An Introduction to Herbs
What is a herb?
A herb is any plant that has culinary, medical, cosmetic, veterinary or other use of some kind. The useful part is different with every plant, it can be the leaves, flowers, roots, barks or seeds. The plant can be a tree or shrub, a weed or an exotic flower, or one of the common group of plants known as "herbs."
What are herbs used for?
A herb is a plant that can be used for food or for medicine. Most herbs are fragrant - that is, they give off a scent from their leaves, stems, flowers or seeds. The heat from the sun can bring out the scent of herbs as does bruising by rain or wind.
Throughout history people have used the scent of herbs for many purposes. For example, people would lay pieces of sweet-smelling herbs like southernwood on the floor of their homes along with rushes. Then when people walked over them the pleasant scent would be released and covered up the bad smells! They might also use a herb called wormwood to get rid of fleas. Herbs such as lavender are still used today for sweet smelling perfumes, candles and bubble baths.
Many people believed that herbs had healing properties and so they were used in medicines and lotions. The ancient Egyptians were the first to use herbs as medicine and this knowledge was built upon by the Greeks and Romans who brought herbs to Britain.
Click here to find out more about the use of herbs in medicine.
Herbs were also associated with magic, sorcery and witchcraft. People believed that certain herbs had magical or mystical properties. Poorer people who could not afford to pay a proper physician might go to a wise woman in the village who knew how to make 'magical' potions!
Click here to find out more about the myths and magic surrounding herbs.
But perhaps the greatest use of herbs was in cooking. In Tudor times when the Smalbroke family lived at Blakesley Hall many herbs were grown to flavour and decorate food.
Click here to find out more about cooking with herbs.
Herbs Today
Today we still use herbs to help to treat various illnesses, to flavour and decorate our favourite foods and in many of our cosmetics. Now we have the benefits of modern transport the range of herbs available to us is greater than ever before.
At Blakesley Hall we have created a herb garden similar to the one we think the Smalbroke family would have had in Tudor times.
Click here to take a trip around the herb garden at Blakesley Hall!
created by Hannah Bonner