Annual
Helianthus annuus
Family: Compositae/Asteraceae

History

The sun-worshipping Aztecs of Peru decorated their temples with wrought-gold sunflowers and crowned their priestesses with sunflowers.

Introduced into Europe by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, sunflowers are now extensively grown for oils and for ornamental value.

Little gets wasted; the stems yield a paper-making fibre, the seeds produce a low-cholesterol oil, and the leaves are used for herbal tobaccos and cattle fodder.

The growing plant is an excellent soil improver, and is also effective in draining water-logged soils.

Bees get wax and nectar from the flowers, which also yield a yellow dye.

Uses

Medicinal: The seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties and have been used to treat coughs, colds and bronchitis.
Culinary: The seeds are high in protein, minerals and vitamins and can be eaten fresh or used as a flour.

Cultivation

Easy to grow, especially in manure-rich soil and with plenty of sun and water.
Harvesting & storage: The seeds are ripe when the flowerheads droop. Cut off heads and leave to dry. When dry the seeds will easily fall out. Store in cool, dry place until needed.

The ultimate cure-all of all time must be Galen’s Theriac — a true witches’ brew concocted by Roman herbalist Galen (130-200ad). Besides its opium base, it contained more than 70 ingredients, including dozens of herbs, minerals, bits of animal flesh, honey and wine.

The blender first had to compound sub-recipes, then mix them together. Even then, the mixture was expected to mature for at least 40 days—or longer!

The curious mixture survived for many centuries and the Elizabethan herbalist John Evelyn reported a ceremonial compounding of Theriac he saw in Venice in 1645.

Not all brews were as dramatic, and some of the most effective herbal medicines are known as “simples”, so-called because they feature a single herb.

Simple cause of epidemic

A fungal “simple” was the infamous cause of 600 years of epidemics of St Anthony’s Fire. In its most common form of the “fire”, the victim suffered sharp, firelike pain in the joints, which would eventually turn gangrenous.

Delirium, hallucinations and death, were common. It was named after St Anthony, the saint who protects against fire, epilepsy and infection. A religious hermit, he lived in Egypt, where he died in 356ad.

During the Crusades his remains were moved from Egypt to Dauphiné, France, the site of the first epidemic in 1039 of what was to become known as St Anthony’s Fire.

It was finally isolated in 1676 when millers discovered it was a fungus called ergot often infecting rye grain. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic derivative of ergot.

They were once known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World — a manufactured mountain towering above the Babylonian plains, build by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his favourite wife, who was homesick for trees and mountains on the featureless Mesopotamian landscape, in what is now Iraq.

The Hanging Gardens were terraced roof gardens, built over a massive arching stone foundation and huge storage rooms.

The roofs were waterproofed with layers of bitumen, reeds, bricks and lead, and enough soil was added to suit trees. Deep wells supplied water to the gardens by means of a hydraulic machine.

Herbs would have been a popular ingredient in the famous gardens, as Babylonian records of the day show that the citizens had thyme, coriander, saffron, anise, poppy, mandrake, rosemary and hemp, as well as ornamentals such as roses, lupins and anemones.

There were probably many more exotic plants in the gardens as Iraq was on the classic Silk Road between East and West. In the millenia before Christ, the Arabs took full advantage of their location between the spice-producing eastern countries and the spice-consuming Western countries, to establish a virtual monopoly on trade.

However, in about 40ad, the secret of the wind systems over the Indian Oceans was unlocked by a Greek merchant named Hippalis. He observed that twice a year the prevailing winds — the monsoons — changed direction.

The Romans soon took advantage of this to establish a regular sea route to the East from Egypt, virtually killing the overland route in the process.

Culpeper Says …

The common mullein has many fair, large, woody white leaves, lying next to the ground, pointed at end, and as it were dented about the edges.

The stalk rises up to be four or five feet high, covered over with such like leaves, but less, so that no stalk can be seen for the multitude of leaves thereon up to the flowers, which come forth on all sides of the stalk.

It is under the dominion of Saturn.

The old country names of mullein such as candlestiock plant — Our Lady’s Candle, Candellaria — seems to testify to the tradition that in ancient days the plant was dipped in suet and burnt as a candle.

The Complete Herbal, 1649

Annual

Ocimum basilicum
Family: Labiatae/Lamiaceae

History

The history of basil dates back many centuries and its is said to have come to Europe from India via the Middle East.

In Iran, Malaysia and Egypt, it is planted on graves; in Crete it stood for sorrowful love, while in parts of Italy it was used as a love token.

However, in ancient Greece and Rome it was believed that basil would only prosper where there was chaos and it was aligned to poverty, hate and misfortune.

In India it is a sacred herb dedicated to the Hindu gods Vishnu and Krishna.

Globe basil

Uses

Medicinal: A leaf tea aids digestion and expels gas. Also recommended for stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation. Extract from the seeds exhibits an antibacterial effect.
Culinary: Used extensively in tomato sauces and the classic Italian pesto sauce. Traditional in Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cookery.
Fresh basil is delicious added fresh to salads, especially tomatoes.
It is used in soups, stews, vegetable dishes, and with eggs, poultry and mushrooms. Use sparingly in cooking as heat develops the herb’s flavour.
Aromatic: Add dried leaves to potpourris and sachets. Grown indoors, the aroma will discourage flies.
Cosmetic: Brings lustre to hair when added to the final rinse.
Companion planting: Plant basil near capsicums and tomatoes to enhance their growth.

Lettuce leaf basil

Cultivation

Sow outdoors after all frost and when the soil is warm.
Prefers sunny, sheltered position in rich, moist, well-drained soil.
Harvesting & storage: Harvest just before flowering. Freezes well, retaining it’s colour and flavour, or store in olive oil. Can also be layered and salted.

‘Dark Opal’ basil