MOSS ROSE (PORTULACA)
Moss Rose is also called rose moss in some areas. It is a lovely,
bright little plant that does well in rock gardens, in planters, or
just in its own little bed. The blossoms come in all shades from
white through yellows, golds, pinks and reds. The petals are so
silky and fresh looking..they just look good enough to eat! It can
be used, too, since it grows so low, as an edging around the beds.
I like the mixed colors, but realy prefer to use a single color in
each large clump.
To plant Moss Rose, broadcast the seeds directly into the soil or
get plants from the nursery . For continual blooming, sew seeds every
6 weeks . It will reseed itself, too. My daughter usually has some and
my first planting of it in a new garden bed was from babies lifted
from her flower bed.
As far as I know, moss rose is ornamental only. Except for the bees!
GREAT MULLEIN (Verbascum thapsus)
Six to seven foot spikes with leaves clustered at base, may be found
growing wild on roadsides. Dried, the long stalks and blossoms can be
soaked in oil or tallow and burned for light and scent. When I was
younger and not so senstive to chiggers, I would watch along the
roadside and spot some mullin, get out and get, along with 5 or 6
mullein stems, 15 or 20 chiggers! The stalks are pretty tough and
almost like cutting down a tree, so if you want to try this, be sure
and take a machette or an ax with you! :)..Of course it also depends
a lot on how old the plant is.
I fell in love with the mullein plant when I was a child tromping the
woods and meadows. It always amazed me how soft the basal leaves
looked. Such a soft color. And the yellow blooms, each one like a huge
butter cup. I always wanted one but could never dig one up. Still
haven't and since I have always been short of space..still don't have
any. You know, they kind of look like a sparce holly hock. The holly
hock cultivars probably didn't look much better before they were
cultivated.
The big flower stalk can really add to an arrangement and the blooms
add color to potpourri. Grandma said that the girls used a strong tea
made of the flower to kind of bleach their hair. The leaves are used
for tea to relieve headaches and help stop a cough. She said you have
to strain the tea , though or the tiny hairs will itch your mouth.
(She also swore by chicken soup for colds and flu.)
If you want to try to grow a couple of these, try to get the seed
and plant them in the spring or summer. As you know, they grow in
the wild along a roadside or on a washed out hillside, so you don't
have to have really good soil. Although, I have seen them grow near
a river and in the bar ditches that hadn't been mowed.
To harvest them, pick the flowers when they are just opening.
Gently pull the petals off or remove the green parts and allow the
yellow flower to dry naturally. Heat could destroy their color and
take away the healing ability. The leaves should be picked in the
first season and dried and stored in an airtight container.
Always be sure that the herbs are crackling dry before you put
them in the container because if there is any moisture, they will
mildew.
MUSTARD
MUSTARD blooms and leaves
This scan is the blooms and a small leaf. The big, more mature
ones are too big to scan with my little scanner.
.....
Mustard is a versatile herb in that it can be used as a pot
herb or 'green', preferably (IMHO) with other greens such as
spinach. To me it is a bit strong flavored alone. I like it
about half and half with a squirt of pepper sauce over it and a
tiny bit of butter or margarine. Some slices of boiled egg go
well with it. If you prefer no egg yolks, use the egg substitutes
(which is egg white, usually) and scramble for a nice sized dollop
on top of a serving.
I started to grow mustard as I wanted to try to make some prepared
mustard with the tiny seeds. You guessed it..the seeds are so tiny
it would take an acre (exageration!!) to make a pint jar!..ok but
lots more than my little garden has room for. But..I did get enough
seed to add some to some pickles, make another planting and put a
tiny bit in a potato salad! And, too, had some greens to add to the
spinach and collards.
Slugs also love it ..they love it to death! This year I am going
to try using Kombucha tea to feed the slugs instead of beer. I don't
drink beer and I dislike buying it for them! Selfish? You bet! Not
that I have anything against beer..I'm just too tight to buy it!
The Kombucha is a lot cheaper! Besides, beer makes my legs ache.......
(update 8-1-96) Well it's mid summer now and the kombucha didn't work for the slugs, but diatomaceous earth, very lightly sprinkled around the plants did help! It also,I am told, keeps flees and ticks way.
Here it is February 25th 1996 and these mustard plants have bolted and
blooming like mad. I've been so busy with this page that I hadn't even
noticed until today when I went out to see if anything was suitable
for scanning for this page. Also, the Martins are a week early this
year. Last year they were a week early, too, so now they are coming
in two weeks earlier than usual. March 10th in 1994, March 4th '95 and
now February 24th this year, '96. ..Also the two bluebird houses are being
tried out. Don't know if they will settle in or not. Sometimes the
first family to try them will build then take off and later another
family comes in and, hopefully, stays.
A pair of wood ducks took over the old oak tree again this year.
One year we were privileged to see the babies drop out of the tree,
an amazing 40 feet, to the ground and run along after the momma like
big fuzzy black bees. Really not a whole lot larger than big bumble
bees!
When the momma saw us watching, she signalled them to freeze and
she took off like she'd broken a wing trying to take our attention
away from her babies.
