Nasturtiums
for many ailments
We
have chosen to bring you 'flowers for food' as flowers have a
very high vibration and most of us don't realise that we can adorn
our salads with these exquisite shapes, colours and fragrances
from nature - and they are good for us too. This extract is taken
from herb expert MARGARET ROBERTS' book, 'Edible & Medicinal Flowers'.
A
FAMILIAR summer annual all over the world, the nasturtium originated
in South America, particularly Bolivia and Peru. It was introduced
to Spain in the 16th Century and was recorded by the well-known
herbalist Gerard in London in the 1590s.
With its pleasant peppery taste it has become a favourite herb
the world over. Today nasturtium seeds are marketed around the
world and beautiful cultivars abound, from the more compact bush
nasturtiums to double-flowered varieties, in a breathtaking array
of colours. The bright orange sprawling nasturtium that we all
grew up with is happily still around, but the colours of the latest
varieties now include brilliant yellow, cream, wine red and every
combination and shade in between. Along my pergola walk this season
I was delighted to count twenty-one different colours and combinations,
all of which were self-sown from a single packet of seeds sown
two summers previously.
Medicinal
uses: All parts of the plant may be used. As a child I was
taught to eat a nasturtium leaf at the first sign of a sore throat,
another an hour later and a third an hour after that. Only many
years later did I learn that nasturtium is high in vitamin C and
a natural antibiotic. It is still used today in South America
as a treatment for bladder and kidney ailments, for coughs, colds
and flu, and for sore throats and bronchitis. It contains a variety
of vitamins and minerals and through the centuries has been used
to treat scurvy and blood disorders.
In
ancient South America nasturtium was taken as a hair growth stimulant.
Now medical science has proven that the juice from the flowers
and buds stimulates the tiny capillaries of the scalp! A nasturtium,
nettle and rosemary hair rinse can be made by boiling 1 cup of
each herb in 2 litres of water for 15 minutes. Cool and strain.
Massage into the scalp and rinse the hair. Keep the excess in
the fridge. The French decoction is 1 cup nasturtium flowers and
buds and ½ cup leaves in 1 litre of water. Simmer for 15 minutes
in a closed pot, strain and use as above.
Cultivation:
Growing nasturtiums is child's play and a rewarding crop for
children to grow themselves. Merely loosen a bit of soil in full
sun and press the big seeds into it, keep the soil moist, and
within a few days the succulent little seedlings will appear.
They thrive literally anywhere and in any soil, although if the
soil is too rich you'll have masses of leaves at the expense of
the flowers. In a protected area nasturtiums are biennial, but
as they seed themselves with such ease, I pull out the old plants
and let the new young ones take over.
'Edible
& Medicinal Flowers' is published by David Phillips. Recipes that
include nasturtiums - Nasturtium Salad Vinegar, Nasturtium Cheese
Dip and Grilled Aubergine Salad with Egg and Nasturtium Flowers
appear on pages 148 and 99
