Roses for Beauty, Flavor, and Fragrance

Wonderful article!

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Beth Schreibman Gehring

From as early as I can remember, I have been completely smitten by the beauty and versatility of roses. As I have mentioned before, my father was a passionate gardener who loved heirloom roses. Being a trained biologist, he knew the value of gardening organically, and he promoted the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi in the late 70s to strengthen the roots of his garden plants. Instead of using fungicides and pesticides, he planted fragrant herbs among the roses, knowing that many common rose pests would be deterred by the essential oils that they released. He would always tell me, “Remember Beth Ann, feed the roots first and forget about the flowers, because if you feed the roots, the flowers will always be healthy and beautiful.” This is a piece of advice I have followed to this day with real success.

Like many artists for centuries before…

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Herb of the Month: Chives – Tiny Herb with Impact

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Maryann Readal

Chives, Allium schoenprasum, is a flowering herb in the Amaryllidaceae family. It is in the same family as leeks, onions, garlic, Chinese chives, and shallots. Its hollow, grass-like stalks and star-shaped purple flowers are edible.The bulbs are small, unlike other members of this family, and are typically not eaten. It is an easy-to-grow perennial herb that likes sun or part sun and well-draining soil. In warmer climates chives bloom in the spring, and in cooler areas the early summer. Plants die back in cooler regions but will return from the tiny bulbs in the spring. It is the only Allium that is native to North America, Europe, and Asia. It is interesting to note that the term “chives” is most often used in the plural form. Perhaps that is because you cannot eat just one of them.

Due to the sulfur compounds in chives, they have…

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