Maggie appreciates a newly tilled bed.
The chickens, having a WONDERFUL time. Alas, they will have to be confined to the chicken yard again once the garden's planted.
At last the box beds were weeded! And I found that the clary sage I planted last year was thriving. I have no idea what do do with it -- I'm just a sucker for any herbs.
It seems like I recall it has something to do with clear sight... maybe visions. But the little plastic label in the ground mentions salads and stews. It's a rather fuzzy leaf that I don't think I'd like in salad. Any suggestions out there?
One last look -- all those cleared beds -- and a HUGE pile of weeds by the road! Feeling tired and sore but oh! how virtuous...
22 comments:
Sounds like a wonderful days work done, it must be so good to get out in the garden after your hard winter. I enjoyed viewing all your photos, they show me such a different world.
A good job, done. We always grew sage and, although we used it in the kitchen from time to time, we mostly gargled with a sage infusion, to ease sore throats. Inhaling the steam also clears the airways.
After poking around the web, this is what I found about Clary Sage: muddled in water, can be used as an eyewash, it can be used to treat indigestion and premenstrual problems. It also stimulates the production of estrogen. And if you wrap the leaves up in a little pillow and sleep on it, it's supposed to aid in divinatory dreams.
I found a recipe that uses it in an omlet, but the website cautions not to overuse it as it causes headaches.
Hmmmmm...I think I'd just admire the flowers!
Gorgeous photos, as always!
You have been so busy! It's all looking super. I think your garden is beautiful whichever way it is...wild and weedy or tamed and trim! Don't overdo the back-breaking work and 'break' your back in the process! Pace yourself!
I have borage in my garden. It, too, has very prickly leaves that are supposed to be tasty in a salad! I cannot imagine eating them, either. I do not know clary sage at all, but I do grow and enjoy using ordinary sage.
Have a gold star for all your hard work...
Job well done! Days like that are so rewarding and just being outside again makes me so happy, although suddenly it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day.
def worth a trip to the ice cream shop...smiles...that is a lot of weeds...and at least you had a little company with the animals...
Vicki, I think you have one of the prettiest gardens around. I saved a couple of pictures of it last year for inspiration.
When I read about your sage with the fuzzy leaf, I thought to myself I wouldn't like that fuzzy feeling on my tongue either in a salad. We grew Mexican oregano in the islands and its leaves were thick and I was never sure how to use it either. The leaves were varigated and made a pretty plant in the garden. It would be interesting to know how the local Indians used it years ago. Do you happen to know anyone who practices bush medicine?
Have a great weekend.
Sam
Well done, much hard work, but it will pay off soon enough. The violets are lovely, and the view of your garden from above made me swoon from my flatland perch. I'm going to take advantage of our odd April warmspell before the storm and go pull some weeds of my own. Hope the soreness fades soon.
Clary sage and sage are two different plants. You can, however, use Clary "sage" as you would regular sage. Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs notes Clary for its supposed ablity to heal eye irritations. (Don't believe all you read, though!) The name "clary" is derived from the Latin species name, Sclarea, which "in turn was derived from clarus, meaning clear." According to Rodale's you had to put a SEED in the eye in order to clear up irritations. Reason: seed was 'mucilagenous" and was thought to "collect" eye irritants because of that feature. Also used in wine and beer making as a "flavoring." None of the above is practiced today. Not recommended. Says it has "calmative" properties....think I'll stick with my Chai!
BTW, Vicki, I've been meaning to ask you what altitude you're "at." Just curious...You're farther along with spring, but your property appears to be quite high...southern latitude, I suspect, that is responsible for an earlier bloom. Lovely photos!!
Elora
Great work, looks wonderful! If you love herbs, you should know that this weekend is the Herb Festival at Painters - worth the road trip to get there, for sure!
Another definition of spring cleaning. Nice job. Where do you find the time and energy?
what a glorious time
good for shoveling the mind of all that winter sludge
beautiful place you have
What a precious capture of the violets in the chives... Your photos and comments reminded me of one of my favorite quotes...
“The smell of the Earth was in it, a soft wet earth through which the snow-drops had already driven their green spears, and some elusive scent that was like the ghost of the fragrance of a thousand flowers.”
~ from Towers of the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge
What beautiful beds and country surroundings. I can feel the wildness of your surroundings through your photos.-- barbara
Thanks, Victoria! I think that I'll dry the leaves later on and make some little dream pillows. Want one?
I've grown borage just for its pretty blue flowers, Desiree.
Elor our house is at 2500 feet -- the top if out mountain is about 3000. We get the early morning sun and that really warms things up.
Darla -- Elizabeth Goudge is one of my favorites -- and because of her HERB OF GRACE, I have rue in my garden.
Everything looks so pretty Vicki, all your hard work shows. You sure do live in a beautiful spot!
You have such a nice garden – open with sun light. I might do some gardening if we had a clearing and some sun, but where we live it looks just like a forest of pine trees, and tall ones. I can never see the sun set. We drove one hour last time all around the neighborhood to see the sun set and never could, too many pine trees. We had at least 24 cut down and that did not make a dent. So I buy my veggies. We have some herbs in containers and we move them around to follow the light.
Huge kudos to you! It's always so wonderful to win that first 'fight' with the overwhelming abundance of early Spring! I bet you are a tad sore though. Just curious but in the last picture (which I love) in the background are logs on end--is this where you grow your mushrooms?
Got the shearing done here yesterday, and I'm so very very happy! It's a day I dread and a day I rejoice to see accomplished. I was down sick the week of (with bronchitis) and so wasn't hitting all cylinders anyway. But I had bunches of wonderful people to help me out this year! And now I get to enjoy my nekkid sheep....and cute fuzzy puppies.
Have a good one.
Tammy
not sure about food use, but clary sage is commonly used in essential oils, soaps, etc...your spring looks beautiful, we will be making trip to your area in About 4 weeks, hope its still so lovely!
Yes, Tammy -- those are mushroom logs. It used to be a pretty shade garden but it turned out to be the best place for the logs -- shade, withing reach of a hose, easy access.
Good for you, being done with shearing!
dear, you are making me cry....lots of emotions arise from my heart seeing your farm.....
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