Eat Your Roses, Please!

My gardening friend and "Mrs. Know It All" from the Organic Gardeners radio program on KDKA 1020 on Sunday mornings, Denise Schreiber has just written a new book called Eat Your Roses...Pansies, Lavender and 49 other Delicious Edible Flowers.  Denise got me thinking about edible flowers way back in the early 2000's when she started her Edible Flowers Fest at the Buffalo Inn in South Park.  The first one was free and I think there were more than 200 people there.  It was the first time I spoke in front of that many people!  Now this year will be the 11th Edible Flowers Fest and it is $20.  If you are in the Pittsburgh area and haven't been, now is the time to go.  It will be held on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 7:15 PM.  Denise goes all out with the food and it is always a delicious event.  Nancy Knauss from the Allegheny County extension office will demonstrate how to make an edible flower container.  You can check out the menu from far away by clicking the link above.  Looks good again this year, Denise.  The book has lots of good information and delicious recipes, but also makes you aware that there are inedible flowers and you have to be careful.  It is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders.  So check it out!

My roses are just glorious at the moment.  One rainstorm could end it, but for now they are blooming their buds off!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.  More Canada photos soon!

Summer in Galiliee - Juliette de Bairacli Levy

Spend a Week at the Sea of Galilee with the Grandmother of Herbal Medicine

I want to share with you a wonderful book by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, the Grandmother of Herbal Medicine - Summer in Galilee. You'll find Juliette and her two toddlers irresistible as they explore the Sea of Galilee (in the modern State of Israel) together. Summer in Galilee includes an herbal index by Susun Weed, photos from Juliette's archives, and stories that will stay with you forever. Timely, filled with historical tales and emotional adventures, Summer in Galilee is a classic that is passed from hand to hand, generation to generation.

And when you buy this wonderful and highly acclaimed book on Tuesday June 7th, you'll will receive dozens of wonderful downloadable bonuses that you'll love! Go to: www.grandmotherherbalmedicine.com learn about 70 partners who are celebrating the life and work of the amazing Juliette de Bairacli Levy, the grandmother of herbal medicine.

Join Juliette as she spends an eventful summer swimming in the waters, and the history, of the Sea of Galilee, in the modern state of Israel. Juliette trains her observant eyes, and lovely descriptive prose, on the people, places, plants and animals around her.

You will hold your breath as Juliette dares to traverse the forbidden militarized zone around the Jordan River in pursuit of a personal communion with this holiest of lands.

You'll thrill as she and her children discover ancient treasure, be fascinated as she visits the tombs of Jewish mystics, and, perhaps, scream in terror as she is visited in the dark of night by an enormous snake - only to breathe a sigh of relief when she is saved by her faithful Afghan hound.

Juliette vividly describes her visit to a Bedouin village, and the trouble this causes, both in the kibbutz where she lives and among the Bedouins. But with keen wit, steely nerve, and kind heart, she manages to please everyone, including her readers, as she saves the day and mends frayed tempers.

And when you buy this wonderful and highly acclaimed book, you'll be offered dozens of wonderful downloadable bonuses that you'll love! For over 70 gifts, go to: www.grandmotherherbalmedicine.com and help us spread the legacy of this amazing woman, the grandmother of herbal medicine, Juliette de Bariacli Levy.

No Words To Describe It! Maybe Photos Will Do!

I will say if you have a bucket list and a float plane ride is not on it, you need to change your mind!  It was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had.  They can only fly if it is a beautiful day and this was one gorgeous one!  The last photo shows the welcoming committee up at Whistler.  To think we might not have gone on this flight even with the gorgeous weather.  They called two days before we left for Vancouver and said that they had a group of 38 people sign up for a flight to Whistler.  So even though we had a "reservation", we were on the outside looking in!  So I put The Herbal Husband on the line and the police dog bit down and didn't let up.  We didn't find out until we got to Vancouver that we were going!  All is forgiven because it was a fantastic way to go to Whistler.  We took the train back and had afternoon tea.  I'll share that with you next time.

We have finally gotten rain for the garden, but it is going to be hot and humid the next couple of days.  Thought the rue might not come back, but it is beautiful.  Hope you are enjoying your day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

cherry berry impossible pie

Oh... this was one of my favorite concoctions so far!Prep time 10 minutes.
At our house, as the fruits become available, everyone brings them home. I'll come home from market with melon and strawberries, Molly will show up with cherries and blueberries, and then my sister will see a great deal on cherries and pick some up for me. Before you know it, we're in a glut, and worrying about using them up or preserving them. If you've been reading over past summers, you'll know that I am not a typical baker. There is rarely everything we need. We don't bake much. I just bought sugar after not having a bit in the house for months because we started doing kombucha again.
So yesterday I had a bunch of sweet cherries and 2 pints of blueberries threatening to turn.
In this area, we often see custard pies with berries floating in the creamy ivory filling. That was the vision dancing in my head. I went the Bisquick Impossible Pie route, using the recipe for coconut pie (without the coconut) and adding from there.

Cherry Berry Impossible Pie

Set oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" pie plate.

3/4 C sugar
1/2 C Bisquick
1/4 C softened butter
1 1/2 C milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla

And here is where I started getting creative.
I threw in 1 cup of halved sweet cherries, 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, and 1 cup blueberries.
1/4 cup sliver almonds
the zest of one orange
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 t grated crystallized ginger

The only thing I might have added would have been more almonds - maybe almond meal. My sister doesn't like the texture of custard (?!?) and suggested some oatmeal, but that would ruin it for me.

Bake 55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Delicious hot and/or cold.

Mini Rant of a Quiet Morning ...

If you publish a blog, you know that there are people who spend a good deal of time and energy posting comments that include links to their businesses - aka spam. In order that these are more often allowed, they try to come up with comments that will be agreeable, appear to cheer for your content, and also seem as if they might have actually read the content.
The other day I got a comment, and have been savoring it in its very perfection of spamminess.
It said simply:
"This is absolutely true that herbal products are affective (sic) for us. They are safe, no side effects and work effectively. "
Oh my my. Really, Mr. or Ms. anti-aging website that probably involves some magical (and affective !) weight loss and/or penile growth serums???? Really? Have you thought that one through all the way?
Back in our days as herb shop owners (and I'm certain that current brick and mortar owners will be nodding emphatically along with me here...), this was probably one of our most frequent conversations.
It seemed most common in the fresh-faced herb newbies. "Herbs are safe!" they say, "and they can't hurt you!" At the same time, they are thrilled with how effective they are for things that allopathic meds haven't fixed and they are miracles, and they can save the world AT LEAST!
The problem is that you really can't have it both ways. You just can't say that something is completely safe and harmless while it is effective and attacks disease. Is it safER? I think so. But not with that kind of attitude, it isn't. Are there times when it is flat-out stupid to use herbs instead of allopathic medicine? *I* believe so. Not everyone agrees, and that's entirely up to them. In my opinion, examples like compound fractures, abscessed teeth, acute kidney failure are just a few that should make it clear that there are good reasons for hospitals. Very few herbalists have nearly enough education to work on serious disease, and it frightens me to see people who read a book, take a distance course, and set up to practice.
One of the easiest examples of safe, harmless, natural and deadly refers to a radio contest that required the contestants to drink large quantities of water. A woman died from water intoxication in the contest.
There are lots of natural substances that we do not want to use in or on our bodies. As the editor and publisher of The Essential Herbal magazine, I advocate education, moderation and the blending of medical models - the best of all worlds.

From the Beginning-Vancouver 2011

Somehow in downloading or uploading or whichever loading it may be, my pictures got all messed up!  Soo I need to get my journal out and refresh my memory!  This is the bed & breakfast called La Villa Antoine B & B we stayed in right down the street from The Herbal Husband's nephew and family.  It is an enormous craftsman style house.  We stayed in two different rooms because we took a little side trip and rented a car and went down to Victoria on Vancouver Island and into Washington state off of Bainbridge Island to see my cousin and his wife.  We were busy, but were able to relax here.  It was like being at home.  Within walking distance of a lot of great shops and restaurants, it was very nice and with a great breakfast.

Including a shop called Thomas Hobbs who is a famous Canadian garden designer and if I had realized that we could have visited his nursery called Southlands.  Not enough hours in the day especially when The Herbal Husband is planning them.

The Florist shop was next to the design shop and looked like it had been a bank in its former life.  Well, he must be very good because he was selling basil plants although it wasn't warm enough yet to have the basil go in the ground in Vancouver.

We tried to walk to VanDusen Garden which I told you about the other day, but we came up just short and went back to the room to get ready to go to tea.  We had to have a small mid-morning break at Cobs Bread with a cheese and chive scone!  Oink! There's that bite out before I could take the photo!

We went for lunch at the The Secret Garden Tea Company in the neighborhood.  The Herbal Husband had lunch and I had the demi high tea.

The Herbal Husband's lunch, a spinach, bacon, red pepper and pimento cheese quiche with a small tossed salad with vinaigrette and a sweet apple scone for dessert!  Always has to have his clotted cream!

My demi high tea consisted of a chicken salad and cole slaw bite and a salami and roasted red pepper mini croissant and a mini sweet apple scone with clotted cream and jam.  Dessert was a lemon tart (YUM) and the pink triangle was a coconut surprise (YUM, YUM) and the other was a piece of The Herbal Husband's scone!  Thanks for sharing dear!  If you are in the neighborhood make reservations for high tea.  I think you will enjoy it.  Well, this was just the first day.  I jumped ahead and now in my next post I'll show you our float plane ride to Whistler mountain.  Hope you are having a great day.  We are off to see the new Pirates movie and dinner at Red Robin. Yum!  Talk to you later.

It Was Just A Beautiful Day in the Garden and A Couple of Yippee Moments!

One thing about being away is that some usual herbal projects like making chive blossom vinegar have gone by the wayside this season!  The blossoms get so heavy that as you can see they make the plant collapse.  Once you clip off the blossoms, you can help it get its shape back.  If your chive plants look like the one above, clip off those blossoms, you may get a repeat bloom.

I worked on getting beds trimmed and weeded.  I also had to clip the Virginia creeper off the fence in the front garden.  It was choking out my apothecary rose that has started to rose as The Herbal Husband likes to say.

This was some of the vine that I pulled off the rose bush. 


This was the view I was looking for.  My 'Alba' rugosa rose in the center of the photo and blooming.  Yippee!  My other yippee moment was that my horseradish jelly gelled!  A double yippee!  I decided to check it last night after waiting for the technician to arrive to reset our internet and phone.  It had set up!  What a relief!  So you can use the horseradish jelly recipe I gave you earlier with confidence that it will set up.  The recipe makes 8 8 oz. jars exactly.  I made 6 8 oz. jars (not 7 as it said in the recipe) and 4 4 oz. jars for people to sample a smaller size.  We are going to have a great stretch of weather so hopefully I will be able to get caught up with my trimming and weeding.  Hope you have had a great day.  We certainly did here.  Talk to you later.  More adventures from Vancouver to come.  Have a great weekend.

Was Hoping To Do A Longer Post!

Just for your entertainment!  We were without the internet and our land line phone today!  It was really quiet except for The Herbal Husband's cursing in Spanish.  Remember I know all of those bad words!  Just when we were about to cut our service (Wasn't it already cut?), the technician showed up to repair us.  He didn't want to come in because of the Keep Out sign!  All he had to get in contact with us was our home phone!  All it was was a little reset!  Yikes!  OK, enough about the problems here.  All is back to normal or as normal as it gets around here!  After we got back from vacation I found Kitty under the car trying to keep cool.  Fortunately, it has cooled down around here.  Hope you had a good day.   I'll be back blogging about our fabulous vacation tomorrow or the next day.  It's Friday already!  Time is flying.  Talk to you later.

Spiraled lavender wands

Back in 2007, I posted this illustrated tutorial on making lavender wands:
http://ym-health.blogspot.com/2007/06/making-lavender-wands.html

and since that time, there are many others on-line.
But a few years ago I posted this picture with the wands we were doing at the time....
My nephew was working with us on the wands then, and quickly grew bored. Being a math/computer guy, he came up with a few designs (one of which was 2-color with the spirals going in different directions!) that were fun and easy for us to follow.
Since then, I tried to get him to put together a little booklet of designs, but the silly boy keeps putting things like academic degrees first. Pfffftttt....
So today when I got another request for instructions, I decided to just go ahead and put them out there to share....
From my nephew, H. Rob Schwartz:
"Sure, the trick's pretty simple.
"Over 2, under 3" makes for a nice pattern, but any over/under-type combination is fine so long as the total number of stems in a step is equal to 5 (so 2 + 3 = 5). So "over 1, under 1, over 1, under 2" would also work (since 1+1+1+2 = 5), but it might look a little busy.
The number of stems must be plus or minus 1 from a multiple of 5. For example, 24 and 26 are OK, but 25 isn't. 29 and 31 are OK, but 30 isn't, etc. If the number of stems *were* a multiple of five, the rows wouldn't spiral around the columns, since there's no offset. Each column in every row would be the same. Using an offset of 2 instead of 1 (so 23 or 27 instead of 24 or 26) should also work, but might make for tighter spirals.

To sum up:
--> Pattern: Over 2, under 3.
--> # of stems: (multiple of 5) plus or minus 1.

Good luck!"

One of the Rainest Days on Vacation and Blooms in the Herb Garden

When we arrived in Vancouver this was a wall of plants was on the parking garage at the airport.  I think it is pretty cool.  This is VanDusen Botanical Garden below.  My herbal companion, Bonnie and I went with Country Living Gardener magazine (The magazine is gone but not forgotten!) on a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest in 1999.  We were both sick.  I had infected ears and a sinus infection and Bonnie got sick at the end of the trip with bronchitis.  We were a pair!  This time VanDusen was hosting a classic British car meet.  Not into cars, just the gardens.

This is a bit of VanDusen history from the website.  In 1910, this site was an isolated acreage of stumps and bush. It was owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway and was leased by the Shaughnessy Golf Club from 1911 until 1960 when the golf club moved to a new location. The railway proposed a subdivision, but was opposed by many citizens. In 1966, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association was formed to assist the Vancouver Park Board with saving the site. This effort was successful and the land was purchased with shared funding from the City of Vancouver, the Government of British Columbia and the Vancouver Foundation with a donation by W. J. VanDusen, after whom the Garden was named.  Development started in 1971 and VanDusen Botanical Garden officially opened to the public on August 30, 1975.

The spring bulbs were in full bloom here.  Such beautiful displays. 

Lots of beautiful blooming trees and shrubs.

A maze for young and old alike.

Of course, the favorite part for The Herbal Husband was the food.  Here is a Smokie, a very good lightly smoked sausage or hot dog, but more like a sausage.  Remembered to take a photo after that first bite was gone.  You will see a lot of those kinds of photos.  I overindulged in food on this trip.  Working on getting it off.

A pond with a Japanese influence.

This sign post is actually a garden rake for a big garden!  Just thought it was a great way to advertise that a garden was near.  My post for my Herb Companion blog will be the herb garden of VanDusen.  So stay tuned.

Here are some blooms we both missed in our garden. 

This is a rhodie in our garden that was shaded out by the burning bush that had taken over the space.  It can now grow and bloom without problems. 

A favorite edible flower, dianthus.  They sometimes last for several years and sometimes only one.  I just am happy when they survive for several years in a row.

Another pink dianthus called 'Tiny Rubies'.  Ideal for a container.  Getting carried away.  Will save some other bloomers for another post.  Still very hot here.  Hoping for a break tomorrow. Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.