Here are some thoughts to ponder for this new 2020 year by my favourite interspecies communicator Anna Breytenbach.  She calls it a Musing Moment

She asks at the end what one wild thing will you do today?  The wild thing I did was to go out on New Year's eve and lie on my lawn amongst my trees in the garden in the dark and look at the sky. Perhaps not that wild you might say but how often do we do that and connect with our gardens when it is sleeping and all is still?

I saw this diagram too late for Christmas this past year, but I really appreciate the ideas it presents.  I do some of it already but it gave me new ideas.
It is from a website called 'Just little changes' in Liverpool, England.
I really like the 'give your time' idea.

These are young seedling Nipplewort Lapsana communis
The seeds just drop so they come up in colonies making them easy to clip like microgreens.

Here the Nipplewort is bigger and the plants are more formed.

Then Nipplewort sends up a flower stalk. Ivy leafed toadflax Cymbalaria muralis on the wall behind.

Nipplewort flowers and beginning seed pods. I eat Nipplewort a lot during winter when it flourishes. The article below explains all about its nutrition and what is is good for.
Here is a link to a blog I wrote on Nipplewort.

Nipplewort Lapsana communis plant gone to seed.  Nipplewort is in the Asteraceae family with all the dandelion and look alikes but the seeds you will notice don't have wings and fly away.  They just drop where they are creating the microgreen effect.

What weeds not to eat

These two plants look deceptively similar don't they?  But one is totally edible and one will burn your mouth. You need to be able to identify them.
On the left is Chickweed Stellaria media and on the right is Milk weed Euphorbia peplus

My latest blog is about how to make sure you don't accidentally eat milkweed and an easy way to check for milkweed in a bunch of chickweed. Check it out here.

I've been enjoying eating these wild raspberries or Japanese wineberries Rubus phoenicolasius

We had these wild raspberries at the farm and they used to ripen at the end of January.  Mine in Greerton have ripened a month earlier end of December and early January. It is warmer where I am now.

And the white mulberries (the fruit start out white and ripen to black)
Morus alba

In October my brother John came over from Australia with is family.  We went to Yatton Park in Greerton famous for the huge old trees.  Growing underneath are carpets of daisies.  I picked a basket full and infused them in oil, which is very good for bruises.
Here is the blog I wrote on Daisy

My niece Claire made a beautiful daisy chain garland and is holding some cape weed flowers Arctotheca calendula  which also grow in lawns.  I must investigate whether they are edible.

This incredible 5 star bug hotel was on the property of Louise and Peter in Ongaonga, Central Hawkes Bay where I held a really fantastic workshop in November.  We had a large group of folk keen to learn about edible weeds.

I have lots of fuchsias growing in the shade at the back of my house on the south side.  At this time of year they produce fat, juicy seed pods from amazingly pretty flowers.  I used to eat these but now I find they leave an aftertaste and are a bit acrid, so I prefer the variety below called Bolivian fuchsia.  

Fuchsia bed at the back of the house.

Bolivian fuchsia Fuchsia boliviana
These seed pods are delicious and the plants produce a lot.  The plant easily spreads by birds who also love the seeds.  I've seen black birds jumping from the ground to try and grab them. They look quite comical.
The birds spread this plant which easily self sows. Something to be aware of.  I had two come up below my hedge so I have tied them to the hedge for support.

On the left is a scene from my garden that has vegetables, herbs (Californian poppies) and weeds all growing happily together.

I was recently interviewed by Rachel Claire of the Ezine Get growing on Edible weeds. Have a listen here.

I'll close this newsletter with a photo of this gorgeous gladioli that came up by itself in my garden, adding diversity and colour - how handy is that!


Happy summer days in your gardens and be well.
Until next time

Love Julia