Lately my children and I have been busy in our garden tilling, digging, adding compost and planting. We are ready for the growing season and are eagerly waiting for the plants to be ready for harvest.
Following is my top 5 list of aromatic herbs to grow in your garden and their Essential oil equivalent to use in Aromatherapy that will nourish and promote wellness in your family.
Basil- Ocimum basilicum
How to grow:
- a tender annual herb that is easy to grow, simply needing a sunny spot with compost rich well draining soil. Try growing basil in a planter in a sunny spot close to your kitchen for use while cooking. There are many varieties of basil, “Sweet Basil” being the most popular with large green “sweet” leaves. “Dark opal” is very pretty to grow with purple leaves and it has a spicy flavor that is nice in Thai food.
How to harvest:
- pinch off small to medium sized leaves at the stem. Make sure to pinch off any flowers to encourage the basil plant to keep growing leaves.
How to use:
The fresh herb:
- add fresh basil leaves to a garden salad or salad dressing. Add basil to any tomato-based dish. Add fresh basil at the end of cooking to maintain the fresh taste in the dish.
The essential oil:
- Basil has a fresh and slightly spicy smell. Some physical benefits include headache relief, help with coughs and asthma, and soothing muscle pain. Emotionally basil is helpful with calming the nervous system, easing anxiety and encouraging concentration.
Safety Precaution: Basil essential oil is to be avoided in pregnancy and with estrogen dependant cancer. It can be a possible skin irritant. For use with adults (not children).
Diffuse Basil essential oil in a candle lit diffuser along with some cinnamon and lemon for an uplifting, concentration enhancing scent.
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Dill- Anethum graveolens
How to grow:
- an easy to grow annual herb that often self sows. Produces fern like foliage then large bright yellow umbel flower heads. It is best to plant into the garden in full sun (can tolerate some shade) from seed. Water well then watch this herb grow as it grows very quick!
How to use:
The fresh herb:
- use the fern like leaves in EVERYTHING! I love dill and use it in most dishes I make. The fresh herb is terrific in potato salad, salad dressings, with green beans and with lentils. The flower heads are best known for their use in making dill pickles. The seeds can also be saved for planting next season.
The essential oil:
- Dill is a wonderful essential oil to use on children. It is soothing to the stomach and provides colic relief for infants. Dill settles the nervous system so that any fears and anxieties can be calmed. Dill is respected as a symbol of vitality.
Evoke Aromatherapy uses dill essential oil in a product for children that helps with digestive upset, colic and nervousness that upsets the stomach.
Stomach Support is an all-natural way to calm your child and ease a sore stomach.
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Safety Precaution: Dill is generally non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Lemon Balm- Melissa officinalis
How to grow:
- if you have one plant of Melisa growing in your garden you will have many, as this herb is very prolific! Mine has sprung up everywhere and I credit the birds for spreading this plant throughout my yard and garden.
How to use:
The fresh herb:
- Melissa is a real gift to the gardener because of its willingness to grow anywhere. This means you will always have plenty of leaves to harvest for use in tea, infused water and fruit salads.
As an Essential oil:
- Melissa oil is representative of the heart chakra bringing peace, unconditional love, and acceptance. Melissa is calming to both the digestive system and cardiovascular system by its ability to regulate and relieve over stimulation in these areas. Studies have shown that Melissa oil provides antiviral actions against Herpes simplex and Herpes zoster.
Safety Precautions: Not to be used on children under 10 years old. Melissa oil is non-toxic, but can be a skin sensitizer and skin irritant. Melissa oil is an expensive oil which makes it susceptible to being adulterated, so care needs to be taken where you purchase this essential oil.
Meditative Trance is a heart centering Room Mist created with Melissa essential oil that is useful for meditation, yoga and to bring peace, calm and love into any atmosphere.
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Peppermint- Mentha x piperita (Mentha spp.)
How to grow:
- peppermint is a vigorous hardy perennial that happily spreads through the garden by its roots. It is best grown in an area that is contained otherwise this herb will take over your garden. Very easy to grow, simply plant a small cutting of mint in the ground, water, then you will have lots of mint! I like mint because it tolerates drought but if you want a lush mint plant watering will ensure a harvest of lots of green leaves.
How to use:
The fresh herb:
- Pick the leaves or harvest a stem a few inches from the ground. Use the leaves to make tea, aromatic water, as a unique flavoring to fruit salad and tabouli.
As an essential oil:
- I love the crisp mint smell of Peppermint essential oil. It is an essential oil I use often especially when I get a headache. Peppermint is well known for its pain relieving properties for muscle aches and digestive upset. Peppermint helps bring clear focus to the mind and a cooling sensation to the body thus lending itself well to clearing out stagnation in the body and bringing about a strengthened immune.
- Evoke’s Tranquil Temple helps relieve neck and shoulder pain that can bring on tension headaches SHOP http://evokearomatherapy.com/product/tranquil-temple/
Safety Precautions: Always dilute before applying to the skin. Do not use on children. Can be skin sensitizing.
Thyme- Thymus vulgaris 
How to Grow:
- Thyme is best grown from a small plant in full sun, in sandy well-drained soil. Once Thyme is growing it is an easy to grow perennial that needs frequent light watering. After the plant flowers cut off the flower tops to encourage continued plant growth. English Thyme is the most common Thyme grown. I also love to grow Lemon Thyme (Thymus citrodorus) for its refreshing citrus scent and flavor.
How to Use:
The fresh herb:
- pick a stem of thyme to use in everything from pasta and pizza sauce, to baked breads, herbed butters, soups and lentils. I love the versatility of Thyme and use this herb in most everything I make. Lemon Thyme is my all “Thyme” favorite! I use this in making lemon cake, tea, aromatic water and soup.
As an essential oil:
- Thyme essential oil is excellent as a disinfectant and to boost the immune system. Add thyme essential oil to a vaporizer to clear the air of germs. Thyme blends well with citrus smells to make an uplifting essential oil blend.
Thyme essential oil is in Evoke Aromatherapy’s Nail Support Oil Blend. This oil blend is formulated to stop athletes’ foot and clear up nail fungus.
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Safety Precautions: Non-toxic , non-irritating. A possible skin sensitizer. Use only the variety Thyme linalool with children 2 years and older.
I hope this guide helps you choose plants for your herb garden and essential oils for your home so that you and your family can enjoy the wellness benefits of these wonderful plants!
Have fun planting your aromatic garden!
Now I would LOVE to hear from you! Please comment below on what your favorite aromatic herbs are to grow? What are your favorite essential oils?
NOTE: Always dilute essential oils before using on the skin. Do not use essential oils internally. Use extra care when choosing essential oils for children. Not all essential oils are considered safe for children.
Information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Consult a medical practitioner with health problems.
Be sure to properly identify plants before using.
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