Gardening with Herbs

Jack's Beanstalk Plant of the Herb World - Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus, the Vick's Vapor Rub herb, starts in our Zone 7 early spring as a 3 - 6 inch runt of a herb plant. First time purchasers have no idea how large and how fast Eucalyptus will grow over the summer/fall season. In zone 7 eucalyptus is a year round tender perennial that can stay outside constantly. More later on how it eventually dies. In zone 7 and above the tree rarely ever reaches it's full magnitude due to our cold spells and freezes, but that does not mean it can not be enjoyed year round.

It 's difficult when planting eucalyptus to appreciate the rapidity of it's growth and the herbal characteristics of this plant. In one summer it can easily reach over 12 feet in height with a 12 foot diameter. The branches become long and spindly with beautiful, gray glistening round button leaves. The branches are sporadically positioned, trunk and bark exposed with the uneven bark colors and hues of gray/chalky white. The top grey color of the leaves and chalky white of the bark and branches make it a perfect member of the "moonlight herbs" category which will affect it's placement in the landscape. Moonlight refers to the ability of the plant to reflect light and illustrates to the gardener to place the plant in a full moon lite area to take advantage of the reflected moon light.

Often this is a placement outside where folks walk, or have to come cross during darkness. The additional refelected light makes it much easier to naviagte. Often Eucalyptus would be planted beside the "outhouse" as the "target" when one ambled between the lamb's ears pathway to the outhouse. Of couse we know what the Lamb's Ear also would be used for.

Once the plant is estalished owners often cut the branches, roll into a wreath structure, and hand in their home or office for the delightful fragrance and unique everlasting wall hanging it can be. Eucalyptus makes the room smell better and adds a seasonal aroma to the air. When possible Eucalyptus prefers full sun, or at minimum morning sun with afternoon sun being ideal.

The main culprit to the continuing life of eucalyptus is icy cold weather where the ice sticks to the branches and trunk. This once every 3-4 year weather in zone 7 usuallly means the water freezes on the branches, weighs them down and off, resulting in broken branches and often a brokern tree trunk. When this happens the tree's appearance is permanently altered and rather than prune it's often best to cut down and plant new. Once again the rapid growth becomes a main feature of Eucalyptus and the misfigured broken tree is replace in almost one year to it's original grandeur. Of course now we wait for the next bad ice storm and hope for the best!!

Culantro - The Perennial Non Bolting Cilantro Substitute

Culantro is not cilantro. It has long leaves with tapered tips and serrated edges. When it comes to flavor, culantro is like cilantro, times ten.

In warmer climates, above Zone 7s, the actual cilantro plant can be reseeded and grown commercially, harvesting the leaves as they appear. In zone 7, and below, the climate is seasonally ideal for Cilantro so many people buy the plant expecting it to bear leaves for an extended period, but it will not. The reason is true cilantro, in heat, is working to expend it's energies to go to seed, coriander. Leaves are herbs, seeds are spices as a general rule in understanding the difference between the two.

The solution to a perennial heat bearing cilantro is the plant, Culantro - Ergyngium foetidum. Culantro is a biennial herb grown throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and is a key ingredient in Puerto Rican cooking. It is relatively unknown in the United States, and is often mistaken for its relative cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.). It is also known by many other names, such as Puerto Rican coriander, Black Benny, saw leaf herb, Mexican coriander, Saw tooth coriander, long coriander, Spiny coriander, Fitweed, and spiritweed. In Puerto Rico it is known as recao. When cultivated, culantro has a strong, aromatic scent that fills the air when you brush up against it.

Culantro can be planted in pots or on the ground. If planted in the ground, this herb will continue to reproduce for an almost endless supply. Culantro is relatively pest and disease free. It is rumored to be attractive to beneficial insects such as ladybugs, green lacewings, and to provide an excellent defense in the garden against aphids. In cooking it is used to flavor salsa, softrito, chutney, ceviche, sauces, rice, stews, and soups. To harvest, remove the oldest leaves all the way down to the base of the plant leaving the young new leaves to grow. The leaves can be chopped and used fresh or frozen to keep their flavor. Although used in small amounts, its very strong flavor is used as a seasoning in a wide range of foods, including meats, vegetables, and chutneys. Because of this aroma similarity the leaves are used interchangeably in many food preparations and is the major reason for the misnaming of one herb for the other. In Asia, culantro is most popular in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore where it is commonly used with or in lieu of cilantro and topped over soups, noodle dishes, and curries.

Unlike cilantro, culantro doesn't bolt, it will produce seeds, but the foliage stays aromatic and tasty. It is a tender perennial that can be wintered over in a pot or cut back and mulch over in the fall.

Culantro is the answer for those who enjoy cilantro but live in a hot/warm climate and want fresh all spring/summer and fall.

Lovage @ HerbFest 2010 Was Very Popular As A Culinary & Aromatic Herb

Lovage Was One Of The Most Popular Herbs For HerbFest Due To It's Culinary, Aromatic and Medicinal Uses

Lovage ( Ligusticum officinale) is a wonderful, very old herb with properties perfect for today's healthy lifestyles. The unique flavor, which is a combination of strong celery flavour with a hint of anise, lends a wonderful flavour tosoups, stews, stocks, salads, meat, potato, tomato dishes even seafood. The stalks can be used for drinking straws, which not only attracts, amuses and educates the kids into the fun of an herb garden, but allows adults a new, novel tool to sip the Bloody Mary adding a warm balancing flavor to the acid taste of tomatoes!!

Lovage has a very distinctive celery/anise flavor coupled with a rich warm aroma of nuttiness to bring fragrance into the kitchen. The smell of freshly pinched leaves permeates the kitchen bringing an aura of comfort food to the table whether lovage is in the dish or not. The aroma adds to the experience of dining. The leaves of lovage can be used to flavor food and also the seeds. You can use lovage much as you would celery or parsley but to a lesser degree due to the strong flavor of the leaves.

Lovage grows best in mild tropical areas such as Southern Europe where it is a perennial plant. Lovage has moved from it's traditional climatic area to many new zones in the world due to it's popularity as a flavoring, aromatic herb.

In climates such as zone 7 it is now a tender perennial and in climates below zone 7 is treated as an annual. In Southern Europe it grows 3- 5 feet and is a very showy plant in the garden with the distinctive leaf textures and celery stalk appearance. Lovage prefers well drained soil and a pH of 6.5 with organic compost as the ground cover. Best growing if placed in a full sun area with a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight reminiscent of the many Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, oregano, and basils. Historically lovage was one of the classic flavors of Roman cookery.

Medicinally lovage has been used to promote menstruation which has meant to use sparingly if pregnant. The essential oils are extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and stalks however many medicinal uses require extraction from the roots. From an aromatherapy perspective the fragrance is very stimulating yet calming in total effect.