...as it is poetically put by Khalil Gibran in his evergreen -just like myrtle itself- book: The Prophet. A valuable and aromatic lesson of unconditional giving, whose only aim is to offer. The list of what myrtle has to give or secure is far, far longer. I am positive it must be a real burden for the plant to be sacred and responsible for immaculate love and immortality. In between these two, since time immemorial, the myrtle twigs have been supposed to assert the virginity of the bride as an essential condition to the future and rightful fertility of the newlyweds and their happy marriage. Myrtle is a symbol of fame, joy and triumph as well as peace, stability and empathy. My question is: why is it so rarely cultivated nowadays? Can we really do without myrtle and its magic? I doubt it.
By cultivated, I mean the myrtle planted in pots or tubs, especially in colder countries, where it is impossible for this warm-loving plant to survive cold winters. Myrtle is a popular shrub (or a small tree, up to 3-5m tall) growing naturally in the Mediterranean, where you can easily observe its beneficial influence on the folks there, mentioned a few lines above. That was the real cause of its widespread cultivation even in the recent past, as an ornamental potted plant whose magic was strongly acknowledged by a lot of people. However, it has changed and I do not know why. Personally, I cannot see anything wrong in asking a handsome plant for help to be happy or at least happier, and I can assure everyone that cultivating myrtle at home is an unshakable way to achieve that modest goal.
Myrtle (Myrtus communis) represents a large family of aromatic plants, at least a few members of whose are quite known worldwide: gum tree, tea tree, clove, guava, allspice, bottlebrush and so forth. The majority of them contain essential oils in the wood and evergreen leaves, and produce fragrant flowers with tons of spectacular stamens. That is exactly the case of the common myrtle, which can add one more nice characteristic to the list: edible and tasty black or yellowish berries. They are used to make an aromatic liquor in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, also famous for beautifully singing shepherds.
One or two young plants of myrtle is enough to reinforce your well-being. Myrtle requires moist but well-drained loamy soil. Too much moisture can kill the plant as it is prepared to withstand longer periods of drought rather than flood. Myrtle loves sunlight and must be placed in a very well-lit location but protected from strong and cold winds. The longer and warmer the summer the bigger the chances for abundant flowering and -maybe- fruiting. When the fall comes along with the danger of first frost, the potted myrtle must be taken indoors and placed in a spacious, bright and not too warm location to avoid shedding leaves. It happens quite often if myrtle is kept in warm but rather dark conditions, i.e. our homes in winter.
The twigs of myrtle can be pruned and formed into different shapes, which is good news for all bonsai lovers and all who like creating, including their own happy life. Myrtle is pest-free and can grow for a lot of years reaching its ultimate size of 1.5-2 m -in our climatic conditions- after 10-15 years of wise care.
The shepherds in the video-clip accompanying today's post sound awesome. I only hope, they do not curse myrtle for their unfulfilled requests and expectations. I do wish I understood what they are singing about.
Myrtle (Myrtus communis) represents a large family of aromatic plants, at least a few members of whose are quite known worldwide: gum tree, tea tree, clove, guava, allspice, bottlebrush and so forth. The majority of them contain essential oils in the wood and evergreen leaves, and produce fragrant flowers with tons of spectacular stamens. That is exactly the case of the common myrtle, which can add one more nice characteristic to the list: edible and tasty black or yellowish berries. They are used to make an aromatic liquor in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, also famous for beautifully singing shepherds.
One or two young plants of myrtle is enough to reinforce your well-being. Myrtle requires moist but well-drained loamy soil. Too much moisture can kill the plant as it is prepared to withstand longer periods of drought rather than flood. Myrtle loves sunlight and must be placed in a very well-lit location but protected from strong and cold winds. The longer and warmer the summer the bigger the chances for abundant flowering and -maybe- fruiting. When the fall comes along with the danger of first frost, the potted myrtle must be taken indoors and placed in a spacious, bright and not too warm location to avoid shedding leaves. It happens quite often if myrtle is kept in warm but rather dark conditions, i.e. our homes in winter.
The twigs of myrtle can be pruned and formed into different shapes, which is good news for all bonsai lovers and all who like creating, including their own happy life. Myrtle is pest-free and can grow for a lot of years reaching its ultimate size of 1.5-2 m -in our climatic conditions- after 10-15 years of wise care.
The shepherds in the video-clip accompanying today's post sound awesome. I only hope, they do not curse myrtle for their unfulfilled requests and expectations. I do wish I understood what they are singing about.
Jarek
RSS Feed