And even more lavender

©Robin Edmundson, 'Lavender Sprig', watercolor, 8 x 8 inches.  
[Available framed, $280]

While I was practicing painting lavender, I tried several different techniques.  I liked this one because it gives a good idea of how some of the plants look so fluffy when the flowers are almost all open.

More lavender

©Robin Edmundson, 'Lavender Bush', watercolor, 5 x 5 inches.  

In February I attended a gala to support a local charity and had the opportunity to sit and paint greeting cards with some of my favorite people.

In preparation, I spent some time painting lavender bushes, and poppies and echinacea and at the last minute some salvia popped up on the paper.  

This is one of the lavender bushes from when I was practicing.  I can just smell that lavender...

Lavender

©Robin Edmundson, 'Lavender - 682', watercolor, 14 x 10 inches.  
[Available framed, $375]

My lavender mostly survived the winter and I am sooo happy about it.   It's one of my favorite things.  Even the dog loves it and in the mornings when it's in the shade, I'll find her lying right on top of it.   I don't think it does the plants much good, but it makes the giant dog smell nice.

Old Seeds

I have loads of old seeds.   Loads of them.    I never know which to keep and which to pitch.   Turns out a lot of other people have the same question every year and there are these wonderful charts to help me remember.

I found this chart at  http://awaytogarden.com/estimating-viability-how-long-do-seeds-last/

So.    I'll be pitching my old onion, parsnip and parsley seeds for sure.   And I'll be getting all new spinach seeds - maybe that's why we've had a problem growing spinach.  I was trying to use old seed...

When I was going through my box of seeds, I realized that I had a bunch of herb seed that was aging as well.   Here's a list of herb seed viability rates from The Herb Gardener:  http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2013/01/seed-longevity-herbs.html

• Angelica - 6 months (21 - 30 days)
• Basil - 5 years (14 days)
• Borage - 4 years (14 days)
• Caraway - 3 years (18 days)
• Catnip - 3 years (30 days)
• Chamomile - 3 years (18 days
• Chives - 2 years (10 - 20  days)
• Cilantro - 2 years (21 days)
• Coriander - 4 years (21 days)
• Fennel - 3 years (18 days)
• Lavender - 2 years (21 days)
• Lemon Balm 3 years (21 days)
• Marjoram - 2 years (15 days)
• Mint - 3 years (30 days)
• Oregano - 4 years (30 days)
• Parsley - 2 years (30 days)
• Rosemary - 3 years (14 - 28 days)
• Rue - 2 years (21 days)
• Sage - 4 years (28 days)
• Summer Savory 2 years (28 days)
• Thyme - 3 years (21 days)

It's nice to have these lists on one page now.   I hope they help you plan a great garden this year!

Garlic Chive Seeds

This is why the garlic chives spread so well.   Blow the pic up to see how gorgeous these seed heads are.   And notice the number of seeds.

We started out with one plant. 

One.

Now they're trying to take over.   

I'm kinda happy about it.

Apple Rosemary Mint Glaze

We've been talking about glazes for the past few days and by now, you might be a little confused over the pectin/no pectin options when you're making a glaze.

It's an interesting choice.

Do you want a thick glaze to spread around a piece of meat? 

Do you want a syrupy glaze that you can pour on?

Both options are good ones and it's entirely up to you which way you go.   The nice thing about a jam glaze is that it takes up less shelf space and it's easy to dilute.   Just mix half as much liquid [water or juice] to your jam to thin in down a bit.   Easy.     If you bottle it in 4 oz. jars, then one little jar thinned up is enough to glaze a chicken.

The nice thing about a syrup is that you don't have to do anything except open the jar and pour.   Even easier.

To make a syrup from a jam recipe, all you have to do is leave the pectin out.   That's all.   So that recipe that I gave you yesterday for Orange Basil Garlic Ginger Glaze can easily be syrup if you leave out the pectin.

Well here's another apple recipe.   If you want syrup, leave out the pectin.   If you want jam, make it with pectin.   Easy.


Apple Rosemary Mint

• 1 1/2 cups apple juice, apple cider or apple juice concentrate
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Ball Low Sugar pectin [optional – use if you want jam instead of a thinner glaze]
• 3 sprigs mint [3”]
• 3 sprigs rosemary [4-5 inches]
• 1 cup sugar

Combine juice, pectin [if making jam] and herbs in pot. Bring to boil. Boil one minute. Add sugar. Return to boil. Boil one minute. Remove herbs. Ladle into jars.

Note: This makes a well jelled jam. It is an excellent glaze concentrate. Just mix equal parts jam and water (or juice) in a pan and heat it up for a thin glaze or mix half as much liquid as jam for a thicker glaze. Stir until well incorporated. You can add more liquid if you need to in order to get the right consistency.

Comfrey: Part 2, Medicinal Herb

Comfrey [Symphytum officinale or a hybrid of it] is a fabulous plant to keep around the house.   It's beautiful and extremely useful.

As I mentioned last week, we inherited a couple of these plants and I was thrilled when I realized what they were.   I planted them in several areas and they've volunteered in others.

It is native to Europe and is now widespread both there and here in North America, where it was brought by early settlers and where it no doubt did a lot of healing.

Comfrey grows into a casual clump of stalks about 3 feet tall.   It blooms in pink or blue clusters that uncurl from the top of the plant.   There are several cultivars that are highly prized garden specimens - Vita Sackville-West had a whole long walk lined with a shorter, bright blue variety at Sissinghurst. 

The leaves are long, faintly crinkled and hairy.   Don't let the prickly hairs keep you from using it.  

Comfrey is not a fussy plant.   It'll grow wherever you put it.   If it gets dry, the leaves will pout and perhaps even begin to dry and crumble around the edges, but, like hostas, it takes a lot of punishment and doesn't die easily.

It transplants easily - just dig up a bit of an existing plant.   If you try to move it, then make sure you dig up all of the root, because it will come back if you leave even a tiny bit.  

Comfrey has been used traditionally as garden compost.  It adds nitrogen and potassium.  Just cut the leaves and toss them in the garden.   The leaves enrich the soil as they break down.  If you want to use it in the garden, but you don't want it to self sow, then make sure you've cut all of the flowering parts off before you toss the rest of the plant in the garden.   It'll volunteer whenever it can. Alternatively, you can make a tea with the leaves [dump them in a bucket with rainwater] and use that to water with. 

Legend has it that comfrey was 'soveriegn in and out' meaning that it was the best healing herb for both internal and external use. 

Modern medicine recommends that it NOT be used internally now.   There is evidence that it can cause liver failure.

There are no warnings against external use and I have had excellent results with it. 

I have used a comfrey poultice to dress all kinds of injuries, including a serious laceration on our dog when he got hit by a car.   Overnight, the skin began to heal rapidly.   You can see a grey film beginning at the edges of the wound - that's new skin.   As long as the wound smells clean and not putrid or rotting, then there's no problem.    Note:  I do not recommend that you use comfrey instead of taking an injured animal to the vet.   We did take the dog to the vet, and then supplemented with our own poultice.  [We kept it on by putting a diaper over the poultice-covered wound.]

After tripping and ramming my kneecap into the edge of a limestone step, we packed my knee in comfrey for the next three days.   I had a deep dent in my kneecap and you can still feel a slight indentation, but the knee healed completely and didn't bruise.   Not kidding!  My other leg had bruises all over it, but the smashed knee didn't bruise.  At all.  I am a huge fan of comfrey poultices on skin injuries.

To make a poultice,  tear off the leaves [I use the older and larger leaves at the bottom of the plant] and crush them with a mortar and pestle.   If you don't have a mortar and pestle, then put them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a hammer.   Crush them long enough that you don't feel the hairy prickles when you put it on your skin.   The plant will ooze and the juice will quickly turn brown.   Comfrey juice stains, so if you use a cloth with your poultice, make sure it's one that you don't mind staining.   Your skin might stain, too, so don't be surprised.   It'll wash off in a day or so.  

I have left poultices on for several hours and even overnight.   Get a fresh one in the morning and before bed.  Take time to clean the wound and do a thorough visual check for infection.

I've used comfrey to make a soothing skin balm by steeping the leaves in hot olive oil and mixing it with lavender oil and beeswax.  Warning - comfrey that is steeping in olive oil smells like something that died...in poop.  That's why I use lavender oil with it - to cover the stink.    Experiment away from critics. 

Comfrey root is also useful.  It is dark - almost black in color.  You can use it fresh, or you can dig it, wash it, and dry it.  It will get very, very tough, so you might want to cut it up before you dry it.   Then, when it is very, very dry, you can grind it up and use it in soaps and things.    I didn't enjoy doing the drying and grinding and my soap wasn't that much improved, so I stopped digging.   Besides, I like my roots in the ground, growing things.   I much prefer to have the leaves to use, especially since the leaves and roots have the same healing properties.