When you think of herbs, you usually picture holiday dressing
seasoned with sage or spaghetti sauce spiced with basil and
oregano.
But herbs can be useful beyond the kitchen.

"Most people have heard of chives, basil and thyme, but
there are thousands of herbs out there," said Eloise
Connolly.

Connolly experimented with herbs in her home garden and
learned
through training as a University of Georgia Master Gardener. The
Master Gardener program is an extensive training offered through
the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental
Sciences.

Imagine the Possibilities

To make herbs work for you, Connolly says, open up your
mind.

"We all know chives are great on baked potatoes, but did
you know they can totally transform the taste of
hashbrowns?"
Connolly told a "Lunch and Learn" audience at the
Georgia
Experiment Station Research and Education Garden in Griffin,
Ga.

Herbs can provide essential vitamins, too. Parsley is
stereotyped
as a dish-decorating herb, but it’s also a source of Vitamin
C.

"A quarter-cup of parsley in your daily diet provides
the recommended amount of Vitamin C," Connolly said.
"The
Italians have used it for years as the first ingredient in their
recipes."

Tansy, a lesser-known herb, was often used in puddings and
cakes in the late 1600s. Today, "I dry it and hang it in
my closets to keep the bugs away," she said. "It’s also
wonderful for dried flower arrangements, as the yellow flowers
stay yellow."

Homemade Teas

Connolly makes herb teas, too. Lemon balm and lemon mint are
among her favorites.

"I once made Celestial Seasonings’ Red Zinger tea using
ingredients from my herb garden," she said. "Next, I
plan to make lavender cookies and herbal tea from my private
recipe
… for my gardening friends."

Connolly has another use for lemon balm. "I cut huge
bouquets
of it, and the smell permeates my whole house," she said.
"It’s great for marinating fish, too."

For a new twist, try planting a thyme lawn.

"I first saw one at the Herb Store in Fall City, Wa.,
and I just fell in love with it," Connolly said. "I
came home and planted one in my home garden. Thyme makes the best
ground cover and the most beautiful lawn you’ll ever
see."

Connolly has also planted a mint lawn. "I just let the
mint take over an area and I mow it back now and then," she
said. "When I’m finished mowing, I sit back and enjoy the
wonderful smell."

Drought Resistant

And if you’re tired of the drought killing all your landscape
plants, try planting some rosemary.

"It’s one of the few plants that can survive Georgia’s
drought," Connolly said. "It likes dry soil and
produces
thick, blue flowers that the bees just love."

Herbs don’t have to be planted in rich soils, either. They
grow well in poor soils. And if you don’t have a large garden
area, you can still grow herbs. They’re perfect container
plants.

As with all plants, gardening with herbs involves trial and
error.

"Herbs, like other plants, have a life span all their
own," Connolly said. "And sometimes they die and have
to be replaced. And it’s not your fault when they die."

Use caution, though, when experimenting with herbs.

"Some herbs are dangerous and can be toxic if
eaten,"
Connolly said. "Don’t just go by appearance. A friend once
gave me a plant she thought was Queen Anne’s Lace. It took me
two months to identify it, but I discovered it was hemlock."