The leaves are turning brown and the first frosts are on their way. But we needn’t go without our herbs, says Fez Inkwright, author of Folk Magic and Healing. Here are her tips for making the most of your herb garden this winter.
Image: Unsplashed
Preserving herbs ahead of the cold season
Dry herbs
In autumn, air-dry loose bundles of herbs by hanging them in a cool spot out of direct sunlight, turning them once a day until they are dry and can be stored.
Once dried, you can use in cooking, or chop roughly and sew into loose-woven cotton teabags for a later winter pick-me-up.
Freeze fresh herbs
Herbs with a high moisture content such as basil, chives, and mint can be frozen at any time; just be sure to pick them mid-morning, after the dawn dew has evaporated, and before the afternoon sun has started to wilt them.
How to make a botanical syrup
Turn your favourite botanicals into a syrup that can be incorporated into drinks or baking.
Boil hardier parts such as roots, berries, or barks on a low heat until soft.
Add any desired leaves and flowers and steep for ten minutes.
Strain the water from the plants and discard the solids.
Add equal amounts maple or coconut syrup to water and heat at a low temperature until thick.
The winter herb garden
Dried or frozen herbs are not always a substitute for fresh ones picked straight from the plant. Some of the hardier herbs do well in winter if grown in sunny, sheltered spots, or under glass.
Below is an excerpt from my book Folk Magic and Healing. These three herbs are hardy, and with a little TLC should survive the winter frosts.
PARSLEY: Petroselinum crispum
The clouds have all retired to so great height
As earth could have no dealing with them more,
As they were lost, for all her drawing and might,
And must be left behind; but down the shore
Lie lovelier clouds in ranks of lace-work frail,
Wild parsley with a myriad florets pale.
– Jean Ingelow, Nature, for Nature’s Sake
Parsley might seem a rather innocuous kitchen herb, but its reputation in folklore is a little more interesting.
Historically, parsley was considered a funerary herb, not a culinary one. Dedicated to Persephone, the wife of Hades and Queen of the Underworld, in ancient Greece tombs were decorated with wreaths of parsley, and the herb was only eaten to honour the dead at funeral feasts. Parsley wreaths were only ever otherwise used to crown the winners of the Nemean Games, a series of events held to commemorate the deaths of important people. From this association, the Greeks used the phrase ‘to be in need of parsley’ to refer to someone who was close to death.
Parsley is a difficult herb to grow, and its challenging behaviour has been long noted in old wives’ tales. Since the seeds take so long to germinate, it was said to ‘grow down to the devil and then back up again’, possibly a nod back to the belief that it belonged to Persephone. Quite often the seeds don’t take at all; in Worthen in Shropshire, England, it is said that ‘parsley must be sown nine times, for the devil takes all but the last’.
OREGANO: Origanum vulgare
Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.
– William Butler Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire
A member of the mint family, the name of the oregano plant comes from the Greek oros and ganos, meaning ‘mountain’ and ‘joy’, and was said to be a harbinger of happiness wherever it grew. Ancient Romans would crown a bride and groom with oregano to wish them future happiness, and amongst the Greeks, if oregano grew wild on a grave, it was said to be a sign that the souls of the departed were content.
The Greeks also believed that it was a useful antidote for animal-given poisons, and shepherds would encourage their sheep to eat wild-growing oregano—not just to protect them from whatever snakes and scorpions they might disturb whilst grazing, but because it was said to improve the flavour of the meat before the animal was even butchered. This claim for curing poisoning was made by Aristotle, who observed that tortoises would seek out and eat oregano after eating venomous snakes.
Despite its modern popularity in American pizza restaurants, oregano was virtually unknown in the United States until after World War II, when soldiers who had been stationed in the Mediterranean brought it home with them.
ROSEMARY: Rosmarinus officinalis
There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance;
pray, love, remember: and there is pansies…
– William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV Scene V
Also known as compass weed, incensier, and pilgrim’s flower, tame rosemary thrives best when a woman is in charge of the household, and is said to wither and die if she moves away. It is an excellent incense and purifier; when burned it drives away evil spirits and negativity, and when stored next to other dried herbs it cleanses them of negative influence.
At heart, it is a household herb. Rosemary grown, or dried and hung, by a doorpost will deter would-be thieves, and when hung in twigs above a bed it is also a protection against spirits. In Ireland it was hung to protect a child from being stolen by faeries and replaced with a changeling child. In the Middle Ages, it was a popular Christmas strewing herb, as it would release its scent the more that it was walked upon.
It has long been associated with memory and remembrance. Not only was it often thrown into a grave to ensure that a person would not be forgotten, but in ancient Greece, students would braid rosemary into their hair to help them with their studies.
Yet another plant said to help bring about love, a popular charm to bring romance to your doorstep was to tie three sprigs of rosemary together with red thread, and place the sprigs under your doormat. Alternately, to bring or keep love in the bedroom, you could place the bound sprigs beneath the mattress.
Tips
- Don’t cut your plants back too enthusiastically over winter; they won’t be growing much until spring, but can survive losing up to a third of their branches.
- If you’re short on outdoor growing space, or live in a colder climate, delicate plants such as oregano, basil, and tarragon will be just as happy growing in pots inside. Just ensure that they’re sat in a window that receives at least six hours a day of winter sunlight; south- or west-facing is ideal.
This is an adapted extract from Folk Magic and Healing by Fez Inkwright published by Liminal 11, £11.99.