There is one plant that you can eat whenever you want and it's easy to find in the garden. It is usually sprinkled throughout the garden so that anytime a soul needs a quick munching pick-me-up, they can grab a leaf or two. It explodes with freshness, a citrus-undertone that you might not expect from a leaf so green. Have you guessed what our little plant is yet?
Do you know what it is?
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That is lemon balm and it really does look that fresh and bright when it is growing.
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Once plants flower and start to go to seed, they get a little tired and the green deepens...
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But lemon balm will bounce right back and reward you with bunches of brilliant green again if you simply give it a trim. Â
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Those cuttings can be used in teas or dried for later use.
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You can chop it up into bits to use in SOAP MAKING, for bath salts or as a substitute for lemon in culinary dishes.
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There is not much negative to say about Lemon Balm, save its desire to grow and take over the world. Â It is a cousin of mint, and it grows in a similar fashion. Â Though mint grows wild and untamed, lemon balm sticks to more of a bushy habit. Â Beware though, it can spread. It works well as a hedging plant and as a fragrant deterrent to garden pests in the vegetable garden.
To grow lemon balm, buy just one plant and split it into 2-3 smaller divisions. Â Allow them to grow all spring and summer, then harvest the leaves before they flower. Â In fall, split those 2-3 plants into more if you want to multiply your plants. Â Plant immediately and they will come back next spring in most zones.
To grow lemon balm, buy just one plant and split it into 2-3 smaller divisions. Â Allow them to grow all spring and summer, then harvest the leaves before they flower. Â In fall, split those 2-3 plants into more if you want to multiply your plants. Â Plant immediately and they will come back next spring in most zones.
