An important commercial spice crop in India where the pungent, aromatic seeds are in great demand in curries, pickles, confectionery and beverages. Potent antifungal against pathogenic fungi.
Variety commonly sold as peppermint or spearmint. Useful for tea, for medicinal purposes. Flavour and odour is pungent, not sweet like the true root-propagated strains.
Attractive white lacy flowers are excellent for fresh floral arrangements. (Bishopsweed) Known to the ancient Egyptians as a treatment for skin diseases this humble wild plant of the Nile valley was recently catapulted to the forefront of modern cancer...
Seeds stored with clothing repel insects. (Love-in-a-mist) Finely divided leaves create a mist effect surrounding the lovely blue flowers. Seeds used in curries and bread, although its close cousin black cumin is better.
It is also used for mastitis and for distension of the breast. Native of Tibet with showy masses of violet-blue globe-like flowers from July to August. The roots are anti-inflammatory and are used as a galactagogue -- an agent that increases milk flow...
Infusion of leaves and rootstock is effective for diarrhea, dysentery and problems of the urinary tract. Cultivated varieties are much less potent medicinally. Especially useful for convalescents and children.
(Wild arugula) A beautiful wild arugula with deeply lobed leaves and purple-red veins. The fresh leaves add a delicious bitterness to salads, sandwiches, pizza, and pasta.
These "berries" are quite edible, and the taste is a bit like mulberries. (Strawberry sticks; Leafy goosefoot) Not a true spinach but a distant cousin. But the novel thing about this plant is that late in the season red, juicy strawberry or raspberry-like...
Yellow, droopy daisy-like flowers in summer. Native wildflower used by the Navajo and Cheyenne Indians as an analgesic for chest pains, wounds and fevers. Also used as a treatment for poison ivy.
The infusion made from the pink flowers or leaves is used externally to moisturize and tone the skin and internally to soothe mucous membranes irritated and inflamed by coughs, stomach upsets and other intestinal problems.
Recent medical evidence supports folkloric use for tumours. Roots of this common wildplant are said to have “blood-purifying” properties. Useful for skin diseases, including eczema.
No blanching required. Outstanding curled leaf variety from Holland that is both ornamental and delicious to use in the kitchen like parsley. Aromatic leaves are used to season soups and stews, and like parsley they can be used as a garnish.
The main culinary varieties popular with onions for poultry stuffing and for flavouring rich meats like pork or duck. Sage tea gargle is valuable for sore throat. Contains up to 2.5% essential oil; yields up to 3 tonnes/ha (1.2 ton/acre).
Fresh leaves are eaten as a delicacy in salads or cooked like spinach. A decoction is used to treat constipation. Fresh leaves used as a poultice for inflammations, ulcers, abscesses.
Hardy to zone 5; prefers full sun and shelter from the wind. Hardy shrub with yellow flowers that appear before the leaves in spring. Also effective against inflammations and helps to reduce fever and boost immunity.
D4115 Infosheet: free on request with order. Seeds are a natural storehouse of L-dopa, a precursor of the neural transmitter, dopamine. Ayurvedic medicinal herb used traditionally as a nerve tonic.
(African marigold) Although better known by the misnomer, ‘African marigold', this Central American annual is a popular bedding plant available in many ornamental hybrid forms. When added to chicken feed, lutein-rich marigold flowers help make egg yolks...
Lovely variety with large purple wing-like bracts resting upon a sea of dark purple flowerheads. Ht. 35-40cm/14-16. Stunning in flower beds! Flowers the first season if started early (Jan-Feb).
Lovely fast growing vine with dark sky-blue flowers. Used by the Aztecs as a hallucinogen in religious ceremonies. Ideal for walls, trellises or tall fences.
A woody climbing vine native to the eastern and central United States. Sometimes used to make ointments for sores, skin ulcers and itchy skin. Infusion of the leaves and flowers is used to relieve severe headaches.
For ages the main source of blue dye in Europe, until the introduction of indigo in the 17th century. Because it is hardy (unlike indigo) woad is still grown for natural dyeing. Contains the same dyestuff as indigo, though in lower concentration.
