Buds, Warmth and Weeds

It is official - the peas are in the ground!  I could have had them in a week ago, but I was waiting for the new moon.  I want to give them all the help I can.  The earth was treated to a few good scoops of compost and a nice offering of whisky, and then it sat for a week awaiting the seeds.  I've planted spinach and radishes too.  Everything else will need to wait a couple weeks until it warms up a bit more.

It has been getting rather warm here too.  Warmer than last year when we had snow in March.  I'm grateful for the balmy weather, and that I can get rid of my bulky winter coat.  I even fell asleep on the grass yesterday.  It was one part time-change tiredness and one part the bliss of lying on the lawn again.  I had some nice grass indentations on my face when I woke up.  Sexy.

At the river, things are perking up.  The Saskatoon bushes have buds that will be opening soon.  I picked up some wind fallen poplar buds today, which are infusing in oil, and some red willow that was cut by a beaver.

While the river is my respite, the yard is where I need to be.  Now that the snow cover is long gone, all the work I need to do is staring me in the face.  I'll get to it...soon.  Right now watching the yarrow, evening primrose and a few other perennials show off their new growth.

Stellaria media (chickweed) from: SB Johnny - Creative Commons

I'm also grazing my way through the chickweed patch.  If you have this in your yard and aren't eating it - you are missing out!  Here's a little blurb from my weekend Wild & Weedy class:

This sweet little plant can be very tenacious.  Once chickweed finds its way into your yard, you will see it popping up everywhere.  Fortunately, it is a tasty bit of green that stays almost year-round.  It is always the first thing to pop up in my garden in the spring.  Nibbling it, I taste intense green and something akin to pea shoots or young spinach.  High in vitamins C and minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium, chickweed is the perfect addition to spring salads, pesto and green juices.

After a long winter and much snow, the intense green of this plant is a welcome sight!

Chickweed is anti-inflammatory - I call it a “cooling herb,” and as such is wonderful used topically on burns and rashes.  It is a must in my gardener’s salve, which saved me last summer after a severe sunburn that should have blistered.  Several coats of the salve, and the burn healed quickly.  It can also help increase circulation and reduce swelling.  Also - use a compress on rosacea or acne or use in a facial steam.

Chickweed contains saponins which work as a digestive aid, helping regulate intestinal flora and absorbing toxins from the bowel.  Although some warn against taking in too much chickweed because the saponins can cause stomach upset, eating so much chickweed as to cause this problem is rare.

Hope you are finding lovely things popping up in your yard!