Ah, I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much on plants in my life. I just put a couple of orders through. Berry bushes and vines 1 Johns Elderberry 1 Â Adams Elderberry 1 Â Witch Hazel 50 Honeoye Strawberry 2 Bluebell Grapes 3 Island Belle Grapes (Campbell’s Early) 3 Marechal Foch grapes 1 Vaccinium vitis-idaea Red …
Category Archives: herbs
Ginger, Chamomile and Berry Soda?
To your health! My first ginger soda (I’m going to call it soda as of now because otherwise my European readers think I am brewing alcoholic beverages) lost its fizz at some point. Probably when it was in the carboy, before I bottled it. It’s still mighty good to drink but I want to make …
Echinacea Tincture in the Making
Today I started an Echinacea tincture. Don’t know why I waited this long (and will have to wait for 6 more weeks) . This winter I’ve already spent a good $40 on store-bought tincture – gah! You can make it for about $2 a bottle at home, and control the ingredients too. It’s a 1:5 …
The Skinny (1) on Honey: Antioxidants
(Oh no, it’s another series!) Amie and Mama and their first honey harvest ~ I’m so sore from my workout yesterday. I was shredding leaves for two hours and also moved the contents of one (full) outside Earth machine to the Earth Machine inside the hoop house. Going by last year’s experience, this compost won’t …
Dandelion Tincture – Part 2
Today I pressed the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) tincture that I started on 14 October (roots and leaves). It has been sitting in my herbal medicine closet (dark, cool and accessible) for over three weeks (14 days is the minimum). I shook it twice daily. It has become a saying in our household: “Mama’s shaking her …
Gardener Heal Thyself: Calendula Poultice
I work with my hands a lot. Household chores, gardening and especially throwing pots are hard on the hands. I don’t use hand salves, lotions or creams. You put that stuff on and a minute later you need to wash something or pull a bush out of the ground. I’m also a little clumsy, only …
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Hoop House Fall Garden / Overwintering Peppers and Herbs
My Fall Garden? I guess most of it looks like my Summer Garden, only inside the hoop house (where it was a balmy 85 F today, contrasting with the 56 F outside). eggplants in hoop house Yesterday I moved most of the (sweet and hot) pepper plants from the outside beds into pots and then …
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Dandelion Tincture (Part 1) and Today’s Harvest
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Tincture wash leaves and roots chop put in jar with its menstruum or solvent, 100 proof alcohol (for the record, I had only 80 proof available, but that should be do) blend to expose more surface are to the solvent wipe ridge of jar, put wax paper over top (as a gasket), …
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Dandelion Harvest, Defensive Bees and Garden Blankets
I was bummed to find that there are not a lot of dandelions on our property. One of the first exercises in one of my herbal medicine books is a dandelion tincture. I had to skip it because I couldn’t find any at hand. Today I went to Amie’s kindergarten school to pull the weeds …
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Last Big Harvests and Potting Up
last husk cherries hoop house tomatoes and peppers, and some rhubarb celery and parsley drying (yeah, they got mixed up) other drying herbs (safe, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, lovage) destined for the Excalibur potted up herbs, Amie and DH the Freecycle chipper now works! (just needed some oil and the eviction of a mouse)