Last updated: September 18, 2026
The short version: Herval.co uses very little browser storage. One essential item remembers your cookie choice so we do not keep asking. Another stores harmless, non-personal information about recently viewed guides on your own device. Analytics, if we use them, run only after you click "Accept," and you can change your mind at any time with the "Cookie settings" link in the footer. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
This Cookie Policy explains how Herval.co ("Herval," "we," "us," or "our"), the gardening tools and resources blog owned and operated by Henry Rootwell of Oregon, USA, uses cookies and similar technologies such as browser localStorage. It explains what these technologies are, which ones we use and why, and how you can control them. This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle personal information more generally.
1. What are cookies and similar technologies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer, phone, or tablet when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to site owners. Cookies set by the website you are visiting are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by a different domain, such as an advertising network or analytics provider, are called "third-party cookies."
Local storage (including localStorage and sessionStorage) is a feature of modern web browsers that lets a website store small amounts of information directly in your browser. Unlike cookies, local storage is not automatically sent to the website's server with every request; it stays on your device and can be read only by pages from the same website. localStorage persists until it is deleted, either by the website or by you; sessionStorage is erased when you close the browser tab.
Other similar technologies include pixels (tiny images that report when a page or email is viewed) and scripts that collect device information. Laws such as the EU ePrivacy Directive, the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), the GDPR, and the UK GDPR treat all of these technologies alike: a website may store or access information on your device without consent only where it is strictly necessary to provide a service you have requested. In this policy, we use the word "cookies" to cover all of these technologies unless we say otherwise.
2. Types of cookies
Cookies are commonly grouped into the following categories. This helps explain what we do and, just as importantly, what we do not do.
- Strictly necessary (essential): required for the website to work or to provide a feature you asked for, such as remembering your privacy choices. These do not require consent under European law. Herval.co uses these.
- Functional (preference): remember choices you make or improve your experience, for example by remembering which guides you recently viewed. Herval.co uses a minimal, non-personal item of this kind, stored only on your device.
- Analytics (performance): help a site owner understand how visitors use the site, such as which pages are popular and whether pages load quickly. Herval.co may use privacy-friendly analytics, only with your consent.
- Advertising and targeting: track you across websites to build a profile and show personalized ads. Herval.co does not use these.
- Social media: set by embedded social media buttons or content to track your activity. Herval.co does not use these. Our share links, if present, are plain links that do not load third-party scripts.
3. Cookies and storage items we use
Because Herval.co is a hosted static website without user accounts or logins, our use of browser storage is deliberately limited. The table below lists the items used on the site.
| Name | Type | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| herval_cookie_consent | First-party localStorage | Strictly necessary | Stores your cookie-consent choice (for example, "accepted" or "declined") and the date you made it, so that the banner is not shown on every page and so we can respect your choice. | 12 months, after which you are asked again |
| herval_recent | First-party localStorage | Functional | Remembers the gardening guides you recently viewed so the site can show them to you again. It contains only page references, nothing sensitive or personally identifying, and it never leaves your browser. | Until you clear your browser storage; entries are replaced as you browse |
| Privacy-friendly analytics (if enabled) | First-party script and, depending on the provider, a first-party cookie or no cookie at all | Analytics (consent required) | Counts page views, referrers, device types, and approximate country in aggregate to help us understand which guides are useful. IP addresses are not stored in full, and data is not used for advertising or sold. | Loaded only after you consent; any cookie used expires within 12 months |
If we add, remove, or change any storage item, we will update this table. If we ever introduce a new category that requires consent, we will ask for your consent before using it.
3.1 Cookies set by third parties when you leave our site
Herval.co contains affiliate links, including links to Amazon as part of the Amazon Associates Program, and may include links to other retailers. Clicking these links does not set cookies on Herval.co itself. However, when you arrive on the retailer's website, that retailer or its affiliate network may set its own cookies to record that you came from our link, so that we can be credited for a qualifying purchase. Those cookies are set on the retailer's domain and are governed by the retailer's own cookie and privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We cannot see or control them.
Similarly, if you book a service that is delivered by video call, or if you pay through a payment provider, those services may use their own cookies on their own websites.
3.2 Server logs
Our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information, such as IP addresses and requested pages, in server logs for security and troubleshooting. This does not involve placing anything on your device, and it is described in our Privacy Policy.
4. How we ask for consent
When you first visit Herval.co, a cookie banner explains our use of storage and lets you accept or decline optional analytics. Both choices are equally easy to make. Before you choose, and if you decline, no optional analytics are loaded. Essential storage, such as the item that records your choice, is used because it is needed to respect that choice.
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we treat it as an opt-out and do not load optional analytics, regardless of the banner.
5. Changing your mind and withdrawing consent
You can change your cookie choice at any time. Click the "Cookie settings" link in the footer of any page on Herval.co. This reopens the cookie banner, where you can accept or decline optional analytics. Your new choice takes effect immediately and is saved in herval_cookie_consent.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any analytics that ran before you withdrew it. If you decline analytics after previously accepting, we stop loading the analytics script, and any analytics cookie we can remove will be deleted or will expire.
You can also clear all Herval.co storage from your browser, as explained below. If you do, the cookie banner will appear again on your next visit, and your recently viewed list will be empty.
6. Managing cookies in your browser
Most web browsers let you view, delete, and block cookies and site data. Blocking all cookies and storage may stop some features of websites from working as intended. On Herval.co, blocking storage means we cannot remember your cookie choice, so you may see the banner each time you visit, but you will still be able to read all of our guides.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies or Site settings, then Cookies and site data.
- To remove data for Herval.co only, choose See all site data and permissions, search for "herval.co," and delete it.
- To remove all data, use Delete browsing data and select Cookies and other site data.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open the menu and select Settings.
- Choose Privacy & Security.
- Under Cookies and Site Data, choose Manage Data to remove data for specific sites such as herval.co, or Clear Data to remove everything.
- Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection can also be set to Standard, Strict, or Custom to block trackers.
Apple Safari
- On a Mac, open Safari, choose Safari then Settings (or Preferences), and go to Privacy.
- Select Manage Website Data to remove data for herval.co, or turn on Block all cookies.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then Apps (on recent versions), then Safari, then Advanced, then Website Data, or use Clear History and Website Data.
Microsoft Edge
- Open Edge and select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
- Choose Cookies and site permissions, then Manage and delete cookies and site data, then See all cookies and site data.
- Search for "herval.co" to delete its data, or go to Privacy, search, and services and use Clear browsing data to remove everything.
- Edge's Tracking prevention setting (Basic, Balanced, or Strict) offers additional control.
Menu names change as browsers are updated. If these steps do not match your browser, consult its help pages. On mobile devices, the same options are usually found in the browser's own settings. You can also browse in a private or incognito window, in which case storage is cleared automatically when you close the window.
7. Other ways to control tracking
- Global Privacy Control: some browsers and extensions let you send a GPC signal to every site you visit. We honor it.
- Do Not Track: we do not respond to DNT signals in a specific way because there is no agreed standard, but we do not track you across other websites.
- Email images: if our newsletter provider uses open-tracking pixels, you can block them by turning off automatic image loading in your email app.
8. Changes to this cookie policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes to the technologies we use, to our services, or to the law. When we do, we will change the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and update the table in section 3. If we make a change that requires your consent, such as adding a new optional category, we will show the cookie banner again and ask you to make a fresh choice.
9. Contact us
If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies and local storage, please contact:
- Privacy and cookies: [email protected]
- General questions: [email protected]
- Contact form: herval.co contact page
For more about your rights and how we handle personal information, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Related policies: Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Disclaimer