Purslane

Spatulated leaves are purslane

I found some purslane (Portulaca oleracea) in the yard today. It's edible and medicinal.

According to Green Deane, "Regardless of what one calls it, purslane contains more omega 3 fatty acids than any other plant source in the solar system, and an extraordinary amount for a plant, some 8.5 mg for every gram of weight.  It has vitamin A, B, C and E — six times more E than spinach — beta carotene — seven times more of that than carrots — magnesium, calcium, potassium, folate, lithium — keep you sane — iron and is 2.5% protein. Two pigments, one in the leaves and one in the yellow blossoms, have been proven anti-mutagenic in lab studies, meaning they help keep human cells from mutating, which is how cancer gets started. And you get all that for about 15 calories per 100 gram (three ounce) serving. As a mild diuretic, it might even lower your blood pressure as well. "

I don't remember ever seeing it before in the yard and it was growing in a shady area. 

Comfrey

Bocking#4

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is an herb with myriad beneficial properties.

It has a very long tap root and therefore mines deep into the soil for minerals that lots of plants cannot access. For this reason, it is known as a dynamic accumulator.

It's been called "knitbone" for centuries because of it's amazing ability to heal wounds and mend broken bones.

It's easy to grow and propagates well from root cuttings. Comfrey is very mucilage, or gummy when you break open stem. It is demulcent, expectorant and astringent.



The leaves are very large, like football size. However, they dry out quickly once harvested, nearly overnight. You can put the leaves in water for about a week and they breakdown to make a very pungent liquid fertilizer. The stems are stringy and rubbery, they will stretch quite a bit before breaking.

Much has been made of the link to liver damage from pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which comfrey contains in small quantities.

The oft cited study from 1968, force fed rats highly concentrated doses of these alkaloids for months on end. When the rats wouldn't eat the powderized food any more they injected them with it. The plant used in the study was not comfrey, it was Senecio. There's some fascinating language in the document for those that care to read it.

Based on these studies the FDA in 2001 issued a strongly worded statement advising that the internal use of comfrey as a medicinal could lead to liver disease. Foods that can contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids like milk, eggs, honey and grains are not regulated. Herbs bad, food good.

It's doubtful that pyrrolizidine alkaloids consumption will ever be a contender for the number one spot for causing liver disease, that title remains safely with the reigning champion, alcohol.

Abundance! (sort of)

Bee balm

Bee balm came back in a planter that is on the front porch. The blossoms are really cool looking. It definitely attracts bees.

As an herb it has a lot of actions like antimicrobial, and diaphoretic. It can be used as a substitute for oregano.

It's a very cool herb and we want to use it more often.

Blackberry

Raspberries are starting to produce a little bit of fruit but we've only got three plants that we just put in this season. One died all the way back to the roots, but it is showing some new growth now.

Strawberries are beginning to make a second round of berries. We harvested a good amount in the first round.

Blackberries are beginning to ripen but they are being hindered because they are in a fairly shaded area, but there are lots of them.

Apricot

The gooseberries are just about to ripen although we don't have very many of them.

Gooseberry

Oddly enough, today I discovered two apricots on the apricot tree, which we never noticed had bloomed at all. They are both nearly ripe as well.

In the backyard just this week I discovered that there is a mulberry tree producing fruit in the yard next door that hangs over our fence. So the majority of it is falling in our yard.

In the front yard, I've just discovered that we have black cherry tree. Black cherry can be used for a number of different things like jams and infusions with liquor.

I believe that it must take a minimum number of chill hours for the mulberry and cherry to set fruit because the last two years they did not bear any fruit. This past winter was very cold for a long time.