Wednesday, January 24, 2007

It's cold but that doesn't bother the weeds.

How cold?

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

That cold!

By the way, there are still plants alive in there. In fact, when I was in the peaked-thingy-covered-in-6 mil-plastic-that-started-out-as-a-hoophouse and will forever after be known as my season extension spaceship, I uncovered perrenial weeds that were green and healthy inside. Perhaps I should just specialize in grownig perrenial weeds. I understand that many of them are edible.

While we are on the topic, let me list some that can be found regularly in my veggie patch:

1. Lamb's Quarters - salad greens
2. Dandelion - young greens, blanching suggested first. Besides wouldn't it be fun to cover these up with a pot thinking all the while that soon they'll be sauteed in butter?
3. Queen Anne's Lace - wild carrot (can be confused with 'poisoness plants')
5. Red Clover - flowers
6. Purslane - a gourmet green in fact!
7. Stinging Nettle - don't normally get it but I hear it's a great green.
8. Wood Sorrel - thrives in sun, shade, wet and dry soil, under plants, by itself, on concrete...
9. Shepherd's Purse - apparently it's peppery
10. Plantain - greens (blanch first)
11. Burdock - root
12. Mallow - though I would like to grow that as a flower... and an edible, hmmm, the conflict.

Some websites:

Go to Brookland Park for a forage with Steve Brill: http://foragingpictures.com/#E

I just love the way this lady thinks about weeds: http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/august03/recipes.htm


A weed identification site for Ontario - only some of these are tasty and good for you too. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/weedgal3.htm#two

No comments: