What's Growing On?

 It's been over a month now, and my mini-plant menagerie is doing really well! I've had to transplant most of my basil and tomato plants, of which most survived. Less than half of the basil seeds I started germinated, and I lost some of the tomatoes a while ago, don't know why- they just withered and collapsed. It's a tough job, sprouting. The good thing is, I have at least one tomato from most of the varieties I started, some even had 100% germination! After a bit of a crazy week of transplanting (in between my other housework) I got the tomatoes into new homes and they are LOVING it. I like to think the waxing moon is also giving them a booster.

As much as I've been enjoying watching my seedlings grow, I've also been itching to visit my community garden. I have a plot there, and during a meeting on site the other week, I determined that the soil was warm and dry enough to start work on. So, today I hopped on my bike and rode over. It was a beautiful morning, bright and sunny though a bit windy but I got out my gloves, spade and mini rake and started peeling off the layer of straw mulch that I put down last fall.

I never fail to be amazed at the soil- everything about it! I found piles of squishy fat worms, lots of bugs of all sorts and an assortment of early spring weeds. Most gardeners HATE the idea of weeding and generally have a very antagonistic sentiment towards weeds. Me, I'm a bit different. In fact, I LOVE weeds. I marvel at their very presence (how the heck did YOU get here?!?!) And I believe they have much to teach us, about how to change our perspectives and what bounty there is in the places you least suspect. More on weeds later. So, what did I find underneath the thick layer of straw mulch? A vertiable bounty! Lots of lush, black soil, a bit clay-ey but still wonderfully crumbly. I also found the delightful Sorrel (see right) AND some parsley coming up (right beside the sorrel in the picture). The sorrel was planted two years ago, it's not the weed, but the French Sorrel, and it was an addition to our garden for my mother. While the leaves can be eaten, my mother prefers to make a soup and it's among her most cherished garden recipies. It's a very simple recipe: Take a bunch of leaves, sautee them in butter or olive oil until wilted, then put them in a blender and puree them with soup stock (veggie or chicken).Heat up this puree and just before serving comes the final ingredient: The most important thing, according to my mother, is to serve the soup with some dairy product: she prefers sour cream but you can add milk. It makes it creamy and helps the absorption of calcium. For those non-dairy folks, I can't offer any advice regarding substitutes. I've never tried adding soy milk or any other non-dairy so I'm not sure how it would affect the taste. Adding a chopped hard boiled egg is also good, but it should be eaten with one or the other Either way, it's a great spring soup.

The next major surprise (well, not really for me) was the yellow dock. I was surprised because I could actually dig it up; I tried many times unsuccessfully last spring and summer to uproot the large plant in one corner of my plot and always gave up. The taproot I could feel was thick, almost the width of my wrist and heaven only knows how deep it went. I thought I'd give it another go again today, not having much hope. But I got a nice big chunk out! Not the full root of course, which means it will come back but I've been really wanting some of the root for over a year and I was allowed to take it today! (Many thanks, Mother Earth)

So, I imagine you're wondering what the fuss is all about. What is Yellow Dock and why am I so excited about it? Yellow Dock (rumex crispus) also known as Curly Dock, Indian Rhubarb or just Dock, is a hardy and prolific weed with many varieties and can be found all over Canada. It is a perennial (clearly) and has distinctive curled leaves and a tall stalk that in the fall produces seeds that look like coffee grounds. There is debate amongst herbalists as to whether the leaves are edible (at least in the sources I've consulted) but I'm more interested in the benefits of the root. It contains rumicin, a liver decongestant, stimulates bile production, and the decoction of the root works as a tonic for the stomach to stimulate persitalsis, making it a remedy for consitpation. The tannin content also makes for a good astringent for external use on wounds and bleeding and anthraquinones present in the root are also good for fungal infections. Most interestingly, yellow dock is noted for its high iron content, and has been used for treating anemia.

Sources:North American Folk Healing (1998), Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild and Not so Wild Places (1994), and Edible Garden Weeds of Canada (1988).

I'm not a herbalist or medical professional, so I feel it is my obligation to state that all of the information I'm sharing on my blog are my own ideas and thoughts (and where noted, information quoted from texts) and I take responsibility for my own actions and decisions regarding harvesting herbs and weeds. I strongly encourage you to research on other sites and texts and consult your doctor before trying any herbal remedies. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE INFORMATION ON THIS BLOG AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE!

So, now that we have that out of the way I can relax a bit. I've been looking into herbal preparations and roots, since they are tough and fibrous, need to be either made into a tincture or slowly boiled for a decoction. I'm going to do both, as I think there are pros and cons to both methods of preparing this and it's going to be used for two different purposes which require different amounts of the compounds. The tincture is made by chopping up the root and putting it into a sterilized jar and covered with vodka (ethyl alcohol). The jar is then sealed and put in a dark warm place for days/weeks, shaken occasionally. The decoction is made by chopping up the root and boiling it slowly and gradually over low heat for a length of time, minimum 20 mins or more depending on how strong you want the decoction to be.

This will be an experimental process, but which is based on profound respect for the herb and its properties. Respect in the sense that it is a powerful herb with known properties; each herb reacts differently with different people, so never underestimate or overconsume anything especially without guidance or medical advice. I find this is true of any harvesting, be it of wild edibles or of cultivated vegetables. Having that mindset of respect and not overharvesting allows the plant to regenerate. Moreover, there might be other animals and creatures that also depend on the plant for sustenance - they have a right to their share too. Whenever I'm on a walk in the park or around, I often am tempted to pick to my heart's content but then remember this very simple rule passed on to me by a dear friend: "Pick only as much as a deer would eat".It's a quaint rule, a bit vague or maybe even completely irrelevant for city folk, but to me it really embodies a holistic way of thinking about sharing resources and being mindful of other beings.

How much would a deer eat?