Some shift started a few weeks ago, green began to come back again. i posted a few more pictures on the photoblog of the
garden progression since the warmer temperatures have changed the flow of growth upward. i really enjoy spring time. It is always a time of renewal and restoration. There are also enjoyable surprises for anyone that is a gardening lover. Plants begin to emerge from sleep after the first heavy rains of the season. It is almost a washing away of the gray making room for the green up and miracle of growth that shoots forth from God's creation. Time to pull away some of the mulch and see what is poping forth from the warming soil beneath. i know there is definitely a thousand strawberry plants that invaded the mound last year and the bunch onions came back and showed me why they are called that. Lol...
It has really been interesting watching this landscape transform over the last several years. i have started from a compost pile four years ago and really started enjoying landscaping more with a passion, one for growing and learning what it is to be a farmer and the other interest in health through growing your own, including medicinal and culinary herbs. You know what's in there because you provided the ingredients and God made it grow.
With the accumulation of all the landscaping mulch and yard waste like leaves and trimmings comes the addition of many raised beds and the start of a more permanent landscape. This year all the plants will be grown in the ground with little or no use of pots. The watering issue has been a burden the last couple years limited by rain water collection barrels - in summer droughts there wasn't enough - there is a need for a pond but not like this one from the rain today.
The vegetable patch has always been separated from the ornamentals and that was to ensure clean soil for edible plants. There is also a new source of clean sawdust through the local rip saw operator so that is being added to the composting efforts weekly. i'm looking forward to growing more this year and slowly taking another step along this garden walk. i'll have to share some pictures of the
dandelion patch that started accidentally.
Here's and older post that i enjoyed reading from my Wisconsin Woodsmoke book - thanks Mom.
May God Bless You Today even if it is with a dandelion garden,
~ antbrother
More Than Weeds - Wisconsin Woodsmoke by Ced Vig (May entry - pgs. 68-69)
Dandelions will be popping their golden heads out on lawns and roadsides. They were originally grown in the English gardens and brought to the United States by the colonists. They were considered vegetables rather than weeds. The dandelions adapted well to their new environment and spread all over the United States.
Dandelions are super-vegetables. Ounce for ounce, dandelions greens have 50 percent more Vitamin C than tomatoes, twice as much protein as eggplant and double the fiber found in asparagus. They have as much iron as spinach and more potassium than bananas. Picked properly, usually before the yellow blossoms appear and the acidity of the leaves increases, dandelions make for fine eating.
The leaves and shoots of the dandelions can be boiled in water for five minutes, drained and seasoned with salt, pepper and butter.
Another recipe that you might want to try: Using the full flower blossoms and prepared pancake mix, dip each blossom into the mix and drop into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and serve hot. The blossoms can also be cooked in omelets and used in making wine.
When gathering dandelions for table use, collect them in areas where they have not been sprayed with weed killers or chemical fertilizers. Use several rinses of water to flush out the soil particles and small insects.
