Carolee's Herb Farm

Carolee's Herb Farm

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May E-Newsletter

Only 7, yes that’s 7 weeks left for this season!  Time is flying by.  Memorial Day is nearly here, and I’ve barely started planting anywhere except the Cook’s and Cottage Gardens.  If it’s not storming, it’s drizzling, or looking like the skies are ready to open at any moment.  I know I shouldn’t complain, since we aren’t flooded or flattened by tornadoes, but it is still frustrating.  We haven’t even finished mowing once!  At least the weeds pull easily and the cool weather is making the pansies last lots longer.  I hope to begin planting big-time this week, sun or no sun.
     It’s hard to believe that Hedgehog & Hollyhock Day last Saturday was our last special event until Lavender Daze.  We’ll be at the Garden Fair in Muncie on June 4th & 5th and attending the HAS conference in Pittsburgh in June, so with other commitments there was just no day available.  There are only four workshops left for this year, so if you are interested, sign up quickly.

New Plants!
We’ve added dozens of varieties of new plants in the past two weeks.  We’re finally catching up on the dividing and potting, things have begun to grow, and the benches are filling.  If you came earlier in the season, come again to see what’s new!

Lavender
Many of you have been asking when the lavender will be blooming.  It’s always difficult to tell, due to strange weather, but we will keep you posted on the website.  Right now, many of the lavenders are already budded, even though the stems are very short so far.  That’s surprising since we’ve had so much rain and cloudy weather.  One would think the stems would be stretching up searching for sunlight, but such is not the case this year!  As I said, it’s just strange!  We’ll be adding more varieties to the sales area, and to the lavender field.  I just can’t resist grabbing a variety that’s missing from my growing collection, even though I really, really don’t need any more lavenders or lavandins to harvest!  It’s just too much fun to watch them grow, compare the bloom colors, size & fragrance.  I enjoy them all year round! 

Mark your Calendar—Lavender Daze, July 9 & 10th.   The Lavender Field is looking good, except for those persistent bindweed vines that keep popping up.  Many varieties are already budded!  On Lavender Daze, we’ll have a full schedule of talks and demos using this fragrant, fantastic plant.  You won’t want to miss it, so bring your camera and a friend!  And remember that July 10th is our final day for the 2011 season!

 

Chive Blossoms
Aren't the rosy blooms of chives gorgeous right now?  I wish they lasted all summer. They are so pretty and cheerful in the garden, but they are also versatile in the kitchen.  Pick the blossoms and tear them apart into salads or cottage cheese.  Chop the flowers into butter to serve on crackers or steamed vegetables.  Mix the flowers into cream cheese to spread on tiny tea sandwiches.  Pop the flowers from the stems and put them into white vinegar. Cover tightly and let it steep for two weeks.  The vinegar will take on a beautiful pink color and mild onion  flavor that is terrific in salad dressings, meat marinades, or sprinkled into stir-fry.
   If cooking is not your forte, pick the flower stems at the base, bunch them into a rubber band and hang to dry.  We have a bunch on the china cabinet in the classroom that is just as pretty as the day we dried them two years ago!  We also use them in our culinary wreaths.
   If the flowers are not picked, they will produce seeds that will drop and form tiny new grass-like plants everywhere around the parent plants.

 

A Weed to Know
The rain has caused many weeds to thrive, and it seems impossible to keep up with their rampant growth.  This week I worked in the Shade Garden, where a sprawling weed with sticky stems and leaves was merrily taking over.  The plant looks similar to madder, and also bears a little resemblance to its cousin, sweet woodruff in that its leaves circle around the stem like wheel spokes.  It has small ball-shaped seed pods that are also sticky.  I find them on Wicca’s coat, my socks and my jacket cuffs.  The plant is generally known as cleavers but common folk often call it “goosegrass.”  The scientific name (Galium aparine) comes from the Greek word “aparo” which means “to seize” and that’s exactly what the plant does.  It clings to everything!  It is a member of the bedstraw family that includes madder and sweet woodruff, and like madder, the roots of cleavers will yield a red dye.
     Dioscorides mentions that stems of cleavers were matted together to form a strainer for milk.  I guess that was before cheesecloth was invented, but I can see that it would work, and it wouldn’t take long to gather enough sticky strands to make one.  Early writers even advised eating cleavers as an early spring vegetable, claiming that it was a tonic for the blood and liver and as a colon cleanser.  Some also recommended the plant as a dressing for wounds or to induce sleep.
     Interestingly, lacemakers stuck the green seed balls on pins to make the heads larger so the forming lace would not slip out of place.  The small seeds apparently also make a good coffee substitute, but I can’t imagine having the patience to make it.  One must gather the stems and allow them to wither and dry.  Pick the seeds off and place them in cold water, allowing all the excess debris and seed coatings to float to the surface.  Drain, spreading the black seeds in a shallow pan to roast in a hot oven for about 20 min.  Cool and grind the seeds.  Use 2-3 T. per pint of boiling water, steeping 10 min before straining in to cups.
     Cleavers was also used as an underarm deodorant, which many claim is very effective.  Place a large handful of stalks and leaves in a quart of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min.  Cool, strain and bottle.  The decoction keeps for about a week. 
     The plant is an annual, widespread, growing in sun or shade and reaching a height of 3’.  If you would like to try either of these recipes but do not have cleavers in your garden, come weed them out of mine!

IN THE GARDEN
1) Keep the Hummingbird feeder cleaned and filled, and plant some of their favorite plants in gardens or containers..cardinal climber vine, coral bells, cardinal flower, red nicotiana, & sages all attract and feed our little flying friends.
2) Plant sweet alyssum close to seating areas now to enjoy its fragrance, and let it self-seed, so you can enjoy it again later.
3) Keep pansies deadheaded to prolong bloom, and remember they are heavy feeders, so fertilize when you water.  Move containers of pansies into partial afternoon shade when the days get hot.
4) Dead head daffodils and other spring bulbs, but allow the foliage to ripen and turn brown before you remove it. 
5) Prune spring flowering shrubs right after they bloom
6) The first feeding for the lawn needs to be done around Memorial Day
7) Enjoy the Dames Rocket, Columbines, May Queen Shastas, Lungworts, Forget-Me-Nots, Hellebores, Bleeding Hearts, Irises and all the other bloomers that are filling the garden with color after the bulbs.
8) Plant some containers with annuals in your favorite colors to pop into the garden areas close to patios and decks, if nothing is blooming there.  You can move them around as needed, or collect them into a grouping for parties.
9) Scissor mums every two-three weeks, so they will get really bushy and sturdy.  Stop trimming July 4th.
10) Check lilies, peonies, bellflowers and other tall perennials for staking needs—it’s been a windy Spring.


Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
Specifically French Tarragon, is a culinary delight.  Its scientific name dracunculus comes from the Greek word drakon, or dragon.   In olden days, it was called “The Biting Dragon” and peasants grew it just in case an errant dragon might bite them, for it was said to cure dragon bites.  It was also used as a tonic for the heart and liver and to clear the head of fuzzy thinking.  In general in those days, it was chopped with other greens into salads and soups or stews. 
     Helen Fox reports in “Gardening with Herbs” that Ibn Baithar was the first European to write about tarragon, saying that the Syrians cooked it with other vegetables and that the juice was a precious drink of the kings of India for its medicinal effects.  It is commonly called “Little Dragon” for the burning sensation is leaves on the tip of the tongue when chewed.  Its flavor is a combination of anise and thyme.  The plant is native to Siberia, but was quickly adopted by the French, who call it “Herbe au dragon” and quickly discovered that tarragon made an excellent flavoring for vinegar.  In fact, Alexander Dumas said that no vinegar is good without it.   Soon afterwards another adventurous cook incorporated it into Sauce Tartare.  French Tarragon is essential in Bearnaise and Ravigote sauces.   Most chefs agree that tarragon is perfect with chicken, to flavor brown stock, mayonnaise and fish sauces.
     True French Tarragon is a perennial that prefers a sunny location with good drainage.  It cannot be grown from seed so it is propagated from divisions or cuttings taken in very early spring.  French Tarragon generally grows to about 18” in height, with dark green, alternate slender leaves that are smooth.  Some authorities suggest that dividing the plant every three to four years keeps it vigorous.  Packets of seed that are labeled “Tarragon” are generally Russian Tarragon, an artemisia that is a rampant self-seeder often reaching 5’.  It is nearly void of flavor, and will take over the entire neighborhood in a flash, so avoid it.
Here’s a recipe I found years ago in “A Garden of Recipes” by Cynthia Gibson, published by Country Living Gardener magazine.  If you find this cookbook in a used bookstore, grab it.  I use this recipe often for tea sandwiches for children and especially for vegetarians.  It’s pretty enough to use for a ladies luncheon.  You can also leave the ingredients more coarse and use it as a salad.

Recipe:  Carrot-Tarragon Sandwiches
3 c. coarsely grated carrots  3 T. fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
½ c. chopped walnuts   2 T. powdered sugar
½ c. mayonnaise   ½ c. sour cream
8 slices bread    dash salt, freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients except bread.  Spread mixture evenly on 4 slices.  Cover with remaining slices.  Slice into halves or quarters and serve.
Note:  I’ve also substituted anise hyssop, chervil, or fennel for the tarragon and it’s delicious.  You can also try other herbs, like lemon thyme, mint, or summer savory!  The mixture is great in pita pockets, too.

That’s it for May!   We will start having a cart of “free” plants this week, as a thank-you for our customers.  We’ll add things as I begin to sort out the greenhouse and finish planting the gardens. 
     Remember to take a few moments on Memorial Day weekend to remember your ancestors and departed family members.  I’m taking a day off this week to put flowers on family graves, clean grave sites, and visit with other family members.  It’s important to remember your roots.   Herbal Blessings,  Carolee


*************Carolee’s E-coupon for May**************
 Look for a wagon of daylilies on sale!  These named varieties have lost their labels, so we are selling them at a greatly reduced price.  If you want gorgeous, hardy plants, and don’t care what color they are, this is for you!  Or, keep them potted until they bloom and then plant them where they blend well!  Limit 3 per coupon, and 1 coupon per customer.  Valid until June 18th.

*************Carolee’s Barn Gift Shop coupon***************
10% off any item that is bird themed!  Bird houses, bird feeders, and more….Remember Father’s Day is coming soon!  One coupon  per customer.  Valid through June 18th.

                     ****************Carolee’s Cottage Coupon*******************
10% off any wooden item for sale in the Cottage.  One item per customer.  Valid through June 18th.