How and Why you need to grow Parsley!

Parsley (Petrosilenum crispum) is a super easy and yummy herb to grow from seed, it produces tasty leaves all summer long. It looks great around vegetable beds or in pots. You can choose between curly or flat leaves and use them in salads, sauces, and in many cooked dishes. Here are the ones I have grown below and I planted my seeds in March, and I have been aware of when to trim and fertilizer too as they are in pots and I want to ensure it nutrients are up. The fertilizer I use is a homemade nettle tea alongside dried eggshells and other homemade fertiliser.

Grown at home (Left is flat-leaf, and the right is curly)

Parsley is a biennial herb, this means it grows leaves the first year and then flowers and seeds the next year. It's usually treated as an annual herb, so you can throw it out after the first year and start fresh each spring. I like to repurpose them and plant them within my wildflower segment in my garden. It can be a bit slow to grow, but you can plant it directly outside or start indoors and move it out later. You can even grow it inside on a sunny window sill where you can easily maintain it. I started it within a propagator and then repotted along side other herbs like Dill and Coriander in the same pot, and then Sage and Marjoram in their own.

Parsley grows in a clump about 30cm tall, so you can pick a few leaves off each plant at a time. It looks nice as a border for flowerbeds or in pots, so even if you don't have much space, you can still grow some parsley. I have all my herbs within pots that outline my garden pathway which makes it easy to maintain weed growth as you can keep and eye on it better, and you can take cuttings comfortably. The green leaves are full of good things like iron, vitamins A, C, and K.

Parsley, is in the family Apiaceae ((1)Apiaceae, also known as Umbelliferae, is a family of mostly fragrant plants that includes celery, carrots, and parsley. It's sometimes just called the umbellifers family) and is a popular herb that you can find in a lot of different cuisines in around the world. Most popular in American, European, and Middle Eastern dishes. There are two main types you can get: curly leaf parsley and flat leaf parsley. Curly leaf parsley is perfect for making your dish look fancy with a garnish, while flat leaf parsley has a bolder flavor and is great for salads and cooked dishes. Parsley can also freshen your breath and cleanse your palate, especially with garlic and onions. Adding Parsley to your meals is a breeze. Throw it into soups, salads, or sprinkle it on top of your dishes for extra flavor. You'll also find parsley in lots of herb mixes, and tasty dishes, and sauces such as:

Gremolata
Senegalese Rof
Chimichurri

If you can't find fresh parsley or don’t have it growing, don't worry - you can always grab some dried parsley at the store or buy a potted one at the store and start tending your own, or get started and plant your own to then dry. I like to have an option of fresh and dried herbs (you can dry in the oven or a dehydrator). Regardless of how you get the dried parsley, it might not have all the health benefits of fresh parsley, but it can still be a great addition to your meals and might even help fight cancer.

Health Benefits

Parsley is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are so good for your health. It's got lots of vitamin K, vitamin A. They are also known as flavonoids. ((2) Flavonoids are a mixture that is found in plants like teas, citrus fruits, and vegetables. They're packed with antioxidants that help protect your heart and may even lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. Simply, they're just good stuff found naturally in lots of fruits and vegetables.) Just one tablespoon of fresh parsley can give you more than 70% of your daily recommended vitamin K intake. Which is super easy to do! I throw a bunch on mash potatoes and scrambled eggs always, but explore and experiment always.

Also Parsley can help prevent cancer! It's got a special flavonoid called Apigenin ((3) Apigenin is found in many plants, it's a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides) that has been shown to fight cancer cells. Plus, it's a natural diuretic, so it can help reduce bloating and lower blood pressure.

Not only that, Parsley is great for your bones, eyes, and overall health. The vitamin K in parsley helps with bone growth, and vitamin A in parsley helps keep your eyes healthy and prevents age-related macular degeneration. So, go ahead and google some yummy recipes that include Parsley giving you that tasty and nutritious boost!

Nutrition

Parsley's got a bunch of good stuff in it that's important for your health. It's got vitamin K, which helps your blood clot and keeps your bones healthy. Plus, there's a ton of vitamin C and antioxidants in parsley that can help prevent serious health issues like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. So make sure to add some parsley to your meals for a boost of goodness.

Here is a list of all the goodness inside this wonderful herb: