Ruta graveolens in .NET

Create EAN-13 Supplement 5 in .NET Ruta graveolens

There s a myth that this perennial will thrive if you steal it from a neighbor We don t recommend that, but if you do commit a little botanical larceny, be sure to wear gloves Some people react to the herb s touch as they would to poison ivy

Better than inviting a criminal record, start rue seeds indoors in late winter Transplant seedlings to a sunny spot with average, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil, spacing them about 18 inches apart You can propagate more rue from cuttings or division Rue is hardy from Zones 4 to 11 Rue was once a staple of knot gardens Plant it as an edging, or as contrast to greener (or yellower) or bolder-leafed herbs and ornamentals The longlasting flowers are stunning with blues and purples, such as those of salvias

Despite rue s limited uses, breeders have liked it enough to select strains with even bluer foliage ( Jackman Blue , Blue Curl ) and variegated foliage ( Harlequin , Variegata ) Another species, fringed rue (Ruta chalepensis) has larger flowers and tear-dropped shaped leaves; it is hardy in Zones 6 to 8 At least two plants have similar common names Goat s rue (Galega officinalis), a member of the pea family, has bright green, lance-shaped leaves and purple flowers, and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9 It was once fed to cows to increase milk and used to make cheese Syrian rue (Peganum harmala), a perennial hardy in Zones 7 to 10, is the source of a red dye used in Persian rugs

Rue may set you free if you don t rue the day you planted it The genus and common names came from the Greek word reuo, meaning to set free It may refer to rue s reputed abilities for healing, or more likely, for breaking the spell of witches Hearing that it would prevent eyestrain, painters and sculptors of ancient Rome ate vast amounts Used to sprinkle on holy water, rue became the herb of grace, symbolizing repentance Judges brought sprigs of it into courtrooms to ward off gaol fever (jail fever) carried by prisoners; and during the plague, thieves who stole from corpses included vinegar of the four thieves in a brew devised to prevent contagion Today, the word on ingesting rue is don t It can cause powerful cramps, hallucinations, and twitching More commonly, ingestion and even external contact can cause phototoxicity ultrasensitivity to the sun leading to severe burns and blisters

Saffron (Crocus sativus)

Most of us know crocus as a harbinger of spring, so we can be a bit disoriented the first time we see one blooming in fall The saffron crocus, a native primarily of the Mediterranean region, blooms in September and has 2-inch,

rich lilac-colored flowers with darker veins and throats The long, bright orange-red stigma may poke out of the blooms when they close at night Dreaming of raising enough of this expensive flavoring to make tons of paella Better knock down your house and a couple of neighbors homes so you ll have enough room The threads of saffron are the stigmas from the heart of this fall-blooming crocus Each flower has only three, so it takes some 60,000 blossoms (and a lot of hand-picking) to make a pound of this golden spice

Give your crocuses light, gritty soil of average fertility They prefer full sun, but will bloom with five hours of sun daily Crocuses grow from corms (a modified bulb) and should be planted in spring or early summer If you can t buy corms until fall, get them into the ground posthaste: They re putting out shoots and are ready to roll Set the corms 3 to 4 inches deep and 6 inches apart You can give them a nutritional boost with a little rock phosphate Plants do best in Zones 7 to 9; they dislike both cold, wet climates and hot, humid ones Plant crocuses where you can gaze down on them, along a path or toward the front of a bed, in your herb garden among creeping thymes, or in the crevices of a rock garden They re also wonderful in a lawn where grass grows sparsely, such as under the drip line of a tree If you collect the stigmas to make bouillabaisse or risotto Milanese, handle them gingerly, dry with utmost care, and keep them in a stoppered glass vial in a cool place