Why not to be fascinated by the aromatic plants super powers: plants that combine with beauty and scent the precious virtues used for cooking, health and cosmetics.
Today the aromatic and officinal herbs are topical again; the need to “feel nature” closer which is a characteristic of these last years, push many persons to search in the plants a help for body and mind wellness, as a remedy against the damages caused by our life-style and by the pollution.
The nutritionists have considered the special officinal properties, suggesting to use them as a habit and we know that there is no pizza without oregano or pesto sauce without basil: the most known chefs have started to use again rare and special herbs for their dishes.
Therefore for the pizza it is used oregano from Trapani only, for the pesto sauce basil from Pra only!
Did you know that the laurel, the whitethorn, the mallow, the lavender, the myrtle, the nettle, the poppy, the canine rose, the rosemary, the rue, the sage, the lovage, the thyme, the linden are the “passion herbs”?... they have the magic virtue for raising passion.
And again many other advices on which herbs to chose and how cultivating them in the garden or on the terrace; do not be in a rush when buying them, you need to know the “balsamic period”: the period in which the concentration of balsamic oils is higher. This moment corresponds, for most of them, to the middle of the summer, because the sun helps concentrating the active principles, for example: laurel has a pretty long balsamic period, from June to November; parsley on the contrary reaches its highest intensity in late spring. For the plants whose flowers are used, as camomile, it is better to wait the moment in which the bud has just completely open. And do not forget to check the hour before starting the picking: the Mediterranean plants are more fragrant in the evening, while the plants as the field balm and the myrrh are more “felt” at late morning.
You also need to know the needs of these kinds of plants: the sun exposure and their collocation; thyme, sage, laurel. Oregano, rosemary, lavender, chive need plenty of sun; they need poor watering and are able to survive from dry periods. The main risk is the water excess, specially if drainage is not perfect.
For the pot grown species, never leave stagnant water in the pot dish and put it in a windy position. In muggy and humid weather they can be affected by the white fungus and other fungal diseases.
One more advice: do not cultivate rosemary and sage… they do not match.
Sun and plenty of water, these are what basil, parsley and tarragon need.
On the contrary we collocate in the shadow the different kinds of mints; one of the most captivating is the Corsican mint, mentha requienii, a low and creeping plant, it is enough to brush against it with our hand to keep its fragrance on our skin.
All this and much more will be discussed during our next sessions.
|
