August from Julia's Edible Weeds

Dear reader,

Spring is in the air and the Prunus companulata or Taiwanese cherry trees are in full blossom making a glorious sight all around the Tauranga area. See the photo below. I don't notice them until spring when they come into flower providing food for the tuis. At the annual tree crops sale this year I splurged and bought a fruiting cherry tree. See story below.

Other plants are letting us know the days are lengthening too. My huge radishes that I left and just ate the tops are going to flower as are the Mizuna, Brassica juncea (sometimes Brassica rapa japonica) and its name in Japanese means “water greens” after the flooded fields in which they grow. I've eaten this abundant green all winter.

Amongst the weeds Chickweed Stellaria media, Speedwell Veronica persica and Bitter cress Cardamine hirsuta are all flourishing and going to flower. Veronica has tiny blue flowers which the bees are drawn to it. Talking of bees I am very sad to report that one of my beehives has died!! It was fine in May when we brought it down to one box. When I opened the lid to insulate it with polystyrene the hive was empty - the bees were all gone and I don't know why. Perhaps we damaged the queen. It is a mystery. I hope to divide the other healthy, robust hive in spring.

Upcoming Edible Weed workshops:
Sunday 12th August 10-2pm Chadwick Road. To book go here.
Sunday 16th September 10-1pm Brook Community Garden, Nelson. To book go here.
Saturday 17th November 10-1pm Matakana Community Garden. To book email Julia@juliasedibleweeds.com

While some plants are thriving others like Comfrey Symphytum are dormant at this time of year. (The photo left was taken during summer when Comfrey was lush and flowering). But now in July/August the leaves have died off and decomposed to nourish and build the soil around it. All its energy is concentrated in the roots and so now is the time to dig them for medicinal use. See my article Comfrey - Knitter of bones.

I thoroughly enjoyed the July 8th Edible Weed Workshop with a delightful and enthusiastic bunch of folk, seen to the left. We had an amazing lunch during which we got to know each other sharing stories and information galore. Networking to me is such an important part of plant loving people coming together.

I made Chickweed Stellaria media and Creeping mallow Modiolla caroliana pesto, we had sliced Yacón Smallanthus sonchifolius to sample, and my bliss balls included Magenta spreen Chenopodium giganteum seeds. Plus other yummee food brought along by participants.
Next Edible Weed Workshop:

Sunday August 12th 10am-2pm
To book go here.

What a glorious sight, Prunus companulata trees in full blossom on Milton Road, Tauranga.

My new fruiting cherry tree

This tree has been treated like a bonsai where the roots were restricted to keep it smaller and make it produce fruit. I have lined the hole with material to stop the roots going deep into the soil, yet it is in the ground. I will keep you posted on the blossom and fruit. I will have to put a net around it to keep the birds off. The little waxeyes who come to the feeder already use the tree as a perch.

We're all interested in reversing aging. Here is a very inspiring You tube clip from Japan where we know many folk live very long lives. Featured in this clip is a 106 years young woman still gardening. It also shows how her son makes tofu the traditional way. Watch here.

GOOD NEWS SNIPET FROM FRANCE I get a newsletter called Earthing from Australia and this latest edition had good news from France where they have banned cell phone use in schools and kindergartens to protect children from these frequencies. Thank goodness someone is leading the way. See the article here.

I recently visited the Auckland Botanic Garden.

I love the place and my eyes and feelings have a feast on the flowers and plants. In the edible garden I saw this Mexican sunflower Tithonia speciosa which was flowering. It is quite large though so you'd need somewhere roomy to put it. I was thinking it would be good bee food but I didn't see any on it.

I was thrilled to see they were mixing edibles with flowers in the main display borders!! Weeds don't feature yet but they may be next.:)

I did meet this beautiful new (to me) edible plant called Okinawan spinach Gynura bicolor. It is in the Asteraceae family (think daisies, dandelions and chrysanthemums) and not a spinach (Amaranthaceae family) at all. It is more commonly called Okinawan lettuce or Hong tsoi and is nicknamed “cholesterol spinach” as it has been known to reduce cholesterol. It is native to Indonesia where it thrives in a tropical climate, but it also does well in subtropical climates, in partial shade, free draining soil and protected from frosts. Can be grown in a pot and moved indoors in winter. I liked the taste and its spectacular two toned colouring. It can cover quite an area, so would need to be pruned to keep it compact and healthy. I even found a source of plants from Minette of Meadowsweet herbs and flowers

I love Miners lettuce Claytonia perfoliata and these plants are growing in half a wine barrel along with Chickweed Stellaria media and Arugula Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa Growing plants like this you can just graze when you go outside and visit them.

My wintery looking garden. I have a green manure crop of Oats Avena sativa which I plan to dig in. The kikuyu has yellowed off at the edge of the garden. Since this photo was taken I've cut it down with a weed eater.

I had my hair cut (the curly hair is from someone else) and heard that it could be used to deter slugs and snails. It is working quite well so far, although one broccoli lost a leaf the first night. Non since though.

Coffee grounds experiment around sweet peas Lathyrus odoratus to keep off slugs and snails. Worked but not 100%. I still put some non toxic to birds slug bait.

This netting is the third part of my experiment searching for ways to keep off slugs and snails. I think the slugs went underneath as they still nibbled some leaves. It is good for keeping snails off though.

Have any of you had success with non toxic methods of snail and slug control?

Our Place is a new container village in downtown Tauranga. I am part of a team who are beautifying the area with raised wicking (self watering) planter boxes of edible plants, flowers and I have one dedicated to weeds. See below! In the above photo we are planting up the boxes for the Community Garden run by Good Neighbour. There will be cafes, and festivals and much more held in this space with the plants and trees to add to the atmosphere.

That's all from me this time. Warm, healthy wishes to you all,

Thank you so much for your support!

Love from Julia