"Fragrant" Beds In The Kitchen

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Some greens, which can be grown indoors on windowsills, by their very presence heals the atmosphere of the room, not to mention the beneficial effect on the body when consumed in food, which the essential oils contained in it have. We are talking about such aromatic herbs as mint, lemon balm

Forcing peppermint indoors

Many people underestimate the healing properties of peppermint, but it has tremendous medicinal power. The fragrant herb will come to the rescue when you have stomach cramps or headaches, angina attacks. To do this, it is enough to brew a few leaves and drink like tea. This is a well-known anti-inflammatory agent, which is used in diseases of the upper respiratory tract, has antitussive properties. And fresh leaves save with minor burns.

And of course, mint will come in handy when you want to diversify your diet, bring new notes of taste to it. Fresh shoots are added to recipes for marinades for meat, soups. And the leaves are suitable not only for tea, but also go well with vegetables, fruits, cheese in salads.

The peculiarity of growing mint is that it quickly forms powerful rhizomes. When irrigated with warm water, they take very little time to release young shoots. With regular feeding, mint grows well after cutting and gives a new full-fledged crop. To do this, take for 1 liter of water:

• superphosphate - 5 g;

• urea - 1 g;

• potassium chloride - 1 g.

Growing lemon balm on a windowsill

Lemon balm is a close relative of peppermint, but the leaves of this herb are slightly larger. Its name is justified by an interesting feature, which is manifested by a strong scent, reminiscent of citrus, when mash its green fresh leaves.

By the way, lemon balm is also called medicinal. The essential oils contained in the plant have a healing effect for many ailments: they relieve cramps, pacify pain. Melissa has a beneficial effect on the nervous system - it regulates tone, helps to cope with insomnia, and improves memory. It is useful for those with digestive problems and also stimulates the appetite.

In addition to its medicinal properties, the advantages of lemon balm can safely be attributed to its rather decorative appearance. Beds with such greenery will be a great decoration of the kitchen, especially if the plant forms buds and blooms, dissolving delicate white and pink petals. And how nice the plant smells - lemon balm essential oils exude a delicate mixture of honey and lemon aroma.

In recipes, lemon balm is best combined with fish and mushroom dishes. But it is also added to meat dishes, soups and salads. For use as a drink, you can not only throw the leaves into tea, but also make cocktails with mint, echinacea, currant leaves.

Lemon balm is propagated both by seeds and by dividing the bush. When sowing seeds, they germinate quickly - seedlings are noticeable after a week. Top dressing is the same as peppermint. Watering is carried out with warm water.

Melissa belongs to perennials. And in one place it is grown for up to 5 years. But for distillation, young plants are needed, which are about 1-2 years old. Containers for cultivation should be taken with a depth of at least 20 cm, and preferably all 30 cm. Choosing huge pots is not the most rational decision if lemon balm is grown for frequent consumption. In this case, it is better to use boxes. In order for such beds to have a more decorative look, the containers should first be painted with safe compounds in bright colors. In the spring, they should be taken out to the garden or on the balcony, and in the fall they should be used again for forcing.