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If you’re considering an indoor herb garden and are looking for a variety that’s easy to grow and has a freshly pungent aroma, thyme is the herb for you. With its tiny, purplish-white flowers and enticing fragrance, it also offers a beautiful presentation that acts as a natural air freshener – just don’t keep it too close to an open window, or bees may become a problem.
Outdoor Herb Gardening
Also used in flower beds and patio containers, thyme makes a beautiful addition to any standard herb garden, with its lovely stalks that grow to a foot in height and its grayish leaves which complement woody stems. Grown from seed, they can be started indoors approximately 1 ½ months before the last anticipated frost, or outdoors – directly in the garden bed. Keep in mind that, when planted outdoors, they should only be given a light cover of soil, and should be sown in an area that will get plenty of sunlight. Placement is important, as well, since this herb can survive for a number of years, and you won’t want to face the inconvenience of replanting if it begins to get cramped in its particular area of the herb garden.
To the delight of gardeners, thyme is the type of herb that grows well in all types of soil, even one of poor quality, and doesn’t need consistent moisture, as in the case of others of the herb family. During times when rain is sparse and the conditions are rather dry, you can care for your thyme plants by watering them once or twice each week. It will also be necessary to add fertilizer each season – one or two applications should be adequate.
Thyme in the Kitchen
While this herb has some medicinal value, it certainly plays a significant place in the kitchen. Often used as a substitute for salt, thyme blends quite well with other herbs and is often used to flavor soups, casseroles, stuffing and vegetables. When included in meals that utilize the slow-cooking process, this delicious herb retains its flavor so that the overall taste of the dish is not compromised. Culinary professionals often use thyme to stimulate the appetite and clean the palate.
Recipes which include thyme – which can be found online or in a variety of cookbooks – are Apple Thyme Jelly, Chicken Gumbo, Crispy Citrus Goose, Ham and Lima Bean Salad with Maple-Thyme Dressing, Emeril’s Boston Clam Chowder, Jamaican Jerk Sauce and Lemon-Thyme Sherbet.
Homeopathic Qualities of Thyme
When used for medicinal purposes, this herb is credited with aiding in the digestive process, soothing sore throats, relieving cold symptoms and aiding in the repair of skin through its inclusion in soaps, ointments and lotions.
Thyme, as with many other herbs, is beautiful, fragrant and versatile, and should have a place in every herb garden – whether indoors or outdoors. Novice gardeners will have an easy time with this particular herb, due to its ability to adapt to the surroundings with greater ease than some of the other members of the herb family.
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