a path with heart

While I was nosing around in the University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative website, finding such gems as the home economics manual I talked about a few days ago, I ran across this too in The American Verse Project...

Cawein, Madison Julius, 1865-1914
Weeds by the wall : verses
Madison Cawein
Louisville, Ky: John P. Morton & Company, 1901

Take your time, and enjoy the imagery.
Mid-August, early September.
I've been here.

THE PATH BY THE CREEK
by Madison Cawein

THERE is a path that leads
Through purple iron-weeds,
By button-bush and mallow
Along a creek;
A path that wildflowers hallow,
That wild birds seek;
Roofed thick with eglantine
And grape and trumpet-vine.
This side, blackberries sweet
Glow cobalt in the heat;
That side, a creamy yellow,
In summertime
The pawpaws slowly mellow;
And autumn's prime
Strews red the Chickasaw,
Persimmon brown and haw.

The glittering dragon-fly,
A wingéd flash, goes by;
And tawny wasp and hornet
Seem gleams that drone;
The beetle, like a garnet,
Slips from the stone;
And butterflies float there,
Spangling with gold the air.
Here the brown thrashers hide,
The chat and cat-bird chide;
The blue kingfisher houses
Above the stream,
And here the heron drowses
Lost in his dream;
The vireo's flitting note
Haunts all the wild remote.
And now a cow's slow bell
Tinkles along the dell;
Where breeze-dropped petals winnow
From blossomy limbs
On waters, where the minnow,
Faint-twinkling, swims;
Where, in the root-arched shade,
Slim prisms of light are laid.
When in the tangled thorn
The new-moon hangs a horn,
Or, 'mid the sunset's islands,
Guides a canoe,
The brown owl in the silence
Calls, and the dew
Beads here its orbs of damp,
Each one a firefly lamp.

Then when the night is still
Here sings the whippoorwill;
And stealthy sounds of crickets,
And winds that pass,
Whispering, through bramble thickets
Along the grass,
Faint with far scents of hay,
Seem feet of dreams astray.
And where the water shines
Dark through tree-twisted vines,
Some water-spirit, dreaming,
Braids in her hair
A star's reflection; seeming
A jewel there;
While all the sweet night long
Ripples her quiet song.

Would I could imitate,
O path, thy happy state!
Making my life all beauty,
All bloom and beam;
Knowing no other duty
Than just to dream,
And far from pain and woe
Lead feet that come and go.
Leading to calm content,
O'er ways the Master went,
Through lowly things and humble,
To peace and love;
Teaching the lives that stumble
To look above,
Forget the world of toil
And all its sad turmoil.

assurance

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring.
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter."
-- Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder (Harper & Row, 1965)

Fun with earphones

Susan Wittig Albert has always been a good read, but today I ran across her podcast page. Click the link here.
I listen to .mp3s while gardening... here's a hint: run the wire to your earphones from your belt up UNDER your shirt. It saves on the wire getting caught on, say, a rose bush, or clipped by, say, an errant pruner.
Susan's promised us ten podcasts about ten herbs ... and from there, who knows? Enjoy!

tea receipt from Queen Victoria's time

(As usual, for a big picture, click on the picture.)

Did Victorian era housewives commonly infuse their (black) tea for 20 minutes and then add the infusion to the pot with hot water? I wonder what Elizabeth would have thought about our newfangled tea bags?

a blast from the past

Net-surfing is fun... you NEVER know what you'll run across. Television can't compete!

This book (click on the title page to enlarge)written for 1865 housewives is readable one page at a time, online if you follow this link to the University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative.

Just posting the title page now, I'll be back tomorrow with something from the book for my herbie pals.

from Kitchen Gardeners International

Hey, ya!
Just a little happy pick me up on an icy gray winter day.
Hope, Michiganders.
Spring, and salads from the garden, will return.
Plant it and salad will come.
Speaking of salads, on Saturday I read The Greens Book by Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille. A lot of great recipes, but the part that I really appreciated is a good useful discussion of the cultivation of particular greens.
I will use this book, already did last night, as a matter of fact.
Following not a particular recipe, but rather the spirit of adding greens to everything, I added a half a bag of Cut and Clean EuroGreens (Swiss Chard, Mustard, Turnip and Kale) to chicken ravioli, along with pesto and frozen Roma and cherry tomatoes. Yum.

Back to the video, here is a little hint on washing greens I picked up from the book... add about a tablespoon of vinegar to your water (up to a quarter cup for a half a sinkful) and swish and soak 5-10 minutes. Carefully remove the leaves without disturbing the water too much. The authors claim this eliminates 90 percent of second washings (and we know vinegar is a mild disinfectant and environmentally responsible).

On-line Incense Making Class

I'm really excited to announce something we're going to be trying here at The Essential Herbal! Our first ever on-line class. We're going to be teaching how to make self-igniting incense cones from the powders of herbs, resins, and Sandalwood. There will also be discussion of loose incense, smudge, and safe ways to burn the incense. We are creating a special package of materials - enough to make about 24 cones of 2 different varieties - just for the class ($20, includes registration and shipping), so you can work along with everyone else - or, if you'd rather just "sit in" the registration is only $5. Materials kits will start shipping March 1.
Our Yahoo group was telling us how much they wanted some classes, so it seemed like time to give it a try. I've been trying to figure out exactly how to do it so that everyone who wanted to could participate in their own time frame. I once taught a class in a forum set-up, and it didn't feel right - 4 hours spent hitting the refresh key. So, we've "reserved" a Yahoo list just for classes. We'll be able to post lots of pictures, and lots of instruction. The group will be relatively small, so without the intimidation of a large group, questions and answers should be flying. The people on our regular group are a very friendly gang. Even though this is not exclusive to the group, I'm looking forward to being able to jabber in a smaller group about one subject.
The class will run from March 12 through March 18. Materials must be ordered by the 7th in order to be delivered in time. Registration with no materials will be open until March 11. On the 10th, we'll send out invitations for the new Yahoo group to those who are registered. That will give everyone time to get there, and if anyone has a problem, we'll have a chance to straighten it out.
Want to join us? There is a button at the very top of the left hand navigation bar on our website.

wintergardening

Colorful blossoms, lettuce-y green leaves: grocery-store primroses. A legit part of my food budget, primroses satisfy without calories!



Don't throw them out or try to carry on in pots after they are done blooming. Instead, plant them outdoors in the spring.
Many will rebloom and overwinter outddors. I have the best luck (overwintering) with white and yellow, but I keep trying the colorful ones. Hope is a good thing, and trying new things is what not giving up is all about.



Sonnet by V.B.Benedict
[from a 1976 Primrose Quarterly]

When barren winter seems about to die,
And withered leaves decay upon the earth,
Release from aching discontent have I
With Primula rosea's bright rebirth,
That gaily mock the February rains,
Seemingly to increase with every day.
Now it is a joy to live once more
Anticipating treasures yet to see:
Acaulis sweet and polyanthus friends adore,
And marginata blooming in the scree.
No loneliness is mine nor time to grieve;
These mark the potent season's full reprieve,
And life is rich in sight and song and mirth.

Cuppa Tea of the Week

Lemon Blossom Herbal Tea, by Stash.

I love it! With milk, it tastes like lemon meringue pie.

Ingredients: Rosehips, citrus peel, lemongrass, hibiscus flowers, licorice root, safflower, citric acid, rosebuds, ginger, and "natural flavors."
"an artful herbal tea blend with a juicy lemony taste and fragrant aroma."

Caffeine free.
Stash tea bags.

Tea bag wrapper entertainment:
"When the tea is brought at five o'clock
And all the neat curtains are drawn with care,
The little black cat with bright green eyes
Is suddenly purring there."
--Harold Monro "Milk for the Cat"

busy

Preparing to teach a class, and preoccupied on the green and progressive blogs.
My Paph. has four blossoms open. Cool!
Outdoors, I think the back of winter is broken. Time to soak the parsley seeds.

winter

Snowy Dazy

Here in PA, the ice storm from last week is still having an effect on travel and the sub-freezing temps are going to hang on for a couple more days.
This is the front door of the house. The ice on the roof is a couple of inches thick, and although this door isn't being used (it would require some serious chipping - that isn't snow, it's ice on the ground) I think about how dangerous it would be should it slide off when a door is slammed.
I can stand on the surface of the "snow" and not leave so much as a footprint. Very unusual.
Yesterday was the first time I *voluntarily* hit the road in the car since the storm. No doubt about it, I am a big chicken. Anyway, the roads are now somewhat clear, with drifts and 4" ice ruts. It looks beautiful out there, though.
I took some pictures from the car. First was the horse meadow down the road. They have over a dozen of these gorgeous animals, and they were out having a tough time finding a little grass to munch. They are at quite a distance, and my little Kodak doesn't do the scene justice.

This is a little stream called Back Run. I stopped on the bridge to take a picture. Usually there are a couple of horses playing in this meadow, but they weren't out yesterday.
The fence around the tree protect it from the horse chewing on the bark.
So that's some of the scenery getting to the closest town. The grocery store was an interesting sight. Many of the shelves were bare, and I realized that delivery trucks weren't able to bring in any new shipments last week. They must have been dropping stuff all weekend, because the aisles had piles of boxes all over the place. Considering that many people hadn't been out to shop for a week, it was a bit of a madhouse.
Ok. Enough of this stuff. Bring on the SPRING!!!

Chickweed

My description of chickweed: The leaves are typically about the size of a pinky fingernail, although in the lushness of spring before they bloom, I've seen them up to an inch long and nearly as wide. Leaves are emerald green and smooth. They grow in sets, across from each other on the stem, and they almost hug the stem at the base of each leaf - not having leaf stems. There are spaces along the stem of about 1 - 1/2" between leaf sets. Shooting out from where the leaves hug the stem, are tiny stems which hold the flowers. These flower stems are almost as thin as horsehair. The flowers are white, about 1/4" across, and each appears to have 10 petals. There are really only 5 though, because each petal is deeply divided. The sepals are longer than the petals. The stem is round, mostly green with a purplish blush sometimes. When you crush it, you can feel the crunchiness of it, but it isn't hollow. Sometimes the stems are a little hairy. The one I am looking at is not. They have a single row of tiny hairs. At each leaf axis, the hair will grow on a different side of the stem, like a spiral. After reaching a height of about 3", the stems grow along the ground, and can be several feet long.

A selection from Wild Foods for Every Table
by Ym-health of The Essential Herbal
Chickweed Stellaria mediaCaryophyllaceae
by Gail Faith Edwards

Chickweed, bright electric green with those pretty little white star shapedflowers, is one of my all time favorites of the wild edible herbs. Also known as stitchwort or starweed, chickweed is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, silicon, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, protein, sodium, copper, carotenes, and vitamins B and C! Frequent consumption of fresh chickweed helps strengthen all systems and rebuild vitality. Some people steam it, like spinach, but I prefer it raw. Chickweed is an excellent nourisher for those recovering from an illness or surgery, those dealing with AIDS or a wasting disease, the anemic and the elderly. Chickweed has great healing, cooling, drawing, and dissolving abilities. Try it when you want to bring a boil or pimple to a head, dry up herpes blisters, clean up an infected wound, or extract a splinter. Applied as a poultice, chickweed stops infection by weakening bacteria cell walls.

To use fresh chickweed as a poultice, simply apply the bruised leaves directly, covering the plant matter with a thin layer of gauze or a cabbage leaf. When the plant material gets warm, remove and discard it. Poultice again with fresh chickweed as necessary.

When stung by a bee one summer, my son's lower arm swelled to an alarming size and became very hot to the touch. We poulticed with fresh chickweed and within 20 minutes the swelling and heat were considerably diminished, and by morning, completely gone. Infused oil of chickweed helps heal minor skin irritations, diaper rash, fever blisters, and bug bites. Chickweed also has an excellent reputation for aiding those dealing with eye problems including infections, sties, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and tired, sore, inflamed, irritated eyes.

Chickweed tincture (25-40 drops, 4 times daily), dependably dissolves ovarian cysts and reduces swollen glands. Many American Indians used it as a remedy against cancer. Chickweed's ability to weaken bacteria, combined with its cooling and expectorant actions, makes an awesome ally for those dealing with bronchial problems, chest colds, pneumonia, or asthma. I cook fresh chickweed in boiling water and use a cup of this broth, or 20-40 drops of tincture, at least twice a day. Chickweed's alkalinizing properties benefit those with chronic infections of the bladder and urinary tract, including chronic cystitis. But it may take20-40 drops of tincture daily for at least three months to correct such problems.

Chickweed has been called nature's diet herb. It contains soapy-like substances called saponins which break down fat cells, sometimes with phenomenal results. Chickweed also nourishes and regulates thyroid function and balances the metabolism. Chickweed is a joint-oiler and an excellent choice for those dealing with arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. I find consistent use of the tincture, 20-30 drops three times daily, reduces pain and swelling, inflammation, and itching. Chickweed in the daily diet, eaten fresh by the handful or in salads, helps soothe and heal these conditions, as does the infusion, the tincture, and frequent poultices on the affected area.

You don't have to be ill to benefit from chickweed! Nutritive chickweed is a friend to the healthy that want to stay that way. Chickweed is an abundant weed in some gardens. Around our place, it likes shady damp areas with rich soil. You may find it growing in the pot with your houseplants! Chickweed has small, light green leaves and sprawling stems. It can be gathered anytime it is green and vibrant, before, during, or after the little, white, star-like flowers show. In the winter you can dig it up from under the snow! Chickweed is an annual, so it makes a lot of seeds -enough to feed the songbirds and self-seed readily.I gather fresh chickweed for salads and use only fresh chickweed for poultices, tinctures, vinegars, or infused oils. Dry chickweed has lost most of its medicinal value.

On being provincial, a short rant

Most days, I truly love this job. Being the editor of The Essential Herbal magazine is a pleasure and a joy. Every now and then, a day comes along that isn't quite as enjoyable. This has been one of those days.
The magazine, in conjunction with co-listmom Michele at Possum Creek Herb Farm has a great Yahoo group. Many of our subscribers have joined, as well as Michele's customers, along with some who are just herb enthusiasts and found us. It is mostly women, and we talk about everything under the sun. We both do 99% of our business in North America, so our members are mostly from North America. It is usually close to "on topic", but there's weather, kids, and all of the other things that make up our days, as well. The list helps me come up with some great articles, and it feels like a big group of friends.
Overnight, I was bombarded with requests to join from males on another continent. Not a single woman. Considering that just last week my credit card number had to be canceled due to its being hi-jacked somehow in that same continent, I was leery. It seemed prudent to put the newcomers on moderated status. Hah! That was not good enough. New links went up on the home page, and members who posted started getting private emails from these guys. Out they went, links and all. I posted a warning to the group.
Am I being narrow-minded and provincial? Maybe. Do I intend to do everything necessary to retain the friendly, trusting integrity of the group? Absolutely.
Because here's the thing: we aren't all that interested in quantity. We aren't all that interested in self-proclaimed experts coming to share their genius, thank you very much.
We ARE interested in making sure that our customers have a safe, secure place to chat without having to worry about spammers, scammers, and crooks.
So if I reacted harshly, those are the breaks.
Like I said, some days aren't as pleasant as others.

"Only with winter-patience can we bring the deep-desired, long awaited spring."
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Sorry for not posting enough, been busy over at the Backyard Herbalist ... link at the right--->>>

the power of herbs

"Above all others, the fragrances of green growing herbs, not gaudy or showy, but comfortable and homey, have the power to cast a spell over us so that we recall only the pleasant past, with all the sharp hard corners of grief and sadness softened."
-- Rosetta Clarkson

Sleezzard!!!!

This is a hum-dinger we're having right now. Yesterday was snow all day long. It was fine powder, and although dangerously slick to drive in, it was easily managed with a broom and shovel here at the house. But something eerie happened overnight, and I woke up several times to the sound of tiny ice pellets hurling themselves against the bedroom windows.
We are now firmly entrenched in what can only be called a "sleezzard". Sleet coming down in blizzard conditions. I can only imagine the quantity of snow we'd be having if this were fluffy and white instead of compact and hard.
The house is rapidly becoming encased in ice. All of the windows are now covered and caked with these ice balls, and I can only see outside through a couple of them. The temperature is supposed to dip sharply as the day progresses, so I think I'll need to find a pick axe to clear the doorway.
Maybe I spoke too quickly about the onion snow the other day. This isn't it either. Dang!

Update: I was able to get through the 2' ice drift that wedged against the front door, and dug the porch out. It has now changed to snow. I think Jack Nicholson walked by carrying an axe.

herbies in the digital age - part 2

In case you didn't notice I've added two garden blog finders to the blog(I don't really know what to call them - I registered my blog on their websites, like the 21st century way of putting a little "welcome to my garden" sign out by the mailbox.)

The owner of Iloveplants.com, Susan Myers, wrote a nice personal note on acceptance, showing me that there is someone there, a human being!, who actually looks at the blogs and notices the work. I'm registered there under Michigan gardens, in the company of some fine garden bloggers.
If you have a garden blog, follow the link and register yours, too!

Then, I registered on Stuart Robinson's Garden Tips and Ideas garden blog finder that has a nifty interactive map feature... By continent, you can click on an area and find links to garden bloggers.
So far, four other gardeners are blogging from Michigan on that site. Since I particularly enjoy bloggers who have four seasons to deal with, it is a great way to find them.

I have so much new reading to do! I encourage you, Go Visit, but come back, too.

What's cookin' at Torchsong's studio?

I want to post this picture of my sister's latest work. I am tremendously proud of the stuff she pulls out of the glass kiln, and so without further ado, these babies are approximately 1.5 - 2", and look fabulous as pendants:

Teaser for the Mar/Apr '07 issue of The Essential Herbal

It's about time to let the cat out of the bag for the upcoming issue. Here's the cover. Last year one of the women on the list posted a picture of herself in her gardening get-up. It was pretty cute, and she was covered from hat to boot.
We thought about that picture and about the snow that sometimes falls during these months, and this is what we came up with.

Table of Contents

Crossword Puzzle
Field Notes
Natural Easter Egg Dyes, Betsy May
Never Enough Thyme, Susanna Reppert
Spring Clean/Spring Cleanse, Kristine Brown
Kids Korner, Karen Hegre
Cooking with Lemon Balm, Sarah Liberta
Suburban Herbie, Geri Burgert
Plant some Fenugreek this Spring, Theresa Kavi
Tasty Tea Herbs, Susan Evans
Medicine and Beauty from the Sea, Gail Faith Edwards
Asthma/Chronic Bronchitis Treatment, Jeanne Rose
List Article, Salves & Balms
Winter with No Snow, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Elder, a Tree for All Reasons, Maureen Rogers
Lavender Cookies and Lavender Chicken, Myra Bonhage-Hale

I really like to wait until every single issue has been mailed to subscribers, shops, advertisers, and writers before posting the newest issue of The Essential Herbal. One of the test copies were delivered today, so that means everyone will see them in the next couple of weeks.
The cover is even more appropriate than we'd suspected, as (at least here) another storm is headed this way. I did feel bad addressing a copy to Australia, knowing that they are baking there right now.
By the way, this is a good time to get those ducks in a row and get your copy of Wild Foods for Every Table (available at the web site) so you'll be ready when the little greenies start popping their heads above the soil. The recipes inside have been submitted by some of the experts in the field, and lots of people who have been quietly foraging all their lives. You can dine freely (and we do mean freely) from the weeds growing all around you - and dine well! These aren't recipes for stack-o-weeds, folks. These are delicious soups, desserts, main dishes, and beverages. There are dips, appetizers, salads, and side dishes too. You won't regret it.

"the definition of herb"

So many definitions for herbs - we call them useful plants, but those uses cover the gamut. One aspect of herbs are their associations, as in the language of flowers or the symbolism of certain plants. Certain orchids can be considered herbs: there is the orchid source of vanilla bean pods (a culinary herb), and the orchids that scent perfume (fragrant herbs).



My orchid is an un-named Paph. A tropical lady's slipper type orchid. A nutty perfesser orchid collector crossed two plants with yard long names: Paphiopedilum oberhausens diament x P. rothschildianum 'Charlesbourg', and while he was off on a collecting expedition, his greenhouse sitter took us on a tour of his greenhouse.
Given to me as a tiny seedling that day, it has bloomed twice in two years, the first time with one stalk, currently with two. Not culinary or fragrant, it is an herb of remembrance... I look at it and remember the cold winter morning years ago when some gardening friends stepped together into a humid warm greenhouse and were simply amazed.

what can I say, winter is getting a tad l-o-n-g

My pal Janet, wintering away in Florida, sent an e-mail reply to a message I wrote for the Herb Society bulletin board, that she is allowing me to share with you all. It might help to take our minds off the troubles of the world.**

" I see it has been very COLD there but I know you have already planted a hundred gardens in your dreams. This time of year my Dad had a stack of garden books 2ft. high next to his favorite chair and he read every one from cover to cover ( Wayside gardens was one of his favorites- is it still in operation?) He had all the new tomato seeds ordered and would start them in flats on the back porch. Wish I was half the gardener he was.
We are enjoying our winter here, It has been cooler than usual but today it was 70 so we aren't complaining.
Tell all the gals Hi for me - see you when the grass turns green.
Your friend, Janet"

Now, folks, Janet is a wonderful artistic gardener - her plants like her and grow so well for her!
Green grass, ah, the memories. I miss the smell of green grass. There's just no way to capture the greenie-ness it.
I could use sure some 70 degree sunshine about now. Yes, Wayside is still the wish book around here - what luscious photos. The lovely deep saturated purple roses on the cover makes me sigh but then turn the page and you have a two page spread of the most perfect huge happy colorful Echinacea, that just bring a joyful heart to look at them.
Wayside's catalogue has me at hello as they say.

Gardening in Michigan in February demands a heated spot for a comfy chair with a good light and a small cleared place to set the teacup or coffee mug, room for notebooks and plans, and piles and stacks of books and catalogues.
The best thing about winter dream gardens is the weeding is so easy on my back and the bugs are only good ones, like butterflies and fireflies.

**The Wayside and all the other garden catalogues come free and unsummoned in the mail, small mizpahs from the world of the living to our frozen landscapes, you could say... the Nation magazine you see on the table comes by subscription, we invite contrition and dream redemption. I will say no more.

Plants and Seeds - where, oh where?

I know I'm a big old whiner. It was only a couple of weeks ago I was longing for the winter to get here, but now I'm ready for spring. Enough cold, time for gardens!
Plants are easy for me to get! Michele at Possum Creek has great plants, and Kathy of Cloverleaf Herb Farm is right over the hill. Besides that, Landis Valley Herb Faire is just a few days before our "safe to plant" date here - May 15.
Seeds, on the other hand, are something I'm just now having the space to work with. Before, it seemed better to just buy 2 or 3 plants of the ones I've wanted. Lavender, rosemary, and basil will stay that way, along with some of the more unusual ones, but now I can have ROWS of great veggies for the table, and fragrant herbs for the still.
So a couple of weeks ago, I asked the list for some recommendations of their favorite sources for seeds. They supplied lots! Here they are:

Rare Seeds
Thyme Garden
Seeds of Change
Richter's
Pine Tree Garden
Nichols Garden Nursery
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Horizon Herbs
Seed Savers Exchange

I'll be ordering catalogs today. Hope it isn't too late to get the varieties I'll want.

Winter is the time for careful Forethinking

"The chief beauty of the kitchen garden, as well as the reason for its existence, is its utility. Not an ugly utility, let me hasten to say now, at the very outset, but rather the beautiful and homely usefulness which calls to mind the fine, sturdy virtues of thrift and honesty and careful forethought."
--Dorothy Giles, "The Little Kitchen Garden"

The doldrums of winter

Around here at The Essential Herbal, we usually think of February and March as "the dead" of winter. In the past, that has been the case. The Mar/Apr issue is all but out the door, and there isn't a festival or plant sale for months. So that would normally mean lots of reading, cleaning the house, and winter snoozes. This year that doesn't seem to be happening.
It started out several months ago, when Sarah Liberta asked if we'd come down and do an herb program in Baton Rouge in the beginning of May. I've been promising Sarah for (literally) years, so decided this was the year. It should be lots of fun, and I'll post more details as the time approaches.
Then of course we wound up taking part in the Farm Show. That seriously cut into our down time, right from the git go.
Little by little, the calendar is starting to fill up.
There's a wholesale presentation on the 11th.
A one-day trip to NYC on the 15th.
On the 21st, we're going to try a daytime class - incense making - at Radiance (717-290-1517 to register) at 1 pm. I've never done one in the daytime, so it should be interesting. There are already some sign ups, so if you're in the area, it is $12 and you'll get to take home some cones that you've made yourself from powders of wood, resin, and botanicals.
March looks deceptively empty, but I know that is the month that wholesale orders start to pelt my sister's soap business. We'll be up to our elbows with shrinkwrap, packing materials, and boxes.
Right now it seems that everyone on the Yahoo list is reading (or re-reading) the Outlander series. I've just begun the first book, but everytime I settle in to read my eyes fall shut.
Last week we were yakking about chickweed. It made me remember the 8 ounces of tincture I made up last year, and since I've gotten seriously involved in getting in shape for the coming gardening season. So, that's part of the plan. Let's see if it helps, shall we?

Echinacea photos

(You should be able to see a bigger picture if you click on the individual photos. To return to the blog, click your back button. I'm sure there are a few more coneflower photos in my files, it just will take time to find and post them. Another hint: If you want to see all of the posts concerning a particular subject, click the tag list on the right. It will bring up all the humor posts, for instance.)


2001 - A good herbie photo... yarrow and silver king with coneflowers. Ahhh, summer!


2002 - Self sown coneflowers, in the gravel path in my herb garden. I hate to pull the seedlings, they are so spunky!


2006 - Purple Coneflower blooming with Shasta Daisies


Echinacea p.'White Swan' blooming in the shade. The hostas are tattered by slugs. I hate slugs... but I do have fireflies.

Bonnie's Purple Coneflower

Bonnie sent me this today, and it reminded me to post some of my own Echinacea photos. I'm slow. I'll get to it.
Note for Herb society gals, I also added it to the Echinacea Herb Study photo album in the Yahoo Group.

Herbal Puzzles With Words

In each issue of The Essential Herbal magazine, we put together an herbal crossword puzzle. Occasionally we slip in a Word Scramble, or a Word Search, but usually it is a crossword. The herbal word puzzles are usually linked to the season, or like the one below, may be specific to a particular interest. We like to think that there are groups out there using them in their herb meetings, bus trips, and including them in various hand-outs (with proper credit given, of course). The layout of this blog doesn't allow for the size needed for a crossword, so a Word Scramble will be offered. If you're looking for something like this for your herb gathering, email me. You must give credit to The Essential Herbal magazine, but otherwise, it is free to use.

Herbal Word Scramble (Wild Edibles Foraging)

1. LROEM.............................................. _ _ _ _ _
2. AEUNLSPR................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. DWLI OERS.................................. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4. RRSETWSCEA........................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5. LSMBA TRQRUAES ............ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6. EELLU BNGBOIS ................. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7. MSARP.............................................. _ _ _ _ _
8. RAASFSSAS............................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. ALSISYF ....................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. ICBRH .............................................. _ _ _ _ _
11. TITACSLA................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. CBLAK NLWASTU................ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13. ANECILGA................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
14. IRNTWFGDCALI.................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
15. WEDSEEA....................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _
16. DFLIE IUEDG............................ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
17. BLEEYRERRD............................ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
18. RCOLEV........................................... _ _ _ _ _ _
19. BCLYAKERRB........................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
20. EPPALAYM................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
21. EIKEHDCWC................................ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
22. EPAML ............................................... _ _ _ _ _
23. DFDDLEHIEA............................. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
24. YRBRLEMU.................................... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
25. RUBEDD............................................ _ _ _ _ _ _

from The Essential Herbal magazine, www.ym-health.blogspot.com
1354 N. Strickler Rd. Manheim, PA 17545

The answers will be posted in the comments section.

Last night we got about an inch of snow. Since a cold front was headed in (and seems to have arrived), I'm hoping it is enough to give the plants outside a little bit of insulation. I remember as a child, being perplexed about citrus growers spraying water over developing fruit to protect them from a cold snap - until someone explained that it kept them at 32 degrees, protecting them somewhat from colder temperatures in the short term.
When I woke up in the silent house this morning, it suddenly dawned on me that the snow changed the way the house feels. There is a different smell. Fresh, clean, and crisp. Is that possible? I've always known the smell of rain, but is it possible that there is a smell of snow? It made me think back to other times when there was a LOT of snow. Yes! I think there is a scent to snow. Not just wet clothes and hot chocolate, not the smell of fear-of-driving-in-that-stuff, but a real, pure scent. The quality of light is different too. Walking through the dining room at dawn, the light filtered in through the windows and if I hadn't already known it had snowed, I think just the difference in the light would have told me.
It was good to have a bit of winter. Molly and I had to go somewhere while it was snowing last evening, and we joked about this being the "onion snow". The onion snow is the last bit of snow for a season that signals when it is time to put in the onion sets. We were only half kidding. The groundhog said winter is over.

"Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January, begins with the dream."
-- The Country Garden, by Josephine Nuese, 1970