I was able to get a little work done outside this week. The kids and I, ok, mostly the kids, spread newspaper and cardboard over this butterfly garden in the front yard.
Saturday on the Farm – Strawberries, Asparagus, Kittens, & Snow!
Spring in Kentucky has turned into a roller coaster event. First, snow and cold. Next warm, sunny weather, in the 70’s. Then the very next day, it’s in the 20’s and it’s snowing! True story! lol
In between the snow and the cold, we’ve started working on the gardens.
Saturday on the Farm – Weeds and Their Medicinal Uses
This week I thought I’d share some interest plants around the farm and some of the ways they are used. All, with the exception of the Raspberries, are considered weeds. Weeds that have medicinal uses.
Our Red Raspberries are growing again. We always get a harvest in the spring, and a larger harvest in the fall. Red Raspberries have many nutrients in them, including the much talked about antioxidants. You can also use the Red Raspberry leaves to make a tea that is useful for female problems, and helpful during labor. I haven’t tried the tea, but I love to eat the berries while standing at the vine. I practically have to fight my kids for them. lol
Plantain can be used externally or internally for a lot of different conditions. We use it for bug bites when we’re outside. When you get bit, just pull a leaf off, chew it for a few seconds to break it down and release the juices. Then apply it to the bug bite. It stops the itching almost immediately. I know, your thinking, “Chew it?!?!” It just tastes like grass, No I haven’t actually eaten grass, but if you ever used grass between your fingers as a whistle when you were a kid like I did, you probably got the taste of grass in your mouth. I know I did. You can use the leaf like I mentioned already, you can make a tincture, a poultice, an ointment, or juice it. You can wash with the juice, or gargle with it, or drink it.
Jewelweed is a bush that has beautiful little flowers and fun little seed pods after the flower dies. When you touch the seed pods they “explode” and propel a seed a few feet. That’s how Jewelweed gets it’s other name, Touch Me Nots. The kids love to go around the yard exploding the seed pods. Ok, I admit it, I do, too! lol One of the uses for Jewelweed leaves is poison ivy. Make a tincture from the leaves and put directly on the rash. Or use the leaves or tincture to make a soap to wash the rash with.
I’ve had this plant come up in front of my house for a few years now. I didn’t know what it was, just that it was interesting looking, so I left it. I recently learned that it is Poke Berry, Poke Week, Ink Weed, Poke Sallet, or Pokeroot. Many names for the same plant. The young shoots can be eaten in the spring. A lot of people here in Kentucky eat Poke Sallet, as the young shoots are called. I have never eaten it, though.
I found an interesting article with a lot of information on the medicinal uses of Pokeberry. I don’t plan on trying any of them anytime soon, as there can be some intense digestive system side effects if taken incorrectly. I prefer to avoid those side effects. lol
Do you have any interesting or medicinal plants growing in your yard?
NOTE: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet. This post is for information purposes only. Do your own research, and consult your healthcare provider before using anything mentioned here. Please do so, as I can’t come to y’all’s house and make you chicken soup if you get sick. 🙂
The Burning Bush in My Bible Garden
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Blooming Flowers
We finally got a break from the heat and humidity. It’s only been in the 80’s the last two days, with a breeze! It feels like fall already. But I can’t be fooled. I know we have at least 2 months of hot weather before it cools down for fall. We have enjoyed the last couple days though!
Here’s a Morning Glory I found growing on a cedar tree.
I finally got some blooms on the flowers on the front porch.
A very pretty pink flower. I’m pretty sure this is a Cosmos, but the plant take disappeared. Unfortunately, this pretty pink flower met a horrible death in a laser sword fight.
Here’s it’s pretty pink self in the house in a glass bottle brightening my house. I have to say, I almost cried when my son brought it to me. Yeah, the some son who had wielded the laser sword.
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My daughter trimmed the big, white butterfly bush for me. It only had a couple of blooms left on it.
She did a good job trimming all the branches she could reach.
My husband finished the top part when he got home. I’m told it will bloom again this year after trimming. This is the first year we are trying it.
If you want to see pictures of our vegetable garden, visit Saturday on the Farm.While your there, join the Saturday on the Farm Carnival.
For more flower pictures, visit Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.
Flaunt Your Flowers at Tootsie Time.
Also visit Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Day Dreamer.
Also visit Tackle it Tuesday to see what others are tackling.
Tuesday Tip Jar
Blooming Flowers
It has been another hot week here in Kentucky! So hot, that I don’t even want to venture outside to take pictures. Not that there are very many flowers out there to photograph. Anyway, I sent my daughter out to take pictures for me, and this is what she came back with.
And the 2 Butterfly Bushes still have a lot of blooms on them.
There is nothing new out there, though. There are only a couple of Hibiscus blooms left, we only had 1 Day Lilly open this week. I’m still very please with all the Jewelweed around. Our roses haven’t had any new blossoms in weeks. I’m not sure what’s going on with them.
So it’s just been a really hot week, where the flowers don’t even want to come out and play!
If you want to see pictures of our vegetable garden, visit Saturday on the Farm.While your there, join the Saturday on the Farm Carnival.
For more flower pictures, visit Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.
Flaunt Your Flowers at Tootsie Time.
Also visit Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Day Dreamer.
Blooming Flowers
If you want to see pictures of our vegetable garden, visit Saturday on the Farm.While your there, join the Saturday on the Farm Carnival.
For more flower pictures, visit Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.
Flaunt Your Flowers at Tootsie Time.
Also visit Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Day Dreamer.
