Indoor Herb Garden Kits and Herbal Remedies » aromatic

A Sincere Welcome To All Our Visitors

peter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:19:32 +0000

Whether you are a returning or new visitor, I am truly happy that you found us and decided to visit. I would appreciate your feedback. I hope you find what you are looking for here. If not, email me at pete@herbgardenblog.com.

Lovage – Herbal Remedy with a Sting in the Tail

peter — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:29:37 +0000

UMBELLIFERAE/APIACEAE Levisticum officinale

Appearance
All of the parts of the plant are strongly fragrant. A perennial herb with a strong, hollow, angled and branched stem and substantial, long-stalked, bi- or tri-pinnate leaves with shiny dark-green leaflets. The stem leaves are less divided. The smallish greenish-yellow flowers are structured in a compound umbel. The fruit is a yellow-brown, ovoid dual achene with winged ribs.

History
Lovage is probably a native of the Mediterranean zone but it is now naturalized all over Europe in meadows and other grassy places in many regions of Europe.

Lovage was available to the classical Greeks who chewed the fruit to assist digestion and to ease flatulence; the plant has remained a preferred herbal option.

It enjoyed a reputation in a number of European states as an aphrodisiac, thus possibly its popular name. Most likely though the name Lovage is derived from an old English word loveache, from the much earlier Latin name ligusticum, after Liguria in Italy where the herb grew in abundance.

It is regularly grown as a garden herb and is commercially grown on a small scale for medicinal uses in various countries

Usage

The roots of two- or three-year plants or the flowering stems (collected before flowering) are employed medicinally. Their ingredients incorporate an essential oil with terpineol and butyl phthalidine as its most important components, furanocoumarins, sugars, esters of organic acids and resin. These elements impart Lovage stomachic, carminative, cholagogic, diuretic, mild expectorant, antidiaphoretic and anti-rheumatic properties.
In herbalism an infusion is used mainly to relieve flatulence, as an appetizer, for dropsy and urinary disorders, rheumatism and nervous exhaustion.
A hot infusion can be used as an inhalant and if added to bathtub water, it possesses a cleansing and deodorizing effect on the skin.
If taken internally in excess Lovage may cause feelings of nausea and vertigo.

ABOVE ALL, LARGE DOSES SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR BY INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DISEASES.

Growth Characteristics
Flowering period is July to August in the Northern hemisphere.

Wormwood – The Herb Garden Enigma

peter — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:00:27 +0000

Artemisia absinthium (Compositae)

Herb Garden Plant Appearance
The light green deeply slashed leaves (which are silvery when young) provide a highly attractive feature in the herb garden. lt is a touch woody and appears to glimmer during the rain. Circular shrubs achieve 90-120 cms (3-4 ft) in height and produce tiny greenish-yellow flowers in summer time.

Include new grown leaves in poutpourri and herbal sachets, and spread dehydrated sprigs inside drawers as well as cupboards to maintain fresh air. The essential oil of wormwood is manufactured from this plant in both France and America. Although aromatic, wormwood has a very bitter taste.

In large herb gardens a striking impact can be attained by grouping a number of plants together.

History
Known as Artemisia from Artemis, the Greek name for Diana. The Herbarium of Apuleius proclaims: “Of these worts that we name Artemisia, it is said that Diana did find them and delivered their powers and leechdom to Chiron the Centaur, who first from these Worts set forth a leechdom, and he named these worts from the name of Diana, Artemis, that is Artemisias.”

A native of Europe, wormwood is one of the truly magical shrubs from the herb garden. lt was long been introduced into America as a cultivated plant which has naturalized in some areas.

Herb Usage
Wormwood is primarily a flavorant designed for liqueurs and aperitifs – such as absinth and vermouth – since it has a unique fragrance. The leaves are sweetest in aroma when gathered early on in the summer. Absinthe, popular in the 19th century in Europe, caused several cases of brain damage and even death and was banned in many countries in the early 20th century. There is some controversy about this today, as it is claimed that prohibitionists in America started the rumours of brain damage or death. At present, there is no definitive study to prove either theory.

It was previously regarded as a useful remedy for liver and gallbladder problems.

Wormwood oil is still used as a flavoring agent for foods, although in very much smaller quantities than were found in the original absinthe.

The plant’s typical scent can help make it helpful with regard to making a plant spray to combat unwanted insects. In the technique of companion plants, it puts an inhibiting influence on the growth of surrounding plants, therefore inhibiting weeds. It can always be helpful to reject insect larvae although it need only to be located on the border of the area of planting. It has also ended up being employed to repel indoor pests.

Cultivation In The Herb Garden
Propagate through summer season cuttings or from seed sown as soon as it’s ripe, and protect through

the winter season. Both dappled shade or full-blown sunshine are well suited for wormwood, but bushes do appreciate a little shelter from robust winds.

It may be grown within containers and where winter weather icy temperatures pose problems, taken into shelter during a severe spell.

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Sweet Red Rose Of The Apothecary

peter — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:39:18 +0000

Rosa gallica officinalis (Rosaceae)

Appearance
Rosa gallica officinalis is the apothecary’s rose, identified somewhat ambiguously in England as the damask rose because it was introduced to Europe by the crusaders from Damascus. Within America it’s known as the French rose, or rose of Provins

The plant is a bush generally 60 to 120 cms (2-4 ft) in height, typically thick and wide, frequently used on trellises and a great plant for a casual border around the herb garden. The leaves are a strong darkish green, made up of five leaflets, and the stiff bristly stems are virtually without thorns. The petals are bright red with a golden cluster of anthers at the open centre.

History
Numerous mythological as well as charming associations have followed the rose through the centuries and a belief in its potent capabilities resulted in its cultivation in herb gardens fof its uses in medicine and confections.

The apothecarys rose is sometimes referred to as the queen of aromatic herbs.

Herb Usage
Mainly because the dried out petals hold their fragrance it has been extensively employed in the production of numerous fragrances – particularly in the region of the town of Provins, south of Paris, during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Previously, rose honey, lozenges, rose perfumed snuff and rose scented tapers, rose scented wine, rose vinegar and rose sauces were almost all widely available. Fresh or dried out petals may be spread on salads and desserts or strewn in drinks: the hips can be lightly boiled until tender, strained, and the fluid used like a tisane.

ln perfumery, because the petals preserve so strong an aroma on drying out, they were very helpful for sweet waters and sweet smelling bags and they are the predominant ingredient of pot pourri.

Cultivation
Roses adore the sunlight and require a bit of moisture at the roots. Basic cultivation is actually the exact same for all roses, although the complex pruning regimen connected with modern roses will not have to be adopted for the apothecary’s rose. Just get rid of dead and ageing branches; in the event that too much pruning is undertaken the vitality of the plant will end up being directed into producing growth instead of producing blossoms.

In The United States the rose will flourish in all except the really northerly areas, and likes some winter season cold in order to get its winter break. Numerous gardeners regard its cultivation impractical, and it is definitely not for the southern and western seaboard states.

Choose good garden loam, and prepare the soil well before planting in the autumn (fall) or spring. It is actually a good idea for you to acquire smaller plants since propagation from cuttings can be a somewhat sluggish process. In regions where the winter temperature falls beneath minus l2°C (l0°F) shrubs planted in autumn (fall) should be protected during their initial winter with a shielding mulch (which can easily be taken off the following spring).

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Lavender Herbs for Potpourri

peter — Sat, 22 May 2010 08:57:15 +0000

Lavandula species (Labiatae)

Appearance
Little greyish abundant leaves (evergreen in European herb gardens) form a rounded bush 90-180 cms (3-6 ft) high – and sometimes more in spread – which is populated with rigid stems of lilac-blue blossoms . The complete plant is not unlike a large pincushion. In America lavender isn’t regarded as a hardy evergreen because of the low winter temperature ranges; however, if grown inside containers in yards and covered up in the winter months its fragrance can be appreciated in summer.

History
The finest essential oil of lavender can be obtained from L. angustifolia, which botanists fairly recently appear to have included within the generic class L. spica. Gerard named it ‘spike’ which should settle the issue since the classic herbalists avowed that spike lavender was the best one for you to cultivate.

For centuries the effectiveness of its clean crisp and clean fragrance has been used to relieve ‘a light migrain’ or for the falling sickness or maybe giddiness of the brain as outlined by Culpeper. Long before the modern world produced deodorants and bath salts the Romans used lavender in their bath water; the name comes from the Latin lavare – to wash.

Usage
Lavender is among the most widely used plants in the modern herb garden and it is valuable in borders to pathways, internal hedges and on the top of dry walls. It can also be grown in large containers.

Lavender is not really regarded as a culinary herb, but the odd sprig may be added into rich game stews. The blossoms can be crystallized in order to spruce up appearance of sweets as well as confectionery. Its most enduring virtue is its fragrance, and it is a truly wonderful pot pourri component.

Cultivation
Propagate through cuttings of strong new growth in summer or autumn (fall), and once rooted plant most of them out in a nicely drained fairly poor soil. (It may be a good idea to keep a supply of adolescent plants for spot planting later.)

The established herb garden plants tend to take care of themselves and react well to an annual trim in autumn after flowering or otherwise in early spring.

Shrubs tend to straggle as they mature and it’s often important to cut back drastically in autumn (fall) to generate a strong growth the following spring.

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Calamintha, Bees and Butterflies

peter — Mon, 17 May 2010 06:15:05 +0000

Calamintha nepetoides (Labiatae)

Appearance
A small, upright, bushy little herb garden plant 30 to 60 cms (1-2 ft) tall, calamintha produces a haze of tiny bluish flowers with long purple bracts from June through to September. Flowers are studded on short spikes between the leaves in mid-summer. This may slowly spread to make a compact patch. Calamints are near cousins to the garden mint, but without the nasty spreading habit. When crushed, the oblong, dark green leaves give off a spearmint-like fragrance and the blossoms can be a magnet for bees and butterflies.

History
Despite the fact that the correct herb is C. ascendens, which is indiginous to Europe and previously the officinal plant and dubbed C. officinalis for some considerable time, the most popular plant found in the majority of herb gardens is actually C. nepetoides. The two types seem to have been used in days gone by without distinction between them.

Usage
The scented leaves are similar to the fragrance associated with thyme but with pennyroyal nuances; calamintha seemed to be primarily employed in days gone by to help relieve wind. The volatile oil, rather minty in taste, enhances a tea made from the dried leaves and which Gerard deemed to take away ‘sorrowfulness which cometh with melancholie, and maketh a man merrie and glad’.

Useful towards the front of the garden border, or in a woodland location among ferns. Also appealing in mixed containers. Eliminate any all-green shoots as soon as they are noticed, since this plants has a tendency to revert.

Culpeper referred to it as having ‘an fierce and quick fragrance’ and called it as mountain mint and recommended its use for a wide variety of complaints ranging from shortness of breath, cramp, liver and spleen problems, mixed with salt to remove worms and also as a contraceptive.

This plant should be placed where its delightfully fragrant foliage can be touched and brushed.

Cultivation
Try this lovely catmint in a warm, sunny spot in the garden, among herbs or Mediterranean-style plants. It is tolerant of hot and dry conditions.

Division of plants in early spring, cuttings in spring or propagation via seed are all ways to start calamintha in the herb garden. Select a dryish alkaline soil for the best results.

Lift and divide congested colonies in spring.

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Beautiful Bergamot Brings Bees

peter — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:16:04 +0000

Monarda didyma (Labiatae)

Appearance
The flower stalks of this aromatic herb garden plant grow to around 50 to 90 cms (1.5 to 3 ft) and flower for many months from the middle of summer . The whole flower is usually impregnated with an enchanting fragrance even when the top growth has died all the way down and the roots remain gently perfumed with a suggestion of citrus; for this reason it’s gained the name of bergamot, similar to bergamot orange. The flowers are a flamboyant red color and they are carried in crowns with red bracts in between each floret, suggesting an exploding fire flower.

Dependable cultivars can be obtained with pink, mauve and white-colored blooms, all of which maintain the aromatic characteristics that cause them to be valuable in the herb garden. A handsome plant native to South America as well as the eastern parts of North America from New York to West Virginia, bergamot is an inhabitant of swampy stream edges around hilly areas.

History
Bergamot was introduced into Europe in the 16th century and became well known by the mid-18th century, primarily for its fragrance virtues. Bergamot is currently well established as a good looking perennial, which is the offspring of numerous cultivars.The genus Monarda commemorates Nicholas Monardes – a Spanish physician who wrote about the New World flora in the 16th century.

Usage

The aromatic leaves dry out well and keep their scent so they may be incorporated into pot pourri.
A tisane made out of the leaves used to be drunk by the Oswego Indians – consequently the parochial title of Oswego tea. This particular infusion is endorsed as a digestive as well as being useful when you are treating instances of an abnormal or painful monthly period.
The blossoms make a cosmetic addition in fruit cups, but need to be steeped in water first to wash the insects that hide in the little round flowerets.
Valued by beekeepers for their ability to attract bees.

Propogation
The plant is quick to develop and forms bunches with a number of runners. Bergamot loves a moist soil or any decent gardening soil to which moisture retentive material has been added and it likes the sun. It is very adaptable to somewhat of a shaded position provided the roots stay damp. Chalky garden soil does not go down well and it dislikes damp winters since the yearly growth routine is impeded.

A portion drawn from the outer edges of an established bunch in spring will soon establish itself in any herb garden and cuttings could be obtained at the same time.

The clumps should be split up and divided every 3 or 4 years.

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Herb Garden Plants – Lemon Verbena, Fragrance Divine

peter — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:47:41 +0000

Herb Garden Plants – Lemon Verbena
Aloysia triphylla (Lippia citriodora) Verbenaceae

Appearance:
One of the lesser known but truly essential herb garden plants, lemon verbena commonly grows to about 1.5 to 2m tall with a wide spread. Our 30 year old lemon verbena now dwarfs the house and needs frequent trimming. The pale green leaves make a lovely showing and afford shade to smaller plants. Standing close to the plant will immediately reveal the origin of its name.

History:
Prized for centuries due to the pungent lemon like fragrance exuded by its leaves, lemon verbena is amongst the most fragrant of herb garden plants; it was brought from South America by the Spanish around the seventeenth century. Lemon verbena was given its name for its aroma, and it is a name that has persisted. One wonders if the citizens of South America call our lemon something like “verbena fruit” in return.

Usage – everyday:
Originally imported mainly for its oil, lemon verbena is prized for several other virtues:
An aromatic addition to finger bowl water.
The dried leaves retain their scent for a very long time and can be used in potpourri.
Branches and fresh leaves of these herb garden plants can be put into airing cupboards and wardrobes to keep clothes and linen freshly aromatic.
Crush lemon verbena leaves in almond oil makes an oil used for aromatherapy massage.
Blending with other fragrant oils for handmade cosmetics.
Add to bath water in a sachet for an aromatherapy experience.
Hang branches in saunas to permeate the wood paneling with a wonderful fragrance.
The leaves may be finely chopped for use in hot drinks, cakes, puddings and jellies.
Chopped leaves work marvelously well sprinkled on fish while cooking; or add a small sprig to give bland foods like oatmeal and rice a lift.
Lemon verbena shrubs attract butterflies to the garden and they often grown as herb garden plants for this purpose alone.

Usage – medicinal:
Leaves can be infused to make a gentle sedative tea to soothe chest and nose congestion, indigestion, flatulence, stomach cramps and nausea. Use about 10 leaves to a cup of boiling water, sweeten with honey and drink after meals.

Cultivation:
Lemon verbena loves sunshine as well as a bit of shelter. (A sunny corner is ideal.) These semi-hardy herb garden plants are grown mostly in greenhouses or indoors in colder climates. Protect outside plants with a light covering in regions susceptible to frost.

Ideal soil is sandy, tending to alkalinity and having good drainage. Lemon verbena thrives in poor soil.

To propagate, take summer cuttings with a small heel and trim off all but the topmost leaves; place these firmly into a moist sandy growing medium. Keep in a cool shaded place and keep soil slightly damp. Plant out into hessian or plastic bags when rooting has taken place and allow to grow until well established but not bursting at the seams. Plant out to between 1 and 2m. Regular pruning will encourage growth and produce a healthier plant.

Harvesting:
One of the least demanding herb garden plants, you can harvest lemon verbena leaves at will. Branches are a bit brittle and will benefit from trimming back to prevent breaking in high winds or from sheer weight.

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Herb Garden Plants – Hyssop for Catarrh

peter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:05:44 +0000

Hyssopus officinalis (Labiatae)

Appearance
Popular both as sectional edging or container inmates, hyssop is an attractive, if attenuated, sweet scented evergreen. It sports minute leaves and has little lilac-blue blossoms which give a fine show from the middle of summer onwards.

History
I read recently that William Turner was cognisant of hyssop. He authored the first ever English-language book on English plants. This was circa 1558 and I quote “the brethe or vapour of Hisop driveth away the Winde that is in the ears, if they be holden over it”.

A native of the warmer parts of Europe and the Mediterranean rim, hyssop is mentioned in the bible. These popular herb garden plants started their eastern migration in the 11th century and were established in Britain around the 14th century as popular herbs. Thereafter they were taken to the New World by settlers.

Memorably aromatic, they were very important medieval herb garden plants grown for their function as one of the standard strewing herbs. Notably, oil of hyssop was used in the Chartreuse blends and was certainly as highly regarded and in demand as the better known oil of lavender.

Usage
The volatile oils extant in hyssop were well known to the American colonists as a specific remedy for catarrh and rheumatism as well as being an antiseptic. Hyssop flowers make a tea used for easing of catarrh, another delivery medium being by way of crushing and introducing into a herb-based pipe tobacco.

Apart from the traditional usage as strewing herbs through its aromatic virtues, hyssop is popular in potpourri recipes, adding a distinctive almost incense-like tinge to a potpourri. Hyssop was one of the most important herb garden plants for the earlier settlers, who were sometimes cut off from their peers and medical attention for long periods.

Cultivation
Grow hyssop through spring cuttings or seeding. After sprouting roots, plant cuttings in a peat mixture somewhere shady enough to stay moist. Deceptively hardy plants, they will nevertheless benefit from a well drained soil in their beds, window boxes or containers. These are herb garden plants that benefit from apicular pruning in autumn to bush out better in summer.

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Rosemary Herb for Sailor Men

peter — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:32:32 +0000

Rosmarinus officinalis (Labiatae)

Appearance:

The almost universally well loved rosemary herb has lush evergreen foliage, which releases the rosemary fragrance by gentle brushing. Its wonderful purple/blue flowers bloom early in mild climes and the display continues to early summer. It grows into a bushy 1.5m (5ft) plant if healthy and well situated.

Usage Medical:

Rosemary was burned inside rooms as an air freshener
Included in body cosmetics for its deodorant properties
Mixed in tobacco to produce a fragrant aroma
Grown as herb garden plants for inclusion in pot pourris
Used as an infusion or tea for internal discombobulations
An antiseptic and embrocation for wounds

Usage Culinary:

Many old style cooks used to aver that “The flavour is pronounced, exercise restraint when using in a dish.” Fortunately that is just an opinion, as there is nothing better than roast lamb slathered in rosemary. It is probably best with lamb, but there is no dish that cannot be improved with a bit of rosemary; all you need is to adjust quantities to the dish. Red meat, game and pork will use more than poultry or egg dishes. Try it and decide for yourself.

See our fantastic slow roast greek lamb recipe.

History:

Rosemary is reputed to be for remembrance and was stuck in the knapsack of many a deepwater sailor. Culpeper propounded almost a score of benefits and virtues and uses and declared ‘The Flowers and Conserve made of them are singular good comfort to the Heart’. Obviously another fan .

Cultivation:

Take cuttings of non-flowering woody shoots or layer established shoots in summer. Likes well drained soil, sun and shelter but will grow well even in harsh conditions. In very cold areas rosemary will do well in pots able to be moved into shelter. Rosemary seems to do well in 7 year cycles, after which it welcomes replanting elsewhere.

Harvesting:

The robustness of the rosemary herb allows frequent pruning for shaping and harvesting. Mild areas can enjoy year round harvesting.

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Herb Garden Plants – Mint

peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:06:19 +0000

Mentha species (Labiatae)

Appearance: Numerous mint species are grown almost everywhere. Wild or cultivated forms all bear various local names. Their tendency to hybridise plus the fact that parochial names and appearance vary according to climate and location leads to some confusion in identification or collation of species information. Scientific analysis of essential oils has largely cleared up the identification and inter-relationship of these popular herbs, but local names both abound and persist. At one stage I grew a dozen different species of various appearance until sanity prevailed.

Spearmint or garden mint enjoys wide usage – it’s narrow pointed leaves, reach 30-90 cms (1-3 ft tall). If left to flower in midsummer, purple spikes appear well above the leaves. Apple mint has large, round, soft leaves and pink spikes growing up to 1 m (3 ft) high. The cream and green variegated form with leaves bordered and overlaid with cream is usually called pineapple mint; a good decorative garden plant retaining its attractive foliage throughout the summer. Ginger mint or scotch mint is another attractively leaved plant, particularly in the variegated form with golden variegation of the pointed leaves and its crisp even appearance and height makes a great herb border.

Usage: Most mints can be used for culinary purposes – one of the biggest – Bowles’s mint – has a reputation as a gourmet’s mint. It is a vigorous grower, easily attaining 1.5 m (5 ft), it’s broad leaves are covered with light coloured down. Peppermint is widely used in culinary and medical applications; there are two varieties (Black and white) which grow to about 1 m (3% ft), the former with black/purple stems – both produce a sharp crisp oil. In the kitchen peppermint can be used to flavour fruit cups, sweets and puddings. tea is made from fresh or dried leaves.

A range of fragrance is provided by the same oil; the small chemical variations between one species and another are affected by season, soil and weather. Mint may be variously described as peppery, lemon flavoured or ginger flavoured.

History: Spearmint, the classic ingredient in Mint Juleps, was recorded as growing in Plymouth, Mass. in the early 1600′s by Elder William Brewster. It appears in Josselyn’s seed list but is absent from the Winthrop seed order placed in 1631. It was available locally and did not need to be imported.

Cultivation: All mints are vigorous growers given the right growing conditions. Most can be picked year round except in areas experiencing heavy frost or snow.

Mint is propagated by planting pieces of the rooted stem — about 5 cms (2 ins) deep in moist loamy soil, at almost any time during the growing season. Apple mint, sometimes called dryland mint in America, will tolerate less moist soil but all mints like sunlight. The plants need to be confined to their allotted space by enclosing their growing space with bricks, tiles or thick plastic strips.

Container growing requires regular watering unless the containers are sunk into the ground. All mints can be grown indoors but have a tendency to becoming leggy when grown like this. The exception is apple mint which can be a very attractive container plant.

A mint bed should be remade and relocated every three or four years to prevent mint rust disease.

Crowns of mint plants can be boxed or potted up in winter and taken to a warm greenhouse to force strong fresh shoots within three to four weeks.

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Herb Garden Plants – Lemon Balm – Heaven S(c)ent

peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:49:01 +0000

Melissa officinalis (Labiatae)

Appearance: Grows into a dense round bush around 60-90 Cm’s (2-3 ft) tall and broad. Temperate regions increase growth sizes by about 20 percent. Leaves may be variegated with distinct yellow patterns. There are several types of these herb garden plants.

Usage: Lemon balm dries well and all types are used in potpourri recipes. Use lemon balm as a substitute for lemon juice in jam-making. Dried and crushed, leaves may be added into stuffing for meat and poultry.Flower tips and fresh leaves are floated on punches, wine and fruity cups.

History: Lemon balm as herb garden plants were primarily grown for their aromatic lemon-scented leaves. The clean pervasive fragrance led to cultivation for use a popular strewing herb. Balm was a principal ingredient of eau descarmes – a distillation invented by Carmelite monks as the forerunner of eau de cologne – in seventeenth—century Paris.

Cultivation: Seed is slow to germinate but quite easy to grow. The very fine seeds barely require covering. Impatient growers can take cuttings from established herb garden plants in late spring; plant these when established in warm areas or wait until the following spring.

Moist soil and good sun promotes lemon balm’s essential oil eradicating the slightly musty nuances that dry seasons or light, dry soils produce. It is particularly healthy, both in appearance and aromatic qualities, in well set up containers. Always remember to cut back close to the soil level in the autumn (fall) to ensure fresh growth and good fragrance later.

Lemon balm likes temperate regions without excessive humidity and thrives after a cold winter.

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Herb Garden Plants – Fennel

peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:44:44 +0000

Foeniculum vulgare (Umbelliferae)

Appearance: These tall graceful herb garden plants have fine foliage which can be used fresh throughout summer. The thick and shiny primary stem reaches about 1.5 m (5 ft) with featherlike soft fine foliage topped by delicate yellow flowers blooming in midsummer.

Usage: Fennel is a popular and very traditional seasoning for fatty meats. In small quantities it may be used as an addition to lamb or poultry. It greatly enhances the taste of fish, particularly oily fish. Seed is used in bread dough. Use steeped in oil or yoghurt to make a salad or vegetable dressing. Fennel bulbs are delicious.

History: These herb garden plants have been grown and used in northern Europe and the mediterranean region since Roman times. Fennel was tranported to the New World as a digestive remedy by settlers. (Seeds) Fennel seeds provide an anise—flavoured condiment stifles appetite and were used in Europe during religous fasting. Puritan communities in the USA took seeds of fennel and dill into church to chew during long services. Hence the expression “meeting seeds”. ln the Middle Ages it was placed into keyholes to stop the migration of evil spirits. The Romans employed fennel as a specific for various and regarded it as an agent of power and safe travelling.

Cultivation: Fennel is a tall plant suitable for the back of the herb border. Seed should be sown in late spring. To maintain Sow a few seeds in succession with about a 10-day interval between sowings. Cultivate as an annual if desired, but the established roots produce hardy plants that easily survive winter. Divide established roots from established herb garden plants in the fall (autumn) after seed has been harvested.

Harvesting: Fennel is sap rich and does not dry easily. Collect seed heads immediately you observe a color change. Hang them up in a dry, well ventilated environment out of the sun. Place a large tray or towel/paper/cloth underneath to collect the seeds easily.

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Herb Garden Plants – Coriander/Silantro/Dhania

peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:32:43 +0000

Coriandrum sativum (Umbelliferae)

Appearance: The entire plant makes a decorative addition to the herb border – it may also be cultivated in pots quite successfully – and will reach a height of 45 cms (1.5 ft). The lower leaves are fan-like (similar to flat-leafed parsley), upper leaves are filigreed and the tiny flowers in high summer are a pinkish mauve.

Description: Coriander has developed into 2 distinct categories – the seeds and the leaves. Despite the seeds being cultivated and used for over 3000 years, the leaves were virtually unknown as a culinary entity up until the late 20th century, coriander leaves are now reputed to be in the top 5 most popular herbs worldwide. Once seldom listed in herb garden information brochures, fresh coriander has come into it’s own at last.

Known variously as silantro, coriander and dhania – depending on your country of residence – the leaf version of coriander has taken the world by storm. Before the seed ripens the entire plant can be distinctly odorous, but on maturity the rich aroma develops.

Usage: For the best flavour, seed should be freshly ground before use. In Indian cooking the seed is roasted before being ground for use and the leaves are used either in the curry or as a garnish – or even both. Seeds are often added to a potpourri mix.

History: The rounded beige seeds of coriander are best known as a flavouring for pickles and curries in both Europe and America. But in India and the Far East green coriander — or the fresh foliage — accounts for the distinctive curry flavours. This foliage version is happily becoming a must have item in western supermarkets.

A native of southern Europe and the Middle East, coriander used to be a popular herb in England up to Tudor times. The early settlers in America included coriander seed among the beloved items they took to the New World, as did the Spaniards in Mexico. Today, coriander enjoys a wide popularity. However, among certain groups it still has mythical associations — the Chinese believe it to be endowed with the power of immortality and Jews include it in the bitter herbs prepared for the Feast of Passover.

Cultivation: Coriander grows best in a dry atmosphere — in fact it is difficult to grow in damp or humid areas, and needs a good dry summer at the very least if a reasonable crop is to be obtained. Choose a sunny place and sow seed in situ once all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow into decorative containers and continue to cultivate as a container plant on an apartment balcony, sunny patio or yard. The stems are weak – either add a stake or give it a companion to lean against. Coriander makes a good Winter crop, depending on local climate. Where I live, a dry warm Winter gives good results and we indulge in many hot curries with coriander garnishing.

Harvesting: Sprigs can be frozen or preserved in salt and oil; fresh leaf coriander does not dry successfully. The best flavour is obtained by using leaves soon after picking.