The queen of essential oils is celebrated in the herb garden

In the herb and spice garden of the SZTE Herb Garden, around ten species of lavender are currently flourishing, and as Aniko Németh we learned from the director that, following the example of the lavender festivals in Tihany and Pannonhalm, a lavender festival was also announced in Szeged, which is also open to those interested on Sunday. The varieties of lavender that can be admired in the herb garden come from Kistelek, which differ from each other in both color and size. "Our lavenders have one thing in common, whether they're white, pink, or even purple-blue, they both exude an intense fragrance," said Anikó Németh. The director finds that visitors to the herb garden know lavender as a plant, but here they are amazed that there are also white and pink varieties of this plant of Mediterranean origin, spread from Southern Europe. Also called the "queen of essential oils", the semi-shrub can be used in many areas, it is popular internally primarily for its soothing effect, while externally it can play a role in exfoliating wounds.

"We would like to create a tradition of lavender days, since we have been holding Lotus Days for the seventh year, and now we have added another plant to our offer. However, we do not only want to make the plant more widely known, but with the cooperation of the Cultural Office of the University of Szeged, we also welcome those interested to high-quality cultural programs," Anikó Németh told SZEGEDma.hu. In the herb garden Mazila also opened an exhibition of his paintings. The artist told our portal that he considers landscape painting a rewarding subject, but he finds that very few people practice it, since it is not considered modern after the artistic revolutions of the 20th century, as well as its socio-psychological and philosophical questions. "I selected from my Tuscan landscapes, and I also brought lavender paintings here to evoke the atmosphere of the plant's homeland," he said.

He also offered jams, syrups and teas at his stand Attila Bán small producer, from whom we learned that lavender has an extremely good balancing effect, it does not act like a sedative, if you drink lavender tea, for example, you practically cannot get upset. "Besides the beneficial effect of lavender, we can make a jam or ice cream special, while our lavender onion jam is excellent for fried foods, it makes the food really spicy," he explained. He emphasized that care must be taken when adding lavender to food, as the bitter taste of the plant dominates in large quantities. The products it offers do not contain preservatives, but they can still be kept for a year. The small producer in Pákozd grows two types of lavender, English and French, the former is more decorative and has larger flowers, while the French has a longer-lasting and more intense scent.

Mihály Botyánszki there are five types of lavender in his horticulture, although they tried to grow more, but they stuck to the tried and tested varieties that can withstand the climatic conditions of the country. "In addition to low and dark blue lavender, we also have white, light and dark purple, so everyone can choose which one suits their garden best. Large-flowered lavenders are more fashionable now, but I prefer to choose ones that can withstand the climate and soil conditions here. These are usually not giant flowers, because those varieties come from Western Europe and cannot withstand harsh winters," he explained. This essential oil plant likes a lot of sunlight, and as we learned, when you plant it, it is worth watering it a few times, but you have to be careful, but according to the experience of a gardener in Békéscsaba, many people overwater it. Szeged and its surroundings can be ideal for growing lavender, as the number of hours of sunshine is high, and the essential oil content of this fragrant plant depends on how much sunlight it receives. "It is characteristic of a plant containing essential oils, such as lavender, that it somewhat keeps flies and mosquitoes away, so it does not only deter clothes moths," he said. It is worth planting it next to roses, for example, because it keeps aphids away.

Source: SzegedMa.hu