Herbal cordials

I could not say goodbye to the herbs without first harvesting the fresh purple flower of the lavender and the fresh soft tips of the rosemary. I needed to use as much of the reliable herb bushes before I took the roots and tough stems to the local refuse and recycling plant where they will be turned into compost.

I decided to make herbal cordials for healthy and refreshing drinks in summer. Historically, cordials originated in Europe where the art of distilling was refined during the 15^th and 16^th centuries. Most recipes for cordials contain alcohol but the nonalcoholic, syrupy drinks are also known as cordials, though mostly in the United Kingdom and associated countries.

Most of these were believed to be beneficial to one’s health, especially for the heart (cor in Latin, hence cor-dial).

I made a lavender cordial as well as a rosemary cordial. Perhaps the properties of lavender will infuse the syrup to stimulate circulation, clear one’s thinking and reduce worries. Sounds like the perfect drink on a sunny day, safely in one’s garden away from the Covid madness.

Rosemary can infuse the syrup with its properties of improving memory performance and quality, as well as boosting alertness, intelligence, and focus. Then I shall remember to forget about the pandemic and focus on planting the new vegetables and herbs for summer.

Removing the old herb bushes forced me to revisit the uses of these herbs in the garden. I undertook to use as much as possible and lose little. Reading of all the health benefits of the different herbs in the Towerwater garden, made me realise that I needed to make better use of the healthy abundance on our doorstep.

Cleaning the herb garden forced me to rethink the way I use the herbs. It helped me plan the new layout of the gardens with far greater insight into the uses and benefits of these life-sustaining gems of nature.