herbs and spices

Chamomile

Latin name: Chamaemelum nobile

General properties:
- Blossoms are like daisies and has a fresh apple scent.
- Has two types: The German chamomile (Motricaria recuitita), an annual that will grow 2 to 3 feet tall. Roman chamomile (C. nobile), a perennial that seldom tops 9 inches in height, and stronger in fragrance than the German variety.

Medicinal uses: All done by brewing its dried leaves...
- quieten nerves
- cure indigestion
- cure infections
- cure nightmares

Other uses:
- to bring out your hair's natural blond highlights by boiling its flower for 20 minutes and pouring it on your hair.
- to add a sweet aroma (applelike scent) to your potpourri.

Cultivation:
- German chamomile: Can be seeded in fall or spring. The plant will reseed itself if some flower heads are left in the garden.
- Roman chamomile: Spring sowing is recommended, which is best grown from offshoots of the mother plant. Divide plants in early spring and set in well-drained soil, 18 inches apart. Mulch heavily in climates that have harsh winters.

Parsley

Latin name: Petroselinum crispum

Parsley

General properties:
- Has freshening qualities, was first used in this capacity by Romans during their orgies to mask the alcohol on their breath.
- Has two types:
Curly leaved: Better for garnishing, because it keeps longer when refrigerated. Flat leaved (Italian): More flavorful and used more often in cooking.

Culinary uses:
- Garnishing
- Enhancing the taste of salads, sandwiches, egg dishes, soups, and boiled potatoes.

Cultivation:
- Grow under full sun, a bit of shade is acceptable. Sow seeds in spring or late summer. Thin seedlings to 9 inches apart and protect the plant in cold weather.
- Can be grown successfully indoors: place a pot in a sunny window for greatest growth.

Sweet Lavender

Latin name: Lavandula angustifolia
General properties:

Lavender Mint

- Has a popular fragrance in potpourris, sachets, and soaps.
It is also sometimes used to spurr romance.

Culinary uses:
- Its blossoms add a delicate flavor to beverages, cakes, muffins, and fruit soups.

Medicinal uses:
- Served as a disinfectant during World War I because it has mild antiseptic properties.
- Taken as a mild sedative when used in moderation.
- Used to relieve fainting spells.

Other uses:
- Freshen linens and underclothing when placed dried in drawers and closets.
- Said to help dry oily skin (Lavender vinegar).
- Used as decorations in ways such as: dried-flower arrangements and wreaths.

Cultivation:
- Best propagated from cuttings. Pull off a fresh shoot that includes an older piece of the existing plant. Plant the cuttings 3 to 4 inches apart in moist, sandy soil, in a shaded cold frame. After a year, transplant 4 to 6 feet apart in dry, gravelly soil. Clip back the first year outdoors to prevent flowering.

Lemon Balm (Melissa)

Latin name: Melissa officinalis
General Properties:

Lemon Balm

- Sacred herb of the temple of Diana.Reputed to dispel melancholy and bring health and happiness. Swiss have called it "elixir of life,"
- Ancient Arabs swore by it as a heart remedy.

Culinary uses:
- Add its leaves to any recipe that calls for lemon juice, especially such delicately flavored foods as stewed fruits, custards, white-wine punches, egg dishes, and white sauces for fish.

Other uses:
- Add the juice extracted from its leaves to furniture polish.
- To attract bees to your hives and orchards by putting out a few of these.

Cultivation:
- Can be grown easily from seed. When planting, don't cover the seeds completely with soil, and do keep them moist. Harvest before the flowers open by cutting the whole plant nearly to the ground. It will grow back quickly with a potential yield of three cuttings per season. Dry the leaves in the shade on very warm days.