ALOE VERA ROSMAC’S GARDEN
PERRIWINKLE
arrowroot, and ginger. Many smaller plants and shrubs crowd the planting beds: Eye-bright, good for glaucoma and astigmatism; coralita, which quickly grows wild but is useful for the throat; stinging nettle, which can help with prostate problems. Perrywinkle, good for malaria, sore throat, rheumatism, laryngitis, and as an eyewash. And French thyme, curry plant, St. John’s bush, rosemary, several varieties of sage and turmeric, which can be used to treat high blood pressure, jaundice and liver problems. Aloe vera for cooling the skin; dandelion, a tonic herb sometimes called poor man’s lettuce; comfrey, which relieves sinus problems when steeped in hot water so that the steam can be inhaled. The widdy widdy bush, which was reportedly eaten as a staple during the 1951 sugar workers strike when food and money were scarce, and is full of vitamin A and other nutrients. And there is old man’s beard, a parasitic air plant that grows on the branches of tall
www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com
POOR MAN’S LETTUCE
Planting areas in the garden are separated by narrow gravel walks, and lightly shaded by a high canopy of useful trees. A ginep tree, whose roasted seeds were more prized in the old days than the pale pink fruit pulp, a mango and a tropical gooseberry (also called raspberry), laden with pale green fruit clustered along its branches, compete for space with several varieties of palm, smaller bay and lemon bay trees and the moringa, or tree of life, whose fruit yields an oil that does not go rancid. There is a neem tree, whose leaves, flowers and fruit can all be used for medicinal purposes, and a yellow balsam, a valuable plant with many medicinal uses, also known as the nail polish tree because a broken stem oozes a viscous liquid that can be smeared on the nails and dries to a high gloss. There is also a white willow, and several varieties of hibiscus, whose flowers are used to improve circulation, relieve menstrual cramps and stop bleeding. Other plants include Bird of Paradise,
ROSALYN SIMON
15