My Herbs 1
Find out more on MYHERBS-STORE.COM. My Herbs is a special quarterly publication for anyone who is interested in alternative cooking, home grown herbs, and traditional or complementary medicine or healing methods, simply for everyone who wants to live in harmony with nature.
Find out more on MYHERBS-STORE.COM.
My Herbs is a special quarterly publication for anyone who is interested in alternative cooking, home grown herbs, and traditional or complementary medicine or healing methods, simply for everyone who wants to live in harmony with nature.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
oily consistency, which can be found<br />
in specific tissues of various plants,<br />
especially in flowers and fruit, but<br />
also in leaves, bark and roots. The<br />
beneficial effects have not yet been<br />
completely explained; however, experts<br />
believe that their effect is to<br />
protect plants from potential pests,<br />
including germs and insects. Some<br />
of the oils can also attract pollinators<br />
or may be used as weapons to fight<br />
other plants growing nearby.<br />
Essential oils are constantly evaporating<br />
through the surface of leaves<br />
during water circulation. It only<br />
takes a slight touch of a hand or<br />
a faint gust of air, and herbs such as<br />
basil or rosemary give off such<br />
a strong scent that it literally assails<br />
the nostrils. While this smell may be<br />
pleasant to humans, it is strongly repugnant<br />
for insects. Plants normally<br />
used in the kitchen as spices are the<br />
ones hated the most by insects:<br />
thyme, lavender, basil, rosemary,<br />
salvia, santolina, coriander,<br />
oregano or exotic lemongrass.<br />
GRANDMA’S GERANIUM<br />
Naturally, it is not only<br />
herbs that work as natural<br />
repellents. Other popular<br />
decorative plants like geranium have<br />
similar qualities, as does pelargonium,<br />
which has a spicy aroma.<br />
Other strains closely related to these<br />
flowers are even more interesting:<br />
Geranium himalayense, also called<br />
Geranium grandiflorum, and Pelargonium<br />
graveolens, with the common<br />
name rose geranium. These flowers<br />
give off a wide variety of scents.<br />
There are geraniums that smell like<br />
citruses, roses, eucalyptus, peppermint<br />
or even apples and spice. Geranol,<br />
the main aromatic chemical<br />
extracted from geraniums, is used in<br />
the production of perfumes. In addition,<br />
some annuals can help drive<br />
insects away: marigold, calendula,<br />
nasturtium or plectranthus can be<br />
planted beside herbs.<br />
THE RIGHT PLACE<br />
It is most useful to place the chosen<br />
plants where they can stop insects<br />
from getting indoors, like on<br />
a terrace or beside a balcony door.<br />
They can also be planted close to the<br />
grill, pool or hot tub. Flower pots<br />
with repellent herbs can be placed<br />
on the table as well. Leftovers, sugary<br />
drinks and ripening fruit attract<br />
insects, and all these<br />
foods should be kept out of<br />
their reach.<br />
86 MY HERBS MAGAZINE
Change language