Great stuff to share with all of you - Lucruri extraordinare pe care le impartasesc cu voi

Progresul pe care l-a avut floarea trandafirului chinezesc.

The progress of the chinese rose.
















Daliile mele, 3 culori diferite, toate superbe!

My Dahlias, 3 different colours, all beautiful!



















Florile de Levantica pe care le vom folosi in retetele Sapunurilor Naturale Soap Mill.

The Lavender flowers that we will use in making Soap Mill Natural Soaps. My friends from USA or UK should know that we will launch our products on Ebay also, I think at the end of the year.




Rosiile si porumbul, crescute ca ciupercile dupa ploaie!

The tomatoes and the corn, huge like a skyscraper!










Radacini de porumb

Corn roots

Half of my garden at the beginning of July - Jumatate din gradina mea, la inceput de iulie

Gorgeous sunset - apus superb




Lavender and daylily - levantica si crin salbatic (de zi)




Narcissus - narcisa




Daylily - crin salbatic (de zi)




Thuja wall - peretele de Thuja




Magnolia




Fresh cut red rose - trandafir proaspat taiat




Lavender - levantica




White-yellow Dahlia - Dalia alb-galbuie




Canna flower (second one) - floare de Canna (a doua)




Canna flower (second one) - floare de Canna (a doua)

My garden at the beginning of June - Gradina mea, la inceput de iunie

Iris




Pui de porumbel - Pigeant cubs




Levantica - Lavender




Crin salbatic - Wild lily




Prima capsuna pe 2009 (Mount Everest) - First 2009 strawberry (Mount Everest)




Noua noastra piscina, cadou de la finii nostri - Our new outodoor pool, a present from our godsons




Trandafirul rosu de langa foisor - The red rose close to the garden wooden tower




Trandafirul alb si zeci de boboci - The white rose and dozen of buds




O parte din gradina si iarba proaspat taiata - A part of the garden and the newly cut grass




Rasadurile de rosii din spatele casei - Tomatos seedlings in the back of the house




Margarete - Ox-eye daisy




Una dintre ciresele de anul acesta - One of this year's cherry




3 mini-mere - 3 mini-apples




O floare de trandafir alb - A white rose flower




O floare de trandafir rosu si 5 boboci - A red rose flower and 5 buds

Update Lavender - Levantica

Daca tot am vorbit despre cimbru, as vrea sa vorbesc si despre levantica. Am cumparat acum 2 ani un puiut de levantica, cred ca avea cam 10 cm inaltime. Acum arata asa:

If I talked about the savory, I would like to talk about lavender as well. I bought 2 years ago a small lavender, about 10 cm height. Right now looks like this:

Levantica este o planta din aceeasi familie ca si menta si poate ajunge pana la 1 metru inaltime, mai ales datorita florilor inalte. Infloreste prin iulie, uneori august, daca e mai putin cald in iunie sau iulie. Cea mai comuna culoare a florilor este albastru, dar pot exista si alte varietati - mov sau fucsia. Dupa cum puteti observa in poza de mai sus, exista frunze argintii, cele vechi si frunze verzi, cele noi, de anul acesta.

The lavender is a plant from the same family as the mint and can reach 1 m. height, especially because of the tall flowers. Blooms in july, sometimes august, if it's less warm in june or july. The most common flowers' colour is blue, but you can see in purple or fucsia. As you can see in the above picture, there are some silver leaves, the old ones, and green leaves, newer ones.

Se pot folosi si frunzele si florile, primele fiind mai amarui, cu un gust mai puternic. Ca si cimbrul, levantica provine din spatiul mediteranean si se foloseste la salate in amestecuri de ierburi aromatice. Din frunze si flori se fac uleiuri si oteturi. Dupa cum ii spune si numele, se folosea cu precadere la uleiurile pentru baie. Provine din latinescul "lavare", care inseamna a spala.

You can use either leaves or flowers, first ones being a little bit bitter, powerfull taste. Like the savory, the lavender came from mediteranean space and is used in salads, in a mix of aromatic herbs. From flowers and leaves can be made oils and vinegars. As the name said, the lavender was used primarily as bath oil. Came form the latin name "lavare", which means to wash.

In bucataria franceza din regiunea Provence, levantica se foloseste la mancarurile de peste, porc, vita, pui sau in preparate de legume pe baza de vinete, rosii, ardei. Oricum, trebuie folosita cu mare atentie, pentru ca aroma amaruie si mirosul puternic se "extind" in mancare si veti avea mancare de levantica, in loc de dovlecei, de exemplu. Daca vreti neaparat sa o folositi la ceva, va recomand inghetata de levantica. Sau piept de pui cu levantica si miere. Aaa, cum suna?

In french cuisine from Provence region, the lavender is used in fish dishes, pork, beast, chicken or in vegetables dishes with egg-plant, tomatoes, pepper. Anyway, you have to use it carefully because the bitter taste and powerfull smell are conquering the food. If you want to use it, I recommend you lavender ice-cream. Or chicken breast with lavender and honey. A, how does it sound?

Tot Franta este producatorul numarul 1 in lume al uleiului de levantica. Lor le place foarte mult aceasta planta si o folosesc foarte in zona alpina.

France is the number 1 in the world on producing lavender oil. The french people love this plant and use it in the mountain area.

Bunicii nostri o foloseau ca tratament eficace impotriva muscaturilor de insecte, in sifoniere impotriva moliilor (toata lumea isi aduce aminte de mirosul pernelor sau prosoapelor impregnate de levantica), pentru a desfunda nasul, iar noi o folosim ca ulei aromatizant - ne ajuta sa avem un somn linistit sau in apa de baie, pentru a ne relaxa si linisti.

Our grandfathers use it as medicine against insects bites, against moths, in dressings, against colds, and nowdays we use it as aromatic oil - helps us to have a peacefull sleepor in bath tub, to relax us.

Trandafirul meu alb a fost atacat de paduchi. O varianta excelenta de a scapa de ei este sa plantez o tufa de cimbru sau de levantica in imediata apropiere.

My white rose is full of lices. An excelent way to kill them is to plant a bush of savory or lavender near it.

Mai am 2 close-up-uri cu tufa de levantica, iar saptamana viitoare cred ca se deschid si florile. Da, stiu ca am spus ca infloreste in iulie-august, dar tinand cont ca ieri au fost 31 grade, iar astazi se asteapta 33 grade Celsius, este firesc sa infloreasca la inceputul lui iunie anul acesta.

I have another 2 close-ups with the lavender bush, and next week I think the flowers will bloom. Yes, I know I said it blooms in july-august, but taking into consideration that yesterday were 31 C degrees, and today we are expecting 33 C degrees, it is normal to bloom at the beginning of june this year.

Savory - Cimbrul

Stiu ca v-am lipsit, ca v-a fost dor de mine si ca nu am mai scris de ceva vreme un post. Asta pentru ca m-am ocupat strict de proiectul Bride Parade, care mi-a ocupat tot spatiul psihic si fizic pe care il aveam, hehe!

I know you missed me and I know that I didn't wrote a post for sometime. That's because I was exclusively involved in Bride Parade project, physically and emotionally.

Revin in forta si vreau sa va vorbesc despre cimbru. Am primit acum vreo 3 saptamani un cimbru salbatic, aduc tocmai din Grecia, dintr-o insula. Din pacate, la momentul la care scriu acest post, cred ca nu il mai pot resuscita. Dani il uda constant, dar ramurelele verzi pe care le puteti observa in fotografii nu mai sunt de mult timp verzi.

I am back and I want to talk about savory. 3 weeks ago I received a wild savory, brought all away from Greece, from an island. Unfortunately, as I write this post, I think I can not bring it to life. Dani wet it constantly, but the green leaves as seen in the pictures are no longer green.

Imi pare rau, pentru ca cimbrul este o planta extraordinara. Evident, venita din tarile mediteraneene, ca Grecia, Italia. Ii place mult soarele si adora stancile si formatiunile stancoase. Al meu a fost smuls de pe o piatra si puteti vedea in fotografii, are o forma ciudata, sa se apere de vant si ploaie.

I am sorry because the savory is an extraordinary plant. Of course, from mediteranean countries, like Greece or Italy. Loves the sun and the rocks. Mine was taken from a rock and, you can see in the pictures, has a funny and odd shape, to protect itself from rain and wind.

Este o planta aromatica, cu un miros aparte si are efecte curative si terapeutice. In Romania a ajuns pe undeva prin secolul 11 si a fost foarte apreciat. Specia comuna atinge cam 50 cm inaltime, celelalte ating maxim 30 cm. Seamana cu rozmarinul si levantica, dar nu le poti confunda datorita mirosului.

It is an aromatic plant, with a particular smell and has therapeutical effects. Around 11 century came to Romania and it was well appreciated. The common species can reach 50 cm height, the other reach maximum 30 cm. It looks like lavender and rosemary, but you can not mixed them up because of the smell.

Femeile care au copii, cred ca stiu ca bunicile le recomandau ceai de cimbru, pentru a naste mai repede.

Women with children know that the grandmothers recommend savory tea for earlier and faster birth.

Pe vremuri, in Evul Mediu, se numea lamaita si se folosea foarte des in manastiri. Chiar si acum, in zilele noastre, culturi importante de cimbru se pot gasi la manastirile din Moldova. In Europa, doar Romania si Elvetia cultiva aceasta planta. In restul tarilor, de la Portugalia pana in Grecia, el creste spontan.

In Middle Ages, the name was aloysia and it was used in monasteries. Even nowdays, Moldavian monasteries have large crops of savory. In Europe, only Romania and Switzerland have savory crops. The other countries, like Portugal or Greece, have spontaneous crops.

Cimbrul nu este recomandat in perioadele caniculare, pentru ca accentueaza starea de caldura insuportabila.

The savory it is not recommend it in canicular times, because emphasises the unbearable heat.

Numele din engleza a fost influentat de un alt cuvant din engleza, savoury, care inseamna picant. Cimbrul poate fi folosit cu succes ca inlocuitor de piper, pentru cei cu intoleranta la acest condiment.

The name in English was influenced by an English adjective, savoury. The savory can be used succesfully as piper substitute, for those with intolerance to piper.

Se foloseste in special la preparatele din legume, ciorbe, salate sau chiar ciuperci, pentru ca ajuta foarte mult digestia. In mod normal, el trebuie adaugat chiar la inceputul prepararii legumelor, pentru ca prin procesare indelungata, isi pierde din proprietati.

It is used especially in vegetables meals, sour soups, salads or even mushrooms, because helps the digestion. Normally, you have to add it at the beginning of the cooking, because through a long processing looses the qualities.

Nu am cunostinte despre utilizarea cimbrului in SUA, dar poate ne ajuta prietenele mele de peste ocean.

I don't have any information about the savory usage in USA, but maybe my friends from the other part of the ocean can help me.

Am si 3 fotografii, cu el inca verde.

I have 3 pictures, when it was green.