Expanded Herb Garden

   A few years ago, I added to my herb gardens and continue to do so each year.  Beside the "normal" kitchen herbs of basil, oregano and parsley, I added any and all herbs that I could find.  Now, my garden plot has exceeded its limits and things are having to be put in pots.  Two of my favorite plants are in the Zingiberaceae family...ginger and turmeric.  Not only are the rhizomes highly useful in the kitchen both are amazingly helpful as medicines.  Not to mention, they are both gorgeous plants!

  

  This year, both the ginger and turmeric have outdone themselves.  The plants (especially the potted ones) are a good four feet tall and quite bushy!  I peeped below the massive leaves to find dozens of fine rhizomes!   Both of these plants are incredibly easy to grow and yield profusely.  I find it strange that people would rather buy the roots at exorbitant prices than grow a beautiful (and useful) plant.  Just me...just saying...

Yellow or White?

  By this time, most folks are familiar with the pungent yellow spice, turmeric.  Not only is it the main spice used in curry, it has been touted as having a great many health benefits. Personally, it has been one of my all time favorites for the past twenty or so years. I have used it to treat everything from colds to venomous spider bites.  It is good stuff.  Folks, if by now, you do not have this in your spice rack, you are behind the times.

  While the yellow type turmeric (photo above) is well known and widely used, its relative, the white turmeric or white haldi is not nearly so popular.  In fact, not many folks have any idea there is such a thing.  There is.  It is good. Perhaps you should try it as well.  White haldi is said to have the aroma sort of like the blend of mango, ginger and turmeric.  It, too, has many beneficial traits.  White haldi can be used exactly as the yellow spice which may lead you to wonder why in the world I am giving all of this information about it.  Well, it is simple.  White haldi is super easy to grow!  The yellow is, too.  

  Darling Daughter has a plethora of the white haldi plants in her yard.  When she and my handsome son-in-law bought their place, the previous owners had a few leafy plants in a garden.  The next spring, dozens of the plants sprouted and flourished.  Ok, so now the garden was full of these fine broad-leafed plants.  Then, they bloomed.  Oh, what gorgeous blooms those were!  That led to her researching the plants and she found that they were white haldi.  The blooms are unmistakable!  Now, several years down the line, they are having to dig out plants each spring as the rhizomes keep multiplying.  So...what do they do?  They bring a bunch here.  I am elated to have yet another fine herb to add to my garden of healing wonders.  

  This afternoon, I made my way to the edge of the greenhouse which is the outer boundaries of my realm these days.  There, the Queen of the Small Gardens found that the white haldi is blooming!  I almost missed these lovely, pinkish blossoms as they were hidden among the broad leaves!  Well, having the white turmeric bloom must mean that the yellow should be doing the same or so I thought.  Nope.  The yellow is growing well but has nary a bud to show yet.  I shall have to keep watch but for now, I shall enjoy the blooms (and the benefits) of the white haldi!  Folks, see if you can find a start of these plants.  Both are gorgeous, have lovely blooms and can be added to the kitchen spice racks!

Curcuma Petiolata!

  Curcuma Petiolata....I was pondering just what these words meant when I first heard the two together.  They sort of roll off the tongue with a bit of smoothness not often found among words.  Well, this far in the Deep South just about every word has its own bit of oozy smoothness as we have what is called a drawl.  I have never noticed it.  Perhaps because I have the same drawl and think it is the only natural way of speaking.  Still, Curcuma Petiolata are a couple of words that are gentle on the ears when said together. Now, do you have any idea what this is?  It is a plant.  Well, a curcumin plant...ok, so a ginger plant...of sorts.  Curcuma Petiolata is a type of plant that is in the ginger family and gives us turmeric.  Now, we are getting somewhere! Turmeric and ginger are both found in my kitchen at any given time as they are two of my favorite spices and my go-to roots for home remedies! 

  But..why the sudden interest in this plant?  Well, last year, Darling Daughter gave me a "start" of a plant she has growing in her yard.  The rhizome was potted and has been doing rather well for the past year.  The plant has reached a height of about two feet and now has a lovely bloom! It is that bloom that made me do a bit of research on the plant.  I have always called these turmeric plants but never knew the correct name. 

  Curcuma Petiolata!  This plant is also known by a lot of other names such as Hidden Ginger, Hidden Lily, Queen Lily and Jewel of Thailand.  It is easy to grow as it requires little to no care once it is planted.  It does like a nice watering often but grows happily in sun or shade.  Darling Daughter has hers in full sun while mine is in full shade.  The only downside (if it can be called one) is that the plant multiplies readily so be prepared to thin the crop now and again.  Plus side, once the neighbors see the blooms and lovely foliage, they are usually more than happy to take a few plants off your hands.  Word of warning, however, there is some critter that loves to munch on the bloom as is evident by the lack of pink petals on the top of my bloom stalk!  Tomorrow, I will try to catch the culprit in action so it can be eradicated!  Do not munch my Curcuma Petiolata!

The "Pizza Soak"!

    With the name "Pizza Soak", I am sure folks think I do weird things with my food.  Actually, this is no food at all.  This, my friends, is an herbal concoction for healing wounds.  Several years ago, Son dubbed the stuff as "Pizza Soak" while he had his foot submerged in a tubful. Perhaps he was just hungry but he said the smell reminded him of pizza.  The name stuck. I suppose the stuff really does smell a lot like pizza because it is loaded with oregano.  A mixture of oregano, turmeric and Epsom salts are infused in a tub of really warm water.  This is used as a soak for sprains or wounds.  While Epsom Salts have been used for generations, I added the turmeric and oregano.  These both have antibiotic properties and have anti-inflammatory properties as well. Today, however, it was me who needed the concoction.

  Son and I headed out early this morning to tackle a trash pile down by the pump shed.  This had been accumulating for some years and needed to be cleared.  It was mostly old boards but could not be burned in the present area.  We were about halfway through with the chore when a board fought back!  I was stabbed in the hand by a rusty nail! While it was not a deep wound, it still bled like crazy and hurt more than I cared to admit.  We finished the job and I headed inside to tend to my wound.  I really need to be more careful!

  Tonight, I am once again soaking my right hand.  It is turning a lovely shade of yellow from the turmeric and smells highly of oregan but it does feel much better.  This stuff works but I am craving pizza right now!