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This year's Seed-Novelty: a frost-resistant Holy Basil
Holy Basil 'Temperate Tulsi' (Ocimum africanum)
'Temperate Tulsi' - the name speaks for itself. This is a hardier variety of Holy Basil ( O. tenuiflorum ), a completely different species to be exact. It is better suited to growing in our climate as it is more accustomed to lower temperatures and also resistant to frost. The herb grows faster than its cousin O. tenuiflorum but the life cycle is also shorter - harvesting can be done after just 40 days. Originates from East Africa.
It is described as being more productive in our climate and having better germination than O. tenuiflorum .
'Temperate Tulsi' has a flavor described as "tutti frutti", or "bubble gum". Notes of vanilla and myrrh are also common. Most widely used to make tea due to its distinct aroma and healthy nutritional profile. Application is even in cooking.
Last Year's Plant-Hit!: Onion Tree
Chinese Vegetable Tree, or Chinese Toon, is a winter-hardy tree native to eastern Asia. Eye-catching foliage appears in pink-red tones in spring. This foliage, especially the young, brittle leaves & shoots, is very flavorful and is widely used in Chinese cuisine.
They are thrown into stir-fries, used to cook broth, eaten as a steamed side vegetable, pickled, ground up as a dried spice - the culinary uses are manifold.
In the few Swedish kitchens where the plant has begun to be used, the main uses seem to consist of cooking broth with the leaves, making pesto or throwing pickled leaves into a hamburger.
The flavor is described as umami and nutty. Another source describes the taste of the cooked leaves as a complex meal in itself - more specifically: like roasted beans with notes of onion and pepper.
A strengthening tea-like drink made from leaves, shoots & seeds.
In addition to cooking, the plant has sought-after properties. The wood is a highly prized timber with its dark red, mahogany-like color and the roots, bark & fruit have been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine.
Easy to care for and fast growing. Hardy outdoors in zones 1-2. Has been reported to withstand temperatures down to -25ºC.
Seed Department
About Trädgårdsdags
Trädgårdsdags is driven by the vision of bringing us humans closer to the natural things that make us feel good. Our way of working towards this is to shed new light on ancient knowledge about the cultivation of plants and their useful properties . This knowledge, combined with modern innovation , will make growers' everyday lives both easier and even more exciting!
We choose to focus on functionality and value the usefulness of plants in the garden more than how they look - however, most useful plants are also very beautiful. Feel free to take advantage of our functional seed stock to find new useful plants for your garden.
In our seed & plant department you will find many old cultivated plants that have long been used for their beneficial properties and which often have a forgotten role in Swedish gardens.
All plants come with cultivation instructions and facts about the plant and its uses.
The natural environments of the different teas create...