Nasturtium

Tags

bladder, bronchitis, colds, companion plant, coughs, flower, flu, Herb, kidney, nasturtium, nasturtiums, salad, showy flowers, sore throat

Nasturtium Tropaeolum maju

Nasturtiums are a wonderfully colorful and useful  annual addition to any garden and they are easy to grow. It has a pleasant peppery taste and has become a favourite world over. The showy flowers come in shades of fiery red, oranges and yellows. The flowers can be single or double.

Sow the seeds in Spring in a sunny spot. It does best in sandy soils, but any well drained soil will do. Interestingly, the poorer the soil, the more flowers the plant will produce.  Once they are established they will reseed themselves year after year.

Nasturtiums are wonderful companion plants. Plant them near roses, cucumbers, cabbage and other plants.

All parts of the plant are used. Eat a leaf at the first sign of a sore throat, another an hour later and a third leaf an house later. Nasturtiums have a high vitamin C content, as well as being a natural antibiotic. It is also used to treat bladder and kidney ailments,coughs, colds, flu, sore throats and bronchitis.

The flower has most often been consumed, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient.

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.

 

 

 

Winter Savory- the forgotten Herb

Tags

Aromatherapy, bean weevils, candida, colds and flu, companion plant, companion planting, coughs, Essential oil, garden, gardening, health, Herb, herbal tea, home grown, nature, perennial  herb, plant, plants, respiratory ailments, satureja montana, Satureja montana Winter Savory, Southern Europe, white flowers, winter savory

Satureja montana

Winter Savory is an easy to grow perennial  herb with pretty little white flowers. It makes and ideal path edging, container plants, focal point for hanging baskets. The tiny white flowers set the bees humming and butterflies into a frenzy.  Pungent oils that contain thymol and linalool are released when crushing this herb.

It is a good companion plant for beans keeping bean weevils away, and roses reducing mildew and aphids, and tomatoes as it keep white-fly and aphids at bay.

Medicinal uses :Winter Savory is native to Southern Europe and North Africa. It has been used since ancient times to aid and stimulate digestion and ease colic and flatulence. Ancient texts show that Monks used it with honey to make a strong syrup for digestive problems as well as coughs, colds and chest ailments.

Modern research has also found that the essential oil extracted from Winter Savory is beneficial for Candida. A tea of winter savory drunk twice daily greatly relives the condition. (not for pregnant or breast-feeding woman).

For treating winter respiratory ailments, coughs, colds and flu add lemon and honey to the tea, drink 3 cups per day.

Cultivation : Winter Savory roots easily, plant cuttings 5-cm apart in full sun in well composted, well dug soil.

Culinary : I always dry Winter Savory and add it to my blend of mixed herbs. It goes well with beans and in a pasta sauce.

Winter Savory- the forgotten Herb

Tags

Aromatherapy, bean weevils, candida, colds and flu, companion plant, companion planting, coughs, Essential oil, garden, gardening, health, Herb, herbal tea, home grown, nature, plant, plants, respiratory ailments, satureja montana, Southern Europe, winter savory

Satureja montana

Winter Savory is an easy to grow perennial  herb with pretty little white flowers. It makes and ideal path edging, container plants, focal point for hanging baskets. The tiny white flowers set the bees humming and butterflies into a frenzy.  Pungent oils that contain thymol and linalool are released when crushing this herb.

It is a good companion plant for beans keeping bean weevils away, and roses reducing mildew and aphids, and tomatoes as it keep white-fly and aphids at bay.

Medicinal uses :Winter Savory is native to Southern Europe and North Africa. It has been used since ancient times to aid and stimulate digestion and ease colic and flatulence. Ancient texts show that Monks used it with honey to make a strong syrup for digestive problems as well as coughs, colds and chest ailments.

Modern research has also found that the essential oil extracted from Winter Savory is beneficial for Candida. A tea of winter savory drunk twice daily greatly relives the condition. (not for pregnant or breast-feeding woman).

For treating winter respiratory ailments, coughs, colds and flu add lemon and honey to the tea, drink 3 cups per day.

Cultivation : Winter Savory roots easily, plant cuttings 5-cm apart in full sun in well composted, well dug soil.

Culinary : I always dry Winter Savory and add it to my blend of mixed herbs. It goes well with beans and in a pasta sauce.