My friend gave me some starts of plants a couple of days ago. Peppermint, chamomile, and day lilies all seem to be doing fine. The sad part is that I forgot to bring home the echinacea plants! You can see echinacea, aka purple coneflower, in the pic above. The root of some varieties of echinacea are dried to make the popular remedy for flu, colds, or other infectious diseases. Echinacea probably won't bloom for another month or so. I wish I had remembered those plants!
I picked a beardtongue (Penstemon) of some sort this morning, as the dew cooled my sandal clad feet. It was the first of those to bloom, although there are more in bud.
Out in the ditch by the mailbox, where we haven't mowed yet, I think I have some St. John's Wort coming up. Will have to wait on making a definite identification. I hope it is because I take St. John's Wort for depression. I'd like to try gathering my own for some home medicine making. One thing I tried several years ago was to make an infused oil from SJW. (I have a daughter with those initials! I'm not talking about her!)
All you have to do is choose a natural oil that's good for the skin, like almond or even just a vegetable oil, and put it in a clean jar with a bunch of SJW blooms. Put a lid on it and leave it in a sunny location for a few days. The sun will do the rest. The oil will take on a rosy red hue and a pleasant aroma. Strain out the flowers and discard. The oil can be used to massage tight, tense shoulder muscles.
(By the way, I am indebted to Craig Goodwin of Spokane, WA, for the photo. Stock.xchng is a great place to go for free photos.)
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