Even though fall is here, I still have a few things growing in the gardens. In the palette herb garden behind the house, I have Basil growing. we cut all the plants back a few weeks ago, and the plants are now growing again.
Saturday on the Farm – The View From My Front Porch
Today I’m sharing The View From My Front Porch. Fall is definitely here in Kentucky. In this first picture, you can see a little fall color. The Hardy Hibiscus in the middle of the picture is changing color. Behind that, you can see a few branches sticking out of the ground. That was another Hibiscus that has already lost it’s leaves. You can also see lots of leaves on the ground along the tree line.
The Petunias on the porch are still blooming. I’m surprised, actually. The three pumpkins are ones that grew in our compost pile. They are finishing ripening on the porch as the vine died. They will soon become pureed pumpkin in my freezer. 🙂
Fall in Kentucky
It’s Fall! After the first week of fall, my yard is starting to look like it’s fall.
My Burning Bush is getting berries, and the leaves are starting to turn red.
Saturday on the Farm
We started harvesting the apples this week. My husband and son filled up the white bucket in the picture to overflowing. It barely made a dent in the tree, and we have a few more apple trees, too. The kids helped me make 13 quarts of applesauce. I plan on using two more bucket fulls for two more batches of applesauce. Then we’ll start on apple butter and apple jelly. I love this picture. My son was trying to hide from the camera, so he was picking apples on the underside of the tree. lol
Saturday on the Farm
As I was walking around the property today, looking for pictures, I realized that fall is almost here. The gardens are showing their age, and finishing up their season. I’m looking forward to fall for the cooler temperatures, and much less humidity in the air. I will very much miss the flowers of summer, though.
Saturday on the Farm
I went for a walk this afternoon and took a few pictures to share with you.
I think I need to get busy canning the apples!
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. 🙂
