The season is here for herb bunches!
I started this practice last year, inspired by Amy K. Fewell’s book “The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion”, where she gives several “recipes” for “herb bundles.” She suggests hanging the bundles in the barnyard as a natural health boosting element for the animals.
I myself make my bunches and put them in the home! I find they bring a bunch (pun intended) of great benefits: beauty, intoxicating fragrance, healthier atmosphere (most of these herbs have antiviral and antibacterial properties) and an overall freshness brought from the garden into the home!
I don’t follow a particular “recipe”/formula, but instead, I go with whatever looks good and will be ready for harvest in the garden.
The size of the bunch varies depending on the availability of these herbs at a certain time and on how many places in the home I would like to grace with them on a given day.
The whole thing is very simple and yet very fulfilling. Ready? Here we go!
These are the steps:
- Every time I visit the garden for whatever reason, to water or to harvest flowers, or to inspect something, the last thing I do before leaving the garden is collect some stems from each of the following herbs (depending on their availability): oregano, thyme, sage, lavender, marjoram, mint. The stems have to be long enough to comfortably tie bunches.
- I bring them inside, spread them on the table (usually my favorite wooden surface kitchen counter), and then I start making my bunches. Usually I bring enough for 3-4 bunches.
- I pick 2-3 stems from each herb, bundle them together, and form a bunch.
- I cut a relatively long piece of string (you can use any kind of string) and wrap one end 3-4 times around the bottom part of the bunch. I make a knot to secure the string at that end.
- On the other end I tie a knot while forming a loop.
- I find a place in the house where I can hang the bunch and enjoy its fragrance and freshness!
A couple of tips:
- Preferably harvest the herbs when they look fresher, that is, not when the sun shines strongly over the garden. This way your bunches will smell and look their best for longer.
- Go for a flower or two now and then. Mix it up and add color to your bunches by including some flowers from the garden now and then.
- The bathroom is a great place to hang your bunches. They freshen the atmosphere naturally and immediately! And, it looks great hanging from the bathroom mirror!
- Take a deep breath of one of your bunches whenever you feel you could use a break!
Happy bunch making!