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Clive Sullivan shares his horticultural tips for the coming season
CITY GARDENS
CITYWIDE
Turning over a new leaf- the power of herbs
Locked away in herbs is the power to restore and revive. You can unlock nature’s ‘power food’ for yourself. Go on, give yourself a boost! Herbs are cheap, easy to grow and nutritious. Here are some easy types sure to give success.
The medical and nutritional value of herbs is of course; ancient human history. Herb seeds have been discovered in late stone age settlements. The Chinese utilised medicinal plants and herbs 5000 years ago. If we in the 21st century plant a little herb garden, or even just a few pots, we can grow ourselves a little piece of goodness, and pay homage to acquired wisdom.
Firstly, Dandelions, the bane of the Welsh garden can be put to good use. In the 10th century in Arabia, and also in India, these were used to treat liver disorders. Dandelions also reduce Cholesterol, and the juice of the root can assist in getting rid of warts and acne. Isn’t that fine and dandy?
In my garden for the past few years I’ve been growing Lemon Verbena. This a great ‘pick me up’ plant. You just have to run your tired workday hands through the verdant foliage to smell the ‘feel good’ factor. The leaves have a happy lemon sherbet scent and flavour, with a rough leaf texture (a bit like a cat’s tounge).
You can make a tea made from the leaves; which is both refreshing and relaxing. To make this tea place three leaves in a cup, pouring over water that has been boiled but allowed to sit for a few minutes. Steep for five minutes, then drink. This tea can also be served cold in summer as a refreshing cuppa. Sweet bliss! Still on a lemony theme – Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) is great for headaches and relieving nerves. So it’s great for anxiety attacks, and it works for mild insomnia too. It combines well with peppermint to encourage circulation, and is a remedy for colds and flu. No guarantee for swine flu, unfortunately! If you find a cure for that one let me know.
Chives are another of my personal favourite, as they like our lovely wet Welsh soil, and what a load of benefits! Chives clean the blood, they help prevent colds and flu, and they act as a tonic! Keep cutting it (and removing the flowers) and it’ll keep growing. Rosemary is another easy herb to cultivate. It does need sun and well drained soil to flourish, mind, so this one’s best sat in a good pot by a wall.
It’s great with Lamb for Sunday lunch, of course. Welsh lamb is so tasty this is the ideal accompanying flavour. That’s not all; the mighty Rosemary has outstanding preservative properties. It’s as good as some modern preservative chemicals. It inhibits the action of micro-organisms that cause infection. You can press some leaves into a cut to inhibit infection if you can’t wash the wound in clean water. Also, it clears the chest and is used to treat asthma. Rosemary is one of the best sources of antioxidants. Drink it in a tea, or sprinkle into food. What else? Oh, it’ll help keep dark hair in good order!
You can buy all these ‘wonder foods’ for a couple of pounds each. The varieties I’ve mentioned are all hardy and will see their way through the Cardiff monsoon season and winter to emerge bright, breezy and possibly even bushy tailed in the spring!
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