God's beauty: Herbs in the garden


Herbs

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.  (Genesis 1:29)

Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow in the garden and perfect for children to learn about the love of gardening and food.  Herbs are also wonderful for the senses - touch, smell, seeing and tasting. This is my herb garden and we all get great pleasure from it (even the Charlie cat loves to smell the herbs as she walks past)

Herb gardens would have been found in most homes of the past (including in biblical times) as they didn't have a herb section in their local supermarket!! Herbs are great in cooking, for medicinal purposes, keeping pests from the garden or for simply just enjoying, they are a wonderful addition to any garden. Even if you have little space, herbs don't mind being grown in pots on the porch or even inside in a sunny spot.

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. (Genesis 9:3)

Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8)

Bitter herbs are a collective term used for lettuce, horehound, tansy, horseradish, endive and coriander seeds. Bitter herbs were mostly used for food. In fact, the people of Israel were commanded to have bitter herbs with their Passover lamb.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. (Matthew 23:23)

Have you every wondered what makes a herb different to a spice (I have): Herbs are the green, leafy parts of plants. They are most efficacious and flavorsome when used fresh, and they are mostly grown in temperate to hot regions. Spices are derived from any part of a plant that is not a leaf: for example, cloves are flower buds, cinnamon is bark, ginger is a root, peppercorns are berries, nigella is seed, cumin is a fruit, saffron is stigmas, cardamom is pods and seeds, and asafetida is a gum. Spices are usually used in small amounts, are best used dry (the drying process often enhances the flavor), and most grow in subtropical or tropical climates. One single plant can be both an herb and a spice. Aromatic seeds like dill are a spice, while dill leaves are an herb. However, coriander and hamburg parsley roots, garlic and fennel bulbs are all regarded as herbs rather than spices. (source)


Sage - perfect with a lamb roast


We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;  but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:5-6)
Egyptian mint - wonderful with yoghurt 
Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. (Song of Solomon 4:14)

Comments

  1. I so love your kitchen garden with its herbs, I wonder how it smells after a rainy day !
    Blessings to you
    Dany

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    1. The basil has a lovely smell when it rains!! Have a wonderful week.

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  2. Your herb garden is beautiful! I am really looking forward to our herb garden and praying the Lord blesses our labours with a bountiful harvest of herbs and other foods! I LOVE using herbs and spices in my cooking, I use them liberally!

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    1. The herbs have been so handy - some we will loose in winter which I will just replant in spring. We use lots of herbs, but some I great just for fun and enjoy in them in the garden !! I am also a big user of herbs and spices in my cooking - it adds so much flavour to things.

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  3. Your blog is beautiful. I also just planted some herbs, can't wait until they fill in a bit!

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    1. Thankyou :) - I love herbs but many of mine die back in winter but that just means I get to plant them all over agin in Spring!! Enjoy your herbs :)

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  4. This has so many pretty pics and great information! I really did not have much knowledge about herbs or differentiating herbs and spices. This was very enlightening! Happy to be your neighbor at the Linkup at Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth.

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    1. I didn't realise all the differences between the herbs and spices and that some plants can contain both the herbs and the spice. Its nice to learn something every day!!!

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