Lemongrass

Tags

Bee, food, garden, green tips, health, honey bee, Insects, Intercropping, Lemongrass, medicinal herb, organic, tea, Whitefly

Sweet Pickled Lemongrass

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus) , are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons.

Lemongrass is usually planted in home gardens to ward off insects such as whitefly adults. Its cultivation enables growing some vegetables (e.g. tomatoes and broccoli) without applying pesticides. Intercropping should include physical barriers, for citronella roots can take over the field.

Lemongrass is widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cuisine and also as medicinal herb in India. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for use with poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African countries such as Togo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Latin American countries such as Mexico. Lemongrass oil is used as a pesticide and a preservative. Research shows that lemongrass oil has antifungal properties. Despite its ability to repel some insects, such as mosquitoes, its oil is commonly used as a “lure” to attract honey bees. “Lemongrass works conveniently as well as the pheromone created by the honeybee’s Nasonov gland, also known as attractant pheromones. Because of this, lemongrass oil can be used as a lure when trapping swarms or attempting to draw the attention of hived bees.

Health Benefits of Lemongrass Essential Oil

Analgesic, Antidepressant, Antimicrobial and Antibacterial, Anti-pyretic, Antiseptic, Astringent, Carminative, Deodorant, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Fungicidal, Galactogogue, Insecticidaland Nervine.

A Few Words of Caution: It is likely to irritate the skin and produce other types of irritations too. Hence it should be avoided during pregnancy, and kept away from the eyes.

 

Waterblommetjies

Tags

Aponogeton distachyos, Cape Town, Flowers, food, nature, organic, South African endemic plant, Waterblommetjie

Aponogeton distachyos – Waterblommetjie

It is widely cultivated in South Africa for its edible buds and flowers, used in the recipe Waterblommetjiebredie.

It grows in ponds and vleis which dry up in summer, becoming dormant in the dry summer and growing again when the pools fill with autumn rain

 

 

July in Ariston

Tags

Cape Town, environment, Flowers, food, garden, health, herbs, home grown, organic, South African endemic plant

This gallery contains 13 photos.

Winter Solstice in the garden

Tags

aloe, broad beans, Cape Bulbul, Cape Honeysuckle, Cape Robin, Cape Town, Cape Turtle Dove, environment, Flowers, garden, Lemon, nature, organic, plants, South African endemic plant, Tecoma capensis, Viola

Lemon tree oh so pretty

Broad Beans in flower

Viola Black Velvet

First Day Lily

Tecoma Capensis – Cape Honeysuckle

Climbing Aloe

Cape Bulbul

Cape Robin

Cape Turtle Doves

Wordless Wednesday

Tags

Cape Town, environment, Leucospermum, nature, pincushion protea, plants, South African endemic plant

Leucospermum

Faery Friday – Watsonia

Tags

art gift, art print, deviantart, Faery Friday, nature, photography, plants, South African endemic plant, Watsonia borbonica, Watsonia Bulb

Watsonia Bulb (Watsonia borbonica)

Cape Honeysuckle

Tags

Cape Honeysuckle, Flowers, garden, plants, quick solution, Salmon Pink, South African endemic plant, Tecoma capensis

Cape Honeysuckle has to be one of the most rewarding shrubs when a quick solution is needed. It is a fast growing sprawling shrub that can grow up to 2m by 2m. It flowers all year around.  The flowers are red, deep orange, Salmon Pink and Yellow.

The honey laden flowers attract Honeybee, butterflies and nectar feeding birds such as the Sunbird family.

Tecoma capensis is very easy to propagate. It can be propagated from cuttings or by removing rooted suckers during the active growth phase. It is mostly used for screening.

 

Cape Honeysuckle
Tecoma Capensis

Black Eyed Susan

Tags

Bee, Black Eyed Susan, butterfly, environment, Flowers, garden, honeybee, plants, South African endemic plant

 

Thunbergia alata or “Black Eyed Susan”  is a happy fast growing and long flowering vine. It is a favourite here in South Africa, as it is not fussy about the soil and needs only moderate water. It is mostly evergreen and covers ugly places fast.

Ecology
Black-eyed susan is probably pollinated by bees. An insect visiting the flower will touch the stigma first, with its back, and then the anthers, getting a load of pollen that is then carried to another stigma. The flowers reflect ultra violet light in a pattern that is visible to insects but not to humans. This helps insects find the centre of the flower. Seeds are perhaps ejected mechanically when the fruit splits open. A butterfly, Junonia ovithya, or the eyed pansy, and moths also visit these plants to lay eggs, for the larvae eat the leaves. Hence this creeper, being attractive to insects, helps bring birds into a garden. Birds also often nest in the thickly tangled stems.

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
Luther Burbank

My Mpumalanga Plant – Snotappel

Tags

Azanza, Flowers, Mpumalanga Province, quotes, South African endemic plant

Azanza

Close up of the flower

About a year ago, one of my neighbours presented me with a cutting from a plant which both of us have battled to cross- reference. She told me she had found the plant in Mpumalanga Province in South  Africa

It rooted fast and now has it’s own spot in my garden.

The little information I have been able to reference on this plant. Azanza garkeana known as Snotappel.

Shrub or tree 10m, found in the Northern parts of the Kruger National Park.

The flowers are Hibiscus like, yellow with dark centers. Flowering from December to May

The fruit is a round woody capsule. Chewed fruit produces a glutinous slime.

 

Lemongrass

Tags

athletes foot, brinjals, companion plant, Cymbopogon citratus, fleas, food, gardening, herbs, home grown, insect repellant, lemon grass, marinade, Mosquitoes, organic, plants, skin ailments, stirfries, sweet potatoes, Thai cooking, ticks, tomato

Lemongrass – Cymbopogon citratus

Lemon grass originates from Southern India and Sri Lanka. It has long been characteristic of Far Eastern Cuisines. It has found it’s place in Gourmet dishes as well as fragrant toiletries around the world. Apart from culinary and cosmetic uses, Lemon grass has an array of medicinal properties.

To increase your stock of Lemon grass, divide it by pulling apart sections. Potted Lemon grass should be divided every two years. It makes a good companion plant with sweet potatoes, peppers, brinjals and tomatoes. Lemon grass requires full sun.

Uses :

Culinary :

• Delicious as a tea.
• The chopped base of the leaf cluster is used in Thai cooking.
• Delicious with cheese, egg and fish dishes
• Flavouring for marinades, oils, sauces and stir fries.

Medicinal:

• Lemon grass stimulates cell regeneration.
• Soothes intestinal infections
• A strong infusion can be used as a deodorant.
• Soothes fever, colitis, digestive upset, muscular pain,poor circulation,skin ailments and stress related conditions.

Cosmetic :

• Useful for treating most skin ailments.’
• Athlete’s foot
• foot bath and massage.
• Essential Oil diluted in carried oil, will deter mosquitoes, ticks, fleas.

Gardening : 

• Lemon grass insect repelling spray can be used on insect infected plants.
• Watered over beds where seeds will be sown, to protect them from predators.
• Soak pea and bean seed in  Lemon grass tea to have bumper crops.
• Rub the inside of your hive when baiting bees.