Lemon Balm is a wonderful herb, it has a multitude of uses from drinking it in tea to using it fresh in salads to give it a unique taste. It grows incredibly well here in Ireland and has done so since the 16th century after originally being brought over to England by the Romans. If you are unfamiliar with it you may have mistaken it for mint as it comes from the mint family and looks quite a bit like peppermint. Its horticultural name is Melissa officinalis which comes from the Greek for 'Honey Bee' due to its flowers attracting a lot of bees.
In commercial use it's grown in great amounts by Italy, Hungary and here in Ireland to produce essential oils, every June to August it is hand picked and processed for the year's yield and then used in perfumes, food additives and teas. It's very popular in Germany and is used in a herbal tonic called Carmelite Water.
It makes an excellent addition to any herb garden here and is incredibly low maintenance, beware though as it can spread like wildfire so it's important to take steps to keep it under control.
If you want to grow it the following is a quick guide on the 'Do's and Don'ts'
Firstly you need to pick where you are going to place it. As mentioned it does like to spread so one method to stop this is to keep it in it's pot or place it in a planter.
It's not fussy on soil or whether it gets a whole lot of sun so this actually makes it an excellent choice for somewhere you are struggling to get things to grow. If you are using it to cover tricky ground, dig the area and loosen the soil before placing the Lemon balm to give it its best chance to establish itself.
To encourage growth, trim it right back once it bushes out to about 1-1.5ft. This will get it to thicken its growth and spread further width wise as well as having the added bonus of getting a handful of Lemon Balm to use!
Once it establishes itself it needs very little care other than trimming it to suit yourself and the bees will be very grateful for it.
Uses.
As mentioned above it is an extremely versatile plant. Here is just a few ideas;
Baking- It can be mixed into cake batter or bread dough. It can also be candied to add to ice-cream.
Tea- Steep the fresh leaves in hot water for a refreshing hot drink.
Salads- Fresh leaves can be chopped into salads.
Dressings- This is my favourite as lemon balm makes an excellent vinaigrette for seafood giving a sweet lemony taste that is distinct from the classic Lemon fruit.
Medicinally it can be used by drying out the leaf and placing it in a little pouch placed beneath your pillow for relaxation and stress relief.
Eating it fresh is said to ward off cold sores and lessen the severity of any active ones.
It's also meant to be great for digestive issues such as indigestion or heartburn.
Another excellent use is as a mosquito repellent, it can be just rubbed fresh on the skin or drops of essential oil placed around window sills to keep the midges out.
So for an easy stress free plant with many uses Lemon Balm is a perfect candidate to start growing.
Happy Planting! :)
