By Christine Reid.
Let’s make a New Year’s resolution to include more herbs in our lives. After all, where would we be without them? Chances are, nearly everyone has used an herb medicinally, inhaled an herb’s refreshing scent, had a dish seasoned with an herb, enjoyed an herbal tea, or all of the above. Studies repeatedly reveal the high nutrient value as well as the potential health benefits of herbs, something that folklore frequently indicated and herb lovers always knew. In so many ways, these are plants that keep giving back.
Nan Perkins, co-chair of the Hill Country unit of the Herb Society of America, first became interested in learning more about herbs when she saw a list of 10 herbs that would grow well in the Wimberley area. “Ten herbs? That’s a lot,” she remembered thinking. She then discovered that the Hill Country is a very good place to grow many different herbs, as long as you keep the deer in mind. Certain herbs, like basil, are a tasty snack to Bambi and friends, but there are some that even the deer will most likely leave alone. For instance, Perkins has found that the deer won’t touch garlic chives, oregano or thyme. And, she added, “Rosemary is as close to deer proof as any plant!” Perkins said there are a minimum of 15 to 20 herbs that people should have in their garden, including rosemary. “You can do so much with them and you can get such joy from them.”
