Jingle smells
Herbs to help you thr ough Christmas
WITH heads full of tinsel and stress levels rocketing, you can keep calm for Christmas by getting outdoors.
In the fresh air, chores such as cutting, chopping and yanking out dead plants will leave you feeling renewed and focused.
But fragrant garden herbs can also be relied on to put you in a happier place this winter.
Fresh mint is a top pick-me-up – that familiar aroma is so uplifting, relieving your fatigue and rebooting energy levels.
Hang a generous bunch of mint under the tap when you are drawing your bath. Follow this with a cup of mint tea and you will feel relaxed – even after the most stressful day Christmas shopping.
Drinking a mint infusion also eases the effects of overeating and can get rid of a bloated stomach. Plus it can relieve indigestion after too many work parties and giant lunches.
Good old rosemary can be made into tea, which can help ease a hangover. It is also a great breath freshener and has anti- fungal properties – just the thing for soaking smelly feet. When mixed with oil, it can be massaged into aching joints.
Delicious
As well as using leaves to flavour food, try throwing a few twigs on to the fire in the grate to fragrance the air with its delicious aroma.
Both mint and rosemary thrive in our climate – sometimes too well, in the case of mint – and are at home in well-drained pots, beds or borders. The fragrance of lavender, sage and lemon balm is also the perfect antidote to a manic day. Lavender makes for a dream massage oil.
Lemon thyme, especially, can be infused. Drinking it can revive your flagging spirits. Adding a few leaves to your bath will ease aching limbs.
Sage, which is another terrific potted herb, is useful for soothing the soul and relieving feelings of depression, rheumatism, sore throats and headaches.
Gargle with an infusion made from fresh leaves daily to feel the benefits when flu strikes.
Herbs can also help your pets’ well-being.
Giving them a few drops of cooled chamomile tea will work wonders if they are spooked by loud noises or get stressed by car travel.
Whatever herbs you decide to grow this winter, remember that the shorter days and low temperatures mean they will put on very little new growth.
So always take leaves sparingly to avoid unnecessary waste.
Q