I make my own lip balms for Mom and me, and I was in need of some sweet almond oil for one of the ingredients. My friend Leslie had mentioned this place called The Herb Pantry in Boise that she had checked out and bought some herbs and other supplies for her projects and food preparation. I was in the area last week on the way to paying a bill when I stumbled upon the Herb Pantry and stopped by.

The Herb Pantry is in an old house on one of Boise's main streets, and is one of the best places in town to get dried herbs and other herbal concoctions for medicinal and other uses. The Herb Pantry has over 700 (no, that's not a typo) dried bulk herbs, from Acacia root to Yucca roots, for your perusal. It is such a huge selection of herbs, it has its own room.

After the assistant helped me find the sweet almond oil, I browsed around looking at the other essential oils and herbal supplements in this room. I grabbed some tea tree oil for my lip balm since that is good for healing cold sores before heading into the bulk herb room.

I was like a kid in a candy store when I saw the huge selection of herbs The Herb Pantry had to offer, but I had to control myself and knew what I needed. The assistant was there and kindly offered to help me get my selections weighed and bagged. I chose some blue lavender for milk baths and lemonade, along with some oregano, for flavoring Italian entrees and other dishes. The herbs are sold by the ounce, and a couple of ounces of herbs can go a long way. The prices for bulk herbs at The Herb Pantry are very reasonable and cheaper than if you got them in the supermarket. Two ounces of oregano only set me back $1.82, while two ounces of lavender was about $3. I forgot to get comfrey, but I am planning on returning to The Herb Pantry soon to get some.

The manager and her assistant were most kind and quickly and efficiently helped me get my selections picked and paid for. I left there only spending $17, along with some literature on the herbs, oils, and other products they have to offer.

The Herb Pantry is open from 10am to 6pm Mondays to Fridays, and parking is in the back of the store. They offer classes on herbs and their uses, and visiting there was well worth my time.