- includes basil cultivation and growing tipsl

by Monica Resinger

Name/Botanical Name: Basil, Ocimum Basilicum

Description: A highly flavored tender annual herb that is used in many dishes. Sweet basil can reach 2-3 feet tall. It attracts butterflies and beneficial insects to the garden.

The geranium is not only a beautiful garden plant, but is also useful for its healing properties. Native to South Africa, the plant produces essential oils in small glands around the foliage and flowers. Geranium oil can be harvested when the plant starts flowering and can be taken 2 or 3 times a year.

The oil of the Geranium makes a good astringent and can be diluted with water and used topically to help clean the face or in a bath . It also has great antiseptic properties and is said to help restore the balance to dry or oily skin and hair. You can also make a tea with the leaves and flowers or an oil infusion. The geranium is considered to be safe for most people (those with an autoimmune disease and those who are pregnant should avoid it) and can be used as an herb in cooking as well.

In addition to its astringent qualities, the geranium also has soothing qualities and is helpful in relieving symptoms of anxiety as well as PMS and menopausal symptoms. The geranium is reputed to help heal bruises, cuts and scrapes, eczema, hemorrhoids, nail fungus and sunburns as well as help with insomnia and varicose veins. It is also said to be a great natural insect repellent and is well known in the ancient world as a tick repellent for dogs and humans alike!

How to Make Geranium Tea:

You can make a tea from dried or fresh geranium leaves. For dried leaves, use 2 teaspoons, for fresh use /14 cup. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the leaves and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain the leaves out and drink.

How to Make A Geranium Compress:

Pour boiling water over the dried geranium herbs. Cover tightly and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain out the herb so that you are left with the infused water. Soak a cotton cloth in the infusion and squeeze it out so it is only damp. Apply the compress.

How to Make a Geranium Oil Infusion:

Fill a jar with the dried herbs almost to the top. Pour in extra virgin olive oil – make sure the oil covers the herbs and goes 1” above the volume of the botanicals. Put in the sun for two weeks shaking it daily. Strain out the flowers. You can store this infusion in the fridge for up to three months.

Growing Geraniums Indoors

You already know that geraniums thrive outdoors, in summer flower beds or containers, but did you know that geraniums can be grown successfully indoors all year round?

You can over-winter geraniums that you have in your garden by bringing them indoors. There are two common ways to do this: you can take top-growth cuttings about four to five inches long and root them in a suitable cutting medium, then transplant the rooted geranium cuttings to grow in pots in a sunny windowsill. Or you can dig up the whole geranium from your garden, cut the growth back to six inches, and let it grow back naturally in a suitably sized pot.

Geraniums prefer to dry out somewhat between watering and will benefit from bi-weekly fertilizing, either soluble fertilizer added to the water, or slow-release fertilizer added to the pot soil.

by Jackie Carroll

Dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow and would make a great first herb for someone who has never grown herbs before. You’ll find lots of uses for both the fronds and the seeds in the kitchen. A sprig of dill will perk up almost any soup, salad, or main dish. You can buy transplants at your local garden center, but there is no need because dill is easy to grow from seeds. You won’t even have to start them indoors - just plant your dill seeds right in the garden where you want them to grow.

When to Plant

Dill likes to be planted in cool weather. In warm winter areas that don’t experience a hard frost, you can plant dill in fall or winter. In cooler areas, plant dill a week or two before your last hard frost. After the first sowing, plant again every 10 days or so for a continuous crop.

When growing in containers, use a deep container to accommodate the long roots, and remember that you will eventually have a plant that is three feet tall. Plants grown in containers may require staking.

Cultivation of Dill

Here are a few suggestions to start you on your way to a healthy crop of dill:
Dill, like most herbs, loves to bask in the sun, but will tolerate afternoon shade.

Dill grows up to 3 feet tall, so plant it in the back of your flower, vegetable or herb garden.

Sow seeds close together. This will allow the plants, which blow over easily to support each other.

Cover the seeds lightly, and allow a week or two for them to germinate.

For a continuous crop, sow repeatedly from mid spring to early summer.

Don’t plant near caraway, fennel or angelica.

Caterpillars are fond of dill, and can be handpicked if they become a nuisance.

Harvesting and Preserving Dill

The best way to use dill is fresh from the garden, so during the growing season, cut your dill to use fresh as you need it. If not kept cut, your dill will go to seed, so cut often until you are ready to switch to seed production.

If you find that you have cut more than you can use, dry the excess in the microwave. Spread the dill in a single layer on a paper towel and microwave on high until dry. The result is beautiful and tasty - much better than dried dill you buy in the grocery store. After microwaving, remove and discard the hard stems, crumble the leaves, and store in an airtight container protected from light.

Once seedheads begin to form, it’s time to stop cutting dill for fresh use. Allow the seedheads to develop and dry completely, then cut them. You’ll be able to remove the seeds easily with your fingers.

Medicinal Uses:

To brew a stomach-soothing tea, use two teaspoons of mashed seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Drink up to three cups a day. In a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. To treat colic or gas in children under two, give small amounts of a weak tea. Many herbalists recommend combining dill and fennel to ease colic in infants.

Culinary Uses

The taste of dill leaves resembles that of caraway, while the seeds are pungent and aromatic. Freshly cut, chopped leaves enhance the flavor of dips, herb butter, soups, salads, fish dishes, and salads. The seeds are used in pickling and can also improve the taste of roasts, stews and vegetables. Try grinding the seeds to use as a salt substitute. Both the flowering heads and seeds are used in flavored vinegars and oils.

About the Author:
Jackie Carroll is the editor of GardenGuides.com, a leading internet destination for gardening information and ideas.