Collecting herbals by the month

[TastyofHasty]

Hi, I spent some time last night reading The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann, and noticed he posts what time of year to collect various herbal stuff. So I started marking on my calendar ... just the ones I know are around here and I might use ... here's what I've posted to collect by month, as nearly as I can figure it:

March
poke root
oak - inner bark - from branches not more than 4" thick

April
peppermint - aerial parts - before flowers open
sweet violet - leaves and flowers

May
elder flowers - dry ASAP in shade
red clover - flower heads
sweet violet - leaves and flowers

June
linden flowers - on a dry day - dry in shade
passionflower leaves - just before flowers bloom
plantain - during flowering - leaves or aerial parts - dry ASAP
peach leaves
red clover - flower heads
elder flowers or berries

July
mullein - leaves - dry in shade; flowers - during dry weather
nasturtium - leaves and flowers - use fresh
tansy - leaves and flowers
elderberries
raspberry leaves - dry slowly - well ventilated area
wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace) - aerial parts and seeds - to be dried
yarrow - aerial parts
lavender flowers - before opening
peach leaves
red clover - flower heads

August
lavender flowers - before opening
tansy - leaves and flowers
red clover - flower heads
nasturtium - use fresh

September
nasturtium - use fresh
horse chestnut - fruits/nuts

October
horse chestnut - fruits/nuts
wild cherry - inner bark
rose hips
juniper berries - dry in shade

November
juniper berries - dry in shade

Now for a question: how in the world do you collect inner bark from trees?
And another question: do any of you-all collect these sorts of things ... and do you USE them? I guess I'll have to start a shelf where I can keep all these things together in labelled jars.

Best regards
Tasty

[simmis]

Tasty,

You collect inner bark from trees by first removing the outer bark.

It takes years for that bark to grow back. As you can imagine, this disfigures the tree for a long time, and if you remove too much bark it kills it.

If you are going to cut a small branch off and peel the inner bark from that, it's not quite so bad, so I was happy to see that a branch under 4" was specified.

A lot of people carelessly remove bark from the trunk. That leaves the living wood of the trunk open to attack by disease spores and to drying by the sun and wind, from which the bark had protected it.

I don't mean to say that you shouldn't collect the inner bark, but it pays to be careful in how you do it.

[TennOC]

You can make a cool circle chart if you make a poster with a circle divided in pie wedges sorta like a clockface. Draw concentric circles too, each one smaller by half inch or so.Then you don't have to confine the picking of any one plant to a certain week or month, just note the actual dates.(it will vary year-to-year anyway) Then the time for say, "picking blackberries" can be shaded in. I have such a chart somewhere on a cd, maybe I can find it.

[TastyofHasty]

I know a lot of these herbal things WORK. I've loved goldenseal for years ... a couple nights ago drank a big double cup of linden leaf tea before going to bed; slept like a rock and was surprisingly sleepy still the next morning ... I GUESS it would be nice to have a little collection of jars of some of these things just in case we might want to use 'em ... that idea of the 'medicine woman' of olde (or is it "elde") like Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear is just SO-O-O-O-O appealing ... plus I HATE going to doctors just on general principles, and then there's the $$$$$ part ... and so often herbal things work just as well (if not BETTER) than whatever those burnt-out white-coats and their expensive and over-powerful pills can come up with ... I GUESS a jar of plantain leaves would MAYBE be useful ... SOMEwhere down the road ... or mullein leaves (I've GOT those SOMEwhere around here)... or passionflower leaves ... just wanted to know if anybody on this board collects a lot of herbals and actually USES them?? And which ones are used most often? (Of course ... it would be NICE to be able to run out to the back 40 and dig up a whole jarful of goldenseal root ... or ginseng root ... but ... rather more I'm talking about stuff that's just out there freely available.) (I DID plant goldenseal root a couple years ago; I think something ATE it; the area was dug up like some critter had a hole right under it!)
Yarrow blossoms, for instance, when dried and ground in the blender and mixed with baby powder, make it smell just like Gold Bond powder ... strongly spicy and nice. And yarrow grows wild around here, plus I dug some up and planted it in a garden area nearby. Any other would-be medicine women out there ... what do you actually USE?

[GreenCap]

Hello tasty, I loved the clan of the cave bear series. Made me wanna be a cave woman :D Thank you for reminding me of those books I have to read them again. I do use dried herbs but usually order mine. I have used mullein,dandelion,eyebright,fennel,echinacea,astra galus, and more. I love goldenseal but I buy a goldenseal/echinacea supplement. It is really good at cold and flu season. When you feel that sickness coming on or you know it's coming just take 3 dropperfuls (adults)one or two times a day and even if you get the bug it will be a lot less severe. Also if you have health problems check with doctor first.(a lot of doctors dismiss the use of herbs but then again they aren't gonna make any money if you can heal yourself) I would love to grow it, I don't know if it would grow well here(5b) I use a little mesh ball that I put the dried herbs in and then put it in HOT water and let it brew. The longer you leave it in the stronger it is. I have a local health food store order the astragalus for me, it's like strips of dried bark and it tastes really good, kind of a nutty taste,good for the immune system. Now that I have room to have a real garden I want to try to grow some good ones. Got plenty of dandelions already about 7 acres worth :eek: Mullein is good for coughs, eyebright for sinus, fennel for colic in baby. (although nothing works like hylands homeopathic colic tablets for infants and no side effects) heck they are all good I could go on and on and on....God Bless-aundrea

[TastyofHasty]

Aundrea, nice to "meet" you! I think in 5b you CAN grow goldenseal! And ginseng! (but don't let anybody know you're planting it.) But as I found out about goldenseal, wild animals eat it, too. Don't know what animal it WAS ... that's the way it is ... you just go out and find it's GONE. I had a nice comfrey plant a neighbor gave us ... the chickens ate that, right down to the roots. If humans like it, often animals do, too! Lucky you, to have all those dandelions. I made dandelion wine once, many years ago in Michigan, it was actually good! But we have only an occasional dandelion around here. I do NOT root them up ... instead leave 'em alone and hope they will spread! I ordered a bunch of astragalus in pill form a few months ago ... after reading some webpage about how good it was. I guess we oughtta start TAKING it, eh?

Echinacea is one of the native plants around here, I believe. It's been growing in the strip of garden on the south side of our house since we moved here; comes up every year on its own. (hope it comes up THIS year. The chickens have been scratching up the dirt there all winter!) We also have quite a lot of mullein growing wild. And yarrow, as mentioned earlier. Quite a few wild things, as a matter of fact. We had a hunter's group buy land across the road; haven't seen any deer in months! But the wild PLANTS are still around. And as far as stripping bark off trees, I wouldn't want to do that to any living trees, unless maybe by chopping off smallish branches, as Simmis mentioned. One thing you can do IF you cut a branch off a tree is rub an aloe leaf on the wound, I've read. I really wonder if inner oak bark is worth the HASSLE! You can make a tea of the oak LEAVES that is high in tannic acid and makes a good gargle for sore throat.

Best regards,
Jenn

[GreenCap]

Nice to "meet" you, Tasty :) I would love to grow goldenseal, Do you know if it likes full sun? I have some shade but the woods are farther back and I know they will be eaten. Everything I planted there so far is gone! Healthy deer though :p , I know that ginseng grows wild around but I have never seen it, I sure wouldn't tell anybody if I did, you get a lot of money for that stuff. Probably why I've never seen it! Hmmm, dandelion wine sounds fine :D I could have a winery here I got so many, I don't mind them, free herbs is always a good thing, great for kidneys and leaves are good in salad, plus they are pretty. So you have chickens huh? I have been thinking of getting a few, are they a lot of work? I just read about this lady in my county(carroll) that is trying to bring back a breed called buckeye it was bred here in ohio, and are very dark brown almost black, hence the name. She is willing to give anyone interested a few hens and a rooster, also she will teach you (me) how to take care of them. I love the idea of fresh eggs in the morning. What kind do you have? I have many predators around here coyotes,fox, hawks so I am trying to get my husband out there to build me something, notice I said trying but the way it is looking I am gonna have to do it myself :rolleyes: I will have to keep them away from my comfrey, I love that stuff. Can't have to much of that! Have a great day-aundrea

[SunflowerMeg]

Clan of the Cave Bear got me started in my herbal phase. I bet you have all read the complete series too. :)

I like Willow Bark tincture. I don't make it myself though. It is good for inflammation; unlike aspirin, Willow Bark gets into your joints and "warms" them. I have a disease called sarcoidosis; it is an inflammation disease, amongst other things. My joints feel like someone took a sledgehammer to them; very tender and sore to the touch. I grew purple coneflower at my other place and I dug some up and brought it with me to here. I make a fresh batch of echinacea once every few years just to have it on hand.

For all you do-it-yourselfer's, there's a magazine called "Wilderness Ways". It's excellent!!! It will take you back to the Clan of the Cave Bear days. Just type it into google and you should get to their website. They have articles you can access. I backordered every magazine they had. You'll absolutely love it.

[TennOC]

Goldenseal needs shade, maybe 75% to 80% shade. Ginseng too. Some other common herbal remedies that grow in the shade of hardwoods here in 6b TN are Wild Yam, Bloodroot, Starroot, Virginia Snakeroot and Cohosh (the blue and black).

[GreenCap]

Thanks for the magazine info Meg, I have read the whole series and yes it made me really want to learn about herbs. Also started my love affair with "dung"...lolol. My sister was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and psoratic arthritis,sounds like the same symptoms, coral calcium helped her a lot, also no ibuprofin it made her muscles real acidic and that is what she was taking for the pain, turns out it was actually making the problem worse. She was real young (23) at the time and the meds they perscribed to her were REAL strong, one of them had a possible side effect of death, her fingers and toes were starting to get almost deformed, she decided to not take the meds and go natural. Perfect food is a green drink that you can get at vitamin shop, also primal defense they helped her TREMENDOUSLY.(both are available in capsules too) She has had great results with those products and very rarely has any pain at all. God bless you Meg, it must be hard to garden feeling all that pain. Thanks for the info TenOC, that is what I thought, my deer will get them before I ever will :(

[TennOC]

Deer do not eat goldenseal, it's very bitter. I'd look for a human culprit if your plants have been dug up.

[TastyofHasty]

How 'bout rabbits? (Found half a rabbit out in the back yard today ... dog looking guilty.)

That's the trouble with just finding it gone, though. Can't know. Humans (a/k/a "two legged varmints") are possible, too.

TennOC, you sound like an old hand at this wild plant collecting. :D

she decided to not take the meds and go natural. Perfect food is a green drink that you can get at vitamin shop, also primal defense they helped her TREMENDOUSLY.(both are available in capsules too) She has had great results with those products and very rarely has any pain at all.

That is really interesting. And SunflowerMeg, sorry to hear about you having sarcoidosis. Yep, I'd like to LEARN how to make 'willow tincture.' I did read in Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman,

Black Willow
Black willow is a safe natural source of aspirin-like chemicals, which helps to explain its reputation in the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis where there is much associated pain and inflammation. It may be used as part of a wider treatment for any connective tissue inflammation anywhere in the body, but it is especially useful in rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be used in fevers such as influenza.
Part Used Bark
Collection The bark is collected in the spring when new growth starts.
Constituents Salicin, tannin
Actions Anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, analgesic, antiseptic, astringent, vulnerary.
Preparation and Dosage
Decoction Pour a cup of water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the bark, bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture Take 2-4 ml of the tincture three times a day.
Combinations It may be used with Black Cohosh, Celery Seed, Guaiacum and Bogbean in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

You can often identify trees from websites. Here's one:
http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/

But again ... there are problems with "collecting bark." It is hard to do, and damaging to trees. The idea of cutting off smallish branches makes sense. But to me, it sounds awfully hard to get at the "inner bark" ... THIS entry about Black Willow just says "bark," though. So do you walk up to a black willow, climb up to where you can chop off a branch (a saw would be appropriate I guess), drag it home, get out your hatchet, hack off some bark, ... yeah, I guess that's what you DO do. If you don't have any black willows on your own property, maybe people wouldn't be TOO upset if you asked 'em if you could chop a branch off THEIRS(?) :rolleyes:

Ayla had it better! But she DIDN'T have the internet, or health food stores!

[Pharmerphil]

rabbit damage will have a distinctive chomp mark, look for the stem to be cut off at a 45 degree angle

[TennOC]

Tasty: No mammal that I know of except humans will eat more than one bite of goldenseal. Ginseng is another matter, I have had mouse and groundsquirrel damage to it (the roots).

[GreenCap]

AHA so it is the rabbits that have been pruning my shrubs....hahaha I thought maybe it was the neighbors because they were cut at such a nice angle. I was like I KNOW they did not prune my bushes. I told you I was a newbie :D

[flowerpower]

Skunks and Coons love to dig in newly turned soil. They don't want the plants as much as they want the insects they might find.

[TastyofHasty]

I say "aha! too!" about rabbits. 45 degree angle? Could that be what chopped off a little hazelnut tree about 4" from the ground? Next time I see our dog dragging around a little furry half-body, I'll PRAISE her!! Yesterday, looking at the 'evidence,' I just said "yuck! better you than me!" :rolleyes:

As for goldenseal, best defense I guess is HIDE it (if you can!) Nice to know I don't have to worry about ANIMALS, though! And NOT NICE to know it's probably humans!! :( Any good ideas on places to hide plants?

[TennOC]

Hide them in plain sight. If someone is sneaking around to dig them up, that's easier to do in woods.

[TastyofHasty]

Thanks, TennOC.

Your woods is probably sort of similar to our woods in NW Arkansas. I'm going to read up on

Wild Yam, Bloodroot, Starroot, Virginia Snakeroot and Cohosh (the blue and black)

find out what they look like. Thanks again.

[GreenCap]

I had bloodroot out there in the woods but it is gone,what eats bloodroot? Hey TennOC did you make it through those storms ok? I always think about you all in and around tornado alley when we get crazy weather. I think we are in for some crazy weather this year. You know I can't help but think about the bible with all the craziness in the world these days. Is it just me or what?

[TennOC]

Tasty; there's a site I use a lot, have even contributed to, it's http://www.altnature.com, lot's of pictures.

[TennOC]

Bloodroot is sensitive to sudden changes, like cutting too many trees will let in light, also it naturally dies down in late summer, before frost. Should be coming up soon with the flowers pretty early. They are white with ten petals, rarely doubled. They make a seed pod that looks like a single radish seed pod. Bloodroot is a poppy family relative, poisonous to rodents, etc. Some grubs might chew it, but not much.

[TastyofHasty]

Interesting, I was just going to post the question about what's a good webpage with PICTURES so you can identify herbs. Will check out http://www.altnature.com ... soon as I get done posting here!

Was thinking last night ... maybe the reason there's so much wild stuff LEFT around here ... is 'cause of ticks?? ... it takes a special sort of PERSON to go searching around in the woods around here ... a person with SKIN OF STEEL!! :o ... when it's warm enough for plants to put out leaves and be identified ... it's warm enough for ticks and chiggers!!! As soon as I set foot in the back field (where the chickens do not go, and the ticks start), my skin starts prickling, I get the creepy-crawlies, and I just KNOW I am going to have to PAY for stepping foot back there! But that's one of nature's protections, perhaps?? I DID go wandering around in the woods a couple of days ago, and found a pic of bloodroot in one of my herb books ... it might be out there!! Maybe best to figure on woods-walking (during the day) on BATH night?? :D

And yeah, TennOC, you okay after tornado time??
And yeah, GreenCap,
You know I can't help but think about the bible with all the craziness in the world these days. Is it just me or what?
No, I think a whole LOT of people are thinking the same way. Including me. Well, we can't run to Petra, eh?

[TennOC]

Oh yeah, we made it thru the storms again, but some were pretty bad.
Tasty, you're on the right track about the ticks. What I do when I'm headed out on my forays is put on some repellent, then make a note of the time. I can usually go 4 hours without getting chiggers to actually bite me, guess they walk around looking for a tender spot, lol. Ticks, well they can bite any time. I just come in and shed my clothes all on the porch, take a shower first and then put them in the wash. Lots of soap and water will even make most ticks turn loose, unless they're already firmly attached. Helps if you have a friend :) to look where you can't see in the mirror. I use that spray you put on clothes only too.

[TastyofHasty]

We moved here in June of 2003. I had never seen or felt a tick in my life, didn't know NOTHIN' 'bout ticks OR chiggers. That year I got bit up pretty bad ... lucky no lyme disease!!! Also got poison oak pretty bad. That is how I learned about ticks ... chiggers ... and poison oak.

Now, having lived here almost three years, I FEEL that light touch of something running like crazy 'cross the skin ... :eek: or the scalp ... and know what it means ... I have had the experience of going down to the pond (couple hundred feet into the 'back field,') looking at my shoes, and seeing a veritable SWARM of MOVING DOTS making its way up my shoes!!! :eek: the very worst ... CHIGGERS!! all ready to burrow into the skin in all their ineradicable teensy tinyness and itch and sting!! ... by the time I had RUN up the hill to the house, they were almost up to my knees!!! Needless to say, no time was wasted in getting into the bathtub and washing off. Yes, there can be new and exciting experiences in life.

But ticks and chiggers MAY be part of the reason this area is still so "untouched," eh? 'Specially the stuff that's found in the warm months.

I haven't yet gotten 'into' using repellant sprays. Don't like 'em ... we have a couple cans of some sort of spray with DEET in it ... your method of checking the time is probably a good idea. Having chickens really does seem to help ... I'm thinking about ordering some guinea keets in June. To translate ticks into EGGS. If I could only get a chicken to balance on the back of the horse, pecking away!

I think maybe one of my goldenseal roots survived; a little golden-green baby plant is coming up where I planted 'em(?) will have to see. In the woods beside our pond (at bottom of hill, dampest part of woods around here) there are lots of un-ID'd plants that MIGHT be comfrey. Hope! Hope! But they don't have the long stems shown in the photos I've seen. This is why good photos on the 'net are SO important. Ayla had Mog-ur and Iza to show and tell her what was what. Now, we have the Internet, and thank the Lord for digital cameras, and photographers that post their pics and know their stuff!

[GreenCap]

Yes, Tasty I can "sense" a tick on me too. They always get on my kids. They know to stand outside the door for tick check. They don't get on me to often, must be all the garlic I take, :) but they love my kids. I don't like the spray stuff either, I always think hmmm which do I want ticks or cancer....lol I always pick the ticks. Funny, if I learn about some horrible chemical in something I CAN NOT use it anymore. It makes me so mad because just about everything I used to use, I have heard something horrible about(nail-polish,bug spray,sun screen,deoderant) I have to use natural deoderant because of the aluminum in my old favorite, and the natural stuff does not work as good so you have to reapply all the time. Sometimes I wish I could just pretend not to know, but my head wont let me :eek: What is a chigger? I am guessing we don't have them here since I don't know what they are.

[TastyofHasty]

GreenCap, I THOUGHT chiggers were baby ticks! But upon a few minutes' researching, I have discovered they are their OWN sort of bug, ...
Chiggers or "red bugs" are the larvae of mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG085
I'd be interested in seeing a 'chigger map' of the USA, showing areas where they live. They are a scourge, actually. Consider yourself lucky if you don't have them where you live, just ticks! At least you can feel ticks to some degree. Chiggers you just FEAR. After walking in a woody area or one with long grass, you KNOW they are on you ... you have that "creepy crawly feeling!!!" that is your skin warning you, you have been invaded!! AND they are on your clothes! AND your shoes! Like ticks, they seem to seek out the most private and inaccessible areas of the body to latch on! TennOC's idea of removing all clothing and taking a bath upon arriving home is RIGHT!! Just adds a bit to the water bill and laundry bill, etc., 'cause you will have to launder everything, preferably right away.

I am a garlic lover ... hubby is always on my case to use LESS herbs etc.! Also a horseradish lover!!!

Did you know there was a study indirectly about aluminum and Alzheimers ... results were "women who get silicon in their water supply do not get Alzheimers." (here's a link to an article)
http://www.healthnotes.com/online/newswire_2005_05_05_1.htm
... after reading that, I started taking the herb horsetail (high in silicon, cheap). Apparently silicon bonds with aluminum in the body, allowing it to be removed. People USED to get lots of silicon in the 'bran' parts of grains, but modern people don't eat much bran parts of grains, so don't get the natural source of silicon anymore.

[GreenCap]

Thanks for that tip tasty, I'll definitely be getting horsetail, my hub might even have some in there somewhere. He has a habit of buying too many herbs (well I don't think you could ever have too many) but we can't take them that fast and they get outdated. I heard just take more if they are expired. I am glad we don't have chiggers here, they sound horrible.Ticks are bad enough. My dogs don't ever have a problem with ticks or fleas, I think it is because they are siberian huskies, the fur is so thick you can't see thier skin. We just have deer ticks.

[TastyofHasty]

Made my first "poke sallet" a couple days ago. Picked the little bunches of poke still growing out of the tops of the plants all 'round the property till I had ... oh ... maybe a quart and a half ... covered with water in pan and simmered about 20 minutes ... I found a recipe book at a garage sale called Miz Jessie's Gaitherin' of Old Odd Unusual Receipts; it contained a recipe for "Poke Sallet" as follows:

"Pick young tender poke when about 4 or 5 inches high. Wash good and boil in salted water until tender. Drain and reheat in a skillet with a little meat fryins, or cream it with a regular cream sauce or gravey."

Going back to Miz Jessie's Gaitherin', anybody ever hear of "farkleberries?" and she mentioned something ... I'm looking through the book and can't find it ... think it was called "sheepshire" ... just looked it up on search engine ... it is wood sorrel! Link: http://altnature.com/gallery/Violet_Wood_Sorrel.htm ... and (by George!) looky looky what webpage it was on! TennOC! (The link I followed was:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1006031710622) :D anyhoo here's Miz Jessie's recipe for "Sheepshire Jelly" ... (this would be A/K/A "Wood Sorrel Jelly!")
"Gather enuf sheepshire to fill a large kettle and wash good. Just barely cover with water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain off 3 cups of juice. To this juice add 1 tablesp. lemon juice aned 1 package pectin and bring to boil. Add 4 cups of sugar and boil until tests done, about 2 minutes."

Greencap, we also take a lot of herbs. There keep being more of them ... but ... I believe in them! Would like to grow some of 'em, pick some of the wild ones, learn how to preserve them, and consume them direct! I'm thinking about starting another circular garden near the house just for herbs.

[Lillian Osborne]

Hi All

A cool and rainy Sunday evening here, a good time for reading past posts. I was very pleased to find the link--http://www.altnature.com/

I often wonder at how the upstart modern medical practices were so rapidly able to eclipse the centuries of dependence on the green pharmacy our creator provided for our use.

Not to say that the need for advanced medical intervention does not exist, it does, and it is grateful we all should be that it is available to us. Being responsible for our own well being is a privilege, and an obligation, that too many people fail to appreciate or accept, but for those who make the effort, the rewards can often be most astonishing.

It is always with pleasure and appreciation that I read or listen to comments and shared experiences from people who know, or want to know, about the wonderful, bountiful benefits of the world of herbs.

[TastyofHasty]

Lilian, thank you for bumping this thread back up. I was interested to read it again, too. I noticed NOW would be about the right time to collect black willow bark (if anybody has any black willows). Also collect peppermint to dry. (I can do that!)

You said:
I often wonder at how the upstart modern medical practices were so rapidly able to eclipse the centuries of dependence on the green pharmacy our creator provided for our use.

That is a good thought, although, having grown up in the city, where so few herbs are available, I think partly it's just a result of most people being city dwellers, and working at jobs that take up all their energy and time day after day. Somewhere on idig was a thread about maca and how some company had patented it ... even though the native South American indians had used it for centuries ... found it, here's a link:
http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2562

[Lillian Osborne]

Lilian, thank you for bumping this thread back up. I was interested to read it again, too. I noticed NOW would be about the right time to collect black willow bark (if anybody has any black willows). Also collect peppermint to dry. (I can do that!)

You said:


That is a good thought, although, having grown up in the city, where so few herbs are available, I think partly it's just a result of most people being city dwellers, and working at jobs that take up all their energy and time day after day. Somewhere on idig was a thread about maca and how some company had patented it ... even though the native South American indians had used it for centuries ... found it, here's a link:
http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2562

And thanks to you for the link. It is mind boggling to see laws and regulations bent and skewed to fit whatever scenario deep pockets require them to fit.
Do you wonder at the assumption that fairly sharing would not produce reasonable profit along with considerably improved relations with the peoples where the plant treasures they have relied upon for perhaps centuries are native growers?

We can certainly be thankful for the abundance of beneficial trees, shrubs, and green herbs we can collect from, and grow, for our own needs. Learning
about the uses, best times to harvest, best parts and ways to prepare them, has been a lifelong pursuit of many fine minds and healing hearts. It is a wonderful thing to have so much information from these sources to guide us
in our own efforts to understand the benefits of using plants to nourish our bodies and strengthen them against stress and disease.

It is also a fine thing that there are sources for preparations that use herbs
we can not grow or collect for ourselves. We each must do our best to support those suppliers who respect the rights of the peoples where the plants are natives. That is a bit tougher than going into our own fields and woods, but it seems a small price to pay for showing respect to the countries and communities that allow the world the use of their unique treasures.

[TastyofHasty]

Bump!

Just wanted to say, now is the time to collect peppermint leaves, I'd say. Some of my peppermint plants have what looks like bubbly spit on them ... anybody ... know what that is?

[Ajla]

Ofcourse I had to read the series too, when I dicovered there was an Ayla in it! But I had been preparing my own tinctures and ointments before that. I do prefer trying out things I've collected, grown, made myself, before running to the doctor. Sage, calendula, thyme,camomile,mint, echinacea, elder blossom and berry, lime blossom, and things I look up if need arrives. What an interesting thread!

[TennOC]

TOH~ That "spit" is called a Spittlebug. It is actually a worm that sucks the sap of the plant and excretes a foam to hide from predators in. They don't do a lot of damage, but I just don't like the looks of them. I just pick off the part with the foam and step on it.

[TastyofHasty]

TennOC, yeah, it's kind of gross. I just googled "spittlebug organic", they said the same thing ... they don't do a LOT of damage and they're gone pretty soon, but they can suck the juice from plants and make the parts they suck turn brown. They suggest blasting them with a hose.

I do like peppermint tea, so maybe I'll try the hose idea, before chopping off a bunch of peppermint to dry. BTW, last year I did one of Jerry Baker's tips when drying peppermint: dunk the peppermint bunches in slightly salted boiling water for about 3 seconds; the slight coating of salt helps it to dry faster with less loss of flavor.

From Jerry Baker's Great Green Book of Garden Secrets (from library):

Here's an old-fashioned secret -- mints and parsley lose their flavor in drying, unless you use a salt solution as a fixative. Here's how to do it:

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart of water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Wash the herb leaves, place them in a strainer, and immerse them for 2 or 3 seconds in the boiling salted water. Then shake off the leaves, and place them on a screen to dry.

Ajla, I had not realized ... you're another AYLA. What a great name!:D And you're "into" herbs, too. That's cool.:cool: Now when I respond to your posts, it'll be like I'm talking to AYLA. Wow.

[Ajla]

TennOC, yeah, it's kind of gross. I just googled "spittlebug organic", they said the same thing ... they don't do a LOT of damage and they're gone pretty soon, but they can suck the juice from plants and make the parts they suck turn brown. They suggest blasting them with a hose.

I do like peppermint tea, so maybe I'll try the hose idea, before chopping off a bunch of peppermint to dry. BTW, last year I did one of Jerry Baker's tips when drying peppermint: dunk the peppermint bunches in slightly salted boiling water for about 3 seconds; the slight coating of salt helps it to dry faster with less loss of flavor.

From Jerry Baker's Great Green Book of Garden Secrets (from library):



Ajla, I had not realized ... you're another AYLA. What a great name!:D And you're "into" herbs, too. That's cool.:cool: Now when I respond to your posts, it'll be like I'm talking to AYLA. Wow.


Will I be able to live up to that??? In Scandinavian mythology the name means Oak, which I've always liked too. Strong, solitary, taking up its space.

[TastyofHasty]

Oak is the most dominant tree around here, for sure! There are all kinds. That IS nice.

[Lillian Osborne]

Hi TOH

And all you herb lovers.

Just want to say thanks for the salt water prep for preserving the flavor of dried mint and parsley. I had all but given up on drying either of them anymore for that very lack of taste in the finished product.

Now...if it would just work for basil!!!

Lillian

[TastyofHasty]

Lillian, I just picked and salt-dipped about 10 bunches of peppermint and chocolate mint today!

So ... it doesn't work for basil?

[herb girl]

Wow, thanks tasty! I'm going to add that book to my wish list on Amazon.
It will find a nice home next to the other hundred or so herb books on the shelf.
One can NEVER have too many books on herbs you know!
I love the list and am going to post it. Also like the idea about a pie list and would add veggies and fruits to it as well.

Wondering what zone that book was written for as your zone could change the months.......

This thread should be preserved for all the info. contained and the great web sites presented.

[TastyofHasty]

Herb Girl, I made up that list from what I had read and what I could remember about when things were ready around here. So it may not be absolutely RIGHT. Time to harvest peppermint should have been from about a month later through about now, I know that now 'cause I just harvested peppermint.

Also, wild grape leaves ... seem to be ready about now around here to be harvested. I picked a bunch yesterday and canned them, for future Stuffed Grape Leaves. This was my first time picking, and I had read on the 'net some advice to pick the "bright green, young leaves, not the old ones." As I was picking, I did notice that the grapevines were putting out long reaching tendrils with new bright green leaves on them. So I picked more of those as I went further along. Then when I got home, I dunked them all in a tub of cold water, then cut off the stems (all the ribs in the leaves come together at the stem, and you can cut off the whole confluence of ribs there with just a short cut of the knife), then sorted the leaves by size (came up with four different piles from "small" to "large.") As I was sorting them into piles, I tossed out ones with funny black spots or too many holes. Then dunked bunches of about 12 - 15 leaves in boiling water for 30 - 45 seconds, then wrapped the bunches into rolls that I packed into wide-mouth canning jars, added boiling salt water and citric acid, ... processed 'em 15 minutes in a boiling water bath ...

but I digress. Sorry. It was fascinating.

I was kind of hoping others on here might ADD to the list other herbal-type things by the month they are ready ... :D ... and of course, if you had a fun time preserving them, feel free to expound!

[Ajla]

Herb Girl, I made up that list from what I had read and what I could remember about when things were ready around here. So it may not be absolutely RIGHT. Time to harvest peppermint should have been from about a month later through about now, I know that now 'cause I just harvested peppermint.

Also, wild grape leaves ... seem to be ready about now around here to be harvested. I picked a bunch yesterday and canned them, for future Stuffed Grape Leaves. This was my first time picking, and I had read on the 'net some advice to pick the "bright green, young leaves, not the old ones." As I was picking, I did notice that the grapevines were putting out long reaching tendrils with new bright green leaves on them. So I picked more of those as I went further along. Then when I got home, I dunked them all in a tub of cold water, then cut off the stems (all the ribs in the leaves come together at the stem, and you can cut off the whole confluence of ribs there with just a short cut of the knife), then sorted the leaves by size (came up with four different piles from "small" to "large.") As I was sorting them into piles, I tossed out ones with funny black spots or too many holes. Then dunked bunches of about 12 - 15 leaves in boiling water for 30 - 45 seconds, then wrapped the bunches into rolls that I packed into wide-mouth canning jars, added boiling salt water and citric acid, ... processed 'em 15 minutes in a boiling water bath ...

but I digress. Sorry. It was fascinating.

I was kind of hoping others on here might ADD to the list other herbal-type things by the month they are ready ... :D ... and of course, if you had a fun time preserving them, feel free to expound!



OK, sorry, but it's too busy outside, to sit at the computer!
The main thing I've collected these days are lime flowers,
and I'm drunk with the scent of them!

[momol]

I have been collecting camomile flowers (german type) for tea. This year I skip drying mint,lemon balm and sage as I don't have anymore space to air dry them.

Ajla, what type of lime flower are you collecting ? I love their fragrance and they are grea it tea :).

[TastyofHasty]

I made stuffed grape leaves yesterday with some of the canned grape leaves I collected in June. Now that I've used them, I would now recommend for the future, ...

since there are so many kinds of grape leaves out there, shaped every which-way, the best and easiest to stuff are the simple kind of round-shaped grape leaves from the wild grapevines (with jaggedy edges). ... and I WILL ALWAYS collect grape leaves as long as I remember to do so, because stuffed grape leaves are GREAT!:D

BTW, I also used dried mint and several cubes of the lemon basil that were saved last year.

and looking at that list at the beginning of this thread, I think juniper berries could be collected all through the winter ... that would be an easy thing to do this beautiful New Year's day ...

[Ajla]

I got a sprig of rosemary from the garden, some thyme, and sage.
Oh, aren't those the ones from the song?
Wrong order, but that's the way I picked them,
and I didn't realize until writing it down!

[Painted Goat]

I make a habit of harvesting and storing a new herb each year along with all the ones I've learned about and harvested from the years before. I have been planting a whole bunch on my farm since I moved here and I've attempted to get others to try them. Red Clover is one of my favorites and I make a tea with red clover blossoms mixed with whatever else I'm in the mood for. I also harvest and dry hollyhock flowers to dry. Mostly because when I blend them in a tea they add a pretty fleck of pink or red to the green, but they are related to marshmallow and have similar properties.

Along with harvesting the herbs I'm also currently working on a materia medica which is information about each herb. I spend a day with the herb researching it and committing its talents to my memory. I'm really delighted that so many plants are rampant weeds that I can make use of. Plantain, pineapple weed, and dandelions are some of my favorite but I'm not sure if I'll have a lot of dandelion this year because I got ducks and the ducks absolutely attacked the dandelions when I first let them loose. Now that's organic weed control.

[DebbieG]

Hi everyone,
As always, I have a question about the oak...can it be the inner bark from any type of oak tree or is there a specific type of oak mentioned? And I too agree that removing a branch under 4" is much healthier for the tree than removing a chunk out of the trunk. It leaves a wound in the tree and makes it prone to "infections" and insect infestation. Better to make a clean cut from a branch and allow that to heal over. And never remove a branch that is bigger than 1/3 the diameter of the trunk, it will leave too big a wound and you could kill the tree.

Thanks,
DebbieG

[Painted Goat]

Hi everyone,
As always, I have a question about the oak...can it be the inner bark from any type of oak tree or is there a specific type of oak mentioned? And I too agree that removing a branch under 4" is much healthier for the tree than removing a chunk out of the trunk. It leaves a wound in the tree and makes it prone to "infections" and insect infestation. Better to make a clean cut from a branch and allow that to heal over. And never remove a branch that is bigger than 1/3 the diameter of the trunk, it will leave too big a wound and you could kill the tree.

Thanks,
DebbieG

The info I'm finding indicates the English Oak (Quercus robur), I'll keep looking.

[Painted Goat]

Also White Oak (Quercus alba)

[hikingonthru]

Yarrow blossoms, for instance, when dried and ground in the blender and mixed with baby powder, make it smell just like Gold Bond powder ... strongly spicy and nice. And yarrow grows wild around here, plus I dug some up and planted it in a garden area nearby. Any other would-be medicine women out there ... what do you actually USE?

When people have had a mild canker (sp?) sore or toothache or I have had a cold, straight yarrow rolled into a ball and crushed lightly with teeth directly to the area has been the ticket...LOTSA zinc in yarrow. And it is mildly numbing to the oral bucosa.

[DebbieG]

Paninted Goat,

Thank you for the info on the oak trees. We have several white oaks growing around here, I'm not sure about the English oaks though. I have to research that. My husband is an arborist, so I guess I will have to ask him. I am learning, but there are so many trees around here. I can probably identify about 50 or so by sight. We burn wood for heat so he is always saying to me, "what kind of wood is this?" :confused: I still get cherry and red oak confused if it is already split, but can identify it by the bark if it is standing or not split yet.:)

Once agian, thanks for the info

DebbieG

[herb girl]

What a classic thread! I looked up this book on amazon and it wasn't available.

You might also like "the Medicine makers handbook" it similar and very in depth.

http://www.amazon.com/Herbal-Medicine-Makers-Handbook-Manual/dp/0895949903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231255134&sr

[Quaniliaz]

What a great list! I know this is an old thread - but I've been meaning to make an herbal calender and this is a good start.

Here is another "Year in the life of an herbalist": http://www.prodigalgardens.info/weblog.htm

[urbanfarmer]

Hi all-
I have been experimenting with tinctures and stumbled on this thread today. here are some of the herbs I have "brewing" now:
lemon balm- this is my favorite herb of the moment...I drink it as an herbal tea alot and decided to make a tincture for the winter months as it does not store well dried. it keeps me calm and centered.
catnip
california poppy-sedative
basil for colds and flu-for the winter months after we've eaten all the pesto
feverfew-for a friend who has migraines.

I will be purchasing elderberry extract for the flu season.just in case "they" are right :p

There are tinctures available on localharvest.org is anyone is looking for a source for something that they don't grow themselves.

T.

[Liberty_Man]

Interesting thread... i recognize the names of alot of those herbs you listed ToH.. just don't know what they all do yet. I'll have to find a copy of that book i guess now.

Better be quiet about being able to make your own medicine though.. wouldn't want the ninjas knocking down your door if they find out we can make our own for free or at the very least far, far cheaper than the phamomonopolies. Word gets out these plants will be on the endangered species list after we declare war on them. Might take us a quadzillion dollars and millions of destroyed familes..and a couple more years... but we can do it.. we can make all those extinct before we blow the planet up for good.

[TastyofHasty]

LM, me, I'd kinda doubt the pharmamonopolies are much worried about us.:p Now I'm kinda worried about THEM. Whenever I hear "talk to your DOCTOR" on ANOTHER ad on TV it just makes me conjure up warm and fuzzy ideas about sitting around having nice long talks with "my" doctor ... about this drug and that drug and the OTHER drug ... but Reality says, "it ain't gonna happen.":cool:

[urbanfarmer]

the pharmanopolies are too busy making sure everyone gets their injection of the live flu virus! Yea!

[cyra]

Hi all-
I have been experimenting with tinctures and stumbled on this thread today. here are some of the herbs I have "brewing" now:
lemon balm- this is my favorite herb of the moment...I drink it as an herbal tea alot and decided to make a tincture for the winter months as it does not store well dried. it keeps me calm and centered.
catnip
california poppy-sedative
basil for colds and flu-for the winter months after we've eaten all the pesto
feverfew-for a friend who has migraines.

I will be purchasing elderberry extract for the flu season.just in case "they" are right :p

There are tinctures available on localharvest.org is anyone is looking for a source for something that they don't grow themselves.

T.
It's very easy to make elderberry tincture...I made some today, when I noticed my supply was getting low.
For 20 gram dried elderberries you'd use 50 ml alcohol, (I'm using 151 proof grain alc.) and 50 ml water in a 303 ml. container. Macerate 4-6 wks., shaking daily, strain through coffee filter or what have you, (I use a mesh tea strainer), and bottle.
Done, and at less than half the cost of purchasing it, plus tax, shipping, whatever.

[TastyofHasty]

cyra, HOW do you measure "grams?" Also milliliters. I mostly ignore recipes in grams & milliliters, ((:o)) but it would be handy to be able to use them!

Anybody ever propagate elderberries from existing plants? I planted two kinds several years ago, but they're not doing all that great, so I'd love to take cuttings to be planted, once they've got roots, out closer to the edge of the woods, maybe.

[cyra]

cyra, HOW do you measure "grams?" Also milliliters. I mostly ignore recipes in grams & milliliters, ((:o)) but it would be handy to be able to use them!

Anybody ever propagate elderberries from existing plants? I planted two kinds several years ago, but they're not doing all that great, so I'd love to take cuttings to be planted, once they've got roots, out closer to the edge of the woods, maybe.

I use a metric/standard kitchen scale, and a measuring container that expresses units in mls.
My elders aren't doing so hot either, this year. Of course it would help if the local landscaper quit chopping them down, thinking they were weeds...sigh. I've put metal cages around them, to prevent this, -will see.

[TastyofHasty]

Well, a local landscaper must be KINDA nice to have! Hopefully the metal cages ought to make him stop chopping your elderberries, cyra!

I will have to get with the times and start dealing with grams and milliliters I GUESS. huh.

[cyra]

I use the word "landscaper" euphemistically. The landlady contracted with him to cut the grass and turn on/off the sprinkler system here.
He pulls out all my herbs as weeds, butchers the trees and shrubs, (cuts them down to a 1' height, no matter what the plant is, he calls it "trimming" them) and rakes away my mulch, says it's unsightly. I promptly put out more.
We battle constantly. I've even tried bribing him, (tomatoes and peppers) he accepts the bribes, tries to flirt with me, and when that gets a less than favorable response, proceeds to destroy my plantings, again.
I planted highly nutritious nettles this year...enough for my family, ---and some just for him:D!

[stone]

I use the word "landscaper" euphemistically. The landlady contracted with him to cut the grass and turn on/off the sprinkler system here.
He pulls out all my herbs as weeds, butchers the trees and shrubs, (cuts them down to a 1' height, no matter what the plant is, he calls it "trimming" them) and rakes away my mulch, says it's unsightly. I promptly put out more.
We battle constantly. I've even tried bribing him, (tomatoes and peppers) he accepts the bribes, tries to flirt with me, and when that gets a less than favorable response, proceeds to destroy my plantings, again.
I planted highly nutritious nettles this year...enough for my family, ---and some just for him:D!

How come those turf maintenance guys get to claim the term "landscaper"?

Wish I could tell you some way to get through to your nemesis, I think that you'd be doing better to talk to the landlady... he works for her, & apparently isn't concerned about the tenants. Unfortunately, you can't change people, in spite of how bad they need fixing...

In this economy, he should be easy to replace... Maybe you could offer to do the job for something off the rent.... Or find a friendlier place to live... in this economy, shouldn't be too hard. Let the land lady know that you're looking,(because of the turf guy) maybe she'll sack him.

[cyra]

How come those turf maintenance guys get to claim the term "landscaper"?

Wish I could tell you some way to get through to your nemesis, I think that you'd be doing better to talk to the landlady... he works for her, & apparently isn't concerned about the tenants. Unfortunately, you can't change people, in spite of how bad they need fixing...

In this economy, he should be easy to replace... Maybe you could offer to do the job for something off the rent.... Or find a friendlier place to live... in this economy, shouldn't be too hard. Let the land lady know that you're looking,(because of the turf guy) maybe she'll sack him.

Speaking to my landlady isn't an option for me, Stone. I try to stay under the radar; I'm not permitted pets, and have 5 cats, none of which I chose to have, but still, I didn't turn them away to be euthanized, either. I'm at fault in the situation, so dealing with this fellow is one of the prices I pay. And I've made it clear to my kids that they are absolutely not to rescue any more kittens, and neither will I. Hate to be that way, but there you have it.

[stone]

Speaking to my landlady isn't an option for me, Stone. I try to stay under the radar.

You can't offer to do the job for something off the rent? How hard is it to push the lawn mower around a couple times a month? Consider the benefits of not having that stranger in your yard...

Think of it as looking out for the kids...

[cyra]

You can't offer to do the job for something off the rent? How hard is it to push the lawn mower around a couple times a month? Consider the benefits of not having that stranger in your yard...

Think of it as looking out for the kids...
If it was up to me, Stone, there wouldn't be a lawn, period. Just garden. And no, I would not offer to do the job for the landlady, (she has this yard service do all her properties, as well as ones she manages). During three mos. every summer, I work every single night, often 12 hr. shifts, doing lawns when I come home is not an option, during summers there is only enough energy to eat, sleep, and return to work. The rest of the year my hours are more normal. And our landlady doesn't give anything off rent to anyone, she's a very efficient business person, I cannot fault her for being good at what she does. She manages other people's properties for a living, as well. I will work this out, one way or another. I put large cages around my bushes and trees earlier this week, the fellow came this morning, mowed the lawn, and left...so far so good.

[ozarkmomma2003]

I have a landscaper that must be related to this guy! He mows, prunes and trims with the riding lawn mower! He is nice though, works for food, hes kinda cute in a aggravating sort of way. thats why I married him you know!! LOL
Heres what I did. You ever hear of the saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? That what i did to my dear hubby. I learned what was important to him. He LOVES his tractor!! So I put pretty rocks around anything he better not touch. Big Sharp, Gnarley rocks that will cause flat tires and bent mower blades. Its the only advantage to living in Stone County!!!
Your wire cages may work better than anything!

[chickweed]

I have a landscaper that must be related to this guy! He mows, prunes and trims with the riding lawn mower! He is nice though, works for food, hes kinda cute in a aggravating sort of way. thats why I married him you know!! LOL
Heres what I did. You ever hear of the saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? That what i did to my dear hubby. I learned what was important to him. He LOVES his tractor!! So I put pretty rocks around anything he better not touch. Big Sharp, Gnarley rocks that will cause flat tires and bent mower blades. Its the only advantage to living in Stone County!!!
Your wire cages may work better than anything!

I have one of those, too! Wire cages work great for single plants. Sticks connected with twine around larger areas work if I put something colorful to wave on the twine so he sees it. My goal is to eventually have no grass, just walk on me herbs and wild flowers.

[BradMM]

How come those turf maintenance guys get to claim the term "landscaper"?

Ok, I know full well that there are reasons that stereotypes get started and I complain about the "unqualified," too, but the REAL reason that "those turf guys" get to claim the term "landscaper" is because THE PEOPLE HIRING THEM DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENCE! :mad: So who's to blame here??? If they paid professional wages for professional work, guess what... odds are that you get much better results. If you don't know what to ask for in the work, don't know what to look for in the work and/or simply don't care because you're trying to save a buck, you'll likely get crappy work from unqualified people. This applies in any industry.

Signed, a turf guy for 30+ years with a master's degree who manages a college campus landscape and teaches horticulture, currently teaching Turfgrass Management... and is an organic gardener. :rolleyes:

[chickweed]

Ok, I know full well that there are reasons that stereotypes get started and I complain about the "unqualified," too, but the REAL reason that "those turf guys" get to claim the term "landscaper" is because THE PEOPLE HIRING THEM DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENCE! :mad: So who's to blame here??? If they paid professional wages for professional work, guess what... odds are that you get much better results. If you don't know what to ask for in the work, don't know what to look for in the work and/or simply don't care because you're trying to save a buck, you'll likely get crappy work from unqualified people. This applies in any industry.

Signed, a turf guy for 30+ years with a master's degree who manages a college campus landscape and teaches horticulture, currently teaching Turfgrass Management... and is an organic gardener. :rolleyes:

Rant on, Brad! I with you 100%. The adage "you get what you pay for" definitely holds true in your field. There is "lawn care" and there is landscape maintenance - and the two are as far apart as plastic plants and live orchids.

[BradMM]

Rant on, Brad!

:D

[ovenbird]

I remember going out in February, cutting a root of a sassafras tree, peeling off the outer layer of the bark and shaving the inner bark into a pan of water for tea. Then "they" started saying sassafras was carcinogenic.

[TastyofHasty]

Wow, this is an old thread. So ... November ... pick juniper berries is all I put. And so, what do we pick in December?

This reminds me about wanting to grow goldenseal, though. Now that I have a bigger garden with better dirt, maybe I can grow some right in the garden where no wildcrafter would dare to tread. I wonder if it would like hiding under something nitrogen fixing, like autumn olive?:rolleyes:

This past year has been so rainy and cool I've practically forgotten about drought!

[chickweed]

I remember going out in February, cutting a root of a sassafras tree, peeling off the outer layer of the bark and shaving the inner bark into a pan of water for tea. Then "they" started saying sassafras was carcinogenic.

"They" say a lot of things that I don't pay too much attention to. Wait a few years and "they" will contradict themselves. My grandfather always had a big glass jar of sassafras root shavings and he drank the tea daily. He died at the age of 94 from old age. Now I keep a glass jar of sassafras root shavings for tea - going to die of something!

Besides, rootbeer just is not the same without it!

[chickweed]

Wow, this is an old thread. So ... November ... pick juniper berries is all I put. And so, what do we pick in December?

This reminds me about wanting to grow goldenseal, though. Now that I have a bigger garden with better dirt, maybe I can grow some right in the garden where no wildcrafter would dare to tread. I wonder if it would like hiding under something nitrogen fixing, like autumn olive?:rolleyes:

This past year has been so rainy and cool I've practically forgotten about drought!

This is one of those threads that needs a good bump every now and then:D

[stone]

Ok, I know full well that there are reasons that stereotypes get started and I complain about the "unqualified," too, but the REAL reason that "those turf guys" get to claim the term "landscaper" is because THE PEOPLE HIRING THEM DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENCE! :mad: So who's to blame here??? If they paid professional wages for professional work, guess what... odds are that you get much better results. If you don't know what to ask for in the work, don't know what to look for in the work and/or simply don't care because you're trying to save a buck, you'll likely get crappy work from unqualified people. This applies in any industry.

Signed, a turf guy for 30+ years with a master's degree who manages a college campus landscape and teaches horticulture, currently teaching Turfgrass Management... and is an organic gardener. :rolleyes:
Thanks 4 posting, Brad...
I was taught about turf-maintenance in the master gardening class, I know there's more 2 it then just getting a lawn mower, string trimmer, & edger...

I still refuse to touch turf... My idea of good turf maintenance is to replace it with anything... nobody has cows or goats, sheep anymore, no reason for those huge water guzzling expanses of grass.

As a garden guy who gets to hang out in OP's flower gardens all day, with their butterflies & humming birds, + get paid for it... I haven't seen any of the various turf management crews who seemed to know a heck of a lot... it's all about get in, get out, and get to the next mind-numbing patch of turf.

I get to do the fun stuff, and none of the turf guys mind... You couldn't get them to do what I do anyway...

[BradMM]

My idea of good turf maintenance is to replace it with anything... nobody has cows or goats, sheep anymore, no reason for those huge water guzzling expanses of grass.

What I do at work and what I do at home are two very different things. We bought a house with a bright green St. Augustine lawn and a sprinkler system. After two months of hearing my wife scream at the water bill, I killed all the St. Augustine and there's only native understory plants underneath the Cedar Elms now.

I dug up some of the irrigation system - close to the curb where they ALWAYS put water in the street - and added a new valve for my garden for a drip zone. The only time I use the system now is occasionally on the garden but I actually prefer hand watering so I can see what things need individually.

Brad

[stone]

What I do at work and what I do at home are two very different things. We bought a house with a bright green St. Augustine lawn and a sprinkler system. After two months of hearing my wife scream at the water bill, I killed all the St. Augustine and there's only native understory plants underneath the Cedar Elms now.

I dug up some of the irrigation system - close to the curb where they ALWAYS put water in the street - and added a new valve for my garden for a drip zone. The only time I use the system now is occasionally on the garden but I actually prefer hand watering so I can see what things need individually.

Brad
Bully!
Now... talk to your clients... bring them around to the right thing...

What I do at work and what I do at home are the same...
It's wrong to let $ dictate your conscience.

[BradMM]

Bully!

I don't have clients... I have a university campus (full time) and university students (part time). The former is all about politics so not much I can do there but the latter are on board almost all the time.

[ozarkmomma2003]

OOOOOoooooh, U all made me need some tea! I love reading this stuff!

[chickweed]

Me, too! Let's keep this thread alive. I plan to harvest my lemon tea this week - lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon balm, lemon basils....

Also time to gather pineapple sage, any basils that are left, garden sages, rosemary, marjoram....

Time to start moving tender herbs to greenhouse and take tip cuttings of those that are not in pots and are too big to move. Even though I have some herbs that I can harvest fresh as needed all winter, having dried on hand is better for some recipes and for those nasty days I don't want to go out.

[TastyofHasty]

chickweed, what herbs are you taking tip cuttings of? Do you plant in perlite - potting mix, put in sunny window?

[chickweed]

Tasty - I have better luck with commercial sterile potting mixes or sand. I have 4 of those pop up greenhouses - three connected to make one large 10' x 30' tunnel with shelves on each side hubs made with boards and cinderblocks. It is unheated, but the sun warms its during the day, and I am and going to close off the center one for cuttings, so when I unzip the outer ones no cold air will rush in. (Hubs also ran a heavy duty drop cord and power strip for me so I can use a fan, radio, ceramic heater... I think he wants me to move out there).

I do tip cutting of lavenders, rosemaries, Mexican Bush Sage, Pineapple Sage, Lemon Verbena, feverfew,.... and some flowers like jasmines, coral honeysuckle, hydrangea... I like to have things that my repeat customers come to me for, ready for the early farmers markets.http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af335/belroigardens/016.jpg

side view of greenhouse -with dirty windows from being rolled up all summer

[ozarkmomma2003]

Wow! I am humbled! Now back to the tips.... How do you start the lavender? mine molds n dies

[chickweed]

I do lavender in sand, with rooting hormone or willow water and keep them loosely covered with clear lid or clear bag. Lavender and rosemary are the ones I have the most trouble with, but every one I can get to root and keep alive is one less cell pack I have to buy at the wholesale nursery next spring.

[TastyofHasty]

chickweed, I would never have thought of putting three popup greenhouses in a row! How do they stand up to wind? Your hubs sounds handy!

I have the same problem with lavender, ozarkmomma. Plus, with all the rain this past year, my once 3-foot lavender plant has died back to about one foot. I've got some oyster shell hen calcium around here SOMEplace, need to find it!

[chickweed]

chickweed, I would never have thought of putting three popup greenhouses in a row! How do they stand up to wind? Your hubs sounds handy!

I have the same problem with lavender, ozarkmomma. Plus, with all the rain this past year, my once 3-foot lavender plant has died back to about one foot. I've got some oyster shell hen calcium around here SOMEplace, need to find it!

Tasty, if you forget to stake them (they come with sturdy stakes), they get airborn in 25 mph wind:eek: (don't ask)... But if you stake them, no problem. The single one I keep in the shade has withstood 70 plus gusts. Since the other 3 are zipped together, I imagine they are even more secure. And yes, I waited 30 years between marriages - waited for a winner. He goes out of his way to make sure things are easier for me to do. Now, if I could just get a housekeeper.....

[TastyofHasty]

chickweed, your greenhouses look similar to this, right?
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/flowerhouse-pop-up-dreamhouse-.aspx?a=380564

I wonder, for even more space, if you could space them about 8 feet away from one another and then just cover the open space with more plastic ...

Here is a kind of low-to-the-ground pop-up plastic thingy that I've been thinking might come in handy for chinese cabbage and so on ...
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/flowerhouse-pop-up-rowhouse-.aspx?a=380562
Anybody use these things?

[chickweed]

Tasty - the big one are like mine. Interesting concept with the spacing - do you mean completely covering the spacing, to the ground between them like a high tunnel or just a canopy between?

I have considered the small one you use - the mobility of it - but always end up buying blood meal or fish emulsion.....wish I had an unlimited income! Hubs is building my raised beds high enough for me to sit on, so I can use rolls of clear plastic over them for the same effect, but they are not portable.

[TastyofHasty]

chickweed, you be extra nice to hubs, now! What a blessing! I s'pect he knows he's the one in 30-year "special," though.

There was a book by a couple named Poisson ... let's see ... MEN had an article ...
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1995-02-01/Larger-Garden-Yields.aspx?page=8
Here's a pic out of Mother Earth News image gallery that, to me, is one of the exciting things about their book,
http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=72030&seq=5
showing the idea with "moveable raised beds" you can put boards to walk across and make extreme intensive use of your garden area, me, I thought that would be really handy for folks with limited space ... then you can put plastic over the top, or make their "pods" if you're "handy" ... or have a hubs that's handy ... ((sigh!)) :rolleyes: ... you can pick up the frames and move if you want to into a different conformation, plus with all frames lifted, you can just till the whole area with a tiller and put the frames back down again.

Yeah, I was thinking about exactly that with the plastic. You'd probably need to run some kind of supports across, though. And the problem with plastic greenhouses I've found around here is WIND. Which is why I'm starting up a semi-underground greenhouse "pankar huyu."

But that low-to-the-ground greenhouse thingy (second link in my post above) might fit right on top of a 12-foot by 2-foot frame ...

[chickweed]

chickweed, you be extra nice to hubs, now! What a blessing! I s'pect he knows he's the one in 30-year "special," though.

There was a book by a couple named Poisson ... let's see ... MEN had an article ...
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1995-02-01/Larger-Garden-Yields.aspx?page=8
Here's a pic out of Mother Earth News image gallery that, to me, is one of the exciting things about their book,
http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=72030&seq=5
showing the idea with "moveable raised beds" you can put boards to walk across and make extreme intensive use of your garden area, me, I thought that would be really handy for folks with limited space ... then you can put plastic over the top, or make their "pods" if you're "handy" ... or have a hubs that's handy ... ((sigh!)) :rolleyes: ... you can pick up the frames and move if you want to into a different conformation, plus with all frames lifted, you can just till the whole area with a tiller and put the frames back down again.

Yeah, I was thinking about exactly that with the plastic. You'd probably need to run some kind of supports across, though. And the problem with plastic greenhouses I've found around here is WIND. Which is why I'm starting up a semi-underground greenhouse "pankar huyu."

LOL - I remind him daily about how lucky he is to have me:D
We have a lot of tulip poplars to clear out to make more planting area (I used to wish I had one - but now I have thousands, because they grow like bamboo) in full sun. I use big high caliper planters as portable raised beds so I can place them in sunny locations and not have to dig through tree roots. I know tires are ugly, but I use them as portable raised beds, too - they hold heat and extend the season. The tires are free, and we are not visible from the road- who cares what they look like?

Wind is a big factor on the beach ,where I was growing before I met hubs. He situated the house where there is a small 20 foot drop of flat land surrounded by woods for a windbreak, and cleared just enough for pasture land. There hasn't been a horse here for over 20 years and the poplars have encroached, but high winds are only occasional.

I like the sunken greenhouse idea. My best friend lives in the Shenandoah foothills and has an area that is a natural - no digging needed that she has covered for a big cold frame/high tunnel .

BTW - we use the wood from the trees we cut down, and we only cut down the poplars unless a tree is sick or damaged.

[w8in4dave]

Tasty - I have better luck with commercial sterile potting mixes or sand. I have 4 of those pop up greenhouses - three connected to make one large 10' x 30' tunnel with shelves on each side hubs made with boards and cinderblocks. It is unheated, but the sun warms its during the day, and I am and going to close off the center one for cuttings, so when I unzip the outer ones no cold air will rush in. (Hubs also ran a heavy duty drop cord and power strip for me so I can use a fan, radio, ceramic heater... I think he wants me to move out there).

I do tip cutting of lavenders, rosemaries, Mexican Bush Sage, Pineapple Sage, Lemon Verbena, feverfew,.... and some flowers like jasmines, coral honeysuckle, hydrangea... I like to have things that my repeat customers come to me for, ready for the early farmers markets.http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af335/belroigardens/016.jpg

side view of greenhouse -with dirty windows from being rolled up all summer

Very nice chickweed :D

[chickweed]

Very nice chickweed :D

Thankee m'am. All I did was pay for them - Hubs did the rest!

[w8in4dave]

Mine is still just the frame... Sniffle.. It blew apart and he just lets the frame sit.. Sniffle sniffle

[TastyofHasty]

Mine is still just the frame too, 'cause it blew apart, and I took the bottom frame sections right OFF and moved the whole top over above where my Chinese cabbages are now. It's still low sixties during the day here, so not ready to put on the plastic cover yet!

W8in, stop w8in ... get on out there and do it etc.:cool: chickweed's just awfully lucky! ... or a good planner ... or whatever. Anyway, woman, remember Helen Reddy ..