Aromatic plants in pots: from basil to parsley, from sage to rosemary and lavender to embellish your balcony and your recipes
Aromatic plants in pots with a little care and attention can give you aromas and flavors all year round by adorning and decorating your balcony. If, on the other hand, you are looking for indoor plants that maybe can help you purify the air of your home, watch this video and discover the most suitable plants for your home! Surrounding yourself with greenery is always a good idea that helps your mood and your positive energy. : trial!
Aromatic plants in pots: Like Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano and the fantastic aromatic Lavender ... how many pots on your balcony
Growing aromatic herbs in pots on the balcony of the house or on the terraces is not complicated and you can use them to prepare tasty and healthy herbal teas. Not all aromatic plants last more than a year, but with some indications you will be able to cultivate them, creating a small vegetable garden even on a terrace, and they will give you their green beauty and also well-being for your body. Basil, from the Greek "herb worthy of a king", is also famous abroad for being a symbol of Italian cuisine. Basil is used in pasta with tomato, in eggplant parmigiana, in pesto, on pizza. You can pot basil seedlings purchased in larger pots or plant its seeds. Basil needs a lot of sun, give it water in the morning or in the evening when the earth is cool. If you use it to prepare your special dishes, do not cut it with a knife, because it loses its scent, oxidizes quickly and loses a lot of its essential oils and vitamins. Basil should never be cooked, but always used raw, because above 60 ° its taste becomes bitter. Even in pasta with tomato basil leaves should not be added until after cooking, just before serving. Line the bottom of the pot with expanded clay and then put the soil in the pot where you need to plant the Basil. Parsley is suitable for any dish of fish and mushrooms. Rich in various properties, it loves partial shade, it should be placed in pots alone, due to its tendency to spread to the detriment of other plants. Parsley has antioxidant properties, facilitates digestion and protects against pathogens and cholesterol. Improve blood circulation, fight flu syndrome. Parsley was known to the ancients for its medicinal properties; it began to be used in the kitchen only in medieval times. It was used by the Etruscans, who considered it a magical plant, to prepare a miraculous ointment.
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Very fragrant, rich in essential oils, resistant to cold, Rosemary blooms from March to September. Water its seedlings not before the soil is dry, to ensure that the water does not stagnate. As with Basil, it is good to spread expanded clay on the bottom of the pot. Rosemary, in addition to flavoring our dishes, does not bring mosquitoes close. Not only is it a good condiment, but its aromatic flowers with an intense smell and oregano flowers also offer several benefits: they promote digestion, eliminate air from the abdomen, strengthen the nervous system and fluidify the respiratory tract, if you have cough and cold. Continue reading this article to discover all the potential of other potted aromatic plants and learn how to grow them to adorn your balcony and terrace. An inedible but very fragrant aromatic plant is lavender: with its colored flowers wisteria and its scent is ideal for preparing delicious bags to perfume your linen. As you have seen, these aromas can easily be grown in pots, it does not require a vegetable garden: it is important, however, for their cultivation that the pot has the right diameter and that therefore it is also in a good position in the sunlight but not too exposed. In this way and with a little care you can have a balcony full of greenery. yes of aromatic plants: and if your balcony is really small, don't despair, there are splendid vertical solutions, such as those that use pallets applied to the wall and are perfect for containing your plants taking up very little space!
Aromatic plants in pots: special herbs Sage, Mint, Thyme, Fennel, Marjoram
Sage and Rosemary should not be placed close together in pots. Sage is a very common medicinal plant in the Mediterranean areas; rich in beneficial properties, it is useful for menstrual pain, for hot flashes of menopause, against amenorrhea, against water retention and edema; relieves colds, sore throats and coughs and lowers blood sugar. It has healing, digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. Salvia herbal tea made with its leaves is also excellent against esophageal reflux. This plant loves the sun, has velvety leaves and is a must on your balcony. The stagnation of water harm it and so does the frost. Its aroma is used for meat and fish. Mint should not be placed in small pots, because it grows a lot: do not give it too much water, except when the heat increases a lot. Many cold dishes suitable for the hot season are garnished with mint, which is also used for cocktails. Do not give up having aromatic plants on your balcony thinking that these will not last long, with a good soil and a pot of the optimal diameter your plants will be able to grow healthy and luxuriant ... and then you want to put the pleasure of grasping with yours hands aromatic plants instead of ready-made aromas to enrich all your dishes and recipes? Thyme, a perennial herb, requires mixed soil and light, but in partial shade. Thyme is good for fish and roasts, but also for liqueurs and herbal teas. A sprig of Thyme, according to a popular tradition, placed under the pillow ensures a peaceful sleep. Fennel has a sweet and strong flavor, it grows on limestone soil. In the kitchen it is known for flavoring Sicilian pasta with sardines. It resists well at any temperature. By reading this article you have already discovered many varieties of aromatic plants in pots, but there are many types of aromatic plants in pots, even less known and known but always very valid for preparing your recipes and your aromatic oils!
Aromatic plants in pots: Marjoram, Tarragon, Chives, Cloves
Similar in taste to oregano, marjoram is suitable for seasoning pizzas and focaccias. Also this plant loves the location in the sun and soils with many nutrients. The Tarragon or Estragon is grown in full sun; fresh, it gives fragrance to the salad; dried, it is used to make fillings and aperitifs and oils. Chives are not often grown on the balcony, they do not like full sun, but they do not fear the cold. It especially gives flavor to meat and soups. Some call it not chives, but wild garlic. Cloves help digest well, they relieve headaches, facilitate blood circulation. They relieve pain and also seem to have aphrodisiac powers. The properties of aromatic herbs are many and having them fresh at home on the balcony, in the vegetable garden or in a garden area is comfortable, healthy and delightful. These herbs should be planted in terracotta pots and well-drained soils, without stagnating water.
You can also do some transplanting of these seedlings, from a full ground pot, a smaller one or a larger one. Transplanting is a delicate operation. In fact, you have to be careful not to damage the leaves and roots of these herbs during the transplant and then you have to take care to add a suitable soil for their cultivation. Make sure you have available space and everything you need. and then go ahead with your transplant. A full sun exposure is suitable for Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme; the half shade with Tarragon or Parsley with curly or smooth leaves. If the terrace is in the shade, you can plant various types of Mint in other pots (peppermint, Roman, lemon citrate). There are particular varieties of these plants, real tasty novelties such as Basil with red leaves, Salvia tricolor, Sage with Pineapple flavor and Curly Leaf Parsley.
Aromatic plants and spices: many tasty and healthy plants in colorful pots
There are so many spices and aromatic herbs. Spices are obtained from a part of a plant, from the root, from the shoots, from the berries, respectively for Ginger, Saffron, Pepper. Aromatic herbs such as Basil, Parsley, Rosemary are plants, which occur in nature and are used fresh or after drying them. The oil obtained from the laurel promotes digestion, relieves muscle and rheumatic pains, acts as an expectorant. "Anise eliminates aerophagia problems and helps digest. Cinnamon has antioxidant, antibacterial power, strengthens the immune system, an antipyretic, antidiabetic and antitumor with diuretic and expectorant effects. Coriander stimulates the nervous system. Like Cumin, it relaxes the" gastrointestinal tract and calms intestinal colic. Turmeric has purifying, antioxidant, antitumor and anti-inflammatory power for the joints. Saffron contains vitamins A, B1 and B2 and improves mood. Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antiemetic properties. Sesame only uses seeds rich in calcium which together with magnesium produces serotonin which relaxes and promotes sleep and regulates cholesterol. Chili Pepper has a vasodilating effect, lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation and fights cholesterol. It protects the heart and has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Black Pepper helps digestion, stimulates metabolism and has diuretic and antipyretic effects.
Aromatic plants in pots: in the vegetable garden, in the garden, on the balcony, but also at home
Aromatic herbs can also be grown at home; if you don't have a vegetable garden available. In fact, you need little space, little time and minimal equipment. And then they are very fragrant. You need clay pots, saucers, expanded clay, soil mixed with sand, fertilizer, shovel and scissors. Now look for their place in the house. They need light, but not artificial heat, such as radiators. The best place is the kitchen! If space is tight, put shelves on the wall or a curtain rod with hanging saucers to place the seedlings; or grow them at the window with planters: they will always have light and a luxuriant development. You can also set up a shelf under the windowsill and arrange the seedlings there. The most suitable solution is the balcony. If you have one, place the potted aromatic plants so that they are sheltered from wind and rain, but have many hours of sunshine a day. If the balcony is spacious, you can also grow them on the ground with heavy ceramic or metal pots or on ladders and vertical planters. If you plan to grow aromatic plants outside on a terrace, beware of Basil, which is too delicate to deal with the freezing cold months. Make sure the drain is working perfectly. Their multiplication can be done in spring, by cuttings or sowing. Remember that these plants want light, but not humidity. Attach a label to each jar with the names of the plants, so they will be even prettier! And now that you really know everything about potted aromatic plants, you just have to buy these aromas and start their cultivation: success is guaranteed, and a fragrant balcony too!
And you from which aromatic plant do you start your collection?
