Certain herbs and other plants have been known to have useful properties - as seasonings or preservatives for food, medicines or simply a pleasurable odor - for thousands of years. Along with that ancient knowledge sometimes comes ancient myths.
Tombs uncovered in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) as old as 60,000 years held remains of medicinal herbs preserved […]

Growing and harvesting herbs has been carried out for thousands of years in all cultures around the world. But in medieval Europe it was raised to a high art. Devoid of medical knowledge and technology that was known even to the Greeks, the Middle Ages depended heavily on herbs for medicines. Their practice was a mixture of experience and nonsense, but they also knew much that was valid.

Whether used for medicine, seasoning or just quiet contemplation, the Medieval herb garden was a useful and lovely place. A modern sample of what it would have been like can readily be found in New York’s Cloisters. Though constructed in the 1930s, it was designed and built to resemble its historical counterpart as closely as possible. The designers achieved their goal superlatively.

Winterizing your herb garden isn’t difficult, but the actions you take will differ depending on the type of herbs you have planted. Just as with other plants and flowers, some are annual others perennials. That means they either die off with the cold weather or simply become dormant, to rise again the following spring.

Basil, for example, doesn’t do well in colder climates and will often not survive the winter. They can be grown indoors, or simply planted again next early spring. Sage and Thyme winter well on the other hand, though their leaves may wither and the stalks may appear dead. Try scraping the side of a sample and look for green material. That’s a sign that the plant is still alive and will blossom later in the season.