July 2021 - Week 2

 Growing our own tea

For Christmas last year I bought Rose 'Growing your own Tea Garden' by Jodi Helmer and some seeds and bits and bobs for getting started.  It tells you about lots of plants you can make tea with, how to grow it, dry it and prepare it.  Sadly, she's not been the most enthusiastic ever, but I have been having fun adding new things to the garden to facilitate making a nice herbal cuppa.

I also bought 'Mother Earth, Plants for Health and Beauty' by Carrie Armstrong which offers an indigenous perspective and lots of recipes for salves, lotions and other beauty products as well as teas.  I'd definitely recommend both books if you'd like to develop a space where you can forage.

And as a final note on drying follow this link to @francestophill's DIY herb drying rack on Instagram which I think I might adapt and use.

Here's some lists and pictures of the tea making possibilities we now have in the garden:

Last year I put some bareroot blackcurrants in the berry patch.  We only have about 6 currants this year, perhaps because last year was so dry and they didn't get a good start in life, but you can make tea with the leaves.  I tried it this afternoon and it's an unexpected flavour and colour, I'll definitely try it again.

Rose sowed chamomile in a pot this spring.  It's doing quite well but I'm not sure there'll be enough flowers for a single cup this year.  We'll cut it back, divide it and pot it on soon then plant it out in the herb bed to see if we can build up a big enough clump to get some flowers next year.

Chamomile

I bought some peppermint seeds for her which have not taken well so I also bought a small pot of peppermint that is going great guns.  I've been enjoying it with a tiny sprig of lemon balm.  Next year I might buy some different types of mint to try.

Mint and lemon balm

Anise Hyssop is a Canadian native wildflower and thus I have gone a bit overboard with this one, I have three large plants and 10 seedlings right now.  When it flowers the bees go crazy for it and the leaves make a really strong licorice flavoured tea (not surprising given the name).  I've also got lots of White Yarrow which is also a native wildflower, you have to dry this one before you use it so I can't tell you what it tastes like yet.  Carrie Armstrong says that fresh yarrow leaves rubbed on the skin can act as an insect repellant but also warns that if you have sensitive skin take care as it may cause irritation.

Yarrow with Geranium Rozanne and Coreopsis lanceolata and some naughty soldier beetles

We also have:

• Witch hazel
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Thyme
• Lavender
• Echinacea
• Holy basil, sown as seeds and sulking lol
• Sage
• Stinging nettles
• Calendula
• Dandelions

Next year I'm going to try and add some Rosa rugosa, purple passion flower and bearberry (if I can find some) and hope that maybe the drying process gets Rose more engaged.

What's poppin' in the garden

There's not a whole lot more than last week to be honest but the bee balm is looking good.

Bee balm, Shasta Daisies, Hosta

There have been a lot of fireflies dancing in the garden every evening.

Rose's poppies from last year are really livening up the veg gardens which is good because the veg is definitely taking a back seat.

Veg/poppy beds

We've been eating the peas.

The beetroots are doing surprisingly well hidden underneath all Rose's poppies and Jacob's sunflowers.

The same cannot be said for the strawberry plants I bought.

A monarch butterfly was observed this very day checking out the milkweed patch.  Exciting.

Jobs for this week

Sort out the bokashi bucket July 5.

Order rain barrels July 7.

Pick garlic scapes July 6.  Picked and eaten in soup and stir fry.  I've left 2 to see what garlic flowers look like.

'Lawn' maintenance

Deadheading Ongoing

Give the finished geraniums some tough love

Extra bits and bobs

July 6.  First of the cone flowers are coming out.  I will probably put up a post later in praise of cone flowers because I think they are my favourite flower.  Dill also just appearing in the front pollinator garden.