When Weeds Whisper

Morning Harvest - June 29

Another hot humid day and I have a craving for chicken soup! I know, I know, that's more of a winter food, but I guess that's what my body needs. What better place to look for special herbs to put in my soup but right from my own garden. Other herbs and flowers in the basket are for tinctures and oil infusions.

June Roots

One hybrid and cultivated ...

A tiny thinning from the main vegetable garden so that others may have the elbow room they desire. Despite the little nibble that is was, it was yummy nonetheless.

Didn't know carrots had elbows, eh? Ah, the things we learn!

The other a wild thing . . .

A beautiful specimen. I might chop it, roast it and make a hot brew with it. Or I might chop it and make a fresh plant tincture with it. Or just simmer and serve it as a food with some sweet carrots to balance the bitterness.

Dandelion root. Taraxicum officinalis. It too has elbows. :)

The 21st Annual New England Women's Herbal Conference

Just curious . . . who's going to the New England Women's Herbal Conference this year? Or . . . who knows someone who's going? I know there's car-pools forming in the east, the west and northern sections of state!

What a wonderful line-up of presenters! I realized (only moments ago) that it's only two months away. Time to start getting psyched!

Tussilago farfara

This common roadside plant is most known and best recognized in early springtime, when the flowers bloom. It is a contrary! Blooming first and then growing its leaves!

Also known as Coltsfoot, this herb, like so many that joined us from Europe has made itself quite comfortable in the wilds of North America. The botanical name suggests its most commonly known traditional use, for tussis means cough in Latin. The common name refers to the shape of the leaf, which resembles a . . . colt's "foot," helping us to identify the plant in the wild, especially after flowering. Early European botanists actually identified the spring and summer plant as two separate plants. It's a trickster!

Being a plant medicine for the RAPID respiratory system might suggest a treatment plan to mirror that RAPID verve - one of short duration. Funny, too, that this plant - just like comfrey and borage, contain the liver toxic PAs that we really want to avoid lest we damage ourselves. Not only did our ancestors seem know this on some level, but the plant tells us too - in some very simple ways.

It most often grows - these days - along roadsides where we wouldn't be inclined to harvest, and where the earth needs healing. The flowers bloom and fade rapidly too, over the coarse of only a couple weeks. The flowers bloom in early spring, opposite the year-wheel of the common cough season.

Liver toxic PAs aside, the flowers do make an amazing cough syrup, layered in a jar with brown sugar and left to macerate in a dark cabinet 'til a cough calls upon it several months later when it may be strained and used. It's a good medicine to know about, yet I would be inclined to use another herb for my cough in its stead and protect my liver!

But it's still beautiful and humble, clever and contrary and a worthy plant we can learn from!

This photo was taken at the Summer Solstice in Cornwall Hollow, CT.

Chickweed and Pumpkins

I was excited last night as I watched Iron Chef America and saw Mario Batali make a chickweed salad. Yummy! I yelled to my hubby, "See, see that is why I let it grow!" Ah, but it is not as robust as the pumpkins that decided to grace us this year. Last year we put in a new deck. As the pumpkins we picked from a friends garden started to soften I set them in front of the deck. I thought they would add some nice compost to the area I needed to plant come spring. Come spring hubby tilled the soil and a few days later we noticed a few plants. They seem to grow six inches or more a day and we have quite the patch. If we have as many pumpkins as plants we may have to open a stand. I am in awe each day as I check on their progress.

Red Clover, Red Clover send...

The way the Green World works always amazes me. After harvesting Heal All and then discarding it because of self doubt and fear of poisoning myself and others, I set out to find more today. Following the familiar path to the little field beside my house I was in awe at how much everything had grown. The Bedstraw is in bloom. Its tiny white flowers scattered along the path way looked like snow had come earlier to Connecticut. The wild grasses that were once inches from the ground almost surpass me in height. Every thing has changed rapidly. Walking through the high grass every step released a cloud of pollen. I search amongst the small yellow butter cups and other lemon colored flowers but Heal All was no were to be found. It was almost as though it had made its appearance to me early on and having lost patience is now hiding . Leaving me to wait another year to seek its wisdom.
With some disappointment I turned my attention to the statuesque Mullein. Hoping that it would be in bloom and I would be able to gather some of its flowers to make an oil Infusion. I am afraid that I arrived to early. The Mullein has tripled in size but is not yet in bloom. I have a friend who get frequent ear aches and I was hoping to make the oil for her.
After puttering around a little more I stumbled across Red Clover. I have been searching for some time for this pretty pink flower. I feared that I wouldn’t find any around my house. White clover is scattered every where but it is in frequently mowed areas and close to motor traffic. There were very few blossoms and of the few that were present most had faded or browned. Strike three I thought. I continued walking along the edge of the woods. I followed the Hedge listening the birds sing. My eyes catching glimpses of chipmunks and rabbits. I found a beautiful brown feather that shimmers with green and grey. The weather was gorgeous. Warm and breezy. I wandered onto the gravel path that leads behind the industrial park. A rocky line cut between the receive docks and the wood lined river. I decided to see were it lead. It turned out to continue past the building to the road and the beginning of the nature trail I had found before. I was about to follow the road home when that little voice told me to check out the first section of trail to find out how much it had changed as well. It was mostly the same. The Violets have evaporated and small vines are beginning to make there way onto the path. I made it to the opening and turned to follow the field back home when I tripped on a thin stalk that was in the middle of the path. I looked back at it and told it to be careful then continued on. I glanced over to my right and noticed that along the path a large amount of Red Clover was growing. Vivid pink flowers seated a top 3 round leaves. The bees danced from blossom to blossom sipping away. I was amazed and slowly began to gather the Clover. I backtracked taking a little from here and there not want to over harvest the area. Talking with the bees. Wait for them to finish in one place before I step over. It was long before I noticed that the beginning of the Red Clover patch lined up perfectly with the stalk that had tripped me. Having missed my chances with Heal All this season I seemed to have “stumbled” on to a new Ally. The way the Green World works always seems to amaze me.