Back in the garden the greenery is doing greenery types of things. Essentially it’s growing. The Boss goes out with a frown and starts to remove the greenery which is growing where he has plans for other greenery. I run behind him and rescue his victims.
Then when he has had enough of killing off the greenery I want to keep he goes for a kip and I go and pinch (sorry forage) for more greenery in the fields and woods.
So far I have collected:
- Chickweed
- Cleavers
- Nettles
- Elderflowers
- Plantain
- Horsetail
From the garden I garnered:
- Mint
- Apple mint
- Raspberry leaves
- Sage
- English Mace
- Bay
- Tarragon
- Celery leaves
- Comfrey
A particularly lovely and refreshing tea is nettle and mint. At this time of year you can use the fresh leaves (don’t forget your gloves!). But I’m stocking up for the winter months. You can dry leaves and flowers in a cool (50 centigrade maximum) oven, bottom of the aga or with a dehydrator. Alternatively if you want to be completely carbon neutral tie them in bunches and hang in a warm airy room. If you are drying flowers like elderflower which may drop off then place a paper bag around the bunch, but make sure to make several holes in the paper to ensure airflow. Our aga is off for the summer and I like the speed and convenience of the dehydrator. I dry a lot of plants and it is the easiest way to bulk dry without turning on the oven.
Plenty more to forage and garner but I have had enough for today and am going to settle down with a banana, strawberry, applemint smoothie thinned down with the whey from the cheese.
one pair of shoes at a time 
Good for you following The Boss around. 😉 I wanted to grow my own mint this year for tea but ran short of funds to add anything more to the garden and have put that idea off until next year, but I never thought to harvest the raspberry leaves that grow plenty here. Thanks for the idea!!
Mint grows like billyo. Somebody must have some you can take as a cutting. Have you looked on http://www.plantcatching.com ?
I never heard of plant caching before thanks for the link.
I’d send you some cuttings. Heck I could send you several plants but I think customs might not approve. Seriously, mint is one of the most invasive plants, most people would be happy to give you plants or cuttings. Good luck with plant catching.
Gillie, I used to have wild mint and found just invasive it could be. When I put my mint in it will not be allowed to spread.
LOL the best place for mint is in a pot. Having said that, mine is living rampant in one of the beds. I gave up trying to transplant it and just pick it furiously during the summer. I don’t think we have a single meal I haven’t managed to hide some mint in!
Gillie, I have a table top that couldn’t be refinished (wood) that I am using for a base to a raised bed which will hold my mint to keep it contained and is far enough from the rest of the gardens. Hopefully this will work. 😉
Cool. I also have a friend who dries flowers for decorative purposes. Handy device!
I love my dehydrator 🙂
That’s very cool…you have given me a push to start drying my herbs. I don’t do this very often except for chamomile. Never tried nettles…what do they taste like? Anything with mint is good in tea though…