Moira’s Herbal – Parsley

Petroselinum crispum hortense
AKA: Parsley

General Size & Description: This biennial plant grows 18-24 inches high. The leaves of this variety of parsley are flat and dark green, though other varieties may have curly leaves. Small, creamy white flowers bloom in the summer.

Warnings: In the wild, there is a highly poisonous plant, Aethusa cynapium, which looks and smells like parsley. Be sure you have a positive ID on any plant you collect outside your garden!

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Hardy to USDA Zone 5, parsley prefers partial sun and room to grow a long taproot.

Soil preferences: Deep soil prepared with plenty of compost fertilizer.

Spreading habit: Non-invasive.

Propagation: Grows very slowly from seed. Keep seeds moist, or they will not germinate. I recommend buying parsley starts from a reputable grower. Parsley does not transplant well, so once plants are established, leave them in place.

Container gardening: Parsley grows well in containers that are large enough to accommodate its taproot. Keep well watered and fed.

Maintenance:
Spring – Sow seed or plant starts
Summer – On second-year plants, cut flower stalks as they appear.
Fall & Winter – Protect first-year plants from cold. Remove second-year plants and prepare soil for spring planting.

Pests: Slugs (also see Notes below)

Harvest: Pick leaves and use fresh or freeze for later use.

Notes:

• Plant plenty of parsley. This is a favorite food of the caterpillar that becomes the black swallowtail butterfly. Some folk might call the caterpillar a pest, but the butterfly is beautiful enough to be worth the loss of plants!

Culinary Uses

• Parsley is generally used as a garnish, but it can also be eaten after a meal to freshen breath.
• Included in herbal mixtures, parsley enhances the flavor of other herbs.

Period Folklore

• Symbolized death in ancient Greece and Rome. Used as a grave decoration
• According to Plutarch, the association with death was so strong that a group of soldiers on their way to battle saw a mule loaded with parsley, took this as an omen of their own impending death, panicked, and fled.
• In the Middle Ages, parsley was closely associated with the Devil. It was thought that the wickedness of parsley could only be nullified by planting it on Good Friday while the moon was rising.
• Transplanting parsley was believed to bring disaster to the household.
• It was once believed that only a witch or a pregnant woman could successfully grow parsley.

Moira's Herbal - Garlic

Allium sativum
AKA: Garlic

General Size & Description: A perennial grown as an annual, garlic grows 16-24 inches tall. Its leaves are dark green and flat, and its spear-straight stem is topped by a flower head that bloms white or pink.

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Full sun

Soil preferences: Rich, light, well-drained soil

Spreading habit: If allowed to go to seed, garlic will spread far and wide!

Propagation: Plant individual cloves, pointed end up, anytime from early fall to early spring.

Container gardening: Garlic may be grown in containers. Harvest the green leaves as you would harvest chives.

Companion plants: Wards off black spot when planted next to roses.

Maintenance:
Spring – Plant cloves in early spring
Summer – Cut off seed heads, dig up bulbs when leaves begin to turn yellow
Fall & Winter – Plant cloves and mulch to protect against cold

Harvest: Dig up bulbs when leaves begin to turn yellow in mid – late summer. Dry thoroughly before storing in a cool place with plenty of air circulation.

Culinary Uses

• There is such a thing as too much garlic, but there are many who will cry “Uncle” before I will. I love garlic and use it primarily to flavor butter, vinegar, beef, and anything that includes tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Period Folklore

• Eaten by Roman soldiers to inspire courage.
• Thought to ward off and cure plague.
• Since in the Middle Ages, many diseases were believed to be caused by evil spirits, garlic’s antiseptic properties were believed to be proof that garlic was an effective charm against evil.

Moira's Herbal - Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis)
AKA: Roman Chamomile

General Size & Description: Evergreen perennial which typically reaches 4 inches high and spreads up to 18 inches. White flowers with yellow centers bloom all summer.

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Adaptable to most conditions, but prefers sunny locations. Hardy to USDA Zone 4.

Soil preferences: Well-drained soil.

Spreading habit: Non- to slightly-invasive

Propagation: Can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Container gardening: May be grown in containers, but it’s best to do so outdoors. Indoors, plants tend to be leggy, soft, and disease-prone.

Companion plants: It’s said that chamomile is beneficial to all plants it grows near.

Maintenance:
Spring – Sow seeds, divide established plants
Summer – Water well
Fall – Take cuttings
Winter – Mulch in USDA Zones 4 and 5

Harvest:
Leaves – Gather in spring and early summer. Use fresh or dry.
Flowers – Pick when fully open, around mid-summer.

Culinary Uses

• Chamomile is marvelous as a hot tea. Chamomile tea sweetened with honey is my favorite for winding-down in the evening.

Household Uses

• Use an infusion of chamomile as a final rinse to brighten fair hair.
• Another variety of chamomile, Dyer’s Chamomile, can be used to make dyes that vary in color from yellow to olive, depending on the mordant used.
• Chamomile flowers are used in both herb pillows and potpourri.
• Chamomile flowers are among those preferred by honeybees.

Moira's Herbal - Rosemary

Rosemarinus officinalis
AKA: Rosemary

General Size & Description: A perennial evergreen shrub that grows to about 3 ft. high and spreads about 3 ft. Flowers are pale blue and appear in early spring. Dark green leaves are needle-shaped and very fragrant.


Warnings: Use care when cooking with rosemary; many people are allergic to this herb.


Cultivation
Sun & Location: Full sun in a location sheltered from cold winds. Frost hardy to USDA Zone 8.

Soil preferences: Well-drained soil.

Spreading habit: Non-invasive.

Propagation: May be grown from seed, but a softwood cutting taken from new growth in spring is more likely to succeed. Cut a 6” length, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and stick the cut end directly into potting soil.

Container gardening: Grows well in well-drained containers. In fact, this is the best way to grow rosemary in cooler climes; the plant can simply be brought inside through the winter. Avoid over watering, and feed only after flowering is over.

Companion plants: Plant near carrots to repel carrot flies.

Maintenance:
Spring – trim after flowering, take softwood cuttings
Summer – feed plants in containers
Fall – protect young plants from cold temperatures
Winter – mulch to protect from cold temperatures

Harvest: Fresh leaves can be picked year-round.

Notes:

• Some varieties of rosemary may be grown as a low hedge.
• Rosemary flowers are among those preferred by bees.

Culinary Uses

• Use sparingly – rosemary is a dominant herb and can easily overpower other flavors.
• Use fresh or dried to flavor: lamb, poultry (esp. stuffed in cavity of roasted bird), fish, tomato sauces, rice, salads, vinegars, oils, and cordials.
• Add a few twigs of rosemary to the barbeque grill to smoke meats, or strip a twig of its leaves and use as a skewer for grilled shrimp.

Household Uses

• Use an infusion of rosemary as a rinse for brunette hair to make it shine!
• Rosemary leaves are frequently used in soaps, potpourri, oils, and fragrant sachets.

Period Folklore

• Rosemary is associated with remembrance, fidelity, and love.
• Flowers of rosemary can range in color from pale bluish-white to deep blue. To account for this, Christian legend claims the flowers were originally white, but turned varying shades of blue when Mary hung her blue cloak on a rosemary bush.
• Ancient Greek students studying for exams wore garlands of rosemary to improve their memories.
• Members of wedding parties carried sprigs of rosemary, and the herb was woven into garlands worn by brides.
• Rosemary was frequently carried by mourners at funerals, and dropped into graves.
• The herb was placed under a sleeper’s pillow to repel bad dreams, and was said to ward off both witches and plague.
• Rosemary was believed to only flourish in the garden where the woman dominated the household.

**Updated 5/24/06**

Moira's Herbal - Disclaimer

Gentle Reader, my interest in herbs is as varied as my interest in other topics, and I am quick to acknowledge that there are others who know far more about herbs than do I.

While I am interested in and have limited practice with the medicinal use of herbs, I do not intend to discuss medical uses here. Used improperly, herbal remedies can do more harm than good. I strongly encourage those who wish to make or use herbal remedies to learn as much as possible about their effects, side effects, and interactions before they begin.

While period herbals are excellent resources for research, herbalists of the Middle Ages and Renaissance did not have the advantage of our modern medical understanding. If you, Gentle Reader, have an interest in herbs for any purpose, I encourage you to include in your study at least one modern herbal. (I recommend John Lust’s The Herb Book.)

In these pages, I will discuss the cultivation of various herbs, their place in folklore, and their culinary and household uses.