The Moon was New on May 16th. This puts un in another waxing or active phase of the Moon. TIME TO PLANT OUT. I have been waiting for this for a month. My transplants are all ready to put into the ground. I can’t wait!
I spent the waning or passive phase doing garden cleanup, pruning a bit, putting trellises up, cleaning up the greenhouse, managing the compost pile and fine tuning my drip irrigation (irritation).
In the last two columns I talked about Companion Planting or IPM (Integrated Pest Management). Today I am continuing along this line talking about other helpful plants in the Garden – Weeds.
Some weeds are best left in the garden as living mulch, are edible and incredibly nutritious. Plants like lamb’s quarters, purslane, comfrey, and arugula are not only helpful, but they also have edible leaves and flowers
I think Purslane is a great garden addition. It in the Portulaca family. It spreads up to three feet making it a great “Living Mulch,” and is very nutritious. It can even be used as an ointment for burns.
Purslane is unusually high in Omega 3 fatty acids usually found in fish and flax seeds. It contains vitamins A and C and minerals Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium. Purslane is also high in antioxidants.
In my Permaculture studies I was introduced to the amazing benefits of Comfrey. Its leaves are edible in tiny amounts, but its flowers are delicious in salads and do not contain the more toxic compounds the leaves contain.
In Permaculture Comfrey is known as a “Chop ‘n Drop” plant. Due to its abundant and spreading growth it needs to be chopped at four to five times a season. This then provides ample material for composting and mulching. Comfrey is a good pollinator, enriches the soil by mining minerals deep in the soil and is rich in Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK).
Comfrey is in the Borage family. It can be used topically to relieve joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness. It was known as “knitbone” in days gone by for its healing uses. A poultice of comfrey can help for bruises, minor wounds and even fractures to help speed up recovery. Comfrey looks similar to Foxglove, which is poisonous, so make sure you know what you’re picking out in the woods.
Lambs Quarters is one of my favorite edible weeds in my list. It is in the Amaranth family and rich in vitamins A, C, Folate and Calcium. It takes the place of spinach in the kitchen and can be cooked and used in salads. It is also good as a chop and drop plant for mulching in the garden.
Arugula grows like a weed in our garden and we eat it in salads (along with purslane and flowers) nearly every day. I weed it and use it as a mulch. I leave several here and there for harvesting. When young the leaves are sweet, nutty and delicious. As the plant ages it takes on a piquant flavor.
One note is that when weeding I usually leave the weeds on the top of the soil as a mulch.
There are many “weeds” and other plants in the garden whose flowers you can add to salads. The short list includes Johnny-Jump-Ups, kale and mustard, borage and nasturtiums. Such bounty in the weedy garden!
Hope your garden journey is keeping you enthralled. I can’t stay our of the garden. Until the next edition, remember, time spent near a river or walking in the woods helps you feel lighter and makes the world look brighter.
