Unique Blueberry Decor Theme For Your Italian Home Herb Garden

Italian cuisine is one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in the world. It follows the Mediterranean style of cooking using Italian herbs and olive oil with small portions of meat and flavored cheese. The crusty Italian breads are yummy starters with butter and olive oil. The fabulous Insalata or green salad features an array of vegetables and herbs such as radicchio, arugula, and tomatoes in a vinaigrette dressing. It is not difficult to recreate the Orto ‘the Italian vegetable garden’ or the humble farmhouse herb garden in your backyard, replete with all those wonderful aromas that means Italy to everyone. Nature’s bounty, the herb kingdom gives the wildest of herbs and greens that you can enjoy in your Italian cuisine. For instance, blueberries are exceptionally great due to their anti-ageing effects. They find a unique place in the herb kingdom and are exemplary examples in the home landscape. The blueberry fruit can be eaten fresh or frozen. Plants have a profusion of white blossoms in late spring. Leaves are glossy green in summer and have prominent red foliage in autumn. They are pale green at first, then reddish-purple, and finally blue or purple when ripe. Blueberries are different from the Bilberry or Huckleberry, a ripe Blueberry’s inside color is light green while the Bilberry’s color is deep red or purple.

Blueberry Decor Theme:

Blueberries rank #1 in antioxidants when compared to fresh fruits. They were first introduced in Germany and the Netherlands and have since spread to Italy and other countries of Europe. Numerous researches from all over the world, including Europe and Japan have found blueberries to help improve memory, eyesight, and slow the aging process. Whether you believe the studies or not, it sure won’t hurt you to try. Remember that any herb or fruit has more antioxidants when they are cultivated organically. Blueberries grow into very large shrubs or trees and need considerable nutrients and space for propagation. Fortunately, there are dwarf blueberry varieties that grow successfully in containers. The first and foremost thing the home grower needs to know about blueberries is that they have a literally vital need for a very specialized kind of soil that is -highly acidic. In general, the yield and berry size benefits from cross pollination.

A quick summary will take you to different types of blueberries that you can choose from:

Varieties of blueberries that can grow in home herb garden:

o Chippewa: The herb’s typical height is 1.5 to 4 feet, berries light blue, fruit medium to large and sweet.

o Patriot: The herb has excellent flavor and large, dark blue berries. It is resistant to root withering, adaptable to wet, heavy soils than most blueberries and gives consistent yields.

o Northblue: Its typical height is 1.5 to 3.5 feet, grows vigorously and gives large berries that are dark blue, with flavor reportedly superior to most high bush cultivar.

o Blueray: The blueberry adapts to areas with hot summers and cold winters, has upright growth with small, tight bright blue fruit clusters. It has excellent aroma.

o Hardyblue: Adapts to heavy soils and has high antioxidant capacity with large bright blue berries.

o Sunshine Blue: This is the only variety that is recommended for container gardening. It is only about three feet tall, not very particular about its soil, and has large berries that ripen in July in southern US.

o Northcountry: Its typical height is 1.5 to 3.5 feet with medium-size blueberries that are sweet and wild blueberry flavour. It is very hardy, vigorous and productive.

o Northsky: This is a great blueberry for extremely cold climates. It only grows about 1.5 feet in height, but may spread as much as three feet. Its berries ripen in the middle of the summer.

o Bluecrop: This is a drought-resistant variety, and may be a good choice for busy gardeners who might not be able to water consistently. It grows large and has light-colored berries.

Italian Gastronomical Delight

You can have home made delicious, healthy soups such as minestrone and pasta fagioli that are offered in traditional Italian restaurants. These are low in calories and high in fibers, vitamins and minerals. The soup and salad make an excellent light meal with a glass of red wine. For a healthy Italian meal, serve tomato based sauce such as marinara sauce with Pasta flavoured with fresh herbs. Try fresh mozzarella which is comparatively low in calories served with tomatoes and lettuce. Pesto is very aromatic and great if used sparingly, if you bear in mind that it uses mostly olive oil which is high in calories. For desserts, it is best to opt for Italian fruit ice or sorbets. Make exotic Artisan Italian blueberry cake and jam with fresh blueberries.

Why don’t you try the blueberries on your next bowl of cereal or make a big pack of blueberry muffins for your family? Buon appetito!