(Please remember - this author is not suggesting any type of herbal or alternative medicines. Consult a doctor or healthcare provider before using any type of herbal or alternative medicine.)
bdr
Ever wonder why the Bluegrass was so cold this past weekend? If you are an older gardener, or remember your grandparents gardening, then you know we are having a "Blackberry Winter." Old gardening lore tells us that when the Blackberries start blooming in May, we will usually have a snap of cold weather, and this is certainly true of this past weekend. Blackberries, or Rubus species, are blooming all over Kentucky, blanketing the countryside with a sea of white blossoms.
Blackberries fall into two distinct categories: wild and thornless. WildBlackberries are tall with thorny, arching canes and compound leaves. The marble size berries start out red and slowly turn a deep purple-black color when fully ripe. The Blackberry canes are biennials - living only two years - while the roots are perennial - living indefinitely.Blackberries of both types multiply by spreading roots
Thornless Blackberries, or tame Blackberries are just as their name suggests. These canes contain no thorns and make harvesting very easy. Typically theBlackberries of thornless varieties are much larger, but they also contain larger seeds. Many people prefer the taste of tame berries to wild berries, but personally, I think the wild ones taste much better.
Edible Blackberries: Every portion of the Blackberry - leaves, berries and roots - are edible or medicinal. Naturally, the berries are the prized element ofBlackberries and they can be eaten raw right off the vine or cooked into delicious desserts. Blackberries also make yummy jams and jellies. Young edible shoots can be harvested in the spring, peeled and used in salads. TheBlackberry leaves also make a great tea, rich in Vitamin A and several minerals.
Medicinal Blackberries: The leaf is more commonly used as a medicinal herb, but the root also has medicinal value.
The root-bark and the leaves are astringent and diuretic. They make an excellent alternative medicine for dysentery, **diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and cystitis.
Orally, the roots can be used to treat sore throats, mouth ulcers and gum inflammations.
A decoction of the leaves is useful as a gargle in treating thrush and also makes a good general mouthwash.
The presence of large amounts of tannins that give Blackberryroots and leaves an astringent effect useful for treating diarrhea are also helpful for soothing sore throats.
Medicinal syrup is also made from Blackberry, using the fruit and root bark in honey for a cough remedy.
Blackberry vinegar can be used to sooth the throat by making compresses. Dip a cloth into the vinegar and wrap around the throat, then wrap with a couple of layers of dry cloth - reapply several times daily until throat feels better.
**As a personal note - I have used a tonic to Blackberry leaves and roots to help treat diarrhea naturally and it works great.
Blackberries contain bioflavonoids, which have weak estrogenic activity (1/50,000 the strength of estrogen). Even though the estrogen properties are low, Blackberries are very effective in controlling such common menopausal symptoms as hot flashes, anxiety, irritability, and fatigue. I have just started experimenting with this to see if it will help my hot flashes and anxiety, so I'll keep you updated.
Trivia: Centuries ago, Blackberries were supposed to give protection against all 'evil runes,' if gathered at the right time of the moon. Ancient Greek physicians prescribed the herb for gout, but the most common uses were for treating diarrhea, sore throats, and wounds. Native Americans made fiber, obtained from the stem, and used it to make a strong twine. Blackberry brambles were also used as a barricade around villages to protect them from 4 and 2 legged predators.
For more information on Blackberries in Kentucky, check out this article from the UK Cooperative Extension Office and Kentucky Proud.
(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)
GINGERBREAD
The hydrangeas bloom in flamboyant blue,
mopheads drooping down to the ground.
The gingerbread siding of the aging home
appear more garish against the stunning flowers.
It is time to start thinking about planting beans in your family vegetable garden. Here in the Bluegrass Region, many people have already started this job and are seeing tiny results for their effort.
Beans grown for the pod – green snap beans – are the most common type of bean a home gardener will grow. Some beans are also grown just for the bean itself and not the pod. Lima beans and soybeans are also popular beans grown in the home garden.
The bush type of snap beans is the most popular because they mature early and require less space. Pole beans require some type of trellis device – stakes, fence, etc. – for support. They also require a few more days to mature their pods and they will continue to bear over a longer period than bush beans.
Beans grow with little care and produce an abundance of pods. They also add nitrogen to the soil, making them ideal plants for organic vegetable gardens. Be sure to select varieties that will mature within your growing season and thrive in your region’s conditions.
Choose a spot that is sunny most of the day. The soil should be well drained or the bean seeds can rot before germination occurs. Sow bean seeds directly into your garden – beans get off to a better start if the soil is at least 60°F. Plant bush snap beans in rows 24 to 30 inches apart and plant the seeds 2 to 3 inches apart and 1 inch deep. Plant pole beans 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 26 to 48 inches apart. Plant bush bean and pole varieties every 2 to 3 weeks until 60 days before the first expected fall frost.
Keep the soil moist but not wet and do not wet the leaves when watering because it can encourage rust or other fungal diseases.
When snap beans are ready to be picked, they snap in half easily and you can see outlines of the bean inside. Pick filet beans before they reach a pencil thickness and harvest shell beans and roma beans when the seeds have reached full size, but before the pods begin to dry.
Beans are perfect for your home organic garden. Not only are they easy to grow, there are multitudes of types and varieties sure to please just about anyone, and the health benefits are enormous.
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Beans are loaded with protein your body needs.
Beans are an excellent source of “good” carbohydrates ands a great source of iron and calcium.
With fiber galore, beans aid the digestion process. 1 serving of pinto beans has 1/2of your daily fiber needs.
Beans slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal, they make a great choice for diabetics.
Beans come in two basic edible types:
Snap or green beans
Dry or shell beans
Snap – Snap beans, also called green or yellow wax beans, are the beans most people think of growing in their home garden. Snap beans are so tender, fresh and crispy that you’ll be tempted to eat them straight from the plant. Some popular varieties of these include Kentucky Wonder, Yellow Wax, Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue, and the French “haricort vert” varieties. Haricort vert simply means “beans, green” in French.
Dry or Shell – The beans in this category mature on the plant and dry in their pods. They must be shelled and allowed to dry. Dry beans include pintos, Great Northern, Black, Jacobs Cattle, and kidney, among others. These are perfect for bean soups, refried, and baked beans.
Beans grow either as a bush variety or a vine/climbing variety. The climbing variety will need a pole, fence, trellis type of structure to cling to, while the bush variety doesn’t require any support.
Most beans hate cold weather and will rot in cold soil, so wait until all danger of frost has passed. Here in the Madison area, that usually means planting beans about the end of May in full sun. You can find packages of bean seeds at local shops such as Kleins Greenhouse on East Washington, Johannsens on Troy Drive, or either of the two Willy Street Co Ops. Be sure to check the package to determine if it is a bush or climbing type to determine if you need to provide support to the vines. Also try to determine ahead of time how much you will need and if you plan on replanting extra, as later in the season it may be hard to find additional seed.
Most bush bean seeds should be planted about 2-3 inches apart then after they germinate, thin to about 4-6 inches apart. Climbing beans need a bit more space but make up for it by growing upward. Plant these about 8-10 inches apart and then thin to about 12 inches apart. Another cool thing about beans, in the garden, they fix nitrogen from the air, which adds to the fertility of your soil.
Plan to plant more beans about every two weeks to ensure an ongoing, good supply. Snap beans must be harvested before their pods begin to harden and become tough. If they start to mature in the pod, that will slow down flowering.
If you are growing dry bean varieties like great northern, kidney, pinto and other soup type beans, these types need to stay on the plant until they are fully mature on the plant then pick, shell and then dry. The pods will be like a beige brown and very brittle.
Harvest or work in the bean section of your garden when the bean foliage is dry, so as not to spread rust. They are shallow rooted so weed and cultivate carefully so as not to disturb the bean plants.
There are two main types of onions in the Bluegrass Region: American (pungent flavor) and foreign (mild flavor). Each type comes in three colors: yellow, white and red. The American onions produce bulbs of smaller size, denser texture and stronger flavor, which story great.
For green onions, use sets, seeds or transplants for spring plant. For fall planting use perennial tree and potato onion sets. Onions that keep well in storage are globe types. Glob v varieties are yellow, red and white and are grown from seeds.
Spring planted sets are popular and should be placed 1 to 2 inches apart and 2 inches deep. Rows should be 12 to 18 inches apart, or you can use square foot gardening for closer planting. Avoid large sets in spring plantings. Larger sets are likely to produce seed stalks. Divide the onion sets into two sizes before planting. Large sets (bigger than a dime) are best used for green onions. The smaller sets produce the best bulbs for large, dry onions.
Sets of perennial tree or potato onion sets should be harvested in late October or early November. Fall planted sets should be spaced 4 inches apart in rows 1 to 2 feet apart. Onions are shallow-rooted and compete poorly with weeds grasses, so keep the bed well-weeded.
The wonder, the magic Of reading a book Sharing a world Where authors have tread Visiting places of pure imagination Seeing the people We create in our minds
The wonder, the magic Of reading a book Learning new phrases An author has molded Beholding new sights in imaginative form Seeing the characters Made-up into life
The wonder, the magic Of reading a book Enjoying the splendor As crafted by authors Rejoicing in glorious imagination Seeing the pictures The words bring to life
I know they're around me every day The evidence is right before my eyes A beautiful flower, a glistening rock A heavenly scent from above
Some will tell you things are not real If you can't see or smell or feel But I believe in the unexplainable The unseeable wonders abound
What of the stars way up in the heavens Or the fluffy clouds floating by What of the sun and the moon I can't touch them, but they're real
So, what of prayers escaping from lips Hushed and hurried, whispered in vain Does God really hear, is he listening to all Faith, I have faith he can hear
So, what of dreams filling our heads Wishes and goals constantly thought Do our dreams come true, does wishing make it so Faith, I have faith dreams come true
So, what of love in this harsh world of ours Does unconditional love still exist Or has the me-me generation changed our path Faith, I have faith love will see us through
This really happened at my house a few years ago, so I though it was appropriate to share here with my friends.
I
am such a 'fraidy cat. For people who know me, this is nothing new,
but recently I took being scared to a new level. One night last week
when I let our dog outside for his nightly romp and “business”, I heard a
strange noise in the front yard. Because it was ten o’clock and about
25 degrees outside, I stood in the front doorway, bathed in the yellow
light from the bug light. The pale yellow glow only projected a few
feet from the porch, so I couldn’t see which direction the dog went.
At
the moment the dog bounded off into the blackness, I heard a metallic
scraping noise from the corner of the house. At first I thought it was
my overactive imagination, but when I opened the door to call for the
dog, I heard the noise again.
My hubby had recently been up on
the roof to retrieve a wayward Frisbee, and he had left the metal ladder
laying next to the front porch, so I thought maybe the dog had bumped
into it. But the dog wasn’t answering my calls, and every time I opened
the door and stuck my head out, I heard the noise again.
The
hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end and I had cold
shivers run down my spine. I closed the door and said to my hubby,
“There’s someone in the front yard.” He laughed and said it was
probably the dog, but by this time I was convinced someone was standing
near the ladder, just a few feet from the front door.
Hubby got
up and came to the door. He opened the door, and I heard the noise
again. “Did you hear that? There it goes again!” He stepped out onto
the porch and whistled for the dog. Then my hubby started laughing
harder.
“Is that the noise you heard,” as the squeaky noise sounded again.
“Yes, who is that?”
My hubby nearly doubled over with laughter as the dog came bounding back into the house.
The
lurking stranger who was waiting to murder us all in our sleep was
actually the English Ivy that had grown up to the front porch and was
rubbing on the metal door every time it was opened.
Needless to say, pruning was on my to-do list for the next day.
How do you write about an argument, when you hardly ever argue? How do you tell someone about your misunderstanding, when you don't even understand yourself? How do you fix hurt feelings, when you weren't the one to hurt the feelings? How you you listen to complaints from the heart, when the complaints have nothing to do with you?
Hollyhocks are wonderful editions to the Bluegrass garden and now is the time to start planting seeds. Remember, hollyhocks are biennials, so they will not bloom in their first year. Here are the steps for planting hollyhock seeds:
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Collect hollyhock seeds from a friendly neighbor or buy them from a seed catalog. Hollyhocks grow best in Zones 3 through 9. These flowers are considered biennials, but can be perennials if the flowers are dead headed at the end of their growing season.
Start growing the hollyhock seeds indoors to get a jump on the growing season. These flowers typically have a blooming season from July to September in most parts of the country. Plant the seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. By starting them early they may bloom the first year.
Use good soil with lots of compost to help the seeds grow. Be sure to use pots with some depth or use peat pots as hollyhocks do tap roots. They don't need to be planted too deeply, just ¼ inch or so in depth. If deciding to sow the seeds directly into the garden, sprinkle the seeds on top of tilled soil and sprinkle more soil to cover the seeds ¼ inch.
Transplant seedlings into the garden when all danger of frost has passed. Be sure the roots are covered with soil and that the flowers are 1 ½ to 2 feet apart. They grow well in full sun to partial shade and need to be watered regularly.
Hollyhocks will continue to self-propagate, spreading themselves around the garden.
I
am such a 'fraidy cat. For people who know me, this is nothing new,
but recently I took being scared to a new level. One night last week
when I let our dog outside for his nightly romp and “business”, I heard a
strange noise in the front yard. Because it was ten o’clock and about
25 degrees outside, I stood in the front doorway, bathed in the yellow
light from the bug light. The pale yellow glow only projected a few
feet from the porch, so I couldn’t see which direction the dog went.
The
hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end and I had cold
shivers run down my spine. I closed the door and said to my hubby,
“There’s someone in the front yard.” He laughed and said it was
probably the dog, but by this time I was convinced someone was standing
near the ladder, just a few feet from the front door.
The
lurking stranger who was waiting to murder us all in our sleep was
actually the English Ivy that had grown up to the front porch and was
rubbing on the metal door every time it was opened. 