You can snack on your garden even if you didn't plant a vegetable garden, you have no fruit trees, and you accidentally let you potted herbs go the way of the Dodo.
Its time to graze in your lawn. No, I am not advising you become a sheep but rather to weed and snack at the same time! Yes there are loads of edible weeds that are more nutritious than your grocery store lettuce, they add new exciting flavors to your plate and you make your lawn and garden happy too.
So here is the skinny on the all you can eat buffet awaiting you out your back door:
Purslane : (portulaca oleracea)
A juicy succulent loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane can be used fresh stir-fried, or put in soups or stews. It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
*Do not eat very much if you are prone to kidney stones.
Lemon clover/ wood sorrel: (Oxalis stricta) A clover with a lemony kick! This is amazing in salads or as a topping (like you would use cilantro) it adds a zing to any dish. You can eat the leaves, pods and stems raw as a thirst quencher (but not the root). Or you can brew it into a drink much like lemonade. *Lemon clover is very high in vitamin C.
Lambsquarter: (Chenopodium album) PHOTOS
Lamb's quarters is a close cousin to spinach, but much more nutritious.It is one of nature’s nutritional powerhouses. It has a mild flavor not unlike spinach. In fact it is a relative of Swiss chard, and beets. This is one of my personal favorites "chomp, chomp, chomp".
Plantain: (Plantago)
Plantain is used for an insane amount of medicinal remedies. The leaves are an excellent source of fiber. They can be eaten raw, especially the young ones (the others are a bit tough) or you can cook them. Rich in vitamin B1, removing them from your lawn and putting them into your tummy improves both.
There are loads of other edibles in your yard for more info, but remember...before you go grazing, make sure that you can clearly identify and differentiate edible plants from non-edible plants. There are many resources out there, for more info go here.
Now what? What to do around the yard in late summer:
Prune Prune Prune! Deep summer is the time to make your cut backs and shape up. It is the perfect time to give your woody plants some structural beauty. The reason the summer is ideal to do heavy pruning is three fold.
1) It cuts down on the amount of water the plant needs in the driest part of the year.
2) It is early enough for the plant to put out new growth and have it harden off before the first frost.
3) It is early enough to avoid cutting off the buds of early bloomers (like azaleas, magnolias, and forsythia) which form their buds in the fall and over winter them till spring.
What's new with us?
We had a spring that exploded with color and clients (as evidenced by this being our first news letter of the year). We had more work to do then we ever expected and want to thank everyone that welcomed us into their garden or passed on a good word for us. We have also added a talented, fun, super hardworking artist to our team, Erin Obrochta. Check out her website! (for more images click on main menu and search her name) All three of us have been pruning, planting, designing, installing, weeding, and working our way across Pennsylvania. If you (or someone you know) would like a couple of artist gardeners to help you with your green spaces we would love to dig in your dirt, put in your paths, or maybe..just maybe nibble on your weeds.
Warmly,
Ky and Eero
Its time to graze in your lawn. No, I am not advising you become a sheep but rather to weed and snack at the same time! Yes there are loads of edible weeds that are more nutritious than your grocery store lettuce, they add new exciting flavors to your plate and you make your lawn and garden happy too.
So here is the skinny on the all you can eat buffet awaiting you out your back door:
Purslane : (portulaca oleracea)
A juicy succulent loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane can be used fresh stir-fried, or put in soups or stews. It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
*Do not eat very much if you are prone to kidney stones.
Lemon clover/ wood sorrel: (Oxalis stricta) A clover with a lemony kick! This is amazing in salads or as a topping (like you would use cilantro) it adds a zing to any dish. You can eat the leaves, pods and stems raw as a thirst quencher (but not the root). Or you can brew it into a drink much like lemonade. *Lemon clover is very high in vitamin C.
Lambsquarter: (Chenopodium album) PHOTOS
Lamb's quarters is a close cousin to spinach, but much more nutritious.It is one of nature’s nutritional powerhouses. It has a mild flavor not unlike spinach. In fact it is a relative of Swiss chard, and beets. This is one of my personal favorites "chomp, chomp, chomp".
Plantain: (Plantago)
Plantain is used for an insane amount of medicinal remedies. The leaves are an excellent source of fiber. They can be eaten raw, especially the young ones (the others are a bit tough) or you can cook them. Rich in vitamin B1, removing them from your lawn and putting them into your tummy improves both.
There are loads of other edibles in your yard for more info, but remember...before you go grazing, make sure that you can clearly identify and differentiate edible plants from non-edible plants. There are many resources out there, for more info go here.
Now what? What to do around the yard in late summer:
Prune Prune Prune! Deep summer is the time to make your cut backs and shape up. It is the perfect time to give your woody plants some structural beauty. The reason the summer is ideal to do heavy pruning is three fold.
1) It cuts down on the amount of water the plant needs in the driest part of the year.
2) It is early enough for the plant to put out new growth and have it harden off before the first frost.
3) It is early enough to avoid cutting off the buds of early bloomers (like azaleas, magnolias, and forsythia) which form their buds in the fall and over winter them till spring.
What's new with us?
We had a spring that exploded with color and clients (as evidenced by this being our first news letter of the year). We had more work to do then we ever expected and want to thank everyone that welcomed us into their garden or passed on a good word for us. We have also added a talented, fun, super hardworking artist to our team, Erin Obrochta. Check out her website! (for more images click on main menu and search her name) All three of us have been pruning, planting, designing, installing, weeding, and working our way across Pennsylvania. If you (or someone you know) would like a couple of artist gardeners to help you with your green spaces we would love to dig in your dirt, put in your paths, or maybe..just maybe nibble on your weeds.
Warmly,
Ky and Eero
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