What herbs do you grow in your garden and use for soap etc.?

I have a black thumb and no time to tend to any type of garden so I have to order mine from Terra Herbs. :blush

Sara

I've had a small herb garden for a few years. Getting smaller and smaller.. with less plants as hubby takes in more and more when he mows.
I have Spearmint, Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Bee Balm, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil and a few odd and ends flower herbs.
I'd love to have more.. but I swear.. I haven't a clue where to put them.
I use my own Spearmint leaves in my Garden Mint Soap, Rosemary in my Frankinscense.
Most of the time.. when it comes to using teas, I use the tea bags and empty the contents. Such as Chamomile, Peppermint, and White Tea. To easy to use and I get at a salvage discount grocery.. so they are almost not worth mentioning the price.
If anyone needs anything odd and unusual.. that usually grows wild.. let me know. We live near a creek and it is fairly wooded. My friend, who does tintures, usually comes and gathers to her hearts content. (ferns, bark, plant parts)

I am trying to grow a rosemary hedge down the chain link fence, so I have tons of rosemary which my customers cut all the time. I get pots of herbs and then plant them in pots the MHMR folks at my sisters work paint and fire in the kiln, and use the herbs until the plants with their pots are sold...but mostly I just use Terraherbs.com her powdered herbs are drier than I can do myself. Vicki

That is what I am thinking as most herbs are seasonal.

We have a large herb garden but have yet to use any of it for more than cooking. One dd wants to make teas. I would like to learn to use them for soap and whatever else. Just haven't had the time to focus on it.

I used to have a hug herb garden, made all kinds of things with my herbs. But where I am now, and places to plant are too shady. Most of the herbs I like to grow need more sun. I am going to try again this spring. Maybe cut down a few tree that are un-necessary. I have used herbs in my soap, but since I just started making soap again (and didn't know a whole lot before) I have found that the soaps I make with herbs seem to break apart when used. I am either 1. putting too much herbs in the soap, 2. pouring in individual molds and pouring too thin (ie. not enough soap in the mold) 3. not letting them cure enough.

but I'm gonna keep trying. We made a soap with orange peel in it, and my daughter really liked it even though it broke in half, she said it was a great mild abrasive soap for exfoilating.

Sheryl :goat

I grind everything in my coffee grinder so it is very fine and haven't had a problem with soap falling apart.

well, some of the herbs I used did need to be ground down some more, but the orange peal was pretty ground up and it broke in half when we went to use it, but I really do think I poured it in the mold a little thin. Won't know for sure until I try it again and pour thicker. :sigh

Sheryl

I have Spearmint, Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Bee Balm, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, lemon basil, Pineapple sage, Chamomile, Sage, clary sage, borage, comfrey, feverfew, Calendula, jewelweed, lavender, nettle, plantain, Eucalyptus not for crumbling makes shards of glass : ) st johns wort, hm maybe some I've forgot..

:wow Sherrie, you've got lots of goodies growing in your herb garden. I have never understood what exactly the nettle is. I have read lots about it and the benefits of it, do you have a pic to post? I would really like to see exactly what the herb people are always referring to as nettle. I have also heard that st. john's wart is very invasive (kinda like mint :lol) and I've heard it is poisonous to goats, what have you heard? I can smell your herbs from here

well my business is Bryr Patch Herbs so I have to have lots : ) the nettle I use is Stinging nettle the St John's wort is used with lavender for healing skin awesome for sunburn

Comfrey and spearamint so far on purpose, feverfew is wild here, but I haven't used it yet. I kill a rosemary plant every year, but my sweet family keeps buying me one for my birthday anyway :lol My daughter has planned her first herb garden to begin planting next year- her goal is to have a serious herb garden like Sherrie...

I kill rosemary every year too but have to rebuy myself I also killed my comphrey which really kills me because now I can't find any.

Here I have: spearmint,peppermint,mint, catnip,feverfew,bay,thyme, comfrey,giant chives,echinachea,chamomile, basil, dill, musturd,yarrow, lavender, calendula, marigold, garlic, wolfberry,blueberry Red raspberry, lemongrass,verbena.....I can't think of them all right now. I use most of them year round. The one thing I just order in is nettle.

Hey sondra, I forgot I have rosemary. Thanks for reminding me cuz I need to gather it.

Hey Tammy Nice to have you!! am axiously awaiting for spring to come waiting on that Comphrey HA!
Please go to your profile and where you put in Giddie abt Goaties please put in your location. Thanks

My profile should look a little cleaner now. Anybody else want some comfrey? I'm splittong roots in the spring.

And if there isn't enough comfrey to go around they have the roots here: http://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=1603 I can vouch for their quality

I would LOVE some comfrey!! :hi I am also looking for chocolate mint.. anyone have any of that?
I had some a few years ago.. it never came back in the spring, finally found some more.. planted it in several locations..(hubby has his own plan when it comes to the lawn mower).. even gave some away.. but since our famous storm.. there's none to be found in my garden.. or anywhere else. Nurseries around here don't carry it.
I absolutely LOVE it.. I put it in coffee, ice tea.. and would LOVE to put some in soap.