The Modern Hippy

     Yesterday, after I left Vendor’s Row(was hanging out with Christy, The Coffee Lady) on Western’s campus, I walked by this building. I’m completely enamored with it. Bellingham seems to have a large quantity of awesome stucco buildings, mostly houses. In this case, a small apartment building, which probably was a house. This one is nestled in amongst old craftsman and Victorian type homes overlooking downtown and the bay. What struck me yesterday was the lighting was finally decent and the drapes in a room on the top floor were green, very green. Perhaps the most common color you will find in nature on this side of the mountains, this shade is rarely found hanging in a window in the form of a curtain. Perfect. That’s what I think. Bellingham is awesome.

     This will be our first spring in Bellingham. And since I have my trusty new Memoir phone, 8 pixel camera and all. I’ll be taking pictures like crazy!

     This one, of a blooming cherry tree a couple of blocks from Western, though far from perfect, shows just a small part of Bellingham. The charm of the chosen street side trees, looking vibrant, even on a foggy, overcast spring day. I LOVE Bellingham!

In the photo left to right is catnip, oregano, curry(the short grey stuff), marjoram, and rosemary hiding in the corner.

     Planning my herb garden the end result, after all the dirty fun of course, was to have herbs to dry for cooking all winter long. Or at least until then ran out. So to save me money. So far, so good! I’ve dried so many herbs so far! Although, the end is in sight soon. The annual herbs are slowing because of the seasonal change. Margoram has already died, though that might be do to up rooting by an excited, energetic dog.
     I did some research about drying herbs. It seems that two weeks in the magic time listed by many people. I’ve added a few more weeks sometimes with those herbs like sage that are softer and more succulent. Don’t want mold to ruin anything. Hanging herbs on the wall or laying them out on plates, out of the way of the cat has worked best for me. Remember to keep them out of direct sun light. Store the herbs out of sunlight if you can. I have mine on a shelf in the kitchen. There is no direct light on them because of where the sun rises and where the window is.
     I’ve done some experimenting with drying herbs. Fennel is not supposed to dry well, but I left it out for almost a month and placing it in the jar I could still smell the black licorice scent. I have heard that sage doesn’t dry well. No problems so far. Cooking with both dried and fresh sage isn’t a lot different. Not a lot of flavor is lost with the moisture.
What I have noticed is that cooking with these fresh herbs requires a lot less. Sometimes the flavor is completely different that grocery store bottled cooking spices. Rubbed sage, even organic can’t compare to the stuff from my garden. It’s awesome! I can hardly wait until next year when I plant new and exciting herbs!

     Rick and I took a walk in Bellingham’s Boulevard Park last week. It was mostly grey with some sun peaking through making the water sparkle. I love this park. Though, it can seem busy, everyone seems to keep to themselves and does their own thing. Here is a place you can be alone in a crowd. It feels great. Even if the weather is questionable, you will probably find a beautiful ocean view.

     I’m a beekeeper’s daughter. The funny thing is I have been terrified of bees most of my life. Only in the last couple of years have I realized that really, they won’t all get me. It’s huge that I’ve been able to get closer to bees than before. They end up in my pictures of flowers all the time, when I don’t even notice.
     Today, I did. This bee that looked distressed, landed on a raspberry leaf and started dancing around. For a moment it looked like she was dying. Then as I watched, she cleaned her bum of the haphazardly smeared pollen and flew away. Bees really are lovely insects, and incredibly important to us. Without bees it would be incredibly hard, or impossible to pollinate all the growing things like fruit trees and plants, so that we would end up with food. Love the bee, because their “little” job is very important to us.

     I’ve mentioned this nifty surprising herb. We got it for my herb garden at my parents. Originally I bought it to feed the bees and as an experiment. A lady at the Mount Vernon Co-op said she had it one year, but didn’t use it very much. She noticed that the bees loved it though. Well, I’m all for feeding those hard working bees.
     My one plant has grown faster and bigger than any of the other herbs. It has to be at least two feet high, and four or five feet across. It’s funny looking, very hairy and gangly looking, with gorgeous, simple blue and pink flowers. It is horribly poky.

Cultivation:

     It’s a low maintenance herb, an annual that will reseed itself well. It’s spreads and loves full sun. It’s recommended to plant with strawberries, squash, or tomatoes – it is suppose to improve the flavor of tomatoes and repel tomato hornworm.
     My experience: It’s super easy. I planted a start and it’s been water a few times through the dryer months. It grew very fast and is starting to grow over a couple other herbs so I will have to cut it back. Be sure to leave plenty of space, even if you think it’s too much, it probably isn’t. I’ve read that trimming it will contain it a little. I haven’t done that with it though.

Uses:

*Culinary:
     The leaves and flowers can be used fresh in salad. The leaves can also be steamed, but for a short time because they are so thin they will cook down quickly – or added to stew and soups at the last minute. They both can be used in tea. And have been used in gin drinks. The flowers can be candied and used on cakes. The fresh flowers taste like honey.
     My experience: I’ve used the flowers several times to make tea. It has a very smooth soothing taste, like chamomile, but even softer. I like it. I have tried using the leaves in cooking a couple of times. However, I think I’ve put them in too early. Also, as far as I can see, it should be eaten and not turned into leftovers. It doesn’t keep well.

*Medicinal:
     It’s is considered to be good for PMS and menopause. Used in tea is good for colds, respiratory infections, high cholesterol, constipation, soothing to the digestive tract. It can help to regulate the adrenal glands and is a galactogogue (milk production stimulant), and emollient.

Borage Oil:

     Borage oil is extracted from the seed of the flower. It is showing through studies that it is good for eczema – on the list of things to try for me!

     Cautionary Notes: I’ve read in many places that it is furry, but nowhere did it say how pokey it is. The leaves aren’t as bad, but the larger stocks are prickly enough to be painful so becareful! One site cautioned, and I will reiterate – be careful of bees. The flowers hang down so it may be hard to spot a bee before picking a flower without looking closer.

Resources:
Borage(Borago offincinalis)
What is Borage Oil?

     This year I’m growing some of my own herbs. In the last year I have spent a fortune on herbs. They make things taste interesting and are beneficial to digestion, so in my opinion they are a must!

     Since there is a good possibility that if I try to start some inside for a kitchen garden Milo, my cat, will eat them, I’m growing them at my parents’ house. They live on about an acre, the “farm” I grew up on. I planted them about a month ago. I have a couple different types of mint, rosemary, sage, oregano, lemon verbena, fennel, basil, and a couple of others I can’t remember. Last weekend I planted three different lettuces between the baby spice plants. They will be gone before it gets too crowded for them. Only one plant died, the original basil plant. They are a little too delicate for our recent crazy weather, probably should have waited to plant it for another month. But the most recent replacement should do okay. I hope.

     Being a crazy-picture-taker, I will be documenting a lot of the gardening at my parents’ house. They have a lot of room and I have a lot of willingness to play in the dirt. Check back for updates from the “farm” weekly or so. I’m trying to get back to blogging more. However, looking for a job and the impending move will take up a lot of time. So please be patient.

We are holding out for true spring. Last year, after a long windy winter spring never really came. It rained and snowed and blew and then the sun came out and hid behind clouds for a few more weeks and then it was summer. Hopefully, this year will better. A little bit of sunny yellow helps. Though after all the snow I am not complaining about the rain that falls today.

     Sunday I spent a day in Bellingham, “touring” with friends whom live there, to experience things I have not seen. It is calling my name – nature and a smaller, slower moving community. I had forgotten how clean the air smells and feels away from the city. Later I was looking at this picture and thought something was different – I figured it out…. no concrete in this picture.

     I was in Bellingham, Washington this Friday. I love that place, have loved it forever. It’s a great hippy, college, bike friendly town with a beautiful view. I took this one from the beach next to the old boardwalk.