Easter Thoughts, a.k.a. Ramblings

March came in and went out fairly mild in my neck of the woods but others haven't quite been so lucky. I wish them,and all of us Better Days ahead.










Gardens are cleaned; some starting, some ending. Here it is spring and is the time to prepare the path of new beginnings. To fertilize them with our hopes, dreams and intentions. A time to give flight to spirits, hearts and minds.






For others, it is a time to hold close the comforts of home , family and friends . To fortify thier lives with with love and promise of the lights return. To fill thier hearts with what they reap and to hope and dream of they might sow in the new season of growth to come.






But for all, it is a time to make new friends












and to greet and embrace old ones












to let our hearts bloom with love and light










to determine, prepare and take the steps to achieving our goals













to reach out to the light and to each other







to sprout forth on our plotted courses











to brighten






to warm








To be light hearted and gay

Placed on Front door.












Placed on back door . April 1st. ( aka.. April Fool's Day ) Not original maybe, but it got us and others a few laughs which was the whole point right?









to ponder and reflect in order to find the path most direct









to that which makes us happy










and to be filled by that which nourishes us and makes us whole.








So no mater the direction the wheel of your year is turning, may you find in its coming months all that you need, sprinkled with a bit o' what you may want.

Blessings of the light and fertility of life be upon you !
Ma Fey

Blood Root in bloom and in apothecary

A wise one once said, " You have to know and understand what kills if you are to know and understand what heals." These are some of the truest words that I as an herbalist have learned.

I am not going to tell you every thing about Blood root in this article. I just want to peek your curiosity.

Blood Root
Sanguinaria canadensis
family: Papaveraceae
Folk/Geographic names: King root, Indian paint, red puccoon, tetterwort, and red root among others.

I was out in the yard and found my Blood root in bloom! It's one of my favorite woodland spring flowers and medicinal herbs.



Before it completely enchants you though , you should know there are some dangers lurking in all that beauty and healing uses......


Blood Root has no Culinary properties and should not be used in foods!


In the wrong hands and in the wrong dose , it will kill some one! One of Blood Roots properties is that it is an emetic, in other words it induces nausea and vomiting.
It is cathartic which means it can and will cause horrific diarrhea which can end in the deadly outcome of rapid dehydration.
It has stimulant effects on both the circulatory system as well as the Uterine system, which is why it should NEVER be handled by Pregnant woman , OR LACTATING/ NURSING Mothers for that matter as it can pass through the milk to the baby and have horrifically tragic results....yes the baby could die!
It will also cause nose bleeds when working with the dry powder. It is a highly toxic herb which should only be used by a well trained practitioner.

If I have scared you , I am not sorry.

Seriously!

Because for all it's beauty and very helpful healing properties, it is like any medication and nothing to take chances with.

Example: It was used pharmaceutically to produce Viadent oral health care products produced by Colgate-Palmolive ( If you have ever used Viadent products or are planning to , I recommend reading this article first : http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/badininsomor.html . It was a well known ethnobotanist with the U.S Department of Agriculture , Dr. James Duke, who's research was vital to the use of Blood Root in the production of these Viadent products. He may have understood the risks ... but seriously underestimated them. As the article I have link to above also states, it was found that the products containing blood root caused a higher rate of oral premalignant cancerous lesions.... aka Leukoplakia.

Even if you are going to grow and work with it for non-medicinal uses you should know and abide by it's dangers.

Blood Root has been reported to be prescribed for warts, polyps of the nasal cavity, topically for skin infections and inflammations, rheumatism, arthritis , gout inflammations , sever stomach and digestive track infections,fevers, as well as (and still is by some homeopathic practitioners) used when a strong expectorant action was needed in respiratory infections.



Among it's other uses you will find :
historically used as Native American body paint
mosquito repellent
Love drawing spells and enchantments
For Protection magick
In cleanings and purifications
and more

I love how sweet it looks with the leaves still folded about it's tiny flower stem as though protecting it from the elements. Those leaves will eventually reach up to about 8 inches across when the flower fades, and sure a beautiful contrast to the full leaves of wild ginger and large heart shaped leaves of blue violets in the summer garden bed border.
Just growing it in the medicinal garden bed will cause no harm.. but you need to be careful if you plan to dig it up and move it about . Handel it with gloves , preferably no porous ones, to help protect your self form any volatile reaction you may have from the juices of the roots and to protect it from bacteria on your hands.

Well now.
There is so much more out there to learn about Blood root. I hope your curiosity is peeked even though this may seam a bit of a negative review for the plant. I truly do love my Blood root Plants and I respect it for all it's uses.

Blissful and Safe Blessings
Ma Fey


If you so choose to try blood root for any of the suggested uses, know you do so at your own risk. You and only you are responsible for your actions and for the results of your actions! Not I nor any one associated with this blog.

Enough said.

Or as Sean Connery said in the movie The Untouchables, " So Endeth the Lesson".

( I LOVE that Movie and that line!!!)

2010's First Greenhouse trip ! WOOWHOO!!

this post has lots -o- photos! please be patient while it loads.

So while I am off to the garden to do the days chores and harvest more spring greens , I thought I would share my first trip to the greenhouse with you. It opened March 1st and usually I have been up there several times by now, BUT I FINALLY made it there yesterday! (It's been a long strange month I tell ya!)
so here we go !

This photo barely shows an eighth of of the facility, but is the main entrance. It a bit of a drive from the house, but OOO- sooo worth it.

If you are in Indiana, and want to check them out , here is thier web page with all the pertinent info .


I love this large succulent planting in thier cactus house!












Hindu rope plants and peperomias










I Have GOT To have one of these ! Must!! Must!!Must!!!








Gorgeous Geraniums these are!














don't you just love all the colors?













The EASTER LILIES are starting to Bloom!!!!!










I thinkI am planting some of these in the front flower bed this year.. aren't they the cutest?







you have to click on this one at least to see all the beautiful leaf textures and colors...

(begonias)





UGH! I hate when I can't remember the name of a simple plant and it's one I refer to allll the time for shade and light sun gardening.. gerrrrrr .. guess my brain isn't yet ingaged this morning.. needs more coffee..lol

but they sure looked pretty

Oh Du... Coleus ! they are Coleus! ( head smack)



all the flats of wooly thyme reminded me of how much I love thyme!

I wish you could smell them throughthe computer...mmmmmm!







Lemon Thyme is again one of my favorite Thyme varieties! I cook and craft with it a lot!









Look at those Rosemary Plants!!!!

again I wish i could share the smell... oh yes! I walked right up and put my nose in amongst them and rubbed the branches just a bit .... Heaven I tell ya! Heaven!








Terrygone! (tarragon)

I will need plenty before thier all gone!












Aaaaaa! Lavender! I will be needing about a flat of these this yearI think! Yup... a flat or 2 will do to place along my brick walkway..








The tag on the Angel Wing Begonia read SOLD! ... so i walked away wiping the tear from my eye.. sigh.

















Look at all the lovely little ferns.... humm, I thinkI need some of those... but alas not this trip.










Isn't this lovely !! It's one of my favorit corners of the greenhouse !







OH ! I love the leaves of these three begonias.
which one shall I take home???

Ok, there are plenty of the little green leaved on so that narrows it down to between the two with pinks in them...

Husband I am going to turn my back while you mix the two up in your hands and I will take the one that is in the hand I call out..


I Choose..ummm...... Both.. O.k., o.k. ......... I choose your right hand!

so which one went home with me????





The little pink heart shaped leaf one! WOOWHOO!

We also brought home some candy onion plants and some Walla Walla Washinton onions.

What a wonderful trip this was. My body was warmed and my spirits lifted .



the sign says, " so many weeds , so little Thyme"


Aint it the truth Baby!!!!!!!
Aint it the truth!





Till later then,
I hope you are all having a Green, Sunny, Grrooovvveey Day filled with blooming blessings!
Oh, and if you haven't already, please Don't forget to enter my gaarooooovey giveaway! (9 pieces of amethyst and a sweet grass braid.. hmmm.. who will be the lucky winner???)

Blessings!!!
Ma Fey

Roasted Dandelion Root and Ma Fey's Mocha-Momma Coffee

One of my favorite early spring harvest is Dandelions ... Greens, roots and blossoms.

I love dandelions in my garden bed because they bring up nutrients from deep in the soil which are beneficial to many plants, it is so sad that people spend so much money to eradicate them from lawns.

Early Spring is the best time to harvest them as they are"sweeter," and late fall is also a good harvest time. But in summer leave them be as they are to bitter!!!!
The best way to harvest dandelion roots is with a pitchfork , just after a good rain, as they will be easier to dig in their entirety and this is when they are highest in nutrients as well as having smoother flavor .

To obtain your fresh roots , you have a couple of choices. You can just harvest them from the yard ( and the neighbors to if they will let you) --OR-- choose some dandelions to transplant to a chosen spot in the garden to keep them safe from pollution and pesticides, to harvest later this fall or early next spring.

One of my favorite year long treats is dandelion root coffee ground in Grandma Clara's ol' coffee grinder.
(Yes, I have another Grandmother Besides my Grama Grace..lol)

It will take about one 5-gallon bucket full of roots to make 3 or 4 quarts of roasted Dandelion Root . This will yield approximately 10 gallons of coffee




But for your first time you can start a bit smaller

you will need :

20 or more fair to good sized root, with the greens snapped ( or cut off)

good sharp knife and/or a food processor

the oven warmed to 350 degrees F.

a cool day with low to no humidity

plenty of cold water

strainer

glass bowl

cookie sheet

First wash the roots by hand till as clean as you possibly can get them .( a new soft bristled tooth brush can be quite helpful in this process)

Then cut them into approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch lengths.

Put these in bowl cold water and with your clean hands agitate them a bit till the water becomes cloudy.

Drain them, and repeat this process till the water finally runs clear. ( may take several rinses till the water remains clear)

Strain and lay them in a single layer on top of a clean dish towel or White paper towels for at least an hour ( more is better)

Chop them into smaller pieces with your knife or process them in your food processor. BUT Don’t make them to small, remember that they will shrink down to about a quarter of their size when all the water is evaporated or dried out of them.

Spread these in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.. or not lined.. DO NOT oil or grease or spray the cookie sheet.

Place the cookie sheet in the cooler part of your oven and reduce the heat to 200 degrees F.

Roast these till they turn a dark brown ..

about the color of a coffee bean .

and have a snap crisper than a dry twig..

Let them cool,

then store in an air tight container.

To make 6 cups of coffee you can use one of a multitude of methods. No matter which method you use, you will want to add the same things to this coffee as you would any cup of coffee you plan to enjoy..

1 grind a 50/50 mix of coffee bean and dry roasted dandelion root together in the desired amount for your style coffee maker

OR

Place eight level teaspoons of dry roasted root per six ounces water in the grounds basket of your coffee maker and brew as your would for 6 cups of coffee (48 oz. of water ) .

OR

Place on teaspoon dried root in to a cup of good water and bring just till boiling. Remove from heat and steep 3 to 5 min or so then strain and prep as you would any coffee and enjoy.

Or Try this ( It's one of the best ways to have dandelion root coffee!)

Ma Fey's Mocha-Momma Coffee

this makes about 4 - 6ounce mugs

1 1/2 cups strong , hot , dandelion root coffee
4 teaspoons dark chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon ( divided into 3/4 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon organic sugar

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon hazelnut flavoring
1/2 cup fresh whipped cream

Put 1 teaspoon of the dark chocolate syrup into pedestal mugs ( or other style mug that is 6 ounces in volume - should be 4 mugs)

Fold 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the sugars into whipped cream that is just to the soft peek stage.

Whip the cream a bit more until you have soft peaks once again, but not to long or it will turn to butter.

Place the last 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and the flavoring or extract into coffee, and stir

Pour coffee into cups, stir till the chocolate syrup is completely incorporated.

Top with whipped cream mixture. Serve hot .

1st Harvest Blessings Every one!
Don't forget to enter my gaarooooovey giveaway
Ma Fey

Before my Corn Mother Dolly returns to the Garden,

I though I would share her with you .

( you can click on the photos for a better look)

She is a corn dolly, aka a representation of the Corn Mother, the Harvest Mother, The Corn Maiden, The Old Woman, The Old Grandmother, The Carline, among other names which the spirit of the corn ( grain or cereal) may be called.




Since coming to our home from the last harvest,
she has supervised many plantings for this spring's garden and on the final day of planting she was returned to the garden to watch the sun set and to be tilled into the first garden furrow of the new planting season.










She was made of corn husks and silk, wheat, dried fairy roses and bits of hydrangea blossoms. Her lovely face was that of an apple plucked strait from the tree, carved and then dried on to a dowel.








and tied with green garden jute at the waist













Later a dried Pink Pearl Apple slice was added because it looked so pretty on her.


Though she returns to her garden home this spring, she will return to our home in August/September when the last grains are harvested. Her face will be a bit different. Her dress and ornamentation will be new . But her spirit will be the same.


till then
here's wishing you a bountiful gardening season .
Ma Fey
and
The Spirit of The Corn Mother Dolly


Don't forget to enter Ma Fey's Groovey Giveaway