Plants available at the Backyard Abundance Plant Sale, Saturday April 30th

Here's a list of the plants I plan to bring to the Backyard Abundance sale at the rec center in Iowa City on Saturday, 10-12:00. Prices depend upon size of plants and sometimes scarcity of seed.

 

Medicinals (in no particular order)

Anise Hyssop

Lion's Tail

Fenugreek

Mugwort

Catnip

Milk Thistle

Blessed Thistle

Motherwort

Maralroot

Bergamot

Roman Chamomile

German Chamomile

Wallflower

Toothache Plant

Astragulus

Clary Sage

Sweet Annie

Ashwaganda

Pennyroyal

Borage

Angelica

Echinacea Purpurea

Valerian

European Arnica

Stevia

Chinese Wolfberry

Red Yarrow

Comfrey

 

Culinary Herbs

French Sorrel

Sweet Marjoram

Sweet Basil

Christmas Basil

Lemon Basil

Thai Basil

Chives

Lavender

Rosemary

Oregano

Thyme

Peppermint

Edible Chrysanthemum (Shungiku)

Cilantro

Dill

Chervil

Parsley

Garden Sage

Lemon Gem Marigold

 

Veggies

Swiss Chard

Collards

Kale

Arugula

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Celery

 

Heirloom Tomatoes

Peacevine

Cherokee Purple

German Pink

Garden Peach

Pink Brandywine

Wapsipinicon Peach

Hillbilly Potato Leaf

Long Tom

Amish Paste

 

A Season in the Life of a Worm

I wish I had a picture to include here, but I think it is too early for many worms to be found outdoors. I wrote this the other day, having fun getting into the worldview of a little creature. I would heartily recommend the practice! It is great for giving perspective during the midst of our ever-busy lives. Here is the story:

Epic Journey of a Lowly Worm

The shiny round egg case split down the center and a small white worm wiggled out onto the underside of a boxelder leaf. There was a faint warm breeze that lifted the leaf heavenward, and as if propelled by gravity, the worm crawled earthward, toward the base of the plant, and then slowly made its way toward the ground. This was a journey with frequent stops to nibble on the supporting foliage. Or rather, it was a continuous meal, leaving a pale eaten-away path aiming down, the destination less important than the nourishing process.

The worm was gradually taking on the color of his green dinner, or was it breakfast? This may be the beginning of one never-ending meal. It was becoming evident to this brand new lifeform that its sole purpose appeared to be nothing but eating, a continual green bash from leaf to leaf. The worm was also aware of other things: the filtered sun warming its skin, the breeze, the patches of brightness and of shadow. As the afternoon advanced toward evening, the little creature became filled with purpose, an inclination toward growth, an instinctive passion to some high calling.

And so the days went by, from leaf to leaf, often in sun, but sometimes in rain with the worm gripping snugly to the underside of his current foodstuff so as not to slide to the ground. The worm could feel an outward thrust in its body and it had a sense that something different was perhaps just around the corner. Weeks went by, and the worm was many times its original size, a mighty warrior among others of its kind, eating its way to fulfillment.

And then one day it stopped. The worm happened to be on a tender petal at the center of a geranium flower. This halt in the endless quest for food was not planned. It happened as if a sudden culmination to  an epic journey was reached, and it was time to wait for instructions. Then slowly this large caterpillar inched over the edge of the flowerhead towards a strong dark green leaf a few inches away, affixed itself in place, and began to transform. This took complete surrender. It took the ability to be still and wait for new and mysterious internal processes to take hold. It took the ability to let go of all the personal wishes an adult worm might have developed: finding a tasty leaf, a place in the sunlight or shade, a dewdrop caught in the crease of a grass blade. But the caterpillar was capable of yielding to this higher authority, and as it rested on the leaf in the lee of the wind, its body began to change. Gradually all hunger ceased and the whole world seemed suspended. A thick, hard casing began to form in place of skin, and the body inside began its transit from one state of being to another.

Days went by. Weeks. The casing turned brown, then black. It sometimes waved in the wind, sometimes caught raindrops as they blew under the host plant. Yet the casing holding the former worm did not show any movement, any life. It was still. If there had been watchers, waiting for something to happen, they would have long since given up by the time transformation, the final act, was at hand.

It happened one morning, the sun already above the crest of the hill and warming the air. There was little fanfare at first, only an occasional jerk in the chrysalis generated from inside. And inside the crisp walls, the former worm was waking, stretching, beginning to be aware of new life flooding through it. It felt an urgent need to reach out. Just the act of reaching was an astonishing move, an entirely new concept. The casing began to give way and gradually a crumpled, bedazzled newborn something emerged. The breeze fanned its head, the sun warmed its back, and wings slowly, painstakingly unfurled to each side of its body. The lowly, courageous worm was gone without a trace. And within minutes, a breathtaking vision of color and flight took to the air. Transformation.

It is all around us in this season of rebirth, and within us as well, if we can take lessons from the small creatures at our feet.

Plants of the Week

Before listing Wapsinonoc plants that are ready to move out into other people's gardens, I want to feature one special plant: Anise Hyssop. There are so many ways that I appreciate this aromatic plant, from the reddish tinge on its beautiful leaves to its showy and fragrant blossom. If you would like a plant that is great in teas, is a tonic to your system, attracts bees and butterflies, and comes up each year without fuss or trouble, anise hyssop might be a potential new friend.

Besides anise hyssop, here is a list of things that I will have at the Grant Wood Farmers Market in Iowa City tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, April 23:

Medicinals
Lion's Tail
Fenugreek
Mugwort
Catnip
Milk Thistle
Blessed Thistle
Motherwort
Maralroot
Bergamot
Roman Chammomile
German Chammomile
Wallflower
Toothache Plant

Culinary Herbs
French Sorrel
Sweet Marjoram
Christmas Basil
Sweet Basil
Chives
Lavender
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Peppermint
Edible Chrysanthemum
Cilantro
Dill
Chervil

Veggies
Swiss Chard
Collards
Kale
Arugula
Lettuce
Marketmore Cucumbers
Celery

Heirloom Tomatoes
Peacevine
Cherokee Purple
German Pink
Garden Peach
Pink Brandywine
Wapsipinican Peach
Hillbilly Potato Leaf
Long Tom
Amish Paste

Woke Up to Snow!

Snow in April is surely not very uncommon in Iowa. NOT to have snow in April is probably more uncommon. Yet because I went to bed thinking the low temperature would be 40 degrees or above, it came as a surprise. I ran outside, first checking the thermometer hanging on the electric pole: 32. Then I raced to the greenhouse (where I had not turned on the heat last night), pictures of botanical disaster running through my mind. Relief flooded through me as I saw that the temperature in the greenhouse was still 42, the tender plants looking cool but fine. And only then could I start to enjoy the novelty of flowers in the snow.

Just here (above), almost a month ago on the Spring Equinox, a group of us sat around a wonderful fire and celebrated the turning of the year. It was warmer than today. There is some lesson in this quixotic nature of the seasons. Is it that we need to be aware of that same nature in ourselves, and welcome or at least accept our own changes and inconsistencies? Nature will undoubtedly bring us enough warmth for our tender crops to grow, once we are well into May. But for now, we are still in that flux between two seasons and surprises can come.

Of course, most of the perennials coming up in our gardens or front yards are largely unaffected by this spring snow. Even a hard freeze at this point would only set them back a bit. The comfrey plants poking up through the leaves above are a good example. In a couple of months, these queens of the medicinal world will be huge and lush, with stems of purple flowers curving over the crown of each plant. I learned about comfrey when I was a young mother, just getting into a healthier lifestyle. Back then, it was common to use comfrey as an ingredient for my morning "green drink". Only later was there some research that indicated comfrey taken internally might be harmful. Even now, some of the premiere herbalists in our country assert that the research was flawed and that comfrey is perfectly safe to consume. I suspect they are right. But what I do know is that even if we refrain from taking it inside our bodies, it has wonderful qualities. Used in a topical salve, it is a deep healer. It is an ingredient in both of my salves (one for skin ailments and one for arthritis). You can use a compress of leaves to ease swelling, pain, or injury. And its beneficial effects are not limited to humans. Comfrey leaves placed around any plant make a wonderful fertilizer; comfrey leaves soaked in water and then poured on plants give a special boost. The plant has deep roots that pull to the surface important minerals, making them accessible to other plants. So honor your comfrey. It has a special place in Nature's pharmacy.

Reassurance in the Garden

There is something about the normal progression of spring that surprises and elates the spirit. We get used to disappointments in life. There are the small daily ones that we can shuck off philosophically, but then there are the big ones. These are harder to accept, so we seem to have a separate compartment in our brains for big ones, ones that we don't feel we have much power to change, like the disappointment that humans seem to be destroying the earth that supports them, or that we have not found a way to transcend large conflicts without going to war. We live with the daily knowledge of all these potentially life-threatening things in the world. And so when I go out to the garden in early spring, seaching for signs of life, it is exhilerating to find that yet again Nature has come through. For weeks now, some perennials have been growing above ground, but the dead branches of last year's growth on other plants make me prepare for another disappointment. Oh well, I think; these things happen. And then this morning there is a whole row of some as-yet unidentified perennial herb that is showing red-green growth just peeking out of the soil, and I feel like kicking my heels in joy! Yes! Another successful voyage through a hard winter.

The top picture above is of bergamot coming back. Bergamot is such a beautiful, vigorous herb. It will survive anything, drought, flood, heat, cold. The second picture is of the plant I just found this morning, its identity still a mystery because it is still so tiny. The third picture is of Maralroot, a new (to me) wonder medicinal. Here's what the Richter's Herb Catalog says about it: "Siberian perennial with remarkable metabolic and tonic effects. Studied by Russian scientists and used in the Russian athletic training program for decades. A potent "adaptogen" that helps increase endurance, reflexes, concentration, and faster recovery from exertion.....Improves memory and learning." And it seems to love growing in Iowa, adapting from Siberia just fine. I haven't harvested any roots yet, but my second year plants are already lush and growing fast. This year they will produce their first lush violet flowers. And I have plenty first-year plants at my stand at the farmers market, if any of you are interested in trying this in your own gardens.

Spring is Sprung!

Wonderful spring weather these days! Just right for planting early crops. There is no frost in the forecast for at least a week, and the days are going to be a bit cloudy (the best weather for transplanting) as well as warm. Tomorrow is another farmers market at the Grant Wood School in Iowa City (2-5:00), and I am offering a few things in addition to the ones listed in the last posting. Here are the new ones, all in 4 inch pots. All but one are perennials. You'll have them year after year!

-Catnip - relaxing, good for digestion, and of course cats love it
-Motherwort - wonderful tonic herb; gentle regulater of the heart; mellowing effect
-Wild Bergamot - good in teas, refreshing as well as relaxing; beautiful flowers
-Roman Chamomile - soothes stomach, pineapple flavor in tea, soft and durable ground cover
-Blessed Thistle - leaves as well as roots are eaten from this interesting plant
-Milk Thistle - it is the seeds of this valuable medicinal that are potent for strengthening liver and kidneys
-Shungiku Edible Chrysanthemum - leaves and flowers good in salads and stir-fries; Oriental heirloom
-Pennyroyal - wonderful aromatic fragrance, not taken internally these days, but good ground cover
-Maral Root - one of the most valuable medicinals; many benefits from this rare herb
-German Chamomile - the only annual in this list, but vigorous and showy, making wonderful tea

Stay tuned for more. Many other plants will be available in the next few weeks. The last pre-season Iowa City farmers market at Grant Wood will be on Saturday, April 23rd. Then there will be a plant sale to benefit Backyard Abundance at the recreation center on Saturday, April 30th, from 10-12:00.

Cool Weather Seedlings available at next Farmers Market

This blog is a good venue for letting folks know what I'm going to have at the  next Farmers Market. It also seems a great way to give some interesting information about particular plants and recommendations about planting and care. I'm excited about this! Especially the medicinals have such rich and interesting histories as well as uses. Most of the medicinals in my greenhouse will be ready by May. But during April, I'll be selling cool-weather veggie seedlings like the ones above. It is too early to put the tender annuals out in the garden yet. But it is a great time to get the cool-loving plants into the ground. They can stand some frost.

The next farmers market in Iowa City is on April 9th at the Grant Wood Marketplace. At that market, I'll have the following:

4-Packs of vegetable seedlings @$2.50:
Arugula
Kale
Cos Lettuce
Bibb Lettuce
Swiss Chard (Bright Lights)
Collards
Cilantro
Dill
Chervil
Fennel

Big pots (second-year plants):
Rosemary - $8-10
Oregano - $6
Lavender - $6
Thyme - $6
Peppermint - $6
Anise Hyssop - $6

I'll also have a good supply of the two healing salves: Herbal Healing Salve (for skin conditions) and Arthritis/Joint Pain Salve. Prices of these: $6 for 1 ounce jar, $9 for 2 oz. jar.

I may also have some herbal shoulder pillows and eye pillows @ $24 and $9-10 respectively.
See you at the Market!