Yesterday we visited a vivaio dei erbe just outside of Scicli called Gli Aromi
…aptly meaning the aromas.
Beautiful tropical plants…
The big bumblebees doing their job, pollinating.
Rows upon endless rows of baby herbs, youngsters and older herbs…
The famous Sicilian capers…
Wild Russian Sage
Scented geraniums of wonderful flavors
Ground cover incredibly soft to the touch
And ground covers that were tough enough to walk on
Enrico, one of the brothers in the family owned business, gave us a wonderful tour of his facility and explained how all the herbs were used.
They have over 200 varieties of plants and propagate cuttings of over 500,000 plants a year.
A very spicy type of Rosmarini….very close to red pepper
Fun way to use those extra shoes…
Aromatic Marjoram
Everything was made or seasoned from their gardens
It was fascinating and followed by a wonderful outdoor supper, prepared by his soon to be wife, Rita, who runs one of the finest restaurants in Scicli named Satra.
Fillings of fresh tomato sauce and parsley or fresh ricotta and onion…mouthwatering!
Wonderful breads with freshly grated Parmesan and Prosciutto and spreads of caper or wild fennel
Eggplant Caponata with peppers and onions, a mixture of sweet and sour! We nibbled and drank ice cold herbal teas and local wines while watching the hazy, orange sunset over the coastline.
They have many gift items for all you gardeners out there as well as almost any herb plant imaginable.
A wonderful way to spend a couple of hours or more…stop by and see them!
