A Green Faerie's Herbal, - from author and gardener Antoinette Beard...: April 2019

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Friday, April 12, 2019

Pick Those Unsprayed Dandelions And Have A Delicious Healthful Salad!!!...

Yes, I know... I know, little weeds from your lawn, but they're young and tender at this time of the year. They have a delicious, slightly bitter flavor---AND, are positively loaded with vitamin A & C. Just make sure if you pick them they aren't where they get sprayed with road dirt or chemicals.

Yep:

Get your basket and pick a whole bunch of dandelion leaves. Wash the leaves well, set them aside.

Fry some bacon until it's crisp. Crumbled it. Set it aside.

To the grease left in the frying pan add a cup of water and a little sugar, to taste. Turn up the heat to high. Stir until it starts to boil. To the boiling mixture add a half cup water into which you've stir and thoroughly mixed a couple teaspoons of flour. ( The flour and water mixture is to thicken the dressing for your dandelion salad. )

When the dressing mix is thickened add a little black pepper, if you wish. Take it off the stove and pour it immediately over bowls filled with the dandelion greens. Add the crumbled bacon on top...

Oh, yum!

War Is Not...

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

My Thoughts About Gardening... :D

My thoughts about gardening are these: Don't be so quick to yank it out of the ground, --- wait and see what comes up... Prune it, fertilize it, water it, --- wait and see what comes up... Patience... A few years ago I thought my Old World roses had been winter killed by -15 temperatures... Wrong, they suffered, but they survived. Now, in early April, my gardens look pretty sad, still sporting their protection of last years Fall leaves, [I never rake. Those decomposing leaves put nitrogen in the soil too.] still a few green sprouts are showing, --- the garlic chives, oregano... My thyme, spearmint, and catmint planted last September may be dead, but maybe not. We'll see... 🤔🤫🌹🥀🌺🌼🌞🌸...

Saturday, April 6, 2019

5 Lovable Things About American Robins...

If you see an unhappy robin surprised by a chilly early Spring ice storm remember robins will eat meat canned dog or cat food. :D

The "Green Life" Is Such Fun...

I can hardly remember when I wasn't interested in plants. I love it all, - from wild woodlands where everything grows in a tangled jumble, to sculptured, formally structured gardens, like you might see on a castles grounds. [Although, I must confess a definite preference toward the wild side of gardening.]

***Please note: I live in Zone 5, in Ohio, U.S.A., if you plan to garden, according to my suggestions, you might have to adjust to your own growing conditions. The weather where I live gets to be hot and humid to frigidly cold, - 90 degrees, F., in July, - and can reach lows of -15 in January with mild lovely Springs with plenty of rain, and brisk glorious Autumns.

It's amazing, the variety of plants that can be called herbs: Did you know that roses are considered herbs?... Yes, roses are, of course, used in aroma therapy, and they are among the edible flowers. [I have eaten rose hip jelly. It's delicious!]

Some of my favorite herbs are: oregano, basil [Ah, that basil pesto!], rosemary, lavender, sage [I love the purple stemmed variety.], Lemon balm, the wide variety of mints and the scented geraniums - rose, lemon, apple and mint.

If you know me at all, you know that I love folklore. There are many faerie folk tales involving woodlands and the "green" life. Faeries love all wild natural places, all over the world, and detest that their environment is constantly being taken over by civilization and mechanization. I believe that this is the main reason why faeries are so vulnerable to iron and metals, and why anything to do with the fey should never, ever include such things!

If you want to make a faerie garden it should be in a peaceful place with sun and shade and where there is water, even if it's just a bird bath. It should have pretty shiny rocks and, perhaps, ferns and moss. Include some garden sculptures of gnomes, winged faeries and animals.

Happy gardening!...

Yes...