Preparing for Perennials

The perennial sale at Swansons officially began yesterday. Today several of the kid's parents and I  cleared out a bed of arugula, strawberry and other weeds that are severely dehydrated by Seattle's summer. Also this space has been untouched for over a year and the soil really needs work. There are an infinite number of suckers from the alder tree planted there. I'm working on a small budget for the Advisory Council about replacing that space with native flowering perennials. Then again perhaps all that can go there right now is a cover crop mix.

In my inbox today Swansons sent a notice about their perennial sale and specifically listed good plants to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and for creating bouquets. This past May Day we did an activity of creating bouquets but the flower variety available around the community center was pretty pathetic. This upcoming Spring is gonna be way better.

Here's the list! (I've narrowed down to the plants native, medicinal or presently established to North America) *I'm going to see about planting some of these in our house here in the U District.

ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS

             Beebalm  Monarda spp. and cultivars
             Bleeding Heart  Dicentra spp. and cultivars
             Butterfly Weed  Asclepias tuberosa
             Coral Bells  Heuchera spp. and cultivars
             Sage Salvia spp.

ATTRACTING BUTTERFLIES

             Bee Balm  Monarda spp. and cultivars
             Black Eyed Susan  Rudbeckia spp. and cultivars
            Border Sages  Salvia spp. and cultivars
             Coneflower  Echinacea spp. and cultivars
             Garden Sage  Salvia x superba cultivars
            Lavender  Lavandula angustifolia, L. x intermedia, L. stoechas
             Ornamental Onion  Allium spp. and cultivars
             Tree Mallow  Lavatera spp. and cultivars
             Verbena  Verbena spp. and cultivars
             Yarrow  Achillea spp. and cultivars

CUTTING GARDEN
       
             Black Eyed Susan  Rudbeckia spp. and cultivars
             Blanket Flower Gaillardia grandiflora
             Bleeding HeartDicentra spp. and cultivars
             Coneflower  Echinacea spp. and cultivars
             Goldenrod   Solidago spp.
             Lavender  Lavandula angustifolia, L. x intermedia, L. stoechas
             Monkshood  Aconitumspp.
             Oregano  Origanum spp.
             Sage  Salvia spp.
            Yarrow  Achillea spp. and cultivars

So many choices, I will have to find a way to narrow down even further. Budgeting won't be easy.

Insect First Aid

It's not the height of insect season yet but I might as well start preparing. Previously I have relied on the powers of mind to not be bugged by bugs. But since I recently posted a link to "Creating Your Own Herbal First Aid Kit" on facebook, I was introduced to the idea of "natural insect repellant". I am now very curious about homemade insect repellants I can make now for this summer. Here are at least three resources:

How to repel mosquitos - the best thing about this article is that it recommends growing herbs: rosemary, marigolds, citronella, Horse Mint, basil, lemongrass, catnip, garlic, tansies, and Mosquito Plant (mmm garlic)

Methods for in home and on body - the general recommendation here is to keep clean and grow herbs! It also recommends steeping mint, rosemary, or basil for a spray

The Ecologist published an article on this topic! - this article is more concerned with preventing pests in the garden but anyway, echoes the idea of growing herbs: sage, peppermint, tansy, catnip and pennyroyal

The obvious next step for me will be to make a spray, relying on essential oils. There are some recipes posted here: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/natural-insect-repellents-460608#fbIndex1 I do wonder how fresh the herb or spray needs to be? Or I can make soap, with herbs like lemon balm (citronella), pennyroyal, lavender, and rose geranium. In addition I should do my best to remember to consume apple cider vinegar, garlic, and Vitamin B1.

Thyme for Clear Skin

The Thyme plant in the garden has really spread in the last two weeks. I'm curious to see if this will continue. At the same time I think it's asking for some attention, so I'm harvesting quite a bit to dry, for fresh sprigs for cooking, and for medicinal use. Another thing I'm researching right now is natural, organic skin care. Since skin is the largest organ of the body, and is most important for releasing toxins, if I am dealing with inflammations then I must turn my attention to what is getting in the way of thorough, constant detox. As I write this post I am wearing a French green clay mask! LOL.

Do you drink water, regularly clean yourself, eat fresh food, avoid drugs and processed foods, exercise? You're probably good. Me personally, I like to drink coffee. And although I bike most everywhere, I could sweat more (as the Bastyr doctor put it, "you have to actually sweat"). Internally, the right foods and herbs will aid your liver and kidneys - key for processing toxins. Externally, the right cleaning and herbs will aid your skin. I like all the information about various home remedies.

*Astringent and antispetic plant medicines.* Astringents cause tissue to constrict, so will close skin pores off from external irritants, and internally, will tone organ tissues. Cold water is the most classic astingent! Also oatmeal, yarrow and witch hazel. Antiseptics are antimicrobial and antibacterial, so fight against germs hanging out on the skin or in the body. Although the body produces it's own antiseptics (like gastic acids in the stomach) it's worthwhile to get help from plants. Dill, lavender, oregano, eucalyptus and thyme are all known for their antiseptic properties. If you pay attention to herbal skin products in stores you have seen these plant ingredients at the forefront. I am making a salve of oatmeal, witch hazel and lavender today.

In Medieval Europe Thyme was used to treat epilepsy and depression. Not only is thyme a strong antiseptic, but also an antispasmodic - so good for coughs and releasing phlegm. It's essential oil "Thymol" is antifungal. I wonder how to produce essential oils? I do not have the capacity right now but that would be so interesting to learn. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oils Here is a resource about other things to do with thyme: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhealthinformation/a/thymehealth.htm Lotions, mouthwash, toothpaste, insect repellant. Now I just have to find the time...

"Bottom's Up"

OK this is kind of gross but true. Straw poll: Have you ever had a hemmoroid?  Swollen blood vessels that cause bloody stool or painful bowel movements ("bm")? I think I first learned about those from my grandma, who openly talks about gross body things like this.

First of all you may avoid getting them in the first place. Don't be lazy - don't sit on your toilet. Instead, consider the more traditional way to have a bm, which is to squat over a hole, building those quadriceps. Common for Japanese, Turkish and backpacker cultures. In terms of happy digestion, eat your fiber (whole, unprocessed vegetables and fruits), in addition to fiber supplements like psyllium husk or ground flax. Remember to consume bioflavinoids (Vitamin P), which help maintain blood vessel integrity (the pigments of fruits and veggies, abundant in foods such as bell peppers, citrus, and berries).

But if you get one (oh well) you may do some damage control. Pay closer attention to your consumption and digestion. You may purchase or make your own balm that is both healing and cooling. The herbs calendula and witch hazel are good for this purpose. These same herbs may also be used for an herbal bath. Calendula stops bleeding and heals open wounds (which I have mentioned in a couple other posts). Witch Hazel is an astringent and antioxidant, so is valuable for skin care. Both of these herbs have earned widespread pharmacological approval, and tons of products can be found in stores.

Still it is more fun to make your own medicine. I am making a balm of calendula, lavender and witch hazel sometime this weekend. Good for skin in general, not just hemmorroids.

Salves on Sunday

Too sick to go to the April Barter at Seattle Farm Co-op. It would be rude of me to show up with healing herbal teas while emitting cold germs. Kind of funny too, but I'm not going to do it. The clouds broke around noon today. Instead I am making a couple kinds of salves - 1) motherwort / lavender, 2) calendula. I just emptied a handful of baby jars that I was storing old herbal supplements in to store the salves. For some reason that just seems like the perfect little container.

The process involves steeping oil, beeswax and the herb, then pouring that mixture into containers. Really simple. But is it worth it? <By the way when I googled "do salves work?" it brought up a bunch of information regarding slavery. Something I've never actually researched on the internet, although I should have by now> Herbal salves are useful for cold sores, dry skin, bee stings, etc. Depending on the herb base they may be produced for topical application for various internal complaints, like muscle soreness. They are basically the same thing as a balm - and who doesn't carry lip balm around with them?

There is a really interesting article about the use of herbal salves to heal skin cancer in the 19th century here. Called "Black Salve", a paste of bloodroot, zinc chloride, flour, and water applied to tumors was said to destroy them within 2-4 weeks. This process is actually the application of an "eschar" that removes dead skin cells, so is different than the affect I'm going for.

When I give these to friends I will tell them it's natural skin care that's safe and gentle - because they aren't made with petroleum or other harmful chemicals. The power is in the herb. Calendula is widely accepted within complementary medicine as useful for healing wounds. It contains antioxidants and reduces inflammation, nourishing burns, bruises and cuts. There are no known side affects! Motherwort and Lavender are both relaxant/sedatives. All of these plants can be grown here!

A Snowy Planday

The beds have officially received this season's first snow - they were frost covered when I went outside this morning, with garlic peeking up. I decided to walk to Swansons to see what they are selling today, and to ask the managers if they ever donate plants (for the community garden). Sunday is never a good day to seek out managers. There was very little activity at the nursery today. After I left and walked down 15th I saw there is a store called Herbal Healing near 80th, then further down, some Garden Collective I must find out more about, and on the way to the library (on 58th) what looks like a community garden in an old house lot. There's a big sign that says SLUG. I got to chat with no one about these sweet finds because Sunday is not a good day to chat. I'll have this upcoming week for that.

At Swansons right now there are many native plants hardy below 0 degrees. So when I see snow on the beds I am reminded I could, indeed be gardening right now. I could pick up some plants and care for them in their pots until the right time to transplant. Such as the Gemo St Johns Wort now 75% off in the nursery's very back corner. As a curious consumer, I'm wondering what they do with the plants that don't sell beside tossing them to the back and out of sight. Plenty of herbs like rosemary, bay and lavender have been shelved, while mixed herb pots (Henry's Herbs) are being promoted. So what's going on with all the shelved plants? Can we donate them to the community center? Is it better to keep them shelved overwinter in the nursery or to fare them to the outdoors with some prayer?

I would love to take the numerous neglected St Johns Wort (the photo is not mine. Still don't have a camera) plants off their hands to nurture and harvest. What a useful plant that could be for loved ones. The herb is considered an effective antidepressent, and I know many people who would benefit from taking this plant if they are open. I drink a blend of St John's Wort with other relaxants as a winter tea to ride the cold. You can't go wrong with yellow flowers.