The oil is anti-microbial and can be diluted and used topically for infections. Aromatherapists often recommend the essential oil for people suffering from mental stress, PMT, fatigue, and depression. Herbalists also recommend it for other respiratory ailments such as whooping cough and bronchitis. Thyme remains a popular remedy for sore throats, laryngitis, and dry coughs. Add the fragrant dried leaves to potpourri and put in scented sachets for cupboards and draws to help repel insects. You can make an infusion of thyme leaves and add to the mop bucket when mopping the kitchen floor, or pour the infusion down the sink to sweeten and disinfect the drains to add a wonderful herbal aroma to the kitchen. Thyme has strong disinfectant and anti-bacterial qualities. To freeze, place the thyme on a baking sheet and open freeze, then store an airtight container in the freezer. When your thyme is dry, strip the dry leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container. ![]() To dry, lay the stems of thyme flat or hang them in bunches in a dark, warm, dry place, I use my airing cupboard, but anywhere that's shady and isn't damp will be fine. Thyme sprigs can be frozen or dried - both methods retain the original flavor. In winter the plants stop growing, so harvest only lightly. You can harvest thyme all year-round, although the best flavor is in the months of June and July. ![]() Thyme will start to become woody and produce fewer leaves after three or four years and, at this stage, the plant should be divided and replanted. If you don't have any compost to hand then a handful of bonemeal per plant in May - July will do the trick. Mulching with homemade compost around October will help protect thyme from severe frosts and will also provide most of their feeding needs. It requires very little attention - water only in very dry conditions and feeds sparingly. A native of the Mediterranean thyme needs to be in full Sun. Thyme prefers well-drained light soil, it should not be too rich in nutrients which will only make the plant 'leggy' and lose its compact shape. Sometimes it is grown between cracks in walls and paths it is highly aromatic, add to that the pretty flowers and you have a rather worthwhile addition to any garden. Thyme thrives in hot, dry, climates reaches a height of approximately 30 cm (12in) and is best suited either to the rock garden or the front of a border. Thymes have wonderful flowers in a variety of colors which are another herbal magnet for bees and butterflies. Caraway thyme forms a mat and creeping thyme just exactly what it says on the label. Common thyme forms small bushes whilst silver thyme is low growing. One of the best-known thyme varieties is lemon thyme - a thick ground covering thyme with a wonderful zesty lemon fragrance and flavor. Thyme is a member of the mint family and is a perennial herb that includes wild, orange, woolly, and broad-leafed varieties and more than 400 others including caraway, coconut, lavender, camphor, and nutmeg. In some parts of the world, it is believed that simply carrying thyme will help you to see fairies whilst in others, it is believed to guarantee you passage into the next life. Shakespeare claimed that thyme was a herb you'd find in fairy beds. Thyme is purifying and when placed beneath the pillow can bring restful sleep to those suffering from insomnia. In medieval times knights wore scarves embroidered with a bee hovering over a sprig of thyme as a symbol of their courage. It is also reputed to bring courage to the heart. Thyme is said to bring healing or love to those that require it. Thyme has also traditionally been used to repel insects, prevent nightmares, kill intestinal worms, disinfect wounds and alleviate diarrhea in children. ![]() Nicholas Culpeper claimed Thyme was not only a "noble strengtheners of the lungs" but also it "helps to revive and strengthen both body and mind." In the later part of the 19th century, thyme was used to disinfectant sick rooms as well as to promote the recovery of convalescing patients. ![]() The Romans used it to treat melancholy whilst other herbalists have favored it for treating nervous conditions and insomnia. In ancient Egypt, thyme oil was used for embalming, and the herb has long been appreciated for its ability to preserve meat. In addition to its medicinal use, thyme has also long been a favorite mood-enhancing herb and a cooks' favorite. As an antiseptic, it was strewn about or worn on clothes to ward off everything from plague to lice. Thyme was a popular herbal remedy for the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, its principal medicinal use was to help soothe headaches, digestive problems, and respiratory complaints. By Debs Cook History Lemon Thyme - Thymus Citriodorus
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