It's Time for Some Weed Appreciation

March 28 is a very special day. It's Weed Appreciation Day!

So many people spend a fortune and endless hours trying to develop and maintain a perfectly manicured, pristine lawn. I am not one of those people. To me there is nothing more delightful that seeing all the amazing little plants popping up like old friends. Some call them weeds. For me, they're herbs, spring gifts to be eaten and used and treasured.

Dandelions are just beginning to peak up, thanks to the warmer weather we've enjoyed. Not only to their bright yellow flowers look so happy and cheerful, they are a wonderful leafy green to kick start your system for warmer weather. Add some young dandelion leaves to salads for a lovely, peppery bite and lots of vitamins and minerals.

Stinging Nettles are young now. Yes, they can feel painful if you pick them without gloves. But they can easily be stripped for their stems and cooked. They have a great, spinach like flavor and are packed with nutrients.

One of my spring favorites is chickweed. This tender plant is so cute, and it has a nice tender sweetness. I tend to nibble it while I'm working in the garden. It's juicy and refreshing, and can make you feel like a kid again. It also makes a nice, soothing poultice.

There are so many other delightful surprises that a spring lawn brings. Plantain, ground ivy, and soon violets all coming up and not only delighting the birds, and animals, but providing nutrition and care for those who look. What a glorious day and what's not to love about Weed Appreciation Day!

A Dandy of a National Dandelion Day!

Spring is here, and with it the glory of those early blooming herbs and flowers. And what looks as cheery as the amazing little yellow flowers popping up every where - the lovely little dandelion!

There are many who look at this versatile and nutrition packed little herb as the bane of their existence. Not me - I love them! There is a plethora of information out there about the hardy dandelion, but here are a few of my favorite things to do with them:

• Feed them to my cat. Yep, that's right. My one cat, Sinbad (actually my daughters cat, but that's another story) LOVES dandelions. Any time he sees us go outside, he'll sit in the window and meow rather loudly until we bring some tender greens in for him. We think he learned about them when he used to share a nibble with our rabbit, Nibbles, when we used to bring them in for him. (Nibbles was my daughters, too). Dandelion is a great addition to your cat or dogs food. Just occasionally chop up some dandelion greens to toss in to their food. It will help keep their coats nice and shiny.
• In salads and recipes - replace some spinache with dandelion greens. Younger leaves are as bitter as the large, later season leaves (although I'll occasionally use them, too). They work very nicely in Quinoa Salad or lightly sauteed in a little oil, then tossed with cranberries and walnuts. Yum!
• I like taking the flowers and flower petals and tossing them in with scrambled eggs or omelets.
• Infusing apple cider vinegar with dandelion flowers, leaves and roots make a very nourishing addition to salads, seltzer spritzers, and a refreshing toner for your skin!

For more scoop on this prolific herbal wonder, try check the Herb Companion articles like this, the Herb Quarterly, Learning Herbs - or go on your own dandelion hunt! It's a dandy thing to do on a spring day!

Very Violet Springtime Welcome

Spring seemed to dawdle about this year. A very chilly March and an equally rainy April made it seem like the warmth and fragrance of spring would never get here. And then I saw them. My wild violets were blooming. Spring was really here!

When I see those dainty little purple flowers erupting all over my yard, I know that warm weather and sunny days are on their way. And the moment that sunshine appears - I'm out crawling around on the ground picking as many flowers as I can. Because these harbingers of spring don't last very long, but while they do I'll be picking them!

Both the leaf and the pretty purple flowers have health benefits including being antisepticc, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. They contain beta-carotene, vitamin C and are musilagenic. They've been used for a myriad of reasons, from acne to mastitis, coughs to urinary tract infections. Plus, it makes you happy just to look at it.

Violets are also considered a symbol of innocence and modesty. Crowns of violets were used by the ancient Greeks to promote sleep and serenity. It's also the state flower of New Jersey!

You may find it difficult to catch the light and lovely fragrance of a violet. They contain a chemical that actual blocks the scent after that first whiff.

I use violets to make pretty purplish blue jelly which has a lightly sweet flavor. I also like to dry violet flowers and include them in powders or save them for tea. Fresh violet leaves and flowers are used in spring salads.

Try making a violet vinegar by collecting several cups of the blossoms and putting them into a large glass jar. Cover with a light white wine vinegar - like rice wine vinegar. Let this steep for several weeks. The longer you can let it sit, the better. After at least 3 weeks, you can start using the vinegar. Strain if you'd like, or use with the flowers. This is very nice on salad or as part of a marinade.

Now that spring is really here, I'm sure it will zip by in a flash. But while it's here - I'll be picking my violets!

Prepping for Victory in the Garden

I was just browsing through one of the myriad gardening magazines that flow into my house this time of year. The warm spell this past weekend really helped push me into the “get out and plant” frame of mind, but I wisely chose to mostly clean and prep the gardens and do the planting over the next few weeks.

See, I’m not a great gardener. Oh, I’m not bad, but by no means am I a pro. But I stay at it, and every year I get better. Most of my garden is herbs and annuals. Herbs are relatively easy – many of them are darn near weeds! (That’s another post). This year, I’m looking to give a wider variety of veggies a try. Like many of us, pennies need to be pinched. What better way to save than growing your own veggies. One $3.00 plant can give you $50 worth of food, with a fresh picked taste that cannot be duplicated by supermarket produce.


Usually, I buy plants. One of my favorite sources online is Mountain Valley Growers. They have a terrific selection and I’ve had great success with their plants. I also buy from local growers, such as Barlow’s or Timothy's. They have wonderful selections and very helpful staff.

Of course there are problems along the way. There are a few types of fungus and mildew I seem to fight every year. My biggest problem is a plump little gopher that seems to enjoy eating the leaves off my plants and my tomatoes. Then there’s Rudy. He’s my dog. He seems to like my tomatoes too.

As a true Jersey girl, my garden will prominently feature tomatoes. We’ll probably get at least 3 kinds – a plum, some kind of beefsteak, and some unusual heirloom.

String beans are always a favorite. We never get to cook them because we always eat them fresh from the plant or nibble of them with dip before dinner. I prefer bush plants, because they are a little easier to grow and maintain. I have enough vines roaming around the yard.

I’ve tried growing peas before. It always seems that something happens to them, but since they are one of my absolute favorite veggies, there will be another attempt this year.

Add to that an assortment of sweet and hot peppers. Peppers love my dirt, and I love peppers. They’ll join some unique type of eggplant and probably some zucchini. I may even attempt some spinach, beets and carrots this year.

Some of these plants I’ve attempted to start from seed. My father, the true green thumb in the family, can get amazing plants from old seeds and have them thrive. I don’t seem to do as well. Little seedlings will come up - then I forget to water them, or they get too cold, or too hot. I’ll figure it out sooner or later. But it’s fun to try.

For many people, getting out into the garden is about getting it right from the start. Everything is planted in perfect rows. Seeds that don’t come up or fail along the way are considered disasters. Those people miss so much. Half of the fun of digging in to dirt and planting your seeds or plants is about learning from your mistakes. I’ve discovered that eggplants grow best in my front garden with my flowers. They thrive there and look pretty too. What good is a garden if you can’t play in it!

What will you be planting this year? Will you try a new challenge or stay with what you know? I’ll keep you posted if you keep me posted.

Remember, Nature is a very patient teacher, if you don’t succeed this year, she’ll always give you another chance next year. Victory will come to the garden – and fresh veggies will be on your table!