Creative Ways To Use The Herbs From Your Garden

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What do you do with the herbs from your garden?

Chances are, you probably use them within your cooking. Many of us use herbs when preparing our dinner dishes, as basil, mint, and chives (to name but a few) are a great way to add a little extra flavor. However, there is always more you can do with your herbs, and we will talk about them in brief below, with some extra links that will go into a little more detail.

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#1: Use herbs in your desserts

Your herbs can make an excellent garnish or ingredient for your main dinner dishes, but they can be used in your desserts too. The floral taste of lavender sits well within a lemon cake, for example, and the minty taste of Thyme pairs well with a variety of fruits when you're making tarts and mousses. 

To tempt your taste buds, check out this article on using herbs in your desserts. It covers the examples we have just given and a range of other mouth-watering ideas too. Be sure to add your favorite topping when making you cakes to make them especially scrummy, whether you use herbs such as basil for a minty cream finish or a traditional spice such as vanilla. There is a wonderful recipe available here if you opt for the latter. 

#2: Use herbs for your beauty needs

The natural world has long been used as a source for beauty products. The flowers and herbs from your very own garden could be used for hair growth, soaps, skincare products, and perfumes, as just a few examples.  Rosemary, for example, can be used in your hair care products, as it contains qualities that can strengthen your beautiful locks. Marjoram can be used within your DIY perfume recipes thanks to its sweet and light aroma. And herbs such as chamomile and sage are perfect for your herbal hair rinses or as ingredients in your herbal shampoo bars. 

To get you started with your own DIY recipes, here are some ideas for your skincare. However, there are loads of other ideas online so commit to a Google search and then save money (and the environment) by creating your own organic products. 

#3: Use herbs for household cleaning

Many herbs have antibacterial properties and can be used within your homemade cleaning products. Not only will you have a cleaner and sweeter smelling home as a result of the creations you have made yourself, but you will be protecting the environment too, as you won't have to use anything overloaded with harsh chemical compounds when cleaning. 

Lavender, oregano, and sage are just three of the herbs that could be used for your cleaning products, so use them as your base ingredients, and follow the tips in this article on green cleaning to make your own herbal concoctions. For a safer home and a natural smelling environment, you can't fault the recipes within the article. 

These are just a few ideas, but there are plenty more uses for the herbs you have growing in your garden. You could create your own potpourri, for example, or look online to see how they could be used for your medical needs. So, commit to research, as while your herbs will always add flavor to your dinner dishes, they can also add flavor to other aspects of your life too!