| Italy is known for its great food. Going out for an Italian | | | | decorate your plate but parsley was not always used |
| dinner is just the best because the Italians have got it | | | | for this purpose. It has an interesting history in that |
| figured out when it comes to cooking fantastic food. | | | | many generations ago, long before the invention of the |
| Part of the reason their food is so good is because of | | | | breath mint parsley was used. It was served on a dish |
| their tasty herbs. And for that reason we need to | | | | after a tasty meal so that all could help themselves to |
| discuss why you should have an Italian herb garden. | | | | what was then their version of a breath freshener. |
| The Italian oregano is used in stews, soups, sauces, | | | | There is nothing wrong with eating it and it is actually |
| meat and shellfish. The plant has a finer leaf then other | | | | part of the carrot family. So help yourself, sweeten |
| oreganos and will hang over the edge of any | | | | your breath with a natural healthy herb. |
| containers it is planted in. It grows best in a full day of | | | | Rosemary can be used in many different dishes like |
| sun without partial shade. It needs a water soluble plant | | | | salads or soups or meat and the leaves can be used |
| fertilizer every 2 or 3 weeks. It needs to be watered | | | | as a tea and no Italian herb garden would be complete |
| every 2 or 3 days and needs a lot of drainage so the | | | | without it. It gives a generous amount of foliage which |
| soil should have some sand or perlite in it. | | | | you can just pluck off as needed. |
| Bundle the oregano and hang it upside down in a dry | | | | If you feel down and out or depressed rosemary can |
| place and let it dry. When the leaves are dry you can | | | | energize and cheer you up believe it or not by having |
| just crumble them on your food. That's actually how it | | | | some as a tea (with a pinch of valerian added) or an |
| is when you buy a bottle of it in the store, it's just dried | | | | herbal bath. |
| leaves. It's best not to harvest oregano until the | | | | It likes to grow in warm sunny places. Rosemary is |
| flowers have bloomed because that is when it is most | | | | though and will survive a cold winter or if it should dry |
| tasty. | | | | and turn brown all you have to do is cut it way down |
| Parsley is used today by the nicer restaurants to | | | | and it will spring back with healthy foliage. |