Parsley

I am madly in love with herbs, to the effect of wanting to grow any herb I can get my hands on. Just a few weeks ago (I can't exactly remember when), I sowed the parsley seeds that I got from NTUC and the seedlings are thriving well now which I hope stays this way for as long as possible. Pictures of the seedlings will be posted as soon as they are captured on camera. For now, let me share some background information on the popular herb that is prevalently used as garnish to whet our appetite. 

Parsley is a biennial plant that is prized for its leaves. A few varieties of parsely are commonly found and the variety that's growing in my corridor garden is the curly leaf cultivar. Other common cultivars include the Hamburg and Neopolitan. Besides being a culinary herb as mentioned afore when it is used as a garnish, parsley is purported to have medicinal properties as well. According to wikipedia, it is capable of controlling high blood pressure when administered as an infusion. The crushed leaves of the parsley can even be used to salve mosquito bites. 

I am still working on the cultivation details of parsley. At this moment, I can only say the germination of parsley is longer than most herbs. To speed up the germination process, one thing that the cultivator can do is to soak the seeds in water overnight to soften the testa or seed coat.

The plant is also often planted around tomato plants as a companion to the tomato. The idea, or belief is that the plant attracts beneficial insects that help overcome the pest problem that tomato plants usually have. On top of that, it is also said that the scent of the plant masks the strong smell of the tomato plants and in a way, conceal the existence of the lycopersicon from potential pests. Being a fan of tomatoes, how can I not love parsley?