During these long winter nights the anticipation mounts.  Only another month and we will start to sow our seedlings.  I really can't wait.  Last year we planted some Zinneas and so I collected hundreds of seeds from the flowerheads.  

We finally completed the Revised Mission Statement for 2025 and one of the new items on the agenda is our Neighbor In Need program. This was in fact inspired from our New Year's Day event when we shared what we wanted to create in 2025.  Kev said he wanted to help beautify the neighborhood by helping people with their lawns.  

Something lit a spark!  Absolutely.  It was so disheartening to have to leave behind our beautiful community garden at the 2223 house, but we can spread some of the love and garden boxes around to our neighbors.  Starting with helping with lawncare, we can also encourage those who want to, to plant some flowers and even veggies.

I am so excited, I can hardly wait to get my seedlings going.  Funny enough, we already have one volunteer tomato who had popped up in an old planter.  I am not sure what I was trying to grow in there, but I know it wasn't a tomato.  Anyway, we will see if this early bird will make it to spring.

One thing I know for sure, if my Zinnea seeds are good, 2025 will be the year of a Zillion Zinneas!

Goldenrod is so ubiquitous you would never believe how magical this plant truly is.  It flowers in late summer, and the beginning of fall and so is a perfect end of the year harvest.  Both the flowers and the leaves are a great antioxidant, diuretic and astringent.  It has been shown to be beneficial in treating Urinary Tract Infections, which I can attest, are extremely painful.  

Instead of sitting and drinking endless amounts of cranberry juice, why not brew a strong cup of goldenrod tea? 

Collect both leaves and stems.  If you are using them right away you can make your tea with fresh leaves and flowers, no need to dehydrate them.  However, if you want to make sure you have some on hand for when winter hits, or even next summer, rinse them and put them in the dehydrator.  Once dry, crumble the flowers into a jar.  You won't believe the incredible spicy and delicious odor these blooms produce. 

Keep them in your cupboard out of the sun, and use when needed.

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Most people know about sassafras root.  That is because it makes a delicious tea or "rootbeer".  But you can also harvest and use the leaves.  The leaves when dried and ground into a seasoning called File.  The create the distinctive flavor of cajun dishes.

What I love most about the Sassafras trees is how beautiful their leaves are in the fall.  I harvested these leaves a little early, but as you can see some are already turning bright red. 
The fragrance of the leaves is like a lemony, earthy smell, it is best to add just before serving to avoid bitterness.

Fresh or dried sassafras leaves can be brewed into a tea. Sassafras leaves were used by Native Americans and early settlers for their anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. A poultice made from crushed leaves was traditionally applied to wounds or insect bites to soothe irritation and reduce swelling.

When brewed as a tea, the leaves were used to aid digestion and alleviate symptoms of colds or fevers. While the root bark and oil of sassafras contain safrole, a compound with known health risks, the leaves contain significantly lower levels, making them a safer option for occasional use.

If you’re foraging for sassafras leaves, look for the tree’s distinctive three-lobed, mitten-shaped, or oval leaves. Harvest them in spring or early summer when they are young and tender for the best flavor and medicinal potency. Wash the leaves thoroughly, and if making filé powder, dry them completely in a single layer before grinding them into a powder.

Bees Galore.  Our new hives are doing great, and I couldn't help but take time to enjoy watching them buzzing all around these purple sage flowers.  I have had sage in my garden for years, but this is the first time I have seen it bloom.  What a wonderful experience.  Nature never ceases to amaze me.

​Sage is an amazing plant, it is actually part of the mint family. The word Sage comes from the Latin word “salvare” (“to heal”).  Medicinally, sage has calming properties.  Great in teas, it can help to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It is also good for enhancing memory and focus. Sage has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and can soothe sore throats, aid digestion, and even alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Its flowers, like the leaves can be eaten in salads or used as a spice.

Sage also seems to have special spiritual significance.  Historically Sage symbolized wisdom, clarity, and purification. When we think of a wise person, we think of a sage.  Think about how people also use sage in purifying their house through smudging.  

Sage really is amazing!

I love my sage.  It comes back year after year and unlike so many other perrenials, it survives despite my not so green thumb. 

As my bees attest, Sage is also a great pollinator.

This year we added a bunch of new garden boxes and let the kids plant whatever they wanted.  Someone donated some old seed and so I wasn't sure anything would grow, but this is all about learning and experimenting.  

Jaycion was enthusiastic.  He painted his own garden box, and selected some seeds.  I had to go in the house for a minute and when I came back Jaycion had planted his seeds.  It was the most adorable thing.  He dug five deep holes and poured one package of seeds in each hole.  I remember one was brussel sprouts, and I think the others were peas. 

In addition to the the five holes, he had also dug a trough in a different box.  In this box he poured a bag of corn seed.  Well, I thought to myself, this is all about experimenting.  So let's water them and see what grows.  

Low and behold, 6 days later the corn popped up.  Nature is amazing, and so are kids!  Stay Curious. 

When you plant these babies in February, you are sure to see your onions ready to eat by May.  It was shocking how large they got, and quite delicious.  We will have to let a few go to seed again to have another crop during the year.  

It is also just so amazing to show our kids how abundant the world is.  One onion gave us a dozen seeds onions, which when planted each give a dozen more.  Not just fun planting, but also fun with Math!

Spring time is the best for wild spring greens.  The wild lettuce is so much milder right now, and the smaller leaves of the plantain are so much more tender.  Plus you have the violet flowers still in bloom. This won't last long, so get out there now and start eating healthy.

No more processed junk food.  Time to eat straight from the earth.  Never genetically modified, and you can't beat the price.  Here is a videdo of my forage from the other night.

The salad was delicious and colorful.  Yum.  I think I will make another one tonight!  I might even top it with grilled wild turkey that my father-in-law gave us yesterday.  Forget about rising food prices.  Don't be fooled by the hysteria of food shortages.  God's abundance is all around you.  Learn to live off of his bounty.

Purple violets have always been a part of my life.  My mom loved the African violet plants.  I don't know why I can never keep these indoor plants alive.  However, luckily enough, God has allowed me to enjoy the outdoor version.  Every year when these purple beauties arrive, I bask in the glory.  Because the African violets of my childhood were poisonous, I assumed the same was true of these plants, and I only recently discovered that they are edible.

Both the leaves and blossoms are edible. They are both high in vitamin C.

Ed loves to make jelly, so I collect them for him, but they can be infused into vinegar, used in baking, or in a salad.  The leaves can be sauteed or steamed, or eaten raw.  

So much joy is found in realizing the amazing bounty of God's garden.  

How could anyone think this beautiful, edible plant is a weed?


https://youtube.com/shorts/BWiSzEqov1E?si=NRAldge3PjsUTmOh
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So the Master Gardeners would probably be horrified, but on this beautiful day in February I popped a few of our onions into the dirt.  They weren't seed onions, they were actual onions.  OK, so is that Kosher?  We will find out.  My theory is that they will give us seed relatively early on.  

Regardless, I needed to get my feet in the dirt today.  Feels so good!

The weather got up to 60 degrees yesterday and we all enjoyed the sunshine.  It makes a person ready to start seedlings, and certainly it isn't too early to get started with the longer growing plants.  

In celebration, our own Melody Munson wrote a song.  Lift your mood and enjoy the call for Springtime.
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