Click below to see our plants alphabetically listed by common name with their cures and cooking ideas
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S earch for Latin names and more here!
Tabor
Oak, Valbnea Oak, Valonia Oak Quercus aegilops L. syn.
Quercus ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis (Kotschy) Hedge & Yalt.
This is a lovely tree reminding me immediately of the huge shady oaks of my childhood
in
New England. Aside from the information I took from the plant label in the Botanical
Garden in Palermo, I was well and truly stumped in trying to learn more about
it apart from the possible synonym names above.
Benefits:
From: Greece through to Turkey
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden in Palermo, Sicily, in
Italy in 2012.
Planting and Care: This is a tree
probably
best left to grow in its native places or in Botanical Gardens.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018
**Oakleaf
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
The beautiful plant in the foreground of the photograph was a volunteer in our
garden this spring. It took up residence in my pot of romaine and they coexisted
quite well.
Benefits:
From:
Photographed: In our garden at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in
2014.
Planting and Care: Plant a pot of romaine and wait.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014
Oats Avena
sativa
I never ate oatmeal and I never will, but I do love homemade
oatmeal bread and when a kid I loved my mother's homemade chocolate
oatmeal
raisin cookies. YUM!
Benefits:
If you like oats
in any form -- breakfast cereal, bread, or cookies -- that is
probably not a bad thing. It is said to reduce LDL cholesterol,
the bad
one,
to be in some way good for your heart, to be beneficial in
fighting off colds and flu and to reduce your hunger at lunch if
you have
it for breakfast. But
if, like
me,
you don't
like
oatmeal
for breakfast why
would
you eat it?
I do like oats in bread and cookies and there are lots of alternatives
to oats that are also beneficial in reducing LDL.
A local doctor in Guatemala
suggested that soaking in a wet bath of oatmeal would reduce allergic itching.
I tried it and wasn't impressed, but I have always loved oatmeal soap.
From: Near
and Middle East
Photographed:
Planting and Care: Oats seem to be an easy crop to plant
and bring to harvest, when the real work begins in preparing them for the
kitchen. They are planted in very early spring and harvested before the heat
of full summer at the end of July and into August.
Text ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014
**Okra Hibiscus
esculentus
I consider okra inedible, but the dried vegetables are beautiful
and make a wonderful dried flower arrangement with just a little
imagination.
Benefits:
From: Africa
Planting and Care: This is an easy grower in a Caribbean
environment. It seems to require little, but hot sun and sometimes
water to thrive
and produce prolific amounts of the vegetable okra. Unfortunately,
I can't bear the slimy quality of the vegetable, but if you can,
this is one of the best plants to get started with in your hot climate
garden.
Text
©KO 2010 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2018
Oleander Nerium
oleander L.
You'll see no stars by this bush; we eradicated every one on the
property as it is too known to us as a California highway bush. They
are planted everywhere along major highways and roads in California
because they are indestructible. Sadly, they have became popular
in Montserrat for the same reasons that the California Department
of
Transportation chose them -- they can't be killed even by the gardeners
in Montserrat! But, in truth, they just aren't that interesting
and I thought we could do better.
Benefits and Cautions:
Oleanders are producers
of serious allergens, so anyone with a lung disease or plant allergies
will
suffer dreadfully
if an oleander is in the neighborhood and blooming. As well, a
tea made from its leaves is a traditional abortifacient. Indeed
the plant is poisonous and can cause dreadful reactions and death. When
you are working with oleander, be careful to keep your hands away
from your face. The sap from this plant can be very irritating
to your eyes.
If
all of that is not enough to steer you away from planting oleander,
maybe this will, "A
single leaf contains enough toxins to be lethal to an infant or
small child. Like other poisonous plants, ingesting it first affects
the digestive system with vomiting and diarrhea, then poisoning
progresses into life-threatening circulatory problems. If your
heart's still ticking after that trauma, oleander can also deal
a fatal blow to your central nervous system, causing seizures,
tremors, and coma that can lead to death."
From: Far eastern Europe.
Planting and Care: You are on your own for this one. But, oleander
is a popular highway planting in California where it is hot, dry
and inhospitable much of the year, so you won't have any problem
getting one to grow in your yard, where ever it is.
Warning: Oleander is poisonous.
Text
©KO 2008/2010 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018
**Olive
Tree Olea with Olea
Europea being the main source of olive oil
These twisted centuries old looking trees need a cool winter and a long hot
summer to produce the olives that are our main source of olive oil. In Greece
on the island of Corfu in areas away from tourism, lands in the center of the
island away from the heavily visited coastal beaches, much of the dry rocky
land is devoted to growing olive trees. Beside winding narrow almost maintained
roads, there are groves of olives -- beautifully shaped trees appropriate to
this harsh environment. Beneath the trees are black carpets of net to catch
the falling fruit (along with leaves, bugs, bird feathers and bird poop). The
nets are gathered up; the contents emptied into the back ends of small pick
up trucks which are driven a short distance to the local oil factory where
these olives become a coveted liquid -- virgin olive oil.
Benefits:
Olive oil has features that
may enable it to work as a pain reliever like ibuprofen. It is also a healthy
alternative to the GMO oils common in the US, corn, canola and soy. Use extra
virgin on your salads if you like the taste and the lighter variety for frying
as it has a relatively high burn temperature. I don't use much of anything else.
From: Coastal Mediterranean areas
Photographed: To the right at Lu
Baruni Campground in Scopello,
Sicily, Italy, in 2012.
Planting and Care: I planted a package of olive tree seeds with great
anticipation as my husband is Greek and lives for bread and olive oil. Although
the seed packet said, "GUARANTEED TO GROW" I was disappointed at
the one seedling that emerged. Still, it is surviving in my kitchen in a sunny
window to keep it from the chilly winter nights here in the mountains. Every
few days I give it about a half glass of water. Soon it will be repotted and
returned to a sunny spot on the terrace. Even if it never bares olives it has
been fun to bring home from Greece such a staple food source.
Text
and Photographs ©KO 2008 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018
To
see a mom and pop, mostly pops, olive oil factory we visited
in Corfu, Greece, click
here . It's wonderful.
OLIVE TREE IN BLOOM
Photographed: From the roadside as we traveled through Sicily in 2012.
OLIVE TREE FLOWERS DETAIL
Photographed: From the roadside as we traveled through Sicily in 2012.
OLIVE TREE
Photographed: From the roadside as we traveled through Sicily in 2012.
OLIVES
RIPENING I
Photographed: In
the (Ortobotanico ) Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2014.
OLIVES
RIPENING II
Photographed: In
the (Ortobotanico ) Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in
2014.
**Onions Allium
cepa
The
photograph on the left is of a field of onions planted
by Lake Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala. Onions are
a lucrative crop there, but it is also said there
is a disease risk that can
ruin
the entire field. Hence, they use a lot of fungicides and insecticides.
On the other hand, I grew them
in
New England and found them an easy crop to grow organically. I had no problems
with
them
at all and was able to successfully dry them for winter use. They do need to
be stored in a cool and especially dry area. If you live by the sea probably
your attic
would serve better than your basement.
Benefits: Let's
face it, onions are just plain good for you! They don't make you stink like garlic
and give you all the same benefits. What could be better than that?
From: The
exact place of origin of onions is not known, but they have been around a long
time, even drawn in hieroglyphics in Egypt.
Photographed: On
Hacienda San Buenaventura land by Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: First
decide if you have a long enough growing season to use seed. If your growing
season is shorter, consider buying onion sets which I have always used. Plant
either of the options in fertile
well drained soil in full sun. Try to avoid clay soils as their natural sulphur
content will add to the pungency of your onions. Water them occasionally as too
frequent watering can bring problems. I recently read that onions are light sensitive
and will grow and then decline with the number of hours of sunlight in an average
day. Toward fall before receiving a heavy frost, knock over the onion foliage
and let it dry in warm sunny days. When it is thoroughly dry, pull up the onions
and let them rest on dry soil for a few days. Meanwhile identify a good storage
place, one that is cool, but not cold, and as free of air born moisture as possible.
In New England, I used our attic and it worked out just fine.
Text
and Photograph ©KO 2010 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018
Orange
Shrimp Plant, Coral Aphelandra, Panama Queen Aphelandra
sinclairiana
This shrub which can grow to be ten feet tall is not only a real "looker," it
does its finery in tropical winters when we could all use a boost. It is a
stunner as I hope you can see in the photographs.
Benefits: The Aphlelandra sinclairiana attracts
butterflies and hummingbirds.
From: Tropical areas of the Americas
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan
on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in 2010..
Planting and Care: This is another of my favorite plants
as it will perform beautifully in its preferred semi shady setting in the
garden. It appreciates routine watering and is happiest if the temperature
doesn't fall below 50° F. though it will accommodate an occasional fall
to 30° F.
Text and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2013/2018
Shrub
Mystery 3 and 3A solved by Ursula G. living in Southern Germany
Orange
Tree -- Variety Unknown
Citrus trees are almost always attractive, even as this one
on a patio in Oaxaca, Mexico. The oranges it produced were not wonderful,
but every morning as we passed the tree, we were enlivened by the sight
of fresh oranges.
Benefits and Risks: Juice freshly squeezed from organic oranges is terrific.
Juice from commercial oranges should probably be avoided as you can't remove
the pesticides and coloring agents from the skin. As you squeeze these oranges
the juice becomes contaminated and unhealthful. Juices bought in cartons
in the supermarket are undesirable as are frozen juices unless they are organically
produced and processed. Good luck!
Photographed: In
our
apartment
courtyard
in
Oaxaca,
Mexico.
Planting and Care: If you have a place for an orange tree in
your garden, you'll probably want to purchase a tree that has been grafted to
give you the strength of the base tree and the wonderful oranges of the graft.
It is best to talk with your local college or university agriculture department
staff about the type of tree that will have the most success in your area.
Text
and Photograph ©KO 2010 and GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2018
Orchid
Primrose, Chinese Pagoda Primrose, Red-Hot Poker Primrose Primula
vialii
Look at this beauty, a bit exotic, but doing very well in a cool climate. Though
not growing quickly it is well worth the wait. At maturity it will be a foot
or a foot and a half tall almost perfect for intermingling with other plants.
Benefits: I have read that it is tolerant of deer, but I wouldn't
bank on that too much.
From: The Chinese pagoda primrose is native to China
Photographed: In the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay
Maine, 2013.
Planting and Care: This perennial loves a rich soil
in a moist place that may be sunny in cooler climates, but probably
prefers shade in warm climates. It definitely does not like to be in
a place
that dries out nor is it tolerant of a freezing winter. It is tolerant
of soil types and pH levels.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2014/2018
With
My Great Appreciation, My #23 Mystery was solved by Sara V.,
from Bristol, in the UK
**Orchid
Tree, Camel's Foot, Butterfly Tree, Hawaiian
orchid tree. Bauhinia spp. for general colors
or Bauhinia
purpurea for purple flowering trees
This relatively small tropical tree has lovely orchid like flowers and large
light
soft green butterfly shaped leaves. It is charming in the garden and requires
very
little care. It does have a few months of looking rather unattractive so it is
best placed a little distance from your deck or patio; somewhere you will still
see it in its glory, but will be able to ignore its downtime. We had a white
flowering one in Montserrat and later a pink one in Guatemala.
Benefits:
From: Southeast Asia, India and southern China
Photographed: In Panajachel, Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Plant this small flowering tree in full sun in an
acid soil with a pH less than 7.5 and it will zoom to its 25 or 30 feet of height.
It is a fast grower and once settled in, it is a tough tree highly resistant
to drought.
Text
and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2015/2018
**Oregano,
Greek Oregano Herb Origanum
heracleoticum or Origanum vulgare syn. Majorana
From all I've read and from all the folks I've talked to in Taxco, Mexico, and
in Tobago, oregano and marjoram are essentially the same thing. I don't really
think this is true, but I don't have anyone nearby to give me an alternative.
I do
know
that when we cook with Greek oregano it really is a different experience from
cooking in Mexico with our local marjoram/oregano. Who can imagine living without
a
fresh sprig of oregano? Not us. We had big pot with a thriving plant in Taxco,
but
we gathered from the plant no seeds for our garden in Montserrat. A
wonderful substitute in the Caribbean is local marjoram which tastes almost like
Greek oregano. Spread liberally on a homemade pizza along with fresh basil; it's
an unbeatable combination.
Benefits: Oregano is said to enhance your body's ability to more effectively
deal with bacterial or viral diseases. As if that weren't enough it also aids
digestion and provides lots of vitamin K. Inhaling the steam from oregano tea
may
give
you
some
relief
from
a chest cold.
From: The Mediterranean. In 2007
we traveled to Greece, visiting many islands along with the mainland.
Wherever we went I asked about Greek oregano seeds and was always
told that the plant was essentially a weed. It grew everywhere so
no one grew it in their garden and no one saved the seeds. I was
very disheartened.
Photographed:
Planting and Growth: If you have Greek oregano seeds think
of them as similar to marjoram. Oregano likes a sweet soil (alkaline), full sun
or semi shade
and a reasonable amount of water.
Text ©KO
2008 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2018
Oregon
Grape, Mahonia, Holly Grape Mahonia sp.
We found this shrub growing along side many
woodsy bushes in the Naples Botanical Garden. It looked
like
this area of the garden was casually planted as you might
find in the gardens of older homes. I think it was especially
artfully done. What you are seeing in the photograph
is the plant fruiting in the fall. During the summer
season it has lovely bright yellow flowers.
Benefits:
From: East Asia
Photographed: In the Botanical
Garden in Naples, Italy.
Planting and care: In a cool climate
the Oregon grape or mahonia will prefer to be planted
in full sun. Planted in tropical gardens it prefers
partial
shade. It also likes regular rainfall or watering
to be at its best.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
2012/2018
Shrub
Mystery solved
by
Ursula G. living in Southern Germany
Organic
Foods and Organic Farming
Reasons
for eating organic foods and raising organic produce are evident,
but when the bugs get going, all too often it is easy to reach for
commercial poisons. And, doesn't the idea of not ever having
to weed sound wonderful? Well....here are some reasons you might
want
to put a little more commitment behind your choice to go organic.
In the highlands of Guatemala many of the farms large and small that
feed this country can be found. When we first arrived to live there
in the town of Panajachel, the town market was wonderful with piles
of fresh beautiful produce, eggs, chicken and meats. Vegetables that
I knew were most likely to absorb and retain insecticidal poisons
and fungicides I grew organically in our garden. In time, strangely
shaped vegetables like bulbous cauliflower and broccoli began appearing
in the market. Fresh tomatoes had unchewable skins and would last
in our sunny window for weeks without rotting. I vomited violently
each time I ate beautiful zucchini. Children in the small town were
becoming allergic to normally common foods in the Guatemalan Indian
diet. I became allergic to American peanut butter after a lifetime
of its being one of my go to mom's comfort foods. Something had gone
very, very wrong.
I talked
to everyone I could about what was going on and in the end learned
that Monsanto had a large footprint in Guatemala's agriculture.
I believe Monsanto was illegally doing much of their new GMO
crop testing there along side of their GMO seed sales and the profitable
sales of their now infamous
Roundup. In time, if I didn't grow it in our garden, I wouldn't eat
it.
All that being said, there are many reasons to consider organic gardening
techniques. Happily, organic foods have evolved in the US past the
early years when in far too many cases they were extraordinarily
expensive and presented for sale as slightly shriveled, bug bitten
and unattractive. Now
the
concern
is to be sure what you are buying is in fact organically produced.
**Oyster
Plant Please
See the "B" Page -- Boatlily
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