Herbs At Beeks

Learning About Herbs This spring, our class has been learning about herbs as part of our creative writing time. We would like to share some of this fascinating information with you. Herb is from the Latin word, herba, meaning grass. The smell or fragrance of herbs comes from tiny hairs with glands all over the stem and leaves of the plant. The fragrant oil is released by pressure (like crushing a leave) or by sunlight. Herbal remedies were used in olden days because people had no choice of medicines like we do today. Remember, even ordinary herbs can cause some people to have an allergic reaction. Adopt-An-Herb Students decided to "adopt" an herb in the herb bed outside the school. Following are some observations about their herbs. Lamb's Ear: 10 inches tall, 2 inches wide; leaves are very soft and smooth; the plant has a musty, old-kind-of-attic smell - by Estella M. Lamb's Ear: 6 inches tall, 7 inches wide; leaves are slightly thick and very soft - by Michael S. Mint: 4 inches tall, 3.5 inches wide; leaf feels rough and thick; smell is sweet and reminds me of my mom's tea - by Brad B. Mint: 4 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide; leaf is a bit rough; smells a tiny bit spicy; grows in bunches - by Loy C. Pansy: 3 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide; leaf smell sweet, like honey; the flower has a face, and the leaves are heart shaped; you may not have thought that pansies are herbs, but they are! - by Julienne B.

Pinks: 5 inches tall, 24 inches wide - grows in a mat; leaves are hazy blue; leaf feels think and smooth - by Robin D. Soapwort: 3 inches tall, 24 inches wide; leaf feels smooth and smells sweet; it blooms when it's older - by Sam R. Tansy: 9 inches tall, 2 inches wide; light green leaves; smells like cologne, sweet - by Trent A. Violets: 3 inches tall, 1/25 inches wide; leaves are dark green, smooth, and thin; the veins in the leaves are very detailed - by Emily B. See Mrs. Sinha for more information on herbs or if you are interested in a tour of the herb garden. Herb or Spice? What is the difference between a spice and an herb? Spices and herbs are both from plants and are used in very small amounts to flavor food. "Spice" refers to seasonings made from dried seeds or bark. Spices generally originate in the Far East and tropical countries. For example, India is the source of cloves, Indonesia is the origin of most cinnamon and nutmeg, and China is a source of ginger. "Herb" refers to any low-growing plant with fleshy parts that are used in brewing tea and seasoning foods, for perfuming the air, for dying yarn and material, or as medicines.

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Basil (Ocimum species) Basil was named after Basilik, the mythical king of dragon snakes, whose breath was so strong it could kill plants. Basil is also a symbol: in Greece it means dislike; in Italy, love; and in India, holiness. Basil Acrostic:Fill in the blank beside each letter with words about basil. B__________ A__________ S__________ I__________ L__________ Lavender (Lavandula species) Lavender comes from the Latin word, lavare, meaning to wash or bathe. It is mainly used for its fragrance. In England, bundles of lavender, mint, marjoram, and pennyroyal were used as air fresheners. The oil from the leaves supposedly killed yellow fever "germs." Lavender actually does contain a powerful antiseptic called eucalyptol. Lavender Uses: Using resource books, students discovered uses for lavender. Cooking and food; bath salts and soaps; teas; garnishes; bruise, bites, and chest congestion - Emily B. and Ardita C. Scented water, room freshener, insect repellent, and Roman crowns - Jackson M. Medicines, jelly, perfumes, and cotton - Loy C. and AJ P. Lavender Lines: Writings from students on "If I were a sprig of lavender" I enjoy sunbathing in the fields of France. Riccollo! Riccollo! I make someone fall asleep and dream of a piccolo, piccolo. I can cure a nasty wound. I can make spinach taste good. I can even make your dog's breath smell good! - by Justin E., Jackson M., and Sam N.

My seed drops in the ground, and my long life begins. Over a period of time, I fear to be found, for if I am, I will no longer live in the hot summer sun. I will be smashed on the table and crushed between wood, and my scent will be destroyed. But I will still live for new until man comes along. I spring in peace and harmony and sprout after all these years. I rejoice now that I am a full-grown sprig of lavender, but I fear that later this year, I will soon reach my death destiny and be ground into perfume. - by Julienne B, Loy C., and Natalie W. Out I pop from the rich, soothing soil. Give me a squeeze, and I'll give you some oil. Here I am on my knees, Begging you to pick my green, scented leaves. Here I am in the nice, warm tub, Waiting for a pleasing scrub. What are you doing, picking my gray leaves? I never said you could do what you please! The special ingredients for my lavender teas Are my beautiful, gray, scented leaves. Because of the lint, I must be sent And be replaced by smelling sage. Here I am on my death be now. Because of you, I broke my crown. - by Emily B., Ardita C., and Estella M. If I were a lavender bush, I would pop out of the ground and soon would be found. They would pull and struggle, and they would pop me out of the rubble like a clear, shiny bubble. The girl would pick me up and take me to her humble home, then she would mail me to the best chef in Rome. He would take me and throw me into a pan and turn it up as hot as he can. He whipped me up with a bunch of jam and put me next to the pink and red ham. And fed me to the man named Sam. He finished in time to watch Space Jam! - by Trent A., Brad B., and AJ P.

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Oregano (Origanum species) Oregano comes from the Greek words, orus (mountain) and ganos (joy), and can be translated into "joy of the mountain." The early Greeks used leaves to make a poultice for sore muscles. Ancient Romans used oregano poultices for scorpion and spider bites. Oregano was not really used in cooking in America until after World War II when many American soldiers had become accustomed to it as they traveled overseas. Oregano Challenge: Student answers to questions about oregano. Q. What is another name for oregano? A. wild marjoram Q. Do you have any favorite foods flavored with oregano? A. pizza and summer vegetables Q. What medicinal uses were there for oregano? A. used to treat scorpion and spider bites, coughs, and asthma - by Brad B. and AJ P. Oregano Words: Students made these words from the word "oregano". an, are, ear, go, goon, gone, gore, groan, nag, no, nog, or, ore, rag, rage, ran, range -by Trent A., Justin E., and Jackson M. Sage (Salvia species) Sage comes from the Latin word, salvare, meaning "to save." Ancient Romans collected their sacred sage in a special ceremony. The person gathering the sage wore all white and no shoes. The gatherer had to offer wine and bread to the ground where the sage grew before gathering in the sage. Some people thought eating sage would stop poisonous snakes from biting them. Others thought they would be smarter if they ate sage. After the Boston Tea Party, colonial Americans made sage tea as a substitute for the British tea. American Indians chewed on sage to clean their teeth.

Sage Writings: Students looked up "sage" in the dictionary, then used the definition it in a sentence. "A smart person" - I would like to be sage. - by Loy C. "A profoundly wise man" - A sage told me to eat my vegetables. - by Chris G. "A type of mint used to flavor meat" - I like to use sage when cooking lamb. - by Laura H. Thyme (Thymus species) Thyme comes from the Latin word, thymum, meaning to make a burnt offering. According to myth, thyme grew where Helen of Troy's tears hit the ground. Ancient Romans burned thyme to keep away poisonous snakes and insects. Ancient Greeks used it as a perfume to give them energy. During the time of knights, ladies-in-waiting would embroider scarves with thyme as a symbol of courage. The scarves were then given to knights to wear into battle. Today, oil from thyme (called thymol) is used in some cough medicines. There are over 300 species of thyme! And there are many different flavors of thyme that can be spicy or fruity -- like caraway or lemon. Rhyming Thyme: How many words can you list that rhyme with thyme? (Example: chime)

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Herb Creative Writings Mother Mint loves swimming in a hot, delicious cup of tea with her friend, Marve Mint. - by Brad B. Polly and Peter Pansy enjoy frolicking in garnishes and dancing the Electric slide in desserts. - by Julienne B. My friend, Vivvian Violet, enjoys sleeping in candied violets with her friends, Vicki Violet and Vince Violet. - by Emily B. My good friend, Marve Mint, loves to boil in a steaming body of hot tea. - by Loy C. On a hot, summer day, Lily, the Lemon Balm, likes to swim around in the hot tea with her friends, Sally the Sage and T.J. the Thyme. - by Ardita C. Bugs, the Pinks, enjoys basking in old-fashioned gardens and showing off his ruffled, pink blossoms. - by Robin D. Bee-Bee Bee Balm enjoys visiting with Lollie Lettuce in a spicy luncheon salad. At the end of the day, she gets packed into a strainer and made into a hot cup of tea to sit in front of the TV. - by Laura H. (and Bee-Bee) My friend, Swoosh the Tansy, sat with the duchess at tea. He swam in the pudding, when I ate he (him). - by Jackson M. My friend, Tansy, likes to go hiking in the pudding and to play in the cookies. Then at the end of the day, he loves to get into his herb butter and jump into the frying pan. - by AJ P. My friend, Soapy Soapwort, enjoys being ground into soap to wash silks. - by Sam R. My friend, Louie Lamb's Ear, likes little children to rub his leaves. He doesn't, however, like little children jumping on him. - by Michael S. Lily the Lemon Balm likes to swim around in iced tea with her friend, Peter the Peppermint. - by Natalie W.

Herb Recipes Lavender Baked Apples - are baked apples topped with a lavender-flavored cream. Arrange 4 medium cooking apples (sliced) in a buttered baking dish. Lay 3 Tbsp. of margarine (thinly sliced) over the apples. Sprinkle 1/4 C. (packed) of brown sugar over the apples and margarine. Bake for 20 minutes at 375F. While the apples are baking, in a blender or food processor, mix 1/4 C. skim milk, 3/4 C. ricotta cheese, 1 Tbsp. fresh lavender flowers, and 3 Tbsp. honey until smooth. After the apples are baked, pour the milk mixture over the apples. Bake for 10 more minutes at 500F. Serve warm. Summer Vegetable Salad - is a vegetable salad with oregano and other herbs in the salad dressing. Mix together 1/2 C. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 C. olive oil, and 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together 3 medium tomatoes (cut into cubes), 1 medium cucumber (peeled and cut into cubes), 1 medium pepper (cut into thin strips), 1/2 C. scallions (thinly sliced), 6 lettuce leaves (finely sliced), 1/3 C. fresh parsley (chopped), 1/3 C. cilantro leaves (chopped), 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (chopped), 2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves (chopped), 1/3 C. olives (chopped), and 8 oz. of feta or mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes). Pour the lemon juice mixture on top of the vegetables, mix well, and let stand for 30 minutes. Add 2 C. of Italian-flavored bread cubes, then your salad is ready to serve. Citrus Thyme Dressing - is a good salad dressing. Mix together 1 clove garlic (minced), 1 tsp. fresh ginger (minced), 1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves (minced), 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves (minced), 1 Tbsp. vinegar, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and 1/4 C. olive oil. Pour over your favorite green salad. Violet Candy (by Julienne B.) - is an interesting way to use violets. Wash violet flowers and put them in a bowl. Break 2 eggs into the bowl, and mix well. Sprinkle 3/4 C. sugar on the violets in the bowl. Mix for 30 seconds. Put on cookie tray, and let sit overnight. Makes 1 pint of candy.

Herbs at Beeks was produced by Mrs. Sinha's Fourth Grade Class at Margaret Beeks Elementary School, Spring 1997.

Editor: Mrs. Sinha, Fourth Grade
Layout: Kate Dobbs, Horticulture, Virginia Tech

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