Herbarium
Creating a herbarium helps us remember and identify every plant growing in our garden. It allows us to gather valuable information about our vegetable garden, ornamental plants, herbs, and wildflowers. The process is simple and enjoyable, making it a great activity to do also with children.
We can create separate herbariums or gardening books for each type of garden plant, including vegetables, ornamental plants, herbs, and wildflowers. Organizing your herbarium in this way makes it easier to find information later and ensures everything is readily available when needed.
Creating a herbarium is not only helpful but also a lot of fun! You can personalize it by adding your own illustrations, photographs of the plants, and dried and pressed plant samples. This creative touch makes the process enjoyable and turns your herbarium into a unique and valuable piece of art.
Vegetable garden book (journal)
Information about planting times and other aspects of growing vegetables is widely available, but as I’ve mentioned, every location is unique, and these guidelines can vary. By collecting and documenting helpful information about your plants, you can improve your results year by year. For example, you might notice that planting at the recommended time led to poor outcomes, while waiting a bit longer to sow seeds or transplant seedlings resulted in more tremendous success. Keeping track of these observations allows you to tailor your gardening practices to specific conditions.
Creating your gardening book
Unlike wild herb herbarium, you don’t need to include pressed and dried samples of vegetable plants in your herbarium unless you want to for decorative purposes. Instead, it’s more practical to write down the exact name of each plant, as vegetables often come in numerous varieties.
I recall planting a particular type of tomato once that was exceptional—it grew beautifully, and the fruits were delicious and healthy. However, I didn’t record the exact name, and I haven’t been able to find it again, even after trying similar-looking varieties. The same thing happened with the lettuce, which tasted good and wasn’t eaten by snails. Keeping detailed records can help avoid such disappointments in the future.
Using a binder to organize your herbarium allows you to easily add new pages and keep your plants in order. A regular notebook can quickly become messy, especially since you’ll need to update it with new information each season.
Important Information to Include:
- The exact name of the plant
- Key dates: sowing, sprouting, planting, blossoming, fruiting, ending growing the season
- Weather conditions during each growth phase: temperature (both greenhouse/hotbed and outdoor), whether it was a sunny or rainy period
You can also add other details that are useful for your specific needs. For example:
- Seed information: Note the seed brand or whether the seeds were home-saved.
- Fertilizer usage: Record the dates of application and how the plant responded.
- Companion planting and crop rotation
Being scientifically precise is unnecessary, but keeping records about your plants can help you understand their growing needs. Each season is unique, weather conditions vary, and it’s easy to forget important details over time.
Herbarium
You can document wild herbs growing naturally in your garden, planted herbs, or both for your herbarium. The type of herbarium you create will influence the information you need to include.
For planted herbs, you won’t need to record all the dates and details about their appearance in your garden, as you already know when and where you planted them. Instead, focus on information that will be important for their later use.
Important Information to Include:
- The exact name of the plant
- Medicinal and other purposes the herb serves
- Personal experiences: Document your own or others’ observations after using the herb
- Usage details: Include information about quantities, the duration of the cure, and methods of preparation or application
Important Note:
When researching and gathering information about the medicinal uses of herbs, always rely on multiple sources, preferably reputable books written by qualified experts. Random information found on the internet can often be incorrect or misinterpreted by unqualified people. Ensuring the accuracy of your information is crucial, especially when dealing with medicinal herbs.
Wild herbs herbarium
When creating a herbarium for wild herbs, you can focus solely on medicinal plants or expand your research to include all plants growing in your garden. It can be fascinating to learn their names and discover their various uses, as many wild plants have medicinal properties or can serve other purposes, such as making natural fertilizers.
Equally important is identifying which plants are poisonous or may cause irritation, especially if you have children or animals.
In all cases, it’s essential to include detailed notes in your herbarium and add samples of the flowers, ideally documenting all stages of their growth.
Important Information to Include:
- The exact name of the plant
- Type of herb: Identify whether it is medicinal, edible, poisonous, or can serve another purpose.
- Safe usage: Specify which part of the plant is safe to use and during which period it can be harvested.
- Date of collection: Record when you collected the plant.
- Growth stages and appearance: Document how the plant changes throughout its life cycle.
- Preferred conditions: Note the type of soil and environment the plant thrives in.
- Usage and interesting facts: Include all relevant information about the plant’s uses and unique characteristics.
In my garden, there’s a plant growing near the stone walls called Parietaria officinalis. Initially, I knew it as a remedy for irritation caused by nettles—rubbing it on the skin effectively soothes the pain. I also noticed that hens love it. However, after further research, I discovered its use as a medicinal plant and a culinary ingredient. I also learned that it can cause allergic reactions, particularly for pollen-sensitive people. Knowing this, I’m careful to avoid consumption or exposure for those who might be affected. This detailed information can be invaluable for understanding and safely utilizing plants in your herbarium.
Pressing Herbs
Pressing herbs is a simple process that doesn’t require special equipment. While a flower press can be helpful, it’s unnecessary as you likely won’t be pressing large quantities or doing it frequently.
Tips for pressing herbs:
- Choose the right time: Collect your plants on a sunny day. Avoid harvesting during rainy periods, as the plants will contain too much moisture.
- Transport with care: Place the plant on a solid base immediately after collecting and bring it home (or to your pressing area) as quickly as possible to prevent wilting or shape changes.
- Prepare the plant for pressing: Lay it on a sheet of paper (preferably watercolor or other natural paper) in the exact position you want it to remain. Once dried, you won’t be able to adjust the arrangement without risking breakage.
- Attach if needed: If the sheet is intended for your herbarium, you can immediately secure the plant with a small piece of paper tape. If not, wait until later.
- Protect the plant: Cover it with another sheet of paper to prevent the plant from sticking to the surface or transferring color to the book or press you’re using.
- Apply pressure: Place the prepared plant between heavy objects, such as a large book or two weighted-down boards. The key is ensuring the plant is entirely flat and under even pressure.
- Allow adequate drying time: Most herbs take a few days to dry completely. Larger flowers may require up to 30 days.
- Use separate sheets for pressing: Don’t press flowers directly in your herbarium, as this can damage the book and fail to press the flowers correctly. Always use separate sheets of paper towel to press the dried plant, and then transfer the dried plant to your herbarium.
You can use flowers and herbs from your garden to create stunning wall decorations. Simply press the herbs using the same method as for your herbarium. Once they are dried, carefully arrange them on a piece of paper in a composition you like. Finally, the arrangement should be placed in a frame with glass to protect it and display it as a beautiful, natural decoration.