, try soaking a bunch of freshly cut stems in a jar of cold water and storing them in the refrigerator. This method keeps for a week. For longer term storage, use preserving oil instead. After washing and drying for an hour or so, drown the herb cuttings in a jar of preserving oil. This method keeps preservation viable for up to 2 or 3 months.

If you want even longer storage terms, freezing is the way to go. After they have been washed and dried, chop them up and drop the pieces into a freezer bag or an ice cube tray. If not exposed to air, they’ll keep for four months or more. Even longer storage methods of up to a year can be achieved by using a common kitchen ingredient – vinegar.

For use in potpourri, they’re best dried. You can hang them up in a cool, shady place. But keep in mind that the oils are what provide the scent. Left exposed to air for long periods, the oil of some will evaporate, taking the scent with it.

That’s exactly what you want in a potpourri jar or sachet bag, but if you want to keep them a little longer you’ll have to use some preservation methods. Airtight bags are an excellent way to keep those oils inside the plant until you want to use the herbs.

Aromatic herbs do not require expensive chemical preservatives in order to retain their smell for an extended period. All they need is some basic preservation methods and they can retain their smell for weeks on end. Thyme, mint, sage, and majoram are just a few of the many kinds of herbs that retain their smell pretty well.

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