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Lungwort (pulmonaria officinalis) is a perennial plant found in many gardens for its attractive basil shaped green, speckled leaves. The plant flowers early in spring producing funnel-shaped small bunches of flowers. The flowers can be white, red, blue, purple or a combination. Flowering usually takes place from March to May. If cut back in early June it will grow back for fall. Lungwort tends to grow in damp open woodland. The plant prefers shady, nutrient-rich stony or clay soil. It is low growing and can spread, but tends to grow in clumps making it easy to control. Useful Herb The aerial parts of the plant, meaning the parts which grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Making lungwort not only an attractive addition to the garden, but a useful herb. People take lungwort to treat breathing conditions, stomach and intestinal ailments, and kidney and urinary tract problems. Lungwort is also used in cough medicines to relieve fluid retention, and treat lung diseases. Some people apply lungwort leaves directly to the skin to treat burns, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and eczema. Make sure to apply only to the affected area. As a Tea Drinking a soothing cup of lungwort tea can help relieve a number of digestive and gastrointestinal problems including indigestion and diarrhea. Lungwort has mild diuretic properties which may help relieve the discomfort of bloating from excess water build-up while its astringent properties may also be responsible for treating attacks of diarrhea. To make a tea steep 1-2 tsp of dried leaves per cup and drink 3 times a day to subdue inflammation and for aiding the healing of lung, stomach, intestine and urinary problems. Cooking It can be consumed raw or cooked in a salad or as a cooked vegetable, but with the hairy texture and bitter taste I don’t know if it would be enjoyable unless mixed with other greens to balance it. With lungworts medicinal uses and beautifully unique foliage; this easy, low maintenance plant is a great addition to any garden. Happy gardening! Note: Lungwort is not recommended for long-term use or to use excessively as it can cause menstrual disorders, upset stomach and skin inflammation. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Pulmonaria+officinalis With its sea green, thick, fuzzy foliage lamb’s ear really stand out against other plants. It is drought-tolerant and can make its home pretty well anywhere except in overly moist soil. There are plenty of sites that will tell you how to grow and plant lamb’s ear, but for us it grows like a weed so growing it is the easy part. It is controlling it and keeping it to limited areas that is our issue. Despite the fact that it can be somewhat invasive it is very easy to pull out. Periodically, removing stragglers and cutting back hard will keep it looking neat and tidy. It does get a purple spiked flower, which can be pruned to keep the plant looking neat along the border. I like the effect of the leaves more, so I remove the flowers. In the winter it is best to leave any dead leaves in place to protect the crown during the cold months. Come spring, a raking through them cleans them up and makes room for new growth. Medicinal Uses Lamb’s ear has been used as an antibacterial dressing to soak up blood, and speed up the healing process. It makes a great alternative to bandages for children with its super soft-felted foliage. By squashing the leaves you can place it onto bee, wasp stings or insect bites to reduce the swelling. Soaking the leaves in boiling water and then cooling makes an infusion that is good for an eye wash for sties. As a tea it helps in the treatment of colds, fevers, diarrhea, gum and throat infections, asthma, internal bleeding and sinus and skin infections. It has a mild taste so it isn’t too bad to drink, but I prefer adding it with some lemon and honey. It also makes a good toilet paper substitute, if you find yourself in need. Culinary Uses It has been said that you can eat lamb’s ear fresh in a salad or steamed as greens. Lamb's ear could be described as having a taste similar to apple, but they are also very fuzzy. Personally, I don't enjoy them because of the fuzzy texture. Like most herbs you want to pick them before they flower since they take on a bitter taste. Lamb’s ear is a great addition to any perennial or herb garden with its soft- texture, striking color contrast and many medicinal uses. Happy gardening! We are now into November and Calendula is one of the few flowers still growing in my garden. With its easy-care and many uses, I thought this plant was worthy of attention. Its bright varied orange and yellow blooms take on many forms from fluffy, double heads to ordinary flat, daisy-like shapes adding a lot of interest and show to your garden. Calendula is a great addition for beginner gardeners. It is easy to grow from seed and is not picky about the soil it grows in and works well in containers too. It grows in sun or shade, is drought tolerant and can handle frost. It is great in the vegetable garden to deter harmful insects and to draw away aphids. It can be grown in zones 2-11, which makes it a great choice for many gardeners. Typically, Calendula is considered an annual, but can be a perennial in milder climates. It can tolerate temperatures down to 25F(-4), but does require shading in extreme heat or it will stop flowering. As a result, if you live in a place with over 85F(30C) for long periods they should be planted in partly shaded areas. Where it grows as an annual, it is capable of self-seeding for the next year. Although Calendula is an easy-care plant it does require deadheading(removal of spent flower heads) every 2-4 days for continued blooming. Calendula is known for its soothing properties. Gentle enough for babies and yet its medicinal properties are used for cuts, scrapes, dry irritated skin, bug bites, sunburns, sore throat, pink eye and a salve for diaper rash. It can be used as an ingredient for salves, lotions, creams, and soaps. It helps reduce age spots and is known to increase collagen production. To ease into using Calendula medicinally, I would suggest a healing oil. It can be used for many skin conditions and only requires the addition of an oil. There are many recipes on the internet showing how to make your own healing oil. I prefer to make it by letting it sit and infuse slowly into the oil. Directions:
Dried flowers -Add 1-2 tbsp of dried calendula flowers into a cup and pour hot water over them and let steep 15-20 minutes. Dried flowers external first-aid- Add 1/4- 1/3 cup dried calendula flowers into a canning jar and pour hot water over them. Let steep for several hours before straining. Use a cotton pad to apply Fresh Flowers- fill a cup with fresh flowers and pour hot water over them. Cover and let sit until the tea is cool enough to drink. If you are looking for a flower that is vibrant, long lasting, and easy to grow , Calendula is the perfect flower. You will enjoy its many uses in and out of the home for cooking, first-aid and garden pest deterrent. Begin by adding a few to your garden and you will have many years of enjoyment as it never disappoints. Happy gardening! Oregano is the last of the 8 easy to grow herbs for beginners that I would like to share with you. It is a great herb for attracting bees and protecting other plants from insect predators. Oregano is a meditteranian herb suited to growing zones 5-10 that grows best in a sunny location, and actually grows better in moderately fertile soil. If given too much nitrogen it will change the taste of the leaves. It is very hardy and resows easily. To keep oregano under control prune before the flowers have a chance to seed. Regular pruning encourages new growth and prevents a leggy looking bush. When growing oregano from seed it is best to start indoors for most climates and then transplanting outdoors when the temperatures are above 45F(7C). It takes 10-15 days to germinate and should ideally have a temperature of 70F(21C). The seeds are very tiny and should only be scattered along the surface of the soil and kept moistened until they germinate. Once leaves start to develop, reduce the watering time. Oregano will rot if over watered. Like most of my herbs I prefer to use it fresh. Oregano tastes best before it flowers, but the flowers are edible and have their own flavor. There are 3 flower varieties that are pink, purple and white. The white flowered varieties have the best flavor for cooking. If cutting ahead of time, store in the fridge in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel to give it a 3-7 day shelf life. You can dry it and have it on hand for use throughout the year, but for best flavor and benefits use within 6 months. Oregano is a familiar herb for olive oil and tomato based dishes, but it also has important antibacterial and antifungal properties. Research has shown that used in oil form it was among the most effective natural antibiotics. If using fresh or dried you can still gain a boost to your immune system. It's loaded with antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, and is a great source of fiber, vitamin K, manganese, iron, vitamin E, calcium and tryptophan. Fresh oregano is best used in cooking, since when eaten raw it can have a very bitter, even astringent taste to it. It is pungent enough to last over a long cooking time, which means that you can add it at a relatively early point in the cooking process. What to do with those leaves then? Remember to use it sparingly so that it doesn’t overpower the dish. I use oregano for pizza, pasta and other sauces, making croutons, chili, herb bread or biscuits. It can be added to any olive oil or tomato baste dish. As you can see, oregano like our other 7 herbs are not only easy to grow but well worth it. Make this one of your essential herbs in the garden and you will find it not only useful for cooking, and your health but also as an ornamental plant that is beneficial to the garden. Chives are the most versatile herb in the garden that can be grown anywhere - shade or sun, container or bed. They grow easy from seed and look great in the garden with pom pom like flower heads. They come back year after year being one of the first plants you see in the garden. If you are worried about them spreading make sure to remove the flower heads before they go to seed. Chives make a great herb to tuck in any bed. I have two varieties in my garden garlic chives and common chives. The garlic chives are flat with white flowers, and have a light garlic taste to them. The common chives are round with a hollow center with purple flowers and have an onion taste to them. When you are short on space chives can be a great substitute for green onions and garlic. Apples, grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots are a few plants that do better with chives close by. Where plants such as beans and peas have a harder time growing near chives. When you let chives flower the stem with the flowers gets hard and is no longer edible. However, the flower itself is edible and has a stronger taste than the leaf itself. The easiest way to use the flower heads is to pull them apart and use them as a garnish or to add a delicate onion or garlic flavor into soups, salads, sauces, potatoes and egg dishes. Chives are nutrient dense containing properties that can improve a person's sleep, bone health, protect against chronic disease and contain cancer fighting antioxidants when eaten raw. Although, you would have to eat an awful lot to really see a difference, chives can aid in improving your overall health. I enjoy the ease and convenience of chives and have used them as an addition to many recipes. Here are a few favorite ways I love to eat them.
Thyme is my go to for feeling under the weather. Combined with lemon and honey, thyme makes a great tea for colds, coughs and sore throats. It is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin A. It is a natural expectorant, helps decrease inflammation, kills bacteria and helps keep healthy bacteria in balance. This makes thyme good for keeping urinary tract and yeast infections at bay. If used as a salt substitute it can help lower heart rate and blood pressure. Along with making tea with thyme, I use it with soups, stews and sauces that contain carrots, potatoes and onions. It also makes a wonderful addition to saute mushroom dishes. It is commonly used in Mediterranian and Italian dishes. When adding to foods, as with most herbs, it is best added near the end of cooking. You can use the flowers as a garnish by sprinkling them over any dish adding a lemony flavor. Easy to grow, thyme is a low maintenance perennial that grows well in a dry, sunny location. It is drought resistant so don’t overwater. Once thyme has finished flowering it is good to trim back to allow new growth to flourish and to keep it from getting too leggy and woody looking. Here are a couple of recipes:
What the heck is a sprig? - single branch (leaves and stem) Rosemary is one of my easiest herbs to maintain that I have planted in my garden. Outside of removing a few dead branches caused by too much exposure to the cold I have not needed to do any extra maintenance to keep my rosemary looking healthy. To keep your rosemary from getting too unruly you may wish to prune it. Many recommend to only prune a third of the plant. I happen to live in an area where it remains above freezing most of the winter, therefore I am able to keep my rosemary as a perennial. It is a tender perennial so it should be protected from the elements by a wall or barrier of some sort, and keep it mulched during the winter. If exposed too much to the cold elements you can kill it off. If you live in a colder climate it is best to keep your rosemary in a pot and place it in a greenhouse or another protected area. You can grow rosemary from seed but you are looking at only about a third of the seeds germinating, and you can expect it to take 3-4 weeks before any seedlings emerge. It is much easier to grow rosemary from a starter, or a cutting from a larger plant. When planting consider what benefits or doesn't benefit from being a companion to rosemary. Rosemary likes well drained soil and therefore shouldn't be planted with crops that require lots of water, such as chives or mint. Consider how well rosemary works as a pest repellent. For instance, any plant in the cruciferous family, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or kale will benefit by the strong oils in rosemary repelling white moths. It also repels certain beetles, carrot flies, slugs and snails, making it a great companion for carrots, beans and leafy greens. What is wonderful about Rosemary is that I am able to use it year round. My favorite use of this herb is with roast chicken, pork, roasted potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables. I also like it in homemade focaccia bread. To soften up and infuse flavouring I combine rosemary with butter, olive oil or both in a small pot and heat through. I then pour it over my meat, toss it with vegetables or brush on bread. Be careful with ingesting rosemary as there can be a risk of allergic reaction, and rosemary essential oils can be toxic if ingested. I would recommend that you seek medical advice if taking rosemary orally. In cooking rosemary is safe, but I probably would avoid using more than 3 tbsp of fresh rosemary a day. This shouldn’t be too hard since rosemary has a very strong flavor and 1 tbsp should be plenty for most recipes. Plus most people don’t cook with it on a daily basis. If you have high blood pressure, Crohn's disease or ulcers it is not recommended that you take any rosemary supplements. A good source of iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and B6, makes rosemary a great addition to your herb garden. With many wonderful health benefits such as its use as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune system booster, muscle pain reliever, and cognitive memory enhancer makes rosemary a great addition to your herb garden. When used as an oil rosemary can promote hair growth. That I leave for you to decide if it is true or not. However, it does stimulate blood circulation so it may stimulate the scalp, which improves hair growth. Easy to use and readily available makes rosemary a favourite in the garden. It can be used in a variety of recipes and has many health benefits. In addition it is a great repellent for pesty insects. You may not be able to grow it easily from seed but you can grow cuttings easily or purchase a starter plant. Overall a beautiful, fragrant, and low maintenance addition to your garden. Continuing on with the theme of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, my focus this week is Sage. I have always enjoyed growing sage in my garden not only for its aroma and use, but also the beauty it adds. I enjoy the gray tinted leaves and tall spikes full of purple flowers that make it lovely for perennial borders and gardens. It is incredibly hardy and can tolerate being forgotten. It is easy to grow from seed. I started my seeds in a little cup with growing medium, and once they reached a couple of inches I transplanted them into my vegetable garden border. There was no special care while it grew, and by the following year I was able to use the leaves. If you wish to keep your plant looking full and prevent it from being too leggy and woody looking you will need to cut it back. I usually wait until my sage has finished flowering and then I cut it back and clean it up. That's it. Sage has many wonderful medicinal uses. As an antioxidant it helps brain function and lowers the risk of cancer. Sage's antimicrobial properties help kill microbes that cause teeth and gum problems. If your situation finds you without a toothbrush, chew on sage leaves. It has been shown to lower both cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels in diabetics. Also, a great herb for treating congestion. As an anhidrotic Sage prevents perspiration, and is also known to dry up milk flow during lactation, so be careful when breast feeding to not over use it. Sage mostly known for its use in stuffing can be added to many other dishes not only adding flavor and aroma but is an excellent preservative. You can chop Sage up and add it into soups, stews, ground meats, eggs, veggies, sauces, or broths. You can also make an infused vinegar or oil with it to be used as a marinade or dressing. Like other delicate herbs it should be added near the end of the cooking process. Here are a couple of recipes: Simple Sage Butter - 16 sage leaves, finely chopped, ½ cup softened butter and 1 shallot finely chopped (optional). Combine and use as a rub for meat or to melt on bread, rice or vegetables. Bruschetta recipe - 1 cup cooked navy beans, 1tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp chopped sage, 1 clove of garlic minced combine and serve on baguette slices. Infused olive oil - Cold infused- 1 cup of fresh sage leaves dried overnight plus 2 cups of olive oil. Let sit in a cool dark, dry place for 6 hours and then strain leaves. Lasts 1-2 weeks when stored in a cool place or refrigerator. Has a more robust flavor than heated olive oil but a shorter shelf life. Heat infused - ½ cup of fresh sage leaves and 2 cups of olive oil. Warm over medium heat until the oil is hot, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and sage leaves to a medium sauce pot. Warm over medium heat until the oil is hot, about 5 minutes. Pour the oil into a wide-mouthed glass jar with a lid, and let it sit, away from direct sunlight, until it's cooled completely. Let sit for 6 hours and strain. Lasts 1 month in cool dark place and 2 months refrigerated. “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” famously remembered from the song by Simon and Garfunkel. These herbs not only have significance back to medieval times, they were very useful in preserving foods and have both culinary and health benefits. Ironically, they are also some of the easiest herbs to grow and probably why they are so popular today. My focus is on Parsley which is a biennial that can tolerate almost any kind of growing condition. However, like most herbs it will grow best in a well drained but moist soil. The seeds are slow to germinate and can take up to 3 weeks to sprout. To speed up germination soak the seeds for 24 hours. Once established it will return year after year. It is a great companion for asparagus, corn and tomatoes. Do not plant with lettuce (it will cause it to bolt), mint ( compete with one another) and it can stunt the growth of Alliums (onion family). There are two popular types of Parsley flat-leaf and curly leaf. Flat-leaf Parsley is used in many Italian dishes, and is often referred to as Italian Parsley. It has a stronger taste than its counterpart and is usually the preferred parsley in most dishes. Curly leaf has a more subtle, grassy taste that is almost muted in cooking, and is more popularly used in French dishes. Similar to adding lemon juice to certain foods, parsley also has the ability to enhance the flavor of a dish. When substituting curly leaf for flat-leaf parsley use twice the amount required. Always add Parsley at the very end of cooking to maintain its flavor. Why you want to use parsley in your food when possible. Beside the fact that it enhances the flavors of food, it is an antioxidant and contains high levels of vitamin K and folates, and is rich in vitamins C and E. It has a variety of B vitamins and contains potassium, calcium, manganese and iron. This makes parsley great for diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and inflammatory diseases. What are some uses for Parsley? It can be added to any sauteed vegetables, soups, stews, salads or sauces. It is great in meatballs, a main ingredient in Chimichurri, tabouli salad and works well with fish dishes. Here are a couple of recipes you can try: Apple, parsley and walnut salad: Combine 1 ½ cups parsley, 1 chopped apple, ⅓ cup walnuts and toss with 2tbsp balsamic vinegar and 4 tbsp olive oil. Lemon, Parsley Pasta: Blend 2cups flat-leaf parsley, 2 garlic cloves, lemon zest of 1 lemon (save half for garnish), 1tbsp lemon juice, ¾ cup olive oil, ¼ tsp red-pepper flakes, 4 cups spiral pasta. Cook pasta. Then toss pasta with pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan to sprinkle on top. Optional saute 5-10 sliced mushrooms and ½ sliced onion in 2-3tbsp olive oil and toss with pesto into the pasta for a more robust meal. |