January 23rd, 2015

The date is Jan 22, 2015. Even after one of our coldest cold snaps in recent years, there are still lots of plants looking pretty good! It's always exciting to see green during this otherwise colorless time of year. 

The list of plants below is a good place to start if you're looking for signs of life during the coldest of months. Take note that nothing shown here has been protected in any way, besides a little mulch. In other words, no cold frames, row cover or greenhouses are protecting these plants. They are subject to all the elements just like the plants of the wild.  These pictures were taken On Jan 22, 2015 by us. Disclaimer: not everything shown is edible! Hover the mouse over the picture for info. 

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Chives are a staple for any perennial/culinary herb garden

Multiflora Rose (rosa multiflora) Delicioius and nutritious (high in vitamin C) rose hips. Eat them on the spot, or make a tea

sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) tasty, sour, lemon flavored greens. a "weedy" plant that we enjoy snacking on

Garlic (allium sativum). This is a bulb of garlic that we missed when we were harvesting last summer. but you can eat the greens too!

Jerusalem Artichoke / Sunchoke (helianthus tuberosus) A couple shovels in the ground yields tons of these beautiful, starchy, tasty tubers!! tastes kind of like a cross between a potato and a carrot.

Kale (brassica oleracea). Such a cold-hardy green, needs no introduction.

Corn Salad / Mache (Valerianella locusta). tasty little cold season green. these little plants have self-seeded from last season. once spring rolls in, they'll be good for harvesting.

Horehound (marrubium vulgare). Traditional medicinal herb, used in old-school cough drops, etc. i was surprised to see how healthy its still looking

Wormwood (artemisia absinthium). another old-world herb, and still used today to make absinthe and medicine for livestock. It is a strong anti-microbial and vermifugal. Stays surprisingly silvery green all winter!

Prickly Pear (Opuntia). picked up this plant a few years ago from Triple Brook Farm in Western MA. Still can't believe that this plant does well here

Lavender (lavandula). needs no introduction. Still looks and smells beautiful. Our friend says it smells like world peace

Sage (salvia officinalis). We're still harvesting it! great with meat dishes.

Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) . One of my favorite smelling herbs. makes an awesome tea

Egyptian Walking Onion (Allium × proliferum) also known as top setting onion or tree onion. Get that essential onion flavor all year long !

Santolina. the flowers and leaves are made into a decoction used to expel intestinal parasites. An oil used in perfumery can also be extracted from the plant

Rock Cress (Arabis caucasia "snowfix") super tasty green to throw in a salad mix

Winter Savory (Sauterne montana). Tastes like common thyme. I think this plant is better for culinary use because its more leafy and less woody than thyme.

Yarrow (achillea millefolium) . medicinal herb. Stately perennial, proving to be evergreen around here.

Rue (Ruta graveolens) cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Everybody knows how essential oregano is. Throw fresh oregano in your spaghetti in January!

Thyme (thymus vulgaris). common thyme. Everybody needs more thyme on their hands.

Cilanro (coriandrum sativum). This time of year it's tasting mighty sweet.

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) unique, wild-type onion. eat the greens like chives

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Some folks call it teaberry or winterberry. pop a leaf in your mouth for that quintessential wintergreen flavor.

Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Still edible this time of year.

Eggs! after taking a month hiatus from laying, our hens are back at it. just gotta get to them before they freeze and crack!

Eastern White Pine (pinus strobus) Ever tried pine needle tea? I've heard that a cup of pine needle tea has more vitamin C than a cup of orange juice. Its actually quite tasty and surprisingly sweet. i nibble on pine needles when i go for walks in the woods.

Perennial blue flax (Linum perenne) more for ornamental purposes, although it does produce flax seeds that need to be boiled to be eaten

Hardy Geranium. not sure of the species of it. but it smells beautiful and is as cold hardy as they come.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor ) such an awesome treat. I like to nibble on them like gum. they have a chewy/meaty texture. they are very healthy and medicinal and hard to mis-identify.

Lettuce (lactuca sativa) this variety self seeded from a mix of lettuce seeds from last year and is proving to be exceptionally cold hardy, although it looks a little frost-burnt. it will bounce back soon.

Marjoram (Origanum majorana) very close relative to oregano. tastes similar to oregano, but with a more mild and sweet flavor.

Tansy (tanacetum vulgare) Tansy, an old world herb, was grown in the herb gardens of Charlemagne and by Swiss Benedictine monks. Tansy was used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, digestive problems, fevers, etc. I just like the way it smells!

peekaboo

the goats are enjoying the evergreen foliage of a donated christmas tree!

hello, Lydia... no i don't have grain for you.