Use What You Have: Strawberry Leaves

The strawberries here are done and gone. We did actually get a few this year, but the birds and rabbits got the majority. I think I want to pot them up next year, but that's a discussion for another time. What we're talking about today is not the yummy, juicy, ruby red berries of yesterday (can you tell I miss them just a little?). What we're talking about now is the LEAVES.

Once the plants have fruited, I move right on to harvesting the leaves. Most people say that the leaves are most flavorful when the plant is in bloom, but you can (and I do) harvest them all spring and summer. They get bunched and dried and, for the most part, made into tea. It does, surprisingly enough, taste quite a bit like the berries, which means it's y-u-m-m-y. It does, of course, have added health benefits (iron, vitamin C, calcium, and other minerals). I'm finding that it really helps to boost my milk production, very important in these early months of nursing.

As with any summer tea (lemon balm and mint are among other summer favorites), I like to drink it iced. I've also been using it to make popsicles for the kids.

Homesteading Legos

We went to my in-laws' house this past weekend since we didn't get out there for their Memorial Day celebration. It rained, so we were stuck inside. The boys decided to dive into my brother-in-law's old Legos. Not to be outdone by their spaceships and boats filled to the brim with guns and lasers, I spotted a horse and inspiration struck!

There's a rain barrel, windmill, compost bin (actually a treasure chest) and garden (they had only one plant, so use your imaginations here, folks!). The work horse is there for manure, of course. ;)

I'm SO pitching this to the Legos people... :P

What's Blooming in My Garden-- June 1, 2009

The buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) cover crop is coming into its own and beginning to pull in the beneficials.


Two species of Stellaria here. On the left is Stellaria graminea, otherwise known as Lesser Stitchwort. On the right is the much more common and far tastier chickweed (Stellaria media).


A second unidentified peony (Paeonia spp.).


Here you can see the lesser stitchwort growing under our front maple. That's Annie's hand in the background to give you some idea of just how teeny tiny the flowers of this particular herb are.

Still blooming from last week: raspberries, onions, chives, sage, unidentified yellow flower.

Rabbitnip

My poor, poor catnip.

Apparently, cats aren't the only critters who love catnip. I walked out to the garden a few days ago and noticed that my catnip, which has flourished unscathed for the past three years, was nearly gone! My immediate thought was to heap the blame on the neighborhood felines who frequently climb our privacy fence to hunt in our yard, but later that day I was standing at the backdoor and noticed a little ball of fur by the devastated catnip patch. Long ears, twitching nose, cute little cottontail... It was a rabbit! I've rarely seen them in our garden, but we always find bunny prints in the backyard snow during our winter nature walks. They've never bothered the catnip before though. It must have been a particularly lovely crop this year.

Buns love catnip. Who knew.

Rain Romp

Yesterday was far too rainy for gardening, so:









LOVE warm springtime rains...

Hot Peppers

Last year, my pepper crop was a dismal failure. I think I got only one measly pepper from the few plants that actually germinated, so this year I decided to add a little something to my scheme and see how the plants reacted. Unfortunately, our gardening budget for this year has been maxed out. I had to think of something for less than cheap... something free.


My version of the cloche: repurposed baby food jars. Don't mind the wonky spacing. In real life, they are actually evenly spaced, but the camera was at a weird angle.

I was hoping that my improvised cloches would provide enough heat retention that I 'd get a higher germination rate and faster growth of pepper plants than I did last year with no added protection. So far, the germination has been quicker but not higher. I'm leaving the jars over top of the seedlings until they outgrow them. We'll see how it goes.

Not Alone

I really didn't have any plans for Memorial Day yesterday beyond cleaning the house. (Can you believe I'm STILL decluttering this place!?) The Husband was working overtime, so the kids and I were on our own. Right away, though, I knew this day was going to be better than I'd planned...

About 8am, I walked onto our front porch and heard chickens clucking. I honestly thought I was going crazy, so I called the kids away from their play and asked them if they heard it too. Annie, my ever-attentive nature girl, heard what I heard. I suspected my neighbors on the other side of the street (I've long admired their garden) but didn't have the nerve to knock on their door at 8 in the morning. Callie spent the rest of the day clucking every song she sang. LOL!

Later on, I noticed the woman of the house I suspected of hiding the feathered friends planting some flowers out front, so I gathered the littles and headed her way. Apparently channeling Ned Flanders, I said something like "Excuse me, Neighbor" as my ice breaker. Yeah, I've been cooped up in this house alone for FAR too long. She was polite regardless as I awkwardly asked her if she was keeping chickens. I didn't want her to think I was going to be some nasty neighbor telling her that I was annoyed by their clucking or something.

Anyway, she confirmed that they had seven chickens and a duck in their backyard, Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds. I forgot to ask what type the duck was. I was astounded! I've been living here for nearly 4 years now and had never noticed this before! Neighbor invited us to go around the back and look at the chickens, so we did. Annie was especially thrilled with them, as I knew she'd be. We only stayed a minute or so, then headed back home because we were setting every dog in the neighborhood to barking.

I suddenly don't feel so alone.