Herbs for Health - Part 1

As national online garden expert for Palmers, I am free to answer your garden questions. 

Keep any gardening queries coming to the Facebook page called Palmers or their web site www.palmers.co.nz and I will answer in detail all of your queries.  

Eden Living is still running in full swing as I work alongside NZ's largest garden retailer.  If you prefer you can contact me directly through my web site www.edenliving.co.nz

 

Wherever you are in the country you have a Palmers near by and everything I talk about here is available at a store near you.

Herbs for Health - Part 1

The sweet smell of fresh herbs with their pretty flowers and aromatic foliage complete a garden to me.  I keep many of mine close to the kitchen so can effortlessly snip and add to cooking or herbal teas as well as create a relaxing spot to spend time in the sun surrounded by these medicinal gems.  

Not all of the herbs I write about here grow in my garden at present, but knowing about the varieties that you can harvest and what to do with them to aid anything from healing of wounds to gastric upset is a handy 'medi kit' to have.  

Over the next month I will look forward to dosing you will an A - Z of what you can grow that will help with all sorts of ailments.  Follow my introduction to growing and using herbs for health.

Happy Gardening everyone! 

ANGELICA 

Also known as Holy Ghost, master wort and lungwort is a beautiful and useful plant that came from Russia and Lithuania.

GROW - in cool, damp position in good soil.  Will grow 1.5m

HABIT - bright green leaves with white umbrella like flowers on tall stems.  The seed head contains hundreds of flat seeds packed together, similar to a sunflower seed head.  When ripe they are dark brown in colour.

HOW TO CARE - In the second year the plant dies but if the seed head is cut right back after flowering it will form side shoots and last for years to come

HOW TO USE - The leaves and seeds when boiled are a remedy for colds and coughs.  The raw stalks when chewed relieve flatulence.

BALM (Melissa officinalis)

Also know as sweet balm and lemon balm

GROW - likes any soil and grows well from seed.  Best planted in a pot or container as the seeds are so tiny.
HABIT -  small compact plant with heart shaped leaves which have a lavender scent and lemon taste. 
HOW TO CARE - plant dies in winter but comes back in spring
HOW TO USE - grown for it's fragrant leaves and is used at a pultus for wounds and will close up cuts without inflammation.  Balm tea is great for digestive and nervous complaints as well as relieve headaches.  Make tea from pouring boiling water over a handful of fresh leaves.  Infuse for 15 mins, strain and drink tea.

BASIL 

GROW -  in a sunny spot in rich soil that is kept well watered but not wet.  Best companion to Tomatoes for flavour and leaves are used in Mediterranean cooking.
HABIT - leaves are oval and rounded from the ridge.  Both leaves and flowers are fragrant, flowers form in summer toward end of growing season.
HOW TO CARE -  pinch out leaf tips when plant is young to slow bolt to flower.
HOW TO USE - great for use to reduce anxiety, hiccups, chest congestion, stimulates digestion and relieves Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Excellent to eat to reduce nausea and morning sickness.

BAY (Laurus noblilis) 
  
GROW -  as a shrub or tree and will grow well in pots.
HABIT - dark green, glossy scented leaves with slight red leaves.  
HOW TO CARE - keep soil moist but not wet, withstands wind
HOW TO USE - pick and dry whole leaves and use whole leaf in cooking to flavour. 


BERGAMOT (SWEET) 

GROW - in damp soil allowing for height of 1.2m
HABIT - rich red flowers that look like honeysuckle blooms and have a lemon perfume.  Both flowers and leaves retain perfume when dried.  
HOW TO CARE - If grown in the right conditions, bergamot will come up each year as a perennial.  Bergamot belongs to the mint family so can be easily divided for more plants.
HOW TO USE - excellent for use to control flatulence, sore throats, headaches/migraines make a tea with a few leaves and flowers in boiled water, steep for 5 mins and serve. 



BORAGE (Borago officinalis). 

GROW - best grown from seed or from dividing root stock in spring.  It grows 60cm high and is a great companion plant in the vegetable garden and with strawberries.  Bees love it and are always flying around as it contains lots of nectar.  Borage self seeds easily
HOW TO CARE - break off branches if it gets too big to shade other plants and provide staking support if required or windy as its thick branches break easily.
HOW TO USE - brilliant when drunk as a tea for mood enhancing if feeling discouraged or sad, urinary tract infection, cough suppressant and to encourage lactation in breastfeeding.  Add a handful of leaves to boiling water and steep for 10 min before drinking.  The fresh leaves taste of cucumber and can be added to salads.  They are very high in potassium and calcium.


CALENDULA 

GROW - a wonderful companion in your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects and deter pest insects.  Known as pot marigold it drives nematodes from the soil that affect Tomatoes.  
HOW TO CARE - grows freely in most soil
HOW TO USE - dried flowers can be used as an antiseptic and anti-fungal for wounds and are either used in a tea to drink or as an ointment.  Clean the wound well before using to ensure bacteria is not trapped in tissue as Calendula heals so quickly debris can get trapped under skin.

CATMINT 

GROW - perennial plant that has leaves that look a lot like mint and has a spreading habit.  Pretty blue flowers sit above the blue/grey foliage.  Cats love it and either are soothed or excited by the scent.  
HOW TO CARE -  plant in sunny position and grows nicely at front of garden as only grows 20cm high
HOW TO USE - pinch off flowering tips and make into a tea for a calming effect.  The tea solution can also be used for irritated and dry scalps as well as cradle cap in babies.  Leaves and flowers that are crushed and placed on a bruise before wrapping with a bandage will heal quickly

CHAMOMILE 

GROW - Chamomile is a little plant that creeps along the ground and smells like apples.  Some people grow it as a lawn, which can be done only if weeds are kept well under control as it establishes. 
HOW TO CARE -  It likes stony ground mixed with soil and will cover a dry stony bank well.  Keep it trim and remove flower heads as they appear and dry them for teas.
HOW TO USE - great as a sedative and crushed flowers soaked in hot water then placed on the face is great for tooth ache and teething.  It is known for giving immediate relief.  Helps relax after nightmares.  Use 5 to 7 dried flower heads in a cup of boiling water and drink as a tea.


CHERVIL 

GROW - perennial plant with small waxy leaves that look like parsley but have small dainty white flowers that sit on stems that reach 40 - 70cm high
HOW TO CARE - grow in a cool shady place in the garden.  Some people can experience a rash from the leaves so I plant it away from my other picking herbs that children have access to.
HOW TO USE - make a tea to lower blood pressure and as a soothing eye wash.  Use the leaves in salads for a taste of anise and caraway.  Chervil is rich in magnesium, iron and vitamin C.

COMFREY 

GROW - Comfrey is a perennial of the borage family and is best grown direct in ground especially good under fruit trees but plant in an area that is accepted that you will have it forever.  Best known for it's healing properties.
HOW TO CARE -  will grow easily in shade or sun.  Each tiny piece of tiny root will grow.
HOW TO USE -  leaves and roots can be used as a poultice on sprains and bruises and to reduce swelling.  Crush leaves and roots to release moisture and wrap over wound with muslin.  Change every day until wound healed.  Make a tea from the leaves steeped in boiling water.  Comfrey is rich in vitimin A, 
 B12, C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, sulpher, zinc and lysine which is important in the control of cold sores.   Apply as a poultice to a cold sore for healing relief.  Great for stomach disorders as well. 

CORIANDER 

GROW - in a semi shady place in rich soil. 
HOW TO CARE - Water well but ensure soil not water logged.  Keep flower heads cut off to ensure they don't bolt.
HOW TO USE -  Leaves are best used fresh in salads for full antioxidant benefit.  Roots are often used in Asian cooking.  Leaves have a cleansing and stimulating effect on the liver and the seeds are great for fat metabolism, flatulence, bloating, improve memory, stimulate appetite and aid arthritis.  



DANDELION 

GROW - anywhere and easily
HOW TO CARE -  known as a troublesome weed, cultivation is not hard at all!
HOW TO USE - The food value of Dandelion is huge, it has more iron then spinach, many more times vitamin C than lettuce, oranges and blueberries.  The leaves taste like endive (I plant mine with endive so it doesn't matter if I mix up the leaves when picking a salad.  Dandelion tea is great as a blood purifier and is good for loss of appetite, liver and kidney complaints.  The dried root of two year old Dandelion can be used as a healthy coffee substitute.  Carefully lift the Dandelion plant in about April and cut off the crown, wash and dry in a cool oven with the door open a bit.  Store in a dry place in a jar and when required roast to a light brown and grind in coffee grinder then use as you would when making plunger coffee.  The juice of the dandelion leaf is a cure for warts but only in late spring and summer when juice is acrid.  Drip the milky juice directly on wart as often as possible and the wart will die. Don't break the skin of the wart or squeeze.

DILL 

GROW -  annual plant 45 cm high 45 - 60cm wide. 
HOW TO CARE - Grow in a sunny position in well drained soil with good water supply
HOW TO USE - Dill is rich in calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. It relives colic and flatulence.  To assist in milk flow with breast feeding, boil a teaspoon of seeds in a cup of water for two minutes let stand for 10 mins and drink twice a day.  This will also help baby with colic.

Toms that have old fashioned taste you remember and all you need to know about Greenhouse Growing!

As national online garden expert for Palmers, I am free to answer your garden questions. 

Keep any gardening queries coming to the Facebook page called Palmers or their web site www.palmers.co.nz and I will answer in detail all of your queries.  

Eden Living is still running in full swing as I work alongside NZ's largest garden retailer.  If you prefer you can contact me directly through my web site www.edenliving.co.nz

 

Wherever you are in the country you have a Palmers near by and everything I talk about here is available at a store near you.

Ripe Red Tomatoes!

The one thing I just love about summer is juicy tasteful tomatoes - actually there are many things i love about Summer and as the days are stretching longer I conclude that Summer really is my favourite season.  Spring rain and wind just doesn't cut it for me!  This mad weather of late (or some say every Spring) cheats me into a false sense of watering security; it rains and pours allowing that old man to snore as there is not much else to do outside in the wet, but the wind just whips it all away and in a blink on an eye everything is bolting to seed!  Make sure you are taking time to set up a decent irrigation system this season.  Everything you need is in store from simple soaker hoses to advanced DIY complete kits.  

I must say that at least Summer - even if a disappointing one like last year - will guarantee you longer days to play, Christmas will always be in the Sun which suits me down to the ground and yes my favourite thing in the garden is at it's best... Tomatoes!  I have on my Chrissy wish list for dearest husband to possibly fit a pizza oven somewhere on our urban yard - if you know my garden, it is SMALL but not tiny and I have managed to fit the biggest garden that can fit within the perimeter boundary (however I wonder if the neighbour who is never home would notice a few favourites in their driveway bed??); I have even managed to notice my office roof will be a great host to my pumpkin and watermelons - so a small sized Pizza oven - there must be room out there somewhere!  However, if I don't hurry and decided on a spot it will be too late to put on the Christmas list and the next celebration of our wedding anniversary is not until March so that's too late in my books!  

Recently I had a very fun evening with Mad Millie and her cheese making kits at a Palmers Planet evening function and there on the table was 24hr old Feta, and Milli (whilst clad in purple gloves) was hand stretching mozzarella - it looked like something even I could do and would be a good party trick for visitors to prepare their own stretchy cheese for the pizza, so a cheese making kit to accompany the Pizza oven is on the Christmas wish list too.  This is the bonus of having so many children... more presents to lay name to!  Tomatoes however are the one thing that become a staple in my household and in summer are the perfect thing to top a Pizza, embellish a salad, wrap amongst a Quinoa cook up and when my husband cooks his fail safe bolognese - we all know they are the primary ingredient.  Growing Tomatoes so they are tasty as they should be and do not fall victim to blight is the key thing learn and I'm looking forward to sharing lots of tips an tricks at Palmers Planet this Labour weekend Saturday in store from 11am - 2pm.  Some quick important things to remember I would say are...

Spray with Copper or Neem Oil to prevent blight - Last season I managed to kill 36 plants with blight as I thought it wouldn't really be the necessary to spray. I didn't realise that if your neighbour has had blight in the last 3 years you run the risk of picking up their spores and if that wouldn't do the damage then the wet, fine, wet run we had last year was enough to almost guarantee me a ticket to blight in the garden.  Potatoes and Petunia also fall risk, so spray them too.


Pinch out your laterals - At Palmers Planet I will show you what a 'lateral' is.  Take the time to take them out as if you don't pinch them out while young you will end up with a giant triffid of a plant and smaller Toms that are shaded by lots of leaves that can affect ripening.

Feed well - Tomatoes need Potash and Magnesium and a complete Tomato food has everything you need to get the flavour you will be waiting for.

Water the base, not the leaves - Watering the leaves will increase the chance of fungal disease so keep it low to help them grow!

Growing in a Greenhouse will extend your harvest season - You will be picking for a lot longer if you grow undercover and selecting the right Greenhouse for ultimate sucess is your next challenged that has been solved by Palmers.  Our twin wall polycarbonate and aluminum Greenhouses are a quality product boasting 2.4m x 1.8m growing space for just $1499.00 in any local Palmers store.  What better way to spend the long weekend ahead setting up one of these to beat the cool Spring weather and keep you growing well into Autumn.  Want to know more about Greenhouse Growing?  Read on for how to pick your best site and what to plant and how to be sure to ward of pests.

Four Simple Steps to Positioning your Greenhouse

Growing in a Greenhouse is ideal to extend your growing and harvesting season. Positioning your Greenhouse for it to achieve maximum sunshine in winter will be the ticket to achieving this.

1. Take a moment to sketch out the boundary of your property and include location of trees, your house and neighbours house that will cast shade in winter.  Do not worry about summer sun as it is the winter location that is most vital.

2. Shade areas on your drawing that you know will be in shadow in the morning and use a different colour to show afternoon sun.

3.  Assess your drawing and choose an area of your garden that will be in the most amount of sun in winter.  If the only space with the most sun has morning shadow, then select this space as you are wishing to achieve 6 hours of sun on the Greenhouse each day. 

4.  Position your Greenhouse for the door to face away from the prevailing wind.

5.  Provide wind break and planting if your Greenhouse is positioned in a windy location to prevent wind gusts from damaging your Greenhouse.

Wind Protection for your Greenhouse

Selecting a location for your Greenhouse to be permanently positioned may expose it to wind that can be damaging to your investment.  A site that has the most winter sun is imperative to your growing success; so breaking the force of wind battering your Greenhouse or creating a wind ‘tumble’ will be necessary.

Erecting a structure that the wind cannot pass through (like a greenhouse or a solid fence) can create a worse tumbling effect on the other side of it as well as strain against the structure and cladding of the Greenhouse exposed to the prevailing wind.  This is why creating a wind break with planting wind hardy hedging and using wind break cloth or trellis that slows down the wind will be necessary to consider when positioning your Greenhouse.

What to plant for a hedge screen

Plants that grow quickly and will withstand prevailing wind to provide a screen to slow down the wind. 

1 - Corokia

2 - Oleria paniculata

3 - Lavender dentata

4 - Feijoa

5 - Griselinia Littoralis

Corokia Frosted Chocolate

 

Oleria Paniculata

  

Lavender Dentata

Griselinia Littoralis

Always remember that whilst your hedge is young it is important to provide additional wind protection with wind break cloth.

 

Plants to Grow inside your Greenhouse

Extending your growing season is a great way to get started early in the garden and keep your harvesting for longer into Autumn, I have even known people to grow Tomatoes virtually year round!

Some plants - like peas, runner or dwarf beans, potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum and chili will not survive frosts but with a Greenhouse your delicate edibles can be planted now in Spring.

Seed-raising in your Greenhouse is ideal to provide a warm and sheltered location for quick germination.  Set up shelves in your Greenhouse for your seed trays to sit on.

Some plants grow really well with other plants, this is called companion planting. See the list below of plants to grow in your Greenhouse and what to plant with them.

Potatoes – sprout their ‘eyes’ first in a warm sunny position like a window sill then pot up in a potato bag in the Greenhouse.  Don’t plant other plants in with Potatoes but spray with copper to protect from blight.

Tomatoes – They love to grow with Chili, Capsicum and Basil and all of these will do well in your Greenhouse. 

Peas and beans love to grow with Cucumbers.  They will all grow up trellis and can be planted together in large tubs or raised gardens in your Greenhouse.  As your Cucumbers form they will dangle down without any trouble or extra support.

Happy Gardening everyone and have a great long weekend!

Maria Quayle-Guppy

Palmers Garden Consultant

Prickle Free Lawns! You Must Treat it NOW!!

As national online garden expert for Palmers, I am free to answer your garden questions. 

Keep any gardening queries coming to the Facebook page called Palmers or their web site www.palmers.co.nz and I will answer in detail all of your queries.  

Eden Living is still running in full swing as I work alongside NZ's largest garden retailer.  If you prefer you can contact me directly through my web site www.edenliving.co.nz

Wherever you are in the country you have a Palmers near by and everything I talk about here is available at a store near you.

A lush prickle free lawn will be a hit for Summer

I love being outside.  I will be outside relaxing even if it is dark and I love the fact that our house has lovely big windows that look to my outside.  Even still; I think I annoy my husband with the need to be outside in the garden either pottering or mostly just relaxing if he is around as he is not a gardener, he is a "follow my instruction" and hope not to annoy him too much or it will be a while until help presents itself again! 

Last night I went to a really fun event at Palmers Planet where Lynda Hallinan was speaking about her experiences as a gardener and promoting her book and whilst shopping I found a patio heater that must go on the Christmas wish list as this will keep dear husband outside with me for longer as a snuggle blanket does not cut it for him. 

In summer the days a longer and outside begs for us to have picnics on the lawn, a G and T with a splash of lemon or a nap with a good book on that sweet freshly mown green rug - no matter how small the lawn is there is nothing worse than tip toeing anxiously for fear of PRICKLES!  The Onehunga weed must have been a creation that was a cruel joke as it is one of those weeds that spread quickly, is green like the colour of grass and early in the season when things start to warm up in October and November when everyone is glad for outside time after a cold dark winter this weed sits patiently as if inviting us to be foot loose and fancy free, then come Summer - right around Christmas and wham!  There you go; she has dried her weapon and they are sharp to boot and the prickle plant Onehunga is too late to spray and your lawn is in full swing of thousands of nasty pin prick sized needles until May!  For the rest of summer you are plauged with warning kids and guests to stay off the grass... Yeah right, like that is practical!  What I have to say about this is...  It is October and is the time for spraying Onehunga weed so this coming long weekend on the 20th October then you have to dedicate some time to this task so Summer at your place is the unwind that it should be!

WHAT TO SPRAY

If you are only worried about the prickles you can get away with using a specific product like Yates Prickle weedkiller.  This is best applied in Sring before the seed heads have set - which is mid October.  For an intensive broad leaf and prickle killer then something like Yates 'weed and feed' will be the best to use but be sure to read on when and what age of lawn is best to use such products as a young lawn can not cope with such abuse! 

For the low down on everything you need to know about sowing, turf care, bug - like Porina treatment that eats your lawn from beneath then grab a cuppa and read on.

TO PREPARE A LAWN THAT IS TO BE SEED SOWN OR TURFED

Prepare the area by spraying all weeds that are growing in your proposed site and any existing ‘grass’ that is there  with a broad spectrum weed killer like ‘Round Up’. Spray on a still day at the hottest time of the day.  Do not spray if rain is in the forecast over the following 6 hours.  Be careful not to spray plants that you want to keep as a product like ‘Round Up’ will kill everything it touches.

Wait 10 – 15 days until the weeds are yellow and very sick looking

Using a grubber or spade, scrape the area, taking enough dirt with the weeds to remove the weed roots.  It will pay to dig out deep rooting weeds like dock first with a spade and remove the individual plants.

Rake the entire area to bring larger stones and sticks to surface and dispose of.  Walk, or use a roller over the area to compact the soil and give a final rake to remove the footprints and loosen a fine layer of soil to enable the grass seed to establish its roots well.

 

Sow your grass seed.  You can choose your lawn seed to match the conditions you need at your property.  There is seed specific for growing in shade, high walking activity and play areas.  It can take up to four weeks before greenness appears.  Do not walk on the areas until it is 5cm long.  Once your lawn is 5cm long, you must cut the lawn with a lawn mower set to the highest level to just trim the top of the grass.  This makes the grass blades stronger.  The third cut can be mown lower, but always keep the grass no shorter than 5cm.  This helps keep the weeds at bay.

To deter birds from eating your seed.  Cross string across the entire area at 1.5 meter spacing.  Tie string around stakes pushed into the ground.  Tie 5cm wide x 20cm lengths of tin foil at 2 m intervals to the string.  The light reflected will deter birds from landing and eating your seed.

IF YOU NEED TO PRESERVE THE CURRENT GRASS AND TOP UP SEED TO YOUR LAWN THAT HAS CLOVER, ONEHUNGA (prickles)  AND BROADLEAF WEEDS GROWING IN IT…

Prepare your lawn in Spring or Autumn.  Do not weed spray a lawn that is under 6 months old.

Use a lawn fertiliser first to feed the lawn.  Spread the granules with a seed spreader and water well.  Once lawns (and weeds!) are green and lush (approximately 3 weeks) then spray using a weed kill product like ‘Yates weed n feed’ which will kill the weeds but not the grass.

Top up your lawn with lawn seed after the weeds have yellowed and burnt dry and completely dead (approximately 12 – 15 days).  Remove the dead weeds before sowing.

Sow your grass seed.  You can choose your lawn seed to match the conditions you need at your property.  Tui produce seed that is specific for growing in shade or high walking activity and play areas.  It can take four weeks before greenness appears.  Do not walk on the areas until it is 5cm long.  You can cut the lawn with a lawn mower set to the highest level to just trim the top of the grass.

To deter birds from eating your seed.  Cross string across the entire area at 1.5 meter spacing.  Tie string around stakes pushed into the ground.  Tie 5cm wide x 20cm lengths of tin foil at 2 meter intervals to the string.  The light reflected will deter birds from landing and eating your seed.

TIP:  Old grass is usually infested with leather jacket beetles in Spring.  These beetles eat the grass roots.  To get rid of these bugs water the lawn in the evening and cover the area with plastic polythene or tarpaulin.  In the morning the bugs would have come to the surface of the lawn and the birds will eat them!

ONCE A NEW LAWN IS SOWN OR YOUR EXISTING LAWN TOPPED UP…

Once you have a new lawn sown you need to water it daily in the early morning before the sun is intensely on it and in the late afternoon, but before nightfall to give the grass time to dry before it is dark. 

Happy Gardening everyone!

Maria Quayle-Guppy

Palmers Garden Consultant