CELERY
Celery is often referred to as a vegetable, but it is actually a herb. It is a biennial plant, growing well in moist soil in a sunny position.

Growing conditions:
Thin your plants out by transplanting them, and water well every 3 days and pile compost and sand around the plants base. The seeds can be collected as soon as it is ripe and kept in airtight bottles until ready to plant.

For drying, plant should be pulled up that are going into the flowering stage, or pick off the outside leaves throughout the year

Celery and leeks enjoy growing next to each other, as do tomatoes and bush beans

DOMESTIC USES
An excellent compost maker. It helps to break down the compost and can be layered
between lawn clippings to break them down quickly.

COSMETIC USES
An infusion of celery leaves makes an excellent cleanser for oily skin. Pour 2 cups
of boiling water over a cup of celery leaves and allow to cool, then strain. This can be added to the rinsing water for oily hair

MEDICINAL USES
Celery is great for weight loss and rheumatism. It also relieves flatulence. An infusion made with celery leaves or seeds is an effective diuretic

CULINARY USES
Celery, dried or fresh, can be used in soups, salads, stews or bouquet garnis.
The flavour combines well with most vegetables.
Celery seeds can be used to flavour savoury dishes and also in salad dressings, as
it cuts down on salt intake

For those not familiar with lavender sachets, they are merely lavender flowers placed in small oblong muslin pillows, about 2×3 inch dimensions. The pillow is made by sewing the three sides, pour the herb material into the open end, and then sew it shut. The muslin should be of a good heavy substance, with colors of a light pastel shade.
Besides using the straight lavender blooms in sachets, some delightful aromatic effects can be achieved from a combination of other fragrant herbs with lavender. rose geranium, rosemary, and lemon verbena are good added to lavender blooms for sachets. The combined aromas of herbs can be very unusual.

Growing herbs indoors is a cost-effective–and handier–alternative to buying them at the supermarket. Some of the easiest ones to grow indoors are thyme (Thymus vulgaris), basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), mint (Mentha sp.) and sage (Salvia
officinalis). For people who love garlic, a great alternative is garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). Cut the tops of the grasslike blades and chop them up into your food for a mild garlic flavor.
There are three ways to start an indoor herb garden: transplanting store-bought or garden-grown plants or starting new ones from cuttings or seed.

A Seedy Beginning

For those who like to get their hands dirty, try starting herbs from seed. This is the least expensive way to grow an indoor herb garden, but it takes a bit of babysitting.
You’ll need the following materials: a lightweight soil less mixture, seeds of your favorite herbs, clear plastic baggies and small pots with drainage holes. Some pots are too large to start seeds in, so plant them in a peat pot to get them started. Once they germinate and grow a bit, transplant the whole thing–peat pot and all–into the larger container. Fill the peat pot completely with the soil less mixture, then place it in small bowl filled with water. Allow the peat pot to absorb the water from the bottom up, until the entire soil less mixture is saturated. Make certain the peat is completely wet; otherwise, it will act as a wick and pull water away from the seeds. Watering seeds after they’re planted can wash them away, so it’s important not to skip this step.
Bury seeds to a depth that’s three to four times their diameter. With really small seeds, like basil, you’ll only need to press them into the soil. Plant a few in one pot to ensure success in the event that one doesn’t germinate.
Slip a plastic baggie over the peat pot. The plastic will help the seedling retain moisture and create a warm environment, essentially simulating a greenhouse effect. To prevent the pot from drying out, place it on a saucer and add water to it so the peat can continue to soak up water.
After all the prep work is completed, leave the plants in a sunny location or positioned under grow lights.

A Cut Above

Stem cuttings are an easy method to grow herbs indoors. Before the growing season ends, you can always take some cuttings from your outdoor plants or use cut herbs available from a grocery store. Cut about six inches of a stem at the base of the plant.
Once the branch is cut, strip the foliage off the bottom so it won’t rot. A root should develop everywhere that a leaf or stem has grown. Place the cutting in a small jar of water, and in no time it will set roots. When that happens, pot the cutting and let it grow. Keep in mind that these cuttings need a sunny location, and the water should be changed out every day.

The Easiest Way

If you don’t want to wait to start seedlings or grow plants from cuttings, you can have an herb garden now by purchasing live, grown plants from your local garden center. Keep plants in a sunny location with sufficient water. Once a week, feed them, using a diluted, organic fertilizer; fish emulsion is one good option. Also give your plants a periodic trimming as it helps them to branch out and grow
more vigorously.

Came across this advice in an email, and after reading some more in other sites as well, this seemed as sound advice.

Drying Herbs

If you have an herb garden, you’ll find that home-dried herbs can be just as tasty as those bought at the store. However, proper handling is as important to the success of your herb harvest as good cultural practices.

Preparation

Most herbs are at their peak flavor just before flowering, so this is a good time to collect them for drying and storage. To be certain, check drying directions on specific herbs in a reliable reference book. Cut off the herbs early in the morning just after the dew has dried. Cut annuals off at ground level, and perennials about one-third down the main stem, including the side branches.
Wash herbs, with the leaves on the stems, lightly in cold running water to remove any soil, dust, bugs, or other foreign material. Drain thoroughly on absorbent towels or hang plants upside down in the sun until the water evaporates.
Strip leaves off the stalks once plants have drained and dried, leaving only the top 6 inches. Remove all blossoms.

Natural or Air Drying

Herbs must be dried thoroughly before storing. Herbs with high moisture content, such as mint and basil, need rapid drying or they will mold. To retain some green leaf coloring, dry in the dark by hanging plants upside down in bunches in paper bags. Hanging leaves down allows essential oils to flow from stems to leaves. Tie whole
stems very tightly in small bunches. Individual stems will shrink and fall. Hang in a dark, warm (70o-80oF [21.1o-26.7oC]), well-ventilated, dust-free area. Leaves are ready when they feel dry and crumbly in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Drying Seeds

Seeds take longer to dry than leaves, sometimes as much as 2 weeks for larger seeds. Place seed heads on cloth or paper. When partially dry, rub seeds gently between palms to remove dirt and hulls. Spread clean seed in thin layers on cloth or paper until thoroughly dry.
You also can dry herb seeds by hanging the whole plant upside down inside a paper bag. The bag will catch the seeds as they dry and fall from the pod.

Oven Drying

For quick oven drying, take care to prevent loss of flavor, oils, and color. Place leaves or seeds on a cookie sheet or shallow pan not more than 1 inch deep in an open oven at low heat less than 180oF (82.2oC) for about 2 to 4 hours.
Microwave ovens can be used to dry leaves quickly. Place the clean leaves on a paper plate or paper towel. Place the herbs in the oven for 1 to 3 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds.

Silica Gel or Salt Drying

Silica gel or noniodized table salt can be used to dry or “cure” non-hairy leaves. Clean and blot dry leaves before placing them in a tray or shallow pan of the silica gel or salt. After the leaves have dried, approximately 2 to 4 weeks, remove the leaves from the drying material, shake off the excess material, and store them in glass containers. Before using, rinse leaves thoroughly in clear, cold water.
Another method of drying herbs is to remove the leaves from the plants, wash them, and spread them thinly on screens to dry, avoiding exposure to bright light. Cheesecloth makes a good screen material and stretches well.

Freezing Herbs

Herbs also can be frozen. Harvest herbs according to recommendations. Wash them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling, unsalted water for 50 seconds Cool them quickly in ice water and then package and freeze them. Washed fresh dill, chives, and basil can be frozen without blanching.

Storage

When completely dry, the leaves may be screened to a powder or stored whole in airtight containers, such as canning jars with tightly sealed lids. Seeds should be stored whole and ground as needed. Leaves retain their oil and flavor if stored whole and crushed just before use.
For a few days, it is very important to examine daily the jars in which you have stored dried herbs. If you see any moisture in the jars, remove the herbs and repeat the drying process. Herbs will mold quickly in closed jars if not completely dry.
Once you are sure the herbs are completely dry, place them in the airtight containers, and store them in a cool, dry place away from light. Never use paper or cardboard containers for storage as they will absorb the herbs’ aromatic oils.

An annual or biennial herb (Coriandrun sativum), of the Parsley Family, grown for it’s aromatic seeds which are used for flavoring liquors and confections. This pungent herb is native of southern Europe and is commonly known as Coriander, Cilantro, or Chinese Parsley. Its name is said to be derived from koris, Greek for “bedbug” since the plant smelled strongly of the insect. The leaves are most commonly referred to as cilantro and have a much different taste from the seeds, one that is similar to parsley with a dash of citrus flavor.
Cilantro is the most difficult herb to grow because it is so short lived and it needs cool temperatures to grow well. Many people think that they kill Cilantro because it doesn’t last very long when they purchase plants at their local nursery. Cilantro will bolt (send up a flower stalk) as soon as the roots get above 75 degrees or so. Cilantro needs to be grown in early spring or fall when the weather is cool. It requires mostly sunshine but can be grown in morning sun and shade in the hot afternoon. Growing it in the ground with mulch on top of the roots helps keep the soil cooler longer (Add a bit of mulch or compost to your cilantro bed to provide nutrients for the soil and an extra layer of protection for the roots).
Cilantro grows best in full sun. Plant the seed 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep every 1 inch in rows 12 inches apart. Keep moist until seeds germinate, which should take about 7 to 10 days. No thinning is required. Some growers will seed cilantro thicker than this (30 – 40 seeds/foot). Deep, fertile, light or heavy, but well-draining. Water on a regular schedule, do not overwater. The denser plant population competes more effectively with weeds in the row. In addition, the thicker planting makes harvesting easier since plants are bunched in the field. Cilantro can be started in the greenhouse and transplanted into the field. Cilantro grows best under cool conditions while hot weather encourages it to flower. Cilantro will withstand temperatures as low as 10 degrees, which makes it an excellent fall crop.
Cilantro is ready to be harvested as soon as the plant is 4 – 6 inches tall, which can take 40 to 60 days after planting. If the older, outside leaves are harvested, the plant will continue to produce new foliage until it goes to seed. The plant can
regrow for a second cutting; however, it does not regrow as efficiently as parsley. For that reason many growers just harvest it once. Cilantro can also be harvested by pulling out the whole plant.