Welp I right out stumped the online support with regards to my zap-nonzap and they say I need further help 😂 I don't know if all this is due to my own ignorance (99.99% likely) or if there's something else. Maybe it's just God saying, "NOPE for you!" Anyhow, isn't this honeysuckle gorgeous? Did you know honeysuckle is helpful for those summer colds? Dehydrate some of them and save for an infusion when needed. If you can get your hands on some Chinese crysanthemum to grow (try Strictly Medicinal) you'd have a good traditional blend.
The harvest is on, blanching/freezing a large batch of purple sprouting broccoli. I'm behind, especially with the herbs 😫. I need a room sized dehydrator this time of year! Just learned that half the internet isn't human anymore. I think my world is going to shrink even more now, and that's ok by me. What do you think? image
Cleavers are growing around here. They're edible, high in vitamin C and silica; I like them chopped and added to soups. The leaves are also useful for the lymphatic system. Out in the field, it's useful for sunburns or fresh wounds--just don't use too hot of water to infuse them into before making a compress and of course if you're dealing with a burn, let the infusion cool down (a lot!) first. Second pick are greens picked both from the garden and the field. I thank God for all the food growing all around me!
Got comfrey? One of the many medicinal and nutritive plants to be grown on the homestead used both for leaf and root. It's true that comfrey contains varying amounts of PA's (the root more so) and thus might seriously harm some folks with liver damage (especially with long term use), but skeptical herbalists disagree about tossing out hundreds of years of effective, traditional use. I suggest doing your own study and/or working with a clinical herbalist before using any herb internally. Comfrey is one of many on the regulatory agencies list to be cautious with. For more info, search Paul Bergner for his take on the comfrey controversy. Do you use comfrey in any way? image
I'm so thankful for the home garden. Lots to eat already, and more on the way, Lord willing (please keep the deer away). I'm hoping this will be the year to put in a drip, although spending time in nature with a watering wand isn't a bad use of time. This year I'll be experimenting with letting my favorite salad greens go to seed to save them. I've never done that. But once upon a time, I'd never kept a garden, either.
Thanks to @Dikaios1517 it looks like I am zappable again (anyone care to test that?) 😊 Still working on being able TO zap. Not that I have a lot to worry about. I mean, I just accidentally gave Alby half of what I owned 🙄 But I'm here trying to learn. And that counts, yes? Meanwhile, here are some walking Egyptian onions. This is year two. First of all, green onions forever more. The small bulblet onions set on top, which you can totally eat of course, but once they are heavy enough will brings the stalks to the ground where they will root and grow another plant, thus "walking". You could also divide the plant and grow them elsewhere in your garden. Another great plant for your perennial garden! image