Green investing typically brings to mind backing practices that support sustainable pro-environment practices.
What better investment than the green in your garden? Specifically with herbs! Besides having many benefits for people and animals, herbs can be easily grown in all kinds of spaces, even containers. Furthermore, their fragrance, flavor, and fun can only be considered sustainable, definitely pro-environment, and even joyful. Here are some of the benefits of investing in herbs, along with specific ideas for herbs to focus your investing energy on.
Culinary
We think of herbs as delightful additions to whatever we cook and eat. Fresh or dried herbs bring out tastes from tangy/ spicy to sweet/tart.
A few popular herbs for cooking include:
basil, mints, rosemary, oregano/marjoram, thyme, chives, dill, cilantro, sage, and tarragon. Since cooking with herbs is something most of us are familiar with, adding herbal green to our gardens is a relatively easy investment. Many of these are also easily grown in pots on window sills and balconies, so your investment can be small in space but big in reward.
Herbal medicine
In the past few years, this has enjoyed a resurgence in the United States. Herbs have been used historically all over the world for healing for centuries. Many of the herbs used for cooking are also suitable for medicinal purposes, so in some instances, an investment in plants & space might be minimal. However, the investment in the knowledge of family herbalism to promote the health and well-being of the people you know could be invaluable. Some familiar herbs for healing include sage, echinacea, German chamomile, calendula, yarrow, plantain, rosemary, and thyme.
Cleaning and household products
Tired of investing in products that seem to be almost toxic? We use personal products on our bodies and around our homes containing many commercial ingredients with chemical names we can’t even begin to pronounce. Wouldn’t an herbal infusion work just as well for cleaning counters or rinsing hair?
Most certainly. There’s a good reason commercial companies use herbal fragrances and extracts/oils in their products because they know that many are antibacterial or antiseptic, soothing, or softening. Using typical household items such as baking soda, salt or sugar, vinegar, and a good supply of fresh and/or dried herbs, cleaning, and personal products are easily made for family and home use. Herbs in this category are often found in the culinary and medicinal collections: thyme, lavender, rose, peppermint, lemon balm, and rosemary.
Companions for vegetables
Investing in herbs can also be an investment in your vegetable garden. Many beneficial insects are attracted to the scents and flowers of these herbs, while others drive away pests. A few suggestions include chives or yarrow with roses, basil with tomatoes, dill, and tarragon with just about any vegetable.
If you’re ready to invest some time in increasing your knowledge of growing and using herbs, here are some resources to help you do that.
Books
The Complete Herb Book by Maggie Stuckey,
Your Backyard Herb Garden by Miranda Smith,
Medicinal Herbs A Beginners Guide by Rosemary Gladstar,
Websites
www.herbalremediesadvice.org/
www.thespruce.com
Making a commitment to promote environmentally friendly projects and practices can be more than investing in green businesses. It can begin close to home with a few easy changes or additions to whatever you are already doing, such as growing and using herbs – an excellent green investment.
Erin Harwood & Eloyce O’Connor are co-owners of Garden Delights Herb Farm in Brush Prairie, WA, where they grow a variety of herbs for culinary, medicinal, pet, home, and garden use. They also offer classes.
For more info: www.gardendelightsfarm.com
