The Garden Changes

Not very long ago I posted the Enchanted Garden as it began to open to Spring.. about one month later here are some of the changes

 Comfrey in April

 One month later, and lots of rain!

Looking South East.. the Wisteria has opened

The birdbath, was exposed, is not covered

 The paths then...

       The paths now! 

Here is Jack in the Pulpit!

He is so cute.. 

And there is Mr Frog behind the fountain up on the rock ledge admiring his own reflection

That Of Beauty and Might

May the Force be with YOU 

Ezevia Rose

Making Nettle Soup

OH yeah.. there's nothing quite like it

 Fresh Nettles

I know so many of my friends balk and say.. "No Way, you don't really eat that do you?" 

but then there are those of you who know me well enough to know I'd eat pretty much anything without a face!

 Here are those little friends of mine  hidden between the day lilies just waiting to be plucked!

 Picked with heavy duty gloves and a scissor filling a good sized bucket

 Got a wee cocky with my nettle picking and ended up with one sting.. but quickly grabbed a plantain rubbing the leaf onto the sting eased the biting sensation!

 Step one.. into the Vitamix go 

1/4 onion, 2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt, 2 Tablespoons of Earth Balance margarine, and all those nettle and whirrrrrrrrrrrr

 Blending Blending.. first low speed then higher and higher until whir...... it's finished!

Ready to Go!

Not bad huh.. and look how bright and lovely green it is.. WITHOUT I might add any artificial coloring!

I have been eating this for a week and the children in my class today said.. "Oh Mrs Fernandes is eating that stinging nettle soup again."  "Do you like eating that Mrs Fernandes?"

I told them how it has lots of vitamins and just how healthy it is and that YES I like eating it!

Bright Blessings

Ezevia Rose

The Big Dandelion Event

 

It always starts off like this.

And before long.. looked like this!

A colander filled with Dandelion heads.. but then came the hard part.. not that going out in the front yard collecting all those heads wasn't hard enough, but now.. separating the heads from their bitter bases..

This was a lot of work!

Slowly the bowl is filling with petals and the colander is emptying...... slowly I said!

 Will my hands ever look normal again?

 

I'm getting there... only 1/2 bowl to go....

 At last the petal bowl is FULL!

Here are the 1/2 gallon sized mason jars filled with petals.
One jar will be filled with vodka for tinctures and the other with brandy to make Dandelion Cordial

A long but fulfilling day!

Ezevia Rose