3 Weeds You Want to Keep (and some beautiful wildflowers too)

Описание: Join clinical herbalist and gardener, Erika Galentin of Sovereignty Herbs, as she explores the medicinal virtues of 3 common garden weeds. As a celebration of May Day and the reawakening of plant kingdom, Erika also shares about her love of honeybees and their unique and important relationships with these common ‘weeds’. She also demonstrates harvesting and drying techniques (recipes below). We also get to see a few of her favorite native Spring wildflowers.

The plant species you will see include:
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
• Pinxterbloom Azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides)
• Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
• Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
• Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
• Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
• Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna)
• Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)
• Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)
• Yellow Wakerobin (Trillium luteum)

For variegated ground ivy: http://www.companionplants.com/

My favorite nursery for native plants: https://woodthrushnatives.com/

Dandelion Flower Mead Recipe
Ingredients & Equipment:
• 3lbs Raw Honey
• 1 gallon of water
• 2-3 cups of dried dandelion flowers (just the petals)
• 1 sliced organic lemon with peel
• 1 packet champagne yeast
• Fermentation bucket with airlock
• 1 gallon carboy with airlock
• Auto-siphon (optional)
• Sanitized bottles and corks
• Labels

Instructions:
1) Follow standard sanitation protocols for fermenting mead
2) Add dandelion petals and 1 whole sliced lemon to fermentation bucket and pour in boiled water. Let steep until it’s still warm, but to scalding to the touch. Wake up the yeast as per yeast instructions while you wait.
3) While still warm, but not hot, stir in the raw honey until we’ll dissolved and then pitch the yeast. Cover fermentation bucket and let brew for several days.
4) Rack mead into carboy, don’t worry too much if dandelion petals get racked too in the process.
5) Allow to ferment for 6 months before racking again. Best to bottle after 12 months and to let age for another 6-12 months (nothing quick about a fine glass of mead).

Allergy Season Support Vinegar
Ingredients & Equipment:
• Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• Fresh Ground Ivy (free of other plant material and dirt)
• (Optional) freshly harvested purple deadnettle flowers
• Clean glass canning jar with lid
• Wax paper
• Clean bottle or jar for finished vinegar
• Labels

Instructions:
1) Make sure all plant material is free of unidentified species and dirt. Do not rinse with water as the will spoil your vinegar. Instead, discard soiled parts or shake dirt off the plant material.
2) Chop plant material finely and pack tightly into the glass canning jar.
3) Pour raw apple cider vinegar over the plant material making sure it remains fully submerged.
4) Cut a square of wax paper large enough to cover the mouth of the canning jar. Place this on top of the jar mouth before tightening the lid. Using a layer of wax paper between the glass jar and the metal lid will prevent rusting of the lid and contamination of the vinegar.
5) Label your jar and place it in a cool, dark place (but where you won’t forget about it) for 2 weeks.
6) After 2 weeks, strain out plant material as you bottle the vinegar. Make sure to label the date you bottled it.
7) Keep your herbal vinegar in the fridge and use within 3 months. Great in marinades and salad dressings. Can also be used as a tonic 1 tsp at a time.

Follow Erika on Instagram:
@themedicinegardener
@sovereigntyherbs

Music by Karl 💕🎶💕