Showing posts tagged herbs
Three Yellows  Ruta Graveolens (Common Rue) is grown at Galeazza mostly for the beauty of its cool, glaucous leaves and because swallowtails love to eat it when they are in their larva phase… I don’t eat it or use it in the kitchen, and don’t flavour grappa with it, either. I also refrain from using it to kill unborn fetuses, even if I’ve read it can do the job… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue View high resolution

Three Yellows 

Ruta Graveolens (Common Rue) is grown at Galeazza mostly for the beauty of its cool, glaucous leaves and because swallowtails love to eat it when they are in their larva phase… I don’t eat it or use it in the kitchen, and don’t flavour grappa with it, either. I also refrain from using it to kill unborn fetuses, even if I’ve read it can do the job…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue

Allium schoenoprasum Sometimes the common classics are my favourites. Chives. Nothing special, right? Wrong! Fantastic! As delicious as they are beautiful. The perfect herb. View high resolution

Allium schoenoprasum

Sometimes the common classics are my favourites. Chives. Nothing special, right? Wrong! Fantastic! As delicious as they are beautiful. The perfect herb.

Ocimum basilicum Seeds of sweet Italian basil, ready to harvest for next year. View high resolution

Ocimum basilicum

Seeds of sweet Italian basil, ready to harvest for next year.

Lemon verbena, Aloysia triphylla (or Lippia citriodora), is a native of Chile and Peru. It is the most exquisite lemon scented herb of all - better than lemon thyme, better than lemon balm, somehow even better than lemons themselves! In this area of Italy it dies in most gardens if left outside all winter, but here at Galeazza it grows along a south-facing wall and is just protected enough to die down each winter but grow from dead-looking woody trunks each spring. View high resolution

Lemon verbena, Aloysia triphylla (or Lippia citriodora), is a native of Chile and Peru. It is the most exquisite lemon scented herb of all - better than lemon thyme, better than lemon balm, somehow even better than lemons themselves!

In this area of Italy it dies in most gardens if left outside all winter, but here at Galeazza it grows along a south-facing wall and is just protected enough to die down each winter but grow from dead-looking woody trunks each spring.

 Satureja montana A small plant of Winter savory was brought to the Castle of Galeazza by a Russian friend of mine, Dmitri Klimov, about 6 years ago. It has spread a bit, but isn’t taking over like some other herbs nearby (lemon balm, mint, rocket). It has a strong peppery taste. Good in beans and soups and stuff. View high resolution

 Satureja montana

A small plant of Winter savory was brought to the Castle of Galeazza by a Russian friend of mine, Dmitri Klimov, about 6 years ago. It has spread a bit, but isn’t taking over like some other herbs nearby (lemon balm, mint, rocket). It has a strong peppery taste. Good in beans and soups and stuff.

Sixteen Silvers Salvia officinalis, Sage Not super silvery, but definitely one of my favourites, and silver enough to make it onto my list at Number 10. So here it is: Sage! One of the greatest herbs in the Galeazza Garden. I don’t care how common it is. I don’t care if it gets leggy as hell. I love it. I love its smell, its taste, the feeling of its leaves, and the colour of its flowers. View high resolution

Sixteen Silvers

Salvia officinalis, Sage

Not super silvery, but definitely one of my favourites, and silver enough to make it onto my list at Number 10. So here it is: Sage! One of the greatest herbs in the Galeazza Garden. I don’t care how common it is. I don’t care if it gets leggy as hell. I love it. I love its smell, its taste, the feeling of its leaves, and the colour of its flowers.

Sixteen Silvers This puny little plant, number 12 on my list, is a fantastic cullinary herb originally from Crete: Origanum dictamnus. It isn’t very silver at the moment, but it used to be a clump of silvery, soft round leaves. It has shot up new growth with grey-green bracts and purple-pink flowers since I brought it home from a nursery near Verona a couple months ago. As usual, I was cruel and greedy, and so divided a small plant into six pieces, but they’re all growing very well, and will one year be six fine clumps. View high resolution

Sixteen Silvers

This puny little plant, number 12 on my list, is a fantastic cullinary herb originally from Crete: Origanum dictamnus. It isn’t very silver at the moment, but it used to be a clump of silvery, soft round leaves. It has shot up new growth with grey-green bracts and purple-pink flowers since I brought it home from a nursery near Verona a couple months ago. As usual, I was cruel and greedy, and so divided a small plant into six pieces, but they’re all growing very well, and will one year be six fine clumps.

Salvia sclarea seeds

It’s time to harvest the seeds that didn’t already fall God knows where in the garden. This is one ambitious volunteer, but I like to save a few seeds for friends. With a gorgeous structure, beautiful flowers, and an amazing aroma, Salvia sclarea (Clary sage) is a must for herb lovers. 

Just let me know if you’d like to have some seeds, and I’ll send them to you. A little Galeazza gift!

Shieldbugs copulating on a parsley flower - Petroselinum crispum This is one of four herbs for today. View high resolution

Shieldbugs copulating on a parsley flower - Petroselinum crispum

This is one of four herbs for today.

Levisticum officinale - Lovage

“Mountain celery ” in Italian - Sedano di monte

Foeniculum vulgare - Wild fennel View high resolution

Foeniculum vulgare - Wild fennel