Lemongrass

Just when I thought the number of lemon-flavored herbs was a trio,

 it turns out to be a quartet instead.

I thought of another:  lemongrass (cymbopogon).

www.en.wikipedia.org

According to Wikipedia.org, lemongrass is native to India and Asia

and is a common addition to teas, soups and curries.

In fact, WebMD.com says that dried lemongrass leaves

are used to add lemon flavor to commercial teas 

like one of my favorites, green tea with lemon.

I have made a Thai Chowder that has lemongrass as an ingredient.

The recipe calls for simmering 

a small bundle of lemongrass stalks to form the stock.

The lemongrass imparts a lovely, subtle lemon flavor throughout.

www.foodsubs.com

WebMD.com also has some information about the medicinal uses for lemongrass.

This herb grass can be used as an anti-fungal, to reduce high blood pressure,

to curtail the common cold, and to alleviate an upset stomach, among other things.

www.flowergardengirl.com

Perhaps most interesting is that the essential oil from lemongrass

can be applied directly to the skin to alleviate headache or muscle pain.

I suppose there is always a possibility the oil might not work that well,
but in any case, you'll certainly smell lemon fresh.

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Lemon Thyme

One can't think of lemon-scented herbs 

like lemon verbena and lemon balm

without also adding lemon thyme to the list.

www.examiner.com

According to the article Thyme and Lemon Thyme,

Greek "thymos" meant spirit or smoke,

and thyme was used much like incense 

for many generations before it became a common culinary herb.

Lemon thyme is a hybrid though, 

developed more recently along with other thyme flavors.

Arthur Lee Jacobson, 

described on his website as a plant expert and writer,

lists a number of thyme hybrid varieties in his article 

"Thymes--Aromatic Little Herbs that Warm our Hearts."

www.tastefulgarden.com

Jacobson lists quite a few exotic thyme flavors,

including coconut, caraway, nutmeg, and pineapple, to name a few. 

See the full list at this link:  

 http://www.arthurleej.com/a-thyme.html.

For cooking, lemon thyme is the most popular thyme.

Lemon thyme is supposed to grow well  in sandy, dry soil

as long as it receives full sun.

So it would be a good choice for the Shire.

Photo of thyme flower, www.kitchenheadquarters.com

I have some regular thyme growing, 

interspersed with impatiens.

The thyme doesn't get full sun so it is kind of long and tender,

but that makes it look feathery--

a nice counterpoint to the roundness of the impatiens flowers.

I've never grown lemon thyme, however.

Maybe next year I will do a planting of lemon herbs:

lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon thyme.

But I think the  pot would need to be painted yellow--

lemon yellow, of course.

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Lemon Balm

Besides the lemon verbena herb 

that smells and tastes like lemon,

there is also lemon balm, (Melissa officinalis). 

To me, lemon verbena has a stronger, sharper lemon scent,

and lemon balm has a bit more grassy-ness 

along with its lemon. 

But the lemon aroma in both is very noticeable and pleasant.

www.rainiervalleypost.com

I had lemon balm growing in my herb garden 

before I moved back to the Shire from the Midwest,

over a decade ago now.

I hadn't brought any lemon balm with me

but I discovered it had made its way into a pot 

and was growing vigorously.

It spread rapidly and hung around in my flower beds

for several years until it eventually all died out 

from too much shade and dry soil--and neglect.

www.learningherbs.com

Now that I've read more about lemon balm

I kind of wish I hadn't let it die out.

It seems lemon balm is a bit of a wunderkind.

The University of Maryland Medical Center web site*

attributes a number of healing properties to lemon balm

and includes instructions on preparing teas.

www.bonnieplants.com

It seems lemon balm is not only good for making commercial furniture polish,

it's also expedites healing of herpes and cold sores,

calms anxiety, promotes sound sleep, and relaxes stiff and sore muscles.

For those interested, I'm adding a link to a detailed history of lemon balm

and its uses through the ages.

The article "Lemon Balm" is by Melissa Morrison,

 and it's full of fascinating information,

including a section on something called"carmelite water," 

a lemon balm perfume used to mask the scent of body odor during the Middle Ages. 

Click here: http://www.herballegacy.com/Morrison_History.html

www.herbtherapies.com

*For the ointments discussed in the  University of Maryland Medical Center link above

one would need to find a compounding pharmacy

or a health food store that specializes in authentic herb products.

The capsules the article mentions 

can often be purchased at those places as well.

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