Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, 2012

Earth Day
Sunday
April 22, 2012

Good morning, All!  Just wanted to share a few thoughts with you this morning on Earth Day.  I feel about Earth Day as Ray Stannard Baker felt about Christmas
Day.  See post entitled To All In Texas and Beyond, Merry Chirstmas, Ya'll.

With Mr. Stannard's blessing (I hope) this is how I would rewrite his quote to express my feelings about Earth Day.

I sometimes think we expect too much of Earth Day.  We try to crowd into it a whole years worth of loving Mother Earth and the plants and creatures that dwell on her.  As for me and mine, we like to take Earth Day a little at a time, all through the year.  And thus I walk my prairie and woodland path into the Spring, let it overtake me unexpectedly, waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself:

Spider Lily
Hymenocallis liriosme

Why this and everyday is Earth Day!

The Native Plant Society of Texas, Winnsboro Chapter, will be meeting this Thursday!  We meet at 6:00 at Art & Espresso on Market Street in Winnsboro, Texas.  We would love for you to attend our meetings.  Feel free to bring your mystery plants, a field guide or two and a friend or loved one for a fun and fact filled hour about plants.  If you need more information, please call me at 903-866-3606.


Now come take a virtual walk with me and let's see what has been blooming around here this April.

Yarrow
Achillea millefolium

Yarrow is one of my favorite plants.  She is so versatile and beautiful in her own wild way.  You will see Yarrow blooming now along roadsides and in pastures.  From a distance it will look a little like Queen Anne's Lace.  The Yarrow leaves are feathery like a fern and the flower of the Queen Anne's Lace are claret-colored or pale pink before they open, then bright white and rounded when in full flower.


Milfoil (Yarrow) makes an excellent plant for the yard and is extensively cultivated.  A tea from the leaves is said to be good for fever and restful sleep.  Many other medicines are made from all parts of this plant, including a blood coagulant and a local anesthetic.  Wildflowers of Texas, G. Ajilvsgi

Showy Primrose or Pink Evening Primrose
Oenothera specios

The Pink Evening Primrose is not the Primrose so prized by herbalist for it's medicinal qualities.  But, this plant has taken up Spring residence in my garden.  So, I have been using her to make some oil and tincture.  If you come across this plant, gently pick a flower and do like any kid would do!  Hold it against your nose for a face full of butter colored pollen!

Pink Evening Primrose is anti-microbial (assists the body in resisting and destroying microbes), anti-inflammatory (reduces the redness, heat and swelling of inflammation when used internally or externally), anti-ulcer (herbs used to treat ulcers in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine), anti-pyretic (reduces fever), and analgesic (relieving pain, taken internally or applied externally).

The greens of this plant are edible but best used before flowering.

Prairie Spiderwort
Tradescantia occidentalis

Prairie Spiderwort is blooming in all sorts of colors this year.  I have seen violet to a dark purplish blue and have even seen a white one.  They are growing along the roadways now.  The leaves and flowers of this plant are edible, they can be eaten raw or boiled.  The root is poisonous!  Contains saponin so please avoid the root.  The Dakota Indians used this plant as a love charm while singing.  Information from Wildflowers of Texas, G. Ajilvsgi

Enough for today.  Time to get to work!  Remember, let everyday be Earth Day for you and yours.  Simple acts such as planting wildflowers, heck, even not mowing them down until they have seeded, helps the Earth

Salvia greggii
Autumn sage, Cherry sage,
Gregg salvia
Photo by Dana Michael

tremendously.  The bees will love you!  How about planting something the bees love like Salvia or Sage?  Now, Salvia will take over your garden, so be mindful where you plant her.  She is a great plant to share so if she gets a little unruly, just pull her up and put her in a pot and give her to someone that loves bees, butterflies and hummers!

Oh, and remember!
The Winnsboro Farmers Market opens this Saturday!  Visit the new website:  www.winnsborofarmersmarket.com.  The website is beautiful!

This month's herb class The Wild Side of Herbs will be Wednesday and Saturday of this week!  Let me know if you are interested in joining us for an afternoon herb walk, discussion and some simple herbal medicine making!  You can email or call me.  Susan....stdragonfly@yahoo.com or 903-866-3606.

As always, Herbally yours, Susan

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.

Native American proverb