What are the benefits of Yarrow?

Yarrow is said to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been used for thousands of years across many cultures for relief from digestive upset, to reduce fevers, slow down bleeding, and treat rashes and sunburns. It's a great treatment for minor cuts, scrapes and burns, without the "burn" of many over-the-counter products.

As far as vitamins and minerals go, yarrow is a powerhouse! Rich in Vitamins A & C, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorous, and Niacin, adding it to your tea blends can be a delicious way to round out your vitamin and mineral profiles.

How do I grow and care for Yarrow?

In Zone 7A where I am, I start my yarrow (and almost all herb) seeds indoors under grow lights in early March. As the seeds grow, you should separate them into individual pots so they can grow a little bit bigger before planting outside, after the danger of your last frost. Here in 7A that's somewhere after mid-April these days. Outside, I plant them in the back row of my herb garden because they are so tall, and I plant one seedling per square foot to give them room to fill out. Before planting out any seeds that you have grown indoors, you MUST first "harden them off." This means you need to gradually get them used to the bright light of the sun, the wind, rain, and cloudy conditions that just don't exist indoors. I do this by setting them outside on Day 1 for 1 hour, the next day 3, the following day 5-7, the next day all day, and then one night overnight before permanently planting out. Alternatively, you can choose a stretch of cloudy days and just leave them outside for 3-5 before planting, bringing them in at night. Once you start this process though, don't put them back under the grow lights when you bring them back inside. A table somewhat near a sunny window is just fine. They need a break from the sun! Yarrow is a perennial here, so it will come back year after year! I also mix some into my veggie garden to bring in the bees.

Yarrow likes just about any soil you can give it, with the exception of super soggy soil. They don't need a ton of fertilizer and once they are well established, they can be watered pretty infrequently. I always water my plants in regularly for the first couple weeks, and then make sure they get a good watering every couple of days. Often the rain will take care of this, but if it's been 3-5 days without rain, I'll get out there with the hose. What they do love is the sun though - make sure to choose a bright location that gets "full sun" which means 6-8 hours a day of direct sunlight.

How do I harvest, prepare and consume Yarrow?

Yarrow in my zone will bloom from mid summer to early fall, but often will die back a bit after the first bloom. This is a great time for a first harvest! Cut back the dead flower heads and bring them inside to dry. You can hang them, use a dehydrator, or just lay them out on a paper towel and forget about them for a while. Cutting the blooms back will allow for a second bloom in late summer/early fall.

The dried flowers can be used in tea blends: add a tablespoon of dried flowers per cup into a french press or cast iron tea kettle. Add boiling water and steep for 15-30 minutes. You can add other herbs in as well of course, and flavor with lemon and a little local honey. You can also do a cold infusion: same process, but with cold water, and infuse for at least 30 minutes for a refreshing hot day beverage.

You can also use the cold infusion to make what's called a poultice: add the flowers and any dried stems, leaves, and plant material you have. Grind them up first for maximum potency. Once it's ready, dip a washcloth in, and apply it to your skin to soothe sunburns, rashes, or minor cuts and scrapes.

And finally you can make infused oils or tinctures for a more potent way to ingest/apply yarrow's benefits. Infuse the dried plant material in either alcohol (minimum 80 proof; clear vodka works perfectly) or a skin-safe carrier oil like jojoba. Use ae glass mason jar that you have cleaned and sterilized first. No one wants a moldy tincture! Tinctures and infusions take typically 4-6 weeks to extract all the beneficial compounds, so be prepared to wait a bit. Store your tincture/oil infusion in a dark place, and turn/shake daily. Once they are ready, strain out the plant materials (compost them!) and store in a dark colored glass bottle. You can use the oil topically for skin soothing, or take a few drops of the tincture for the benefits without the "fuss" of making tea.

What is Holy Basil?

Holy Basil is an ancient medicinal herb that has been used for centuries across cultures for its medicinal and culinary properties. It belongs to the Lamiaceae mint family of herbs, sporting square stems, opposite-facing leaves, and high concentrations of aromatic oils. Other herbs in this family include mint (obviously lol), sage, basil, lavender and thyme. Unlike traditional basil, holy basil offers a spicier, more clove-forward flavor, making it an excellent addition to curries and spice blends for many Asian dishes. In the garden, its leaves look like traditional basil but with a bit more of a purple tint toward the stems, and it grows tall, beautiful purple flower stems. It attracts pollinators, repels pests, and is excellent in both the herb and veggie gardens. It will take up about a square foot in the garden, and grow a foot tall, maybe a little taller with the flower spikes.

What are the benefits of Holy Basil?

Holy Basil is famous for its "adaptogenic" properties: this means it can ease stress and tension, providing a grounding, calming effect. It is a potent antioxidant, with compounds including eugenol, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid that can fight inflammation and provide immune support.

As far as vitamins and minerals go, holy basil is absolutely chock full of Vitamins A, K, & C, Potassium, Zinc, Calcium, and Iron. Adding it to your tea blends can be a delicious way to round out your vitamin and mineral profiles, and provide a soothing, relaxing effect day or night. It may even help to keep blood sugar balanced and lower cholesterol! Like yarrow, it can be used topically to prevent infections from cuts and scrapes. Some research is also being done currently on its cognitive benefits and potential to aid in the management of early stages of some cognitive diseases like Alzheimer's. Pretty cool!

How do I grow and care for Holy Basil?

Just like yarrow, I start my holy basil inside and transplant out into my herb garden after the last frost. Because they are a more stout plant, I often keep them in the front row of my herb garden, on the edges of my flower beds, and underneath my tomatoes in the veggie garden. 1 plant per square foot for these babies, too!  Otherwise, follow the exact same planting and harderning off guidelines for yarrow.

Holy basil, like most herbs, prefers drier, looser soil and full sun. They don't need a ton of fertilizer and once they are well established, they can be watered pretty infrequently. 

How do I harvest, prepare and consume Holy Basil?

Holy basil in my zone will grow and bloom from late spring right up until the last frost. Like all basils and herbs, the best way to harvest them is early and often. I typically wait until they are at least 6" high, and then I begin pruning/harvesting. Cut or pinch leaves off above a growing node: for the first cut, I cut about halfway down the plant, right above a new set of leaves. This encourages those new leaves to become two stems intead of one, and the plant will get bushier, producing more leaves! You can immediatley use the fresh leaves in cooking, especially in curries and spicy Asian dishes. Or you can begin drying them out to use in teas, infusions, and poultices, just like yarrow (same processes!). 

Herbs will "go to flower" as they approach end-season maturity. I always let some of my herbs flower because it brings in pollinators, and the dried flowers are amazing to add to your preparations. But often once this happens, the leaves will get more bitter-tasting. So just keep that in mind - you may want to keep pruning most of your herbs to prevent the flowering, while letting a few go to flower so you have a nice balance.

Basil of all types in zone 7A is prone to powdery and/or downy mildew. I have found that a few things really help: firstly, start with a seed that has been cultivated to be resistant to your local diseases. For my regular culinary basil, I purchased a strain from Rutgers University in NJ called "Devotion Basil." It did so well, and made it until October w/ no downy mildew! After having lost several crops of basil by July in previous years (thanks, SEPA humidity!), I was so happy. From there, I started harvesting seeds from these plants. That's another benefit of letting at least one plant per year go to flower: the flower heads will grow seeds! Save them, and plant these next year. By doing this, you start to create "hyper local" seeds that are attuned to not just your wide growing zone, but your own particular yard! Not only will you become self-sustainable, but every single year, your crop will be healthier, more pest and disease resistant, but also more potent and flavorful!