The Joy of Mowing: Wild herbs in the Yard

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

As strange as it may seem, I enjoy mowing. And it’s a good thing since I mow about five acres. People ask my why I mow as much as I do and its really quite simple. Living near the Conewango Creek you get snakes and river rats if you don’t make a lot of noise and keep the grass down

Today as I was mowing I had to stop a few times and collect a few wild herbs growing in the yard. I picked violet leaves, red and white clover buds and leaves and plantain. I also harvest my first stinging nettle leaves.

The violet leaves I use in teas. Earlier in the spring I use the violet flower for jelly or candy the flower for a fancy dessert topping.

Red and White clover are great dried and added to teas. I occasionally add the red clover to dried flower that I scent for pomanders. The plantain I collect and dry for a friend who makes salves.

The stinging nettle I use in a tea. It’s good for backaches and arthritis.

There something about fresh dried herbs that is refreshing. Its also fun the watch for these herbs as I mow and stop to harvest them.

I have many wild herbs that grow in my yard. I would say around 100. They add color and variety to the yard along with the fun of harvesting them. I have also learned uses for many of them. It’s like having a garden scattered though out the property.

And although I really don’t want snakes in my yard, they are welcome to play in the swamp on the corner of the property. I explore the swamp in the late fall, early spring and in the winter. In the summer I let the snakes enjoy it!

Tags: wild herbs, harvesting wild herbs, the joy of mowing,

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 10:32 pm and is filed under country living, garden crafting, herbs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.