What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

Harvesting Borage!!

What is it good for? I had gobs of it in the garden. I leave it for the pollinators. It self seeds easily. I never had to plant it after the first year.

 

[Jenbirdee]

What is it good for? I had gobs of it in the garden. I leave it for the pollinators. It self seeds easily. I never had to plant it after the first year.

the flowers and leaves are good treats for chickens and ducks.
they also made medicinal tea for hoomans after they are dried. (And we can eat them in salads too)

"""Borage's hairy stems and leaves make it easily distinguishable from other herbs. Its taste is also quite unique, with traces of fresh cucumber. The shape of the flowers has earned the herb its other common name, starflower. The hardy plant probably originated in Syria and has been cultivated all over Central Europe since the Middle Ages.

The Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen planted borage in her garden and profited from its healing powers. Borage has the reputation of raising the spirits and is therefore traditionally used to treat melancholy and heart conditions. The little blue flowers are a high-yielding source of nectar for bees and guarantee ample honey production.

Borage contains essential oils and mucilage. Tea made from borage leaves and flowers soothes cough symptoms. The herb also has beneficial effects on the digestive system and the overall metabolism. The oil pressed from the seeds is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. It provides relief for eczema or rashes and nourishment for sensitive skin.

In the kitchen, borage can be used in a variety of dishes. Because of its cucumbery taste, it is perfect seasoning for lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, mushrooms and herb sauces. It will also lend a fresh, spicy touch to potato soup. The young leaves taste best, because their hair is softer and less dense. Highly aromatic Indian Borage goes well with fish and is a flavoring used in Indian beer. In Italy, borage is prepared like spinach and used as a filling for ravioli, for example. The flowers are also suitable as an edible decoration.

Being fairly undemanding, borage can easily be cultivated in herb gardens. It does well in sandy and chalky soils, and enjoys both direct sunlight and partial shade. Borage is an annual, non-hardy plant. If a few flowers are left uncut, it will usually return the next year in full splendor due to self-seeding. The herb also feels comfortable in pots or balcony boxes. Flowering lasts from June to September and harvest time is throughout the summer. Drying the leaves isn't practical, as they will lose much of their flavor.

Thanks to its delicious aroma and different medicinal effects, borage is a truly miraculous herb. But beware, besides the many valuable ingredients, its leaves also contain a small number of alkaloids that can cause liver damage when consumed in large quantities. Borage should thus not be eaten every day. Occasional use, however, is not only harmless, but also delicious."""
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[Sally PB]

The young leaves taste best, because their hair is softer and less dense.

I tried eating some leaves. Even the young leaves were too hairy for me to say, "Yeah, I'd eat that often." (Lamb's Quarter, however, I can eat any time I find it!)

Does steaming the leaves make them less hairy "feeling" when you eat them? The flavor was indeed tasty.

 

[TaylorGlade]

We always snapped to below freezing in early November outside Pensacola, then it would warm back up to lovely before fire season started in full force.

I've lived in Pensacola my whole life. I don't remember it being this cold - but this is the first year Ive done any gardening since coming back home so it's possible I just didn't pay as close attention to the weather

 

[WthrLady]

Middle of November is more average, but it's not unheard of
Column runs 1st of the month down to the end of the month.

 

[fuzzi]

View attachment 3673926

I rescued this one several years ago but have no idea of its age. Someone brought the cover in to our church's community services center where we give away clothing and simple handmade quilts. We also sell quilts as fund raisers. One of our quilting ladies added batting and a back and hand quilted it together, you can see the rainbow pattern she stitches, then I bought it. I think it's queen size, it's on my wall. I love the butterflies and the detail work. I don't quilt but I admire those who do.

That is GORGEOUS!

 

[WthrLady]

View attachment 3673926

I rescued this one several years ago but have no idea of its age. Someone brought the cover in to our church's community services center where we give away clothing and simple handmade quilts. We also sell quilts as fund raisers. One of our quilting ladies added batting and a back and hand quilted it together, you can see the rainbow pattern she stitches, then I bought it. I think it's queen size, it's on my wall. I love the butterflies and the detail work. I don't quilt but I admire those who do.

Oh that's a nice one!

 

[fuzzi]

We have a ham in the crockpot. We like the shank portion because it is smaller. I like the fat and skin. Fat is flavor. I do not believe fat is bad. My arteries have been checked and are clear.

That's how I cook ham/pork. Sometimes I put a layer of sauerkraut on the bottom, lay the meat on top. Yum!

 

[fuzzi]

Frost got the annuals last night. The tomato plants were still green, but wilted. The leaves will be black tomorrow.

I watered the collards and leaf lettuce when I got home from work.

 

[gtaus]

Picked up a Home Depot Black Friday Ryobi special today - a new 18v Brushless 6 inch compact pruning chainsaw....

I did not pay $149 for the pruning chainsaw. The Black Friday sale going on right now is buy a 2 pack of 4 Ah 18v Ryobi batteries, with charger, and get a free tool from a number of choices.

So, today I picked up about $352 worth of regular priced tools for a Black Friday sale price of $99.00!

To make this purchase somewhat relevant to my gardening, all my powered tools are in the Ryobi line and will run on these batteries. Including a 18v mower, cultivator, mini tiller, brush cutter and well as the drills, sanders, and impact drivers I use to make my raised beds. I am hopeful that this new pruning chainsaw will replace my good old reciprocating saw with my 10-inch pruning blade.

The reciprocating saw with pruning blade is just about perfect for my needs, but this summer I cut down a large pine tree and had loads of small branches to cut up. If you get really small branches, sometimes the pruning blade will just grab a hold of the branch and shake it back and forth. In contrast, this pruning chainsaw is supposed to grab those small branches, draw it into the saw, and cut right through all that growth. That would be an improvement in both time and labor saved.

And as many know, all my raised beds use the hügelkultur system. This new pruning saw should make cutting those small branches easier than using my reciprocating saw or my other chainsaws. If not, I'll probably have to return it for a refund. Seeing some videos on YouTube, I think it will be an improvement over the reciprocating saw.

If something like that interests you, the Black Friday deal is sweet! Here is a review from not long ago...