Growing Culinary Herbs in South Africa

There is a growing and widespread interest in herbs today as people rediscover the joys of organic gardening and the health benefits of using herbs daily. For most of us our interest in herbs begins with food and the wonderful flavours and fragrances they bring to our dishes, but growing these little miracles of nature will not only spice up your life, but also reward you with their beauty and wonderful healing properties.

In this e-book I hope to inspire you to grow your own culinary herbs, and all the commonly grown herbs are covered in detail, plus a few which are harder to find. You will learn how to cultivate, propagate, harvest and store them with ease, and just in case you need some extra motivation, I have included tasty tips on how each herb is used in kitchens around the world.

Cooking with your own home grown herbs will motivate you to try new and exciting recipes from around the world, and take you on journeys to far-away places you never even dreamed of. You are limited only by your imagination, so don’t be afraid to use your herbs - your family and friends are sure to taste the difference!

The history of herbs is steeped in the mists of time and replete with fascinating myths and legends, so for those of you who love folklore and history, I have included some fascinating facts about your favourite herbs - just to get you truly hooked!

Herbal therapies certainly have a place in the modern home, promoting well-being and a healthy lifestyle, but simply adding fresh or dried herbs to your daily food is the safest and cheapest way to reap the benefits of their healing powers. Using herbs medicinally is another e-book on its own, but some of their health benefits are documented here - just to spark your interest.

The practice of grouping plants together which are known to be beneficial to each other is a very old method of gardening called “companion planting” and a whole other e-book on its own, but I have added a few comments on this subject because some culinary herbs are renowned for preventing certain pests and diseases, and are therefore worth mentioning.

Herbs need not be relegated only to the herb and vegetable garden, as many of them are beautiful enough to fill gaps in the mixed shrub border, and can be especially pretty and beneficial if planted amongst roses and other garden plants. Most herbs will thrive in containers and many will even grow indoors on a sunny windowsill. In this e-book I also cover growing herbs indoors, so there is really no reason not to grow your own herbs at home.

I’m sure that “Growing Culinary Herbs in South Africa” will inspire you to start your own herb garden, not only for their flavours but also for their incredible health benefits.

I hope you enjoy reading my e-book as much as I enjoyed writing it.