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April 6, 2008

Please note that while we may sell what some consider 'weeds'
we will not ship seeds for items listed as noxious or invasive by your state.

HERBS, SPICES, WEEDS & MORE
from Wuv'n Acres

HERBS, SPICES & WEEDS

ANISE HYSSOP Agastache foeniculum - $2.50 - 250+ seeds. Often referred to as Hummingbird Mint. If you wish to have a mass of butterflies coming to visit your garden, Hyssop should definitely be on the planting list! A dainty plume of purple atop long thin branches calls the winged wonders from afar with it's gentle minty scent. Easy to grow perennial in zones 6-9, sun to partial shade. A very attractive everlasting herb that smells like licorice! A full sun perennial, this darling will return year after year to grace you with bristle-cone tipped stems 24-36' tall. The cones are an attractive bluish-purple which attract beautiful butterflies (Swallowtails!) and beneficial flying friends such as the hummingbird. Use the leaves for seeping tea! Hardy to zone 6, requires mulch in cold winter zones. 75-80 days to harvest. Place plants 6-12' apart or group for mass effect. Best appearance is well spaced. Sandy and well drained soil is a plus for this plant. Don't be intimidated by their size. Drop them onto the surface soil, then mist with water & gently press them into place.

CHAMOMILE - GERMAN Chamomolla recutita - 1 tsp. full of seeds and seed heads - $2.50. Often spelled 'Chammomile'. The sweet smell of the German Chamomile in summer, mmm! Sow in spring or transplant seedlings from greenhouse growth after all danger of frost has passed. Our seeds are organic and thus may be seeped and consumed as a tea. Simply add the contents of the seed package to one cup of boiling water. Allow to seep 4-5 minutes, strain and enjoy! For those into recycling, a coffee filter will make several tea bags. Place loose tea into a cut of coffee filter, fold over, and tie shut with a small sewing thread. Has an apple-like aroma, thus the name Manzanilla, named after manzana - meaning apple. 15-24" tall annual prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. A very nice plant. If you've never enjoyed a cup of chamomile tea out of your own garden, you have missed an important part of gardening life.

LION'S TAIL - ORANGE Leonotis nepetaefolia 20+ seeds. $2.50. Often mistakenly called Lion's Ears. These are Lion's Tails - the stalks actually resemble a lion's tail! Exotic looking African herb is often smoked among tribe members in place of other herbs, if you get my drift. We prefer to grow it for fun and gardening pleasure. Give this tiny seed a good jump start on the season by starting it indoors before spring, then transplant. Amazing herb grows very tall with long square woody stems sporting bursts of sharp spines with bright orange petals 'leaping' from them. Very interesting, mint-like foliage and quite a butterfly attractant. One of the plants your neighbor will almost never be growing. Grow as an annual. Cut the stalks in fall for use as an everlasting. I have a vase of stalks in my office every year from home harvests. Very nice plant! Support in strong winds or grow against a fence to prevent breakage.

MARSHMALLOW - ERFURTER Althaea officinalis - $2.50.
Medicinal Marshmallow Herb. Wait 'till you feel how soft the leaves are! I really like this one in my garden, and apparently, so does this bumblebee! Marshmallow is often thought of as a minature Hollyhock, but it reminds me more of a Verbascum with it's tall and very graduated method of blooming. The seed pods are just like a Hollyhocks, but much smaller. The same 'shrimp ring' of seeds!

It has been used as a healing herb to soothe body tissues such as the gastrointestinal as well as urinary tracts. It has a very high level of mucilaginous content. And did you know that herbalists use the flowers to make expectorant syrups? But if you're just into the beauty aspect of herbs, this one pleased my garden and it will yours, too! Throughout the hottest part of the summer, my Marshmallow stood tall and continued to bloom.

Light: Full Sun, Type: Perennial, Rec. Zone: 4 - 9, Bloom time: Summer. Usage: Medicinal, Borders, beds Flower Color: Very pale plum and white, Size: 48-72' tall, Growth: Vertical Stalk, graduated blooms Propagation: Direct plant with seeds / transplant. Please consult your doctor before using any plant or parts of a plant for medicinal purposes. Picked and packed from my own plants!

MONARCH BUTTERFLY MILKWEED Asclepias viridis 20+ seeds - $2.50. Ah, so you saw the term "weed" and now you're leaving? But wait, wait, wait. The Monarch Butterfly wants you to know! This particular Milkweed; Asclepias viridis (aptly named for the Greek God - Asklepias) is a safe haven for the eggs of the Monarch Butterfly.

One of over 200 species of Milkweed, you may be more familiar with the more widely grown Ascelpias tuberosa; the butterfly weed many have come to know with it's clusters of tiny orange flowers. You may even know the orange variety as Pleurisy root. Please note that we also carry seeds for this variety from time to time. An excellent source of nectar for the Monarch butterfly, you'll love growing this one in your garden for several reasons, the most important, knowing that you are contributing to the survival of such a wonderful part of Nature's world. Before you chalk the smell and appearance up to unpleasant, read on. Milkweed contains active cardiac steroids known as cardenolides. When consumed by the Monarch caterpillars, the cardenolides remain in their systems well after the adults complete the pupae stage. Why consume such a bitter dinner? Ah, birds and other would-be predators find it horribly offensive to consume a critter full of such toxins. Pretty clever, Mother Nature!

Perhaps you may wish to plant several varieties of Milkweed in your garden to see which plants the Monarch will choose to host her nursery of young.

MULLEIN / VERBASCUM - $2.50 - 1/8 tsp.

This item is not available for shipment to COLORADO, HAWAII or SOUTH DAKOTA

A unique biennial herb which is two in one! Dainty 3/4' lemonade yellow blooms graduate a single 36-96' unbranched sturdy stalk which is similar in blooming nature as a Hollyhock. Downy fuzz-covered leaves stand up to cold weather! While everything else is ugly and brown, the Mullein remains attractive throughout the seasons maintaining it's charm. Also called 'Quaker Rouge' in that it has been used as an organic make-up...when rubbed on the skin it may cause your cheeks to become red and irritated. (I think I'll stick to my store bought regimen, though.)

Shown here are several plants in my rock garden. You might put cedar chips or an attractive rock beneath the leaves to keep them out of the mud when it rains. I use large rocks found here on our farm to hold the leaves up. The dried stalks are a wonderful item when used in dried floral arrangements. If you enjoy birds & butterflies in your garden you'll want to plant this blooming beauty! Superb for borders & cottage gardens with a southern exposure.

Light: Full Sun, Type: Perennial, Rec. Zone: 5 - 9, Bloom time: Summer, Usage: Borders, beds. Flower Color: Yellow. Size: Up to eight feet tall! Growth: Vertical Stalk, Horizontal Foliage. Propagation: Seeds, cuttings, division, root cuttings.
Soil Preference: Alkaline, Neutral, Acid, Well-drained Exhibition: Summer bloomer, foliage stands out in the cooler temperatures.

Keep seeds in the refrigerator until ready to plant. Please consult your doctor before using any plant or parts of a plant for medicinal purposes. Picked and packed from my own plants! Our seeds are kept refrigerated at all times, please continue to do so until you are ready to plant them. Seeds lose viability when kept at room temperature for lengths of time.

MUSTARD - YELLOW - $2.50 1/2 tsp. of seeds is way more than you will need. Interesting bit of trivia for those who may be religious...
A quote from a biblical reference often names the mustard seed. Millions of people purchased the glass domed cases housing this type of mustard seed, yet it was not even this species of mustard which was the true seed intended in the following quote from a bible: Lk 13:18,19 He said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? To what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky lodged in its branches." (Internet source).
It is actually not the Western mustard we know and love, but the mustard referred to in the quote which grows to approximately 12' tall, which would indeed house a bird and it's fine feathered friends. Here's another quote in the form of a poem fun for children to recite:

The kingdom is like a mustard seed
Small at first but it did succeed
To grow with branches far and wide
Onto which birds did abide
The visible church started quite small
But popular today with buildings quite tall
But beware of the birds that nest in its branches
who take advantage of the circumstances.

POKE WEED / POLK SALLET / POKEWEED Also called Polk Salad / Sallet / Salet - Phytolacca americana 2.50 for a good dash of seeds, typical 50+ count. Love it or loathe it... POKEWEED. Native American Medicinal Herb. Yes, the colors are that vivid! Squeeze a handful of berries and your hand will turn a gorgeous shade of reddish plum! (True, but don't do this) Often referred to as The Poor Woman's Brugmansia. You may have heard your older relatives pronounce this herbaceous plant as "Polk Salad" or "Skoke". This is not the correct pronunciation at all. It is POKE SALET (sah-let) meaning cooked greens. Best in zones 2-11. Full Sun / Partial Shade Does not do well in extreme northern climates Can tolerate short droughts but will grow like crazy with care and regular watering. Let's not discuss what it does with commercial growing additives!

Check with me in the spring and if I receive requests, I will list the Poke roots / tubers on Ebay as well. Also known as Poke, Pokum, Skokum, Pokeberry, Skoke, PigeonBerry, InkBerry and Cancerjalap. Not everyone finds poke to be a weedy nuisance. There are those of us country bumpkins who appreciate it's strength and durability as a perennial without fail. It is a non-woody and hollow-stemmed shrubby type of plant which often becomes tree-like! The unique colored dye from the berries is simply gorgeous. Can easily be used to dye wool and yarn items for use in rug making. This is not to mention the flow of songbirds it brings into the garden! My Poke is always planted in groups surrounded by stones near the edges of the garden. As I work, the sounds of Robins, Mockingbirds, and Bluebirds fill the air! This plant typically grows 3-5 feet with large leaves. Clusters of tiny flowers and drooping clusters of berries make it look much like a dwarf rain tree of sorts.

Though many people eat this plant, it is my understanding that it is poisonous if not properly prepared. I would not advise doing so unless you know what you are doing. Personally, I like it as an ornamental garden item and not a dinner item.

On a research note, it has been reportedly studied for it's content of an AIDS fighting protein which is stronger than AZT. Please note, this is merely for interesting facts. Use of the Pokeweed medicinally is not advised by the seller of this garden seed. Consuming Pokeweed improperly could lead to chromosome damage. Dermatitis may be a condition caused by the contact of the plant with your skin as well.

POKEWEED TUBERS Poke weed - Polk Salad / Sallet / Salet - Phytolacca americana 1 tuber - $6.00. Shipping runs a flat rate of $8.95 as of the latest postal increase. I can ship 6 to 8 roots per box for the same one time shipping charge of 8.95.
Available late April through the end of June. After that, folks, it's too big, the weather is too hot, and the last thing I want to do in the summer heat is dig a giant plant.

Tubers are great for those in short seasons. Often called the Poor Woman's Brugmansia. It's a shame more people don't recognize this one as a multi-purpose plant. Called a weed and shamed to the back acres, what a waste of talent. When cared for as a plant and not a weed, this herb offers so much so few know about. A bounty of berries await the songbirds, and who couldn't use a few of those in the garden? In our zone 7 they return by the root each year, producing a shrub-like umbrella with cascading clusters of berries in bright green, turning pink and then later turning a deep purple, almost black. The fuchsia dye from these berries is beautiful and bright! Young tender shoots are cooked and eaten much like spinach! There are even festivals celebrating Pokeweed!

SESAME - BLACK Sesamum indicum 100+ seeds - $2.50. Also known as Benne. Not your standard hamburger bun seeds, but BLACK seeds. No, they have not been roasted or burnt. (giggle) Unique plant indeed. When someone asks about your plants, they will be surprised when you tell them you are growing Sesame seeds! This plant should be grown as an annual, though it requires a long, warm growing season. It is often said the popular phrase "Open, sesame!" derived from the longing for the pods to open. It would be my opinion the prhase was directed more at the buds, as the flower, though insignificant in size, is a beautiful bloom worthy of waiting for. However, we'll set aside my personal thoughts and get to the facts. The seed pods, when cracking open, imitate the sound of a lock opening, a 'click' or 'crack' sound. Thus, the term was born. The clicking of a lock, or opening of a door...Open Sesame! Or so they say.

Plant height ranges from 2 to 6 feet tall. Best planted in full sun, they ask only one foot spacing. Does not appreciate drought, so keep them watered well, but not flooded. Sow outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed. A tip? Start seeds indoors on a heated germination mat in peat pellets, then transplant them outdoors as soon as they sprout. This way you tend not to forget about them as you would just dropping seed into the ground, which can also be done.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH Chenopodium capitatum - $2.50. Also referred to as Strawberry Blite, not to be confused with B-L-I-G-H-T Also known as Strawberry Pigweed, Indian Paint, and even Strawberry Spinach (that's one way to get your kids to eat their greens, yes?) You eat the berries like, well, berries, and the leaves as you would spinach, cooked or right off the stems. Imagine a two foot tall droopy and sprawling green plant loaded with sweet and never tart berries which much resemble raspberries on a stick. Now add the fact that it makes an excellent dye! Yep! First Nations People used it as a red dye ingredient. (although I would call it pink, myself) Just email me and I'll gladly share the recipe! It blooms from July through September, making a show while other plants are exhausted from the heat. You can eat both the leaves and the berries, it matures in just eight weeks and it's an annual! Does it get any better than that? Just drop the seeds onto soil surface in spring, in full sun or partial shade. Thin to about a foot tall after the leaves have grown. I prefer to spray my seeds on the surface so they are patted into the soil with the weight of the water. Not too much, you don't want to bury them deeper than 1/4". Native to Africa, Asia and Europe, but we'll just have to plant seeds each year. For our botanical or bookworm customers: GENUS Blitum SPECIES Blitum virgatum CLASS Monandria ORDER Digynia. Often confused with, and perhaps even now - Amaranthum blitum, Amaranthus of the Garden.