Stewing Herbs
Although you may think these herbs were called as such for culinary purposes…you will be surprised by the actual reference to the name.
In the middle ages, it was customary for the wealthy English noble to religiously bathe every three weeks. However, a peasant could not afford this luxury. The excessive nature of hauling and heating water for a nice warm bath proved to be too burdensome. Pneumonia became a concern during this time, for it was believed that bathing, especially during the winter months, would lead to chills and ultimately death. This historic period in history became then known as the “age of the great unwashed”.
Needless to say, body odor became quite pungent, especially when on many a cold winter night, it was customary to sleep two – three to a bed for warmth, wrapped in many a heavy blanket. The wealthy could afford the luxury of heavy doses of perfume, however the peasants simply slept beneath cuttings from very strong-smelling plants. These plants became known as stewing herbs for they were literally strewed about on floors, outhouses and even between the sheets of the beds to perfume the peasants.
During this era of the great unwashed, there evolved unique means of scenting clothing. Women’s long, voluminous skirts trailed behind them. In castle gardens, it was not uncommon to find a thyme lawn composed of a ground-hugging mat of aromatic Thymus serphyllum. When walked upon, plants were crushed, and then skirts trailed over them to soak up any oils exuded from the foliage.
Lavender is a very well known odor-covering stewing herb. Lavender’s Latin root name means to wash, or “lavare.” We inherited this herb from the bath-loving Romans, however, by medieval times, the Romans ceased using the herb as a scent for bathing and applied it as a masking fragrance quilted into hats or other particles of clothing.
Additionally during this time it was customary to throw table scrapes and bones to the household pet, whose shaggy and unkept mane was bathed less frequently than the peasants who housed them. Soon the filth caused many disease-breeding vermin within the confines of the house. Thereafter, history encountered a second reason for stewing herbs, as a pesticide. Many of the oils from herbs could deter fleas, lice, weevil and other undesirable insects.
There are many well known herbs today that Thomas Tusser indicated in his 1557 well known book, “A Hundreth Good Points of Husbandrie” . Basil, Lemon Balm, Sweet Fennel, Germander, Hyssop, Lavender, Santolina, Marjoram, Pennyroyal, Sage, Tansy and Winter Savory are among his list of 21 stewing herbs.
One such herb, Pennyroyal, also known as fleabane or Menta Pulegium, is a pungent member of the mint family. The homes where it was grown and liberally used for strewing, had fewer incidences of the Black Death, for the plague was spread by fleabites. The plants are still used today for stuffing dog beds and doghouses to discourage these pests from taking up residence.
The planted seat was also designed to scent clothing. It was created of carved stone and appeared much like a heavy church pew. The seat was hollowed out into a cavity about 6 inches deep and into this was packed earth planted with either chamomile or thyme. When a person sat down and crushed the plants, resulting oils soaked into breeches or skirts.
At the root of our most favored aromatic plants of the modern herb garden are the fragrances used to disguise aromas of the great unwashed. It was not until the dawn of the 20th century that bathing became a frequent practice. Let us rejoice in the luxury of bathing every day, knowing we no longer have to douse ourselves in perfume or live amid a pile of wilted herbs to abide each other’s company.
This is but a small excerpt from my new ebook: Holistic Herbs ~ A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening. If you would like to learn more about the many wonders of herbs, Click Here to grab your copy today!
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Kali S. Winters
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Visualizing Your Landscape Design
Are you able to visualize? I mean formulating a plan in your mind and transfer it to paper so it becomes a three-dimensional, real-life backyard scene. If you are not…be forewarned that most landscape designers dread the client who are not able to visualize. If you can afford it, a landscape designer can give you a well laid out plan for your backyard, but it may cost you big bucks.
After encountering my so-called “non-visual” clients, I’ve found that they tend to withhold approval of a design until after it has been completed. Only then does their skepticism fade and they finally are able to feel comfortable with the plan. The more expensive a project, such as outdoor living spaces with pavers, a fireplace or the works, the less confidant the client tends to be. From the start, the only way the designer and yourself are able to find a comfort-zone, is to actually lay out some lines, usually in spray-paint, a garden house or even flour as markers, in your yard. This may be the only way to transform the ideas and design the landscaper has drawn out on paper to the ground out back. Only then will some of the bridges be crossed in this visualization gap.
The boundaries of the yard can be laid out with a few general measurements taken from key vantage points in your yard, such as a tree, bush or even the backside of your house. A long garden house is an excellent tool to use since the hose can be situated in virtually any type of shape…..let your imagination flow! Once you have all your boundaries laid out, take a step back to overview your yard. Don’t be afraid to perch up in a tree house or up on top of the house roof to gather the design all in.
Another alternative tool to use comes from the idea of the chalk lines on a football field. Instead of chalk, however, ordinary white kitchen flour provides a great contrast against the green of the lawn and really stands out in dirt. For concrete or other light-colored surfaces, it’s best to revert back to the garden hose. If a change needs to be made, flour is easily brushed, hosed or rained away, allowing you to form a new design.
Flour is also earth-friendly and allows you to visualize the locations of a patio, spa or swimming pool. Even planters or flowerbeds can be laid out in flour so you are able to capture the full impact of your intended location. Once you are satisfied with the layout, make sure you observe the design at different parts of the day to get a real feel for your new oasis.
There is something else to consider when working on the size of your space. An outdoor living space that is very large, doesn’t have too many issues, however a small space can become a financial or frustrating disaster if not planned properly. Bottom line—make sure your furniture fits.
I am sure you have already formed an idea of the look and size of a particular table or chaise lounge chair you’ve had your eye on. Carry out some furniture of similar size to the ones you had in mind, and place them within the confines of your garden hose or flour borders. If you want two chairs and a small side table placed in a certain area, make sure the hose or flour method is outlined correctly. If it feels too cramped, adjust the outline accordingly.
This is but a small excerpt from my new ebook: Holistic Herbs ~ A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening. If you would like to learn more about landscape and garden design, Click Here to grab your copy today!
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Herbal Recipe for Kabobs on the Grill
Oh to barbecue!!
Whether you prefer charcoal or gas…it’s the age-old question. Who amongst us, whether it be male or female (especially the male) doesn’t love the flavor, aroma and all the ‘prestige’ of barbecue dining? It’s a chance to get outdoors with family and friends and to enjoy a nice cocktail or two on a lazy afternoon. It gives the women folk a break from cooking, to turn it over to the male gender…and boy do they enjoy it, and so does she!
There is something about barbecuing outdoors. I personally prefer charcoal; the flavor is unbeatable especially if you add a bit of hickory wood to the barrel of coals. No matter what type of meat or vegetables you’re grilling, hickory seasoning can turn a plain old burger into something scrumptious!
However, barbecue dining is just as much about seasoning as it is to the fire and meat. Many herb enthusiast’s who grow their own herbs, flowers and produce, do so with the intent to enhance their barbecuing experience as well. Many have found that the herbs stem of a rosemary, basil or sage bush are extremely rich in oils, perfect to use as a rub, baste or to even skewer meat. What once was just a backyard pleasure has now kicked it up a notch turning a barbecue experience into a backyard culinary delight!
If you have ever tried your hand at grilled kabob’s, you may just want to take a fresh look at shish kabobs skewers produced straight from your very own herb garden plants.
Certain herb bushes have an unusually, long straight stem. The best herbs to grow are rosemary, bay, sage, oregano and tarragon. First of all, they are basically free and second; the wood of the herbs stem contains oils of the herb, which makes it perfect to season your meat on a flavored skewer from the inside out.
When your grilled kabobs are basted with an herb brush, the leaves of the herb sprig become “bruised” when heated. This lets out the natural oils of the plant, therefore it makes it delectably charming to your meats! Essentially you are making herb oil.
You will want to be on the look out for the strong, stiff stems that have hardened enough to hold up under the weight of your BBQ kabobs. To make it easier to puncture your meat or produce, whittle the stiffer end of the herbs stem into a point. A rosemary skewer is particularly great for portabella mushrooms and fast-cooking barbecue vegetables.
If you are an avid BBQ griller or you have a special occasion in the near future, you will need to collect plenty of big sprigs to make your herb brush and shish kabob skewers. They tend to be quite rare at your local nursery or produce store, but then again, why bother searching when you can gather them up right from your very own home herb garden.
A traditional barbecue brush can be costly to replace, it you are constantly barbecuing. Why not use an herb brush you have created from your very own home herb garden instead. However, a word of warning, once you taste the difference of this method of grilling kabobs with an herb brush, your grilling experience will never taste quite the same. You will want to make a new herb brush each time you barbecue, so be sure to leave enough material in your herb garden for future pickings.
To create an herb brush, you will first need to look for stems to make 6 inch skewers or longer from a variety of herbs in order to create a handle. Attach a wire or twine to the bundled herbs stem for the handle. Make sure you have plenty of clean fresh leaves on the upper branches in order for the basting to create its full effect. After that, tie in some of the more fragile herbs like basil. A solo basil brush tends to be a bit floppy, so you will want to add a strong framework with other herbs…Besides….what better way to enhance the flavor of your meat kabobs? Along with the basil you may want to tie in a bit of chives, dill, mint, thyme or cilantro/coriander. Remember, you are going to be applying some amount of pressure to the surface of your grilled barbecue fixings, so you will want a strong herb brush.
In the turn of the growing season when BBQ grilling, why not toss some of your “turned up bushes” from your yard onto the grill to “squeeze out” the last remaining resources of your garden. What better way to get the last drop out of your hard earned labor so to enhance your barbecue dining experience and to enjoy the last bit of flavoring of your grill towards the end of the season!
If you’d like to learn more about the wonder of herbs, sign up for my free mini course. Better yet, grab your copy of my ebook: Holistic Herbs~A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening Here!
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Kali S. Winters
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Garden Aerator Basics
Do you long for a beautiful lush, green lawn, but your yard is just not cooperating? You’ve probably fertilized and watered your lawn 10 times over, year after year, thinking that may be the trick. Sometimes you may feel that you’re in a catch 22: If you don’t feed, fertilize and water your lawn, it will die. If you do feed, fertilize and water your lawn, it will die as well.
Your soil might be the culprit. If your soil contains clay, for instance, it can over time become as dense as a brick. Ever try growing something on a brick? Nothing is able to penetrate the surface. If you are struggling to grow in heavily, compacted soil, no wonder you have failed to make anything thrive no matter how much water or fertilizer you feed it.
Clay is made of very small, tiny particles. Works great for pottery but not very well suited for lawns. When you mold clay, it becomes shaped and compacted. Just think of your lawn after many sunny afternoons of outdoor fun with the kids. Your lawn has become compacted over time with all the heavy traffic. It essentially turns into a hard brick.
You may find that not every patch of soil on your lawn is the same. Under the trees or bushes for example, it may be moist and fertile, however not very well suited for grass because of the lack of sun. Other spots on your lawn will be denser than others. Just look along the driveway after the winter snow removal or how about that well worn shortcut to the sidewalk or driveway. Let us not forget the kid’s bike trails or the dog run. All these instances are the culprit of soils compacted.
You may have spent every weekend slaving over your lawn, but if the soils compacted you won’t get any results. To fix compacted soil you must first preform a couple of tests. The first test consists of simply going out to your lawn and trying to stick a sharpened pencil into the soil. If it breaks before you are able to penetrate the surface, than your soil is the culprit and you may be dealing with clay. Another test is to turn on the hose and let the sprinkler run for a bit. If the water sits on top of your lawn you have compacted soil. What ever you have applied to your lawn, whether its fertilizer, food or water was basically a waste of resources. You need to get those nutrients to the grass roots.
Aerate Definition:
One of the best ways to combat compaction is aerating. Aerating is the process of extracting holes about the size of a piece of chalk, evenly spaced over the surface of your lawn. Aerator equipment such as a plug type aerator or a deep core aerator are available for sale or rent at your local hardware store. Or you may just want to do a manual aerator by attaching aerating spikes or lawn aerator shoes to your kid’s and send them outdoors to play in the yard for the afternoon. Seriously, there are aerate lawn shoes available in the marketplace. The main point is that it is hard to overdo aerating lawns. Each hole will be a portal for water and fertilizer to reach the grassy roots.
Once the holes are open, you then want to spread compost evenly, about an inch deep, over your entire lawn. Rake it in after ward to make sure that it gets “forced” into all the holes. This will allow the water and fertilizer to slowly be absorbed into the surrounding soil.
After you have aerated and placed a top layer of compost on the old lawn, you will then need to reseed your lawn so that your grass will grow back with a heavier “coat”. The grass seed will embed themselves into the holes, where there will be plenty of room for moisture, allowing the roots to grow.
If your lawn has developed patches of bald spots, you can aerate on a smaller scale. You can either buy a hand operated aerating tool or use a spading or pitchfork to create the holes. Any tool will do as long as it perforates the soil deep enough, the deeper the better, to enable the compost and seeds to penetrate the soil. Just remember to keep the kids, cars, dogs and oh yes, the spouse off the area until the grass has filled in!
For further knowledge…order my book…
“Holistic Herbs~A Beginners Guide to Herbal Gardening”.
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Kali S. Winters
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