The herbs in your herb garden can be classified as annuals, perennials or biennials. They can be utilized for a variety of different purposes other than cooking. It is important to understand about the different types of herbs and the uses for each one so that you will be able take advantage of their healing properties when and if needed.

Herbs have been utilized since the beginning of time for medicines and also to enhance the flavour of foods.

Herb Choices

One of the most commonly used and one of the oldest used garden herbs is celery, This is an aromatic biennial that is endowed with bulbous fleshy roots and solidly grooved stems. Everything from the whole plant is used when it is grown, unlike some other herbs which only certain parts can be used, and it is mainly utilized for therapeutic medicinal use, such as external use to combat fungal infections to combat tumours.

With regards to its internal use, celery has many advantages also, it can be used for treatment of such problems as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, gout, asthma, bronchitis, and inflamed urinary tracts.

Basil is another commonly used herb, these garden herbs usually have bright green foliage and emit a spicy and clove-like smell. There are basically two common varieties, sweet basil and bush basil, sweet basil has a stronger aroma and bush basil is more potent and also tends to be smaller in size. The foliage of the basil plants are usually dried and then used for a variety of medical, culinary and cosmetic purposes. A great majority of people are only aware of basil being used for cooking, but it is actually much more commonly employed in medicine.

This is due to the fact that it offers restorative, warming and sedative qualities, which will help to lower fevers, relax any spasms and generally improve the digestion. It has been used for treating the heart, the bladder, the lungs and other human organs, and it is has been used to treat such ailments as nausea, abdominal cramps, migraines, insomnia, anxiety and exhaustion.

Another one of the most popular herbs is called Aloe Vera. A lot of people have heard of Aloe Vera before as it is used in creams and lotions, but not many have been aware that it is actually a herb. The plant, Aloe Vera is a clump forming perennial from which the slimy substance from inside the leaf is utilized, and often the juice is extracted from the pulpy inside and a yellow bitter tasting laxative principle is extracted.

There are so many other herbs to select from as well, each of will offer it's own features, qualities and used for both medicinal and culinary purposes.