How to Grow and Care for Turmeric Plants

Turmeric is a native of Southeast Asia and India, this herbaceous perennial plant belongs to the ginger family Zingiberaceae. The flavors of turmeric (rhizomes) have been used to flavor meats, salads, stews, and rice.

Turmeric has also been used in medicine, the florets are orange, white, pink, or yellow in color while the bracts can either be green, pink, white, burgundy, yellow, or multicolored. This perennial grows 3 to 4 feet tall with the same in diameter.

Although turmeric can grow outdoors year-round it is usually planted during the winter months and harvested the following year during the fall months to early winter. For more on growing turmeric in the home garden let’s take a closer look.

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Learn how to Grow and Harvest Oregano

Oregano is a flowering perennial plant in the mint family, (Lamiaceae) this garden herb has small dark green leaves and produces white or rose-purple flowers. Oregano is native to Western and Southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean regions. This herb has been used as an ingredient in Mediterranean cooking and is also known and used worldwide.

Oregano has been around for thousands of years being traced back as far as 3000 BC and was used by the Assyrians. History records that this herb was used for snake bites, as an antidote for poison, to cure headaches, to soothe insect bites and for respiratory conditions, etc…

The Greeks and Roman’s wedding ceremonies use this herb as a crown with laurels that included oregano for the bride and the groom. Oregano was also used as an antiseptic, preservative, massage oil, perfume, and was commonly grown in the home garden to ward off and protect against evil as was the belief. Oregano has a rich history, with that said however we will be taking a closer look at how to grow this garden herb.

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Tips to Grow a Bay Leaf Tree

Bay leaf is also known as the bay laurel this tree is highly prized in the culinary world for its aromatic scent and the flavors that it brings to so many recipes. This every green tree that is also a large shrub belongs to the flowering family Lauraceae. Its scientific name is Lauraceae and is native to the Mediterranean region but is now widely cultivated in other regions of the world.

The bay laurel tree is slow-growing with glossy green leaves that are oval and pointed with a leathery texture and is believed to be one of the oldest spice trees that have been cultivated going back as far as ancient Greece and was used to fashion the laurel wreath that was given as a prize at the Pythian Games.

If left unpruned bay leaves can grow up to 60 feet in height when growing in an outside garden. In a 24-inch pot, this tree can grow from 4- to 6-foot by keeping well pruned. The seem can happen when growing bay leaves indoors keeping them pruned 4- to 6-foot, a bay leaf tree can live up to 20 years or even longer depending on how you take care of it. For more on how to grow and care for sweet bay laurel tree let’s take a closer look.

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How to Grow and Care for Thyme

Thyme is an aromatic herb that is popular in the culinary world and will excite your taste buds with its amazing flavors. Thyme was a favorite in my home as a child, my father loved cooking with this herb and to this day I have carried on this tradition by using thyme in many of my species.

This perennial evergreen herb is in the mint family Lamiaceae and is native to Eurasia being cultivated throughout the world. In ancient times thyme was associated with strength, courage, and bravery. The Greeks and Romans would burn bundles of thyme to purify their homes.

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