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Earlier this year I posted about my war with the four lined beetle in my mint. Now I add the squash bug to that war. These little critters will suck the life right out of any cucumber / squash type vine. I am not referring to the squash vine borer (although that villain made its home in my garden this year too). This bug’s Latin name is Anasa istis. I have read that these are stink bugs; the triangular shaped bugs that give an unpleasant odor when you squish them. I have never experienced that odor. I suppose that is because I put them into the Pool of Death – soapy water with a tad of bleach. However online sources differ in their pictures of what they call squash bugs versus stink bugs. Call it profiling, but I just put anything that looks like a stink bug that is on a vine into the poisonous pool.
 squash bug: Univ. of Kentucky, School of Ag. First they attacked my patty pan squash. I only got 4 vegetables off of it before it needed to be pulled up. I must admit the squash vine borer did most of the damage on that, but I did see the squash bugs there too. Looking back, I should have left the patty pan squash as a sacrifice. Why? Well….without the patty pans, the stink bugs moved on to my cucumber, thus ruining my plans to have lots of cucumber / onion / sour cream salads and canning pickles, relish, etc. The squash vine borer ‘does its thing’ and then isn’t a pest the rest of the season. Not so for this nemesis.
I have two other vines in the garden this year, a cantaloupe and a luffa. I have seen the critters on the cantaloupe, but not too many. I have managed (…ahem…) to deter them off that vine. I learned my lesson and I kept the now pitiful looking cucumber vine for the squash bugs. I still try to control their numbers, but it is hard to keep up with them. A couple times a week I inspect the vine, squirting and stunning the bugs with my soapy water and then knocking them into the pool of death. Muwahahahaha! In so doing, I have also learned what the nymphs look like. I show no mercy.
 nymphs: Univ of Kentucky, School of Ag I have planted a few flowers and herbs in the veggie gardens this year to help create a more varied buffet for the insects, hoping to attract lots of good bugs. Unfortunately, I think the squash bugs are big thugs and have scared off the good guys. <sigh> I must find a type of plant that these guys like and that I don’t like or want) so that I can sacrifice it next year. Maybe I’ll even make a separate bed for it; I could make a sacrificial altar! Hey, you gotta keep your humor, ya know? Of course, the neighbors might wonder….
 from mingtombs.eu So, I’m sorry cucumber. You will not be forgotten and your sacrifice will not be in vain. Thank you cuke.
 broadleaf plantain; image from weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu Yep! THAT weed. You’ve seen it. You’ve walked on it. You, as I have, spray stuff to kill it. Meet Plantago major. You probably have also seen its cousin, Plantago lanceolata, which has thinner and more elongated leaves. This “weed” is a perennial, meaning it will return each year.
While Plantain has many uses, I use it for taking the sting out of a recent bug bite or scrape. I’ve pointed it out to my son so that he can identify it if he is need of immediate relief while playing outside. Pull a clean leaf, crush or even chew it slightly, and apply to the afflicted area. It is that easy. Of course, this isn’t something you would want to do if you suspect the weed has been treated with chemicals or is in a heavy traffic area.
I take several plantain leaves, crush and bruise them, and steep them in very hot water for a couple of hours. By the end of the steeping period, the water is cool. I strain the liquid and pour into ice cube trays. After freezing them, I put the cubes in a labeled bag back in the freezer. Voila! I have an instant pain relief for bee stings, mosquito bites, scrapes, and just about any minor summer-type ouchie. Better yet, I can thaw a couple out in the winter months to add to a cream.
Please note I am not a trained herbalist…just an herbie wanna-be Mom. Do your research!
Did you know that many of the ‘weeds’ that you step on at the park or pass on a country roadside could bring you relief from many of summer’s common complaints? It amazes me how many plants Mother Nature provides for us in our own back yard and we kill them off with chemicals. You might think that there is a lot of processing involved to use these plants and so it would be just easier to buy the synthetic pharmaceutical equivalent. Nope! Can you make tea? Can you make ice? Then you’re good to go! Over the next couple of weeks, I will be highlighting some of these ‘weeds’.
My favorite is Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Yep, you read that right – it is an impatien.
 Jewelweed image from wiseacre-gardens.com And like its garden bedding plant cousin, you will find it in moist shady areas. It can be found growing near poison ivy which is fortunate because that is exactly what it is mostly used for. See? Mother Nature even makes the medicine convenient to reach! The watery juice inside the Jewelweed stalk, especially near the roots, actually blocks the poison ivy toxin Urushiol. So, if you are hiking or working in the woods (as my husband often does) and you see poison ivy, look for Jewelweed. Pull up a stalk or two, break it open, and rub the juice on your skin.
If you think you have already contacted poison ivy, go ahead and do it anyway. Jewelweed’s chemical Lawsone is responsible for blocking the toxin Urushiol by anchoring itself into the same receptor sites that Urushiol attaches to in our skin. (We’re on a molecular level here.) Furthermore, Lawsone actually travels faster than Urushiol. So, if you’ve just brushed up against some poison ivy, don’t fret! Look for that Jewelweed!
Ok, so what if you’ve already broken out in the rash? Now what? You guessed it…Jewelweed can help again. The same Lawsone chemical can minimize the allergic reaction. It doesn’t just help with poison ivy; it can help with other rashes or irritations.
If you don’t live near open country or an unsprayed area, you can still benefit from Jewelweed and have it on hand. This is what I used to do before I finally started letting Jewelweed grow in my shade garden. (More about that in a minute…) Gather five or six stalks and rinse them of dirt and bugs. Chop. Place chunks in a blender and add water until about half full. Pulverize or liquify. Strain out the little particles. Pour the green liquid into ice cube trays. Freeze. Pop them out and place in a labelled bag. The next time you think you got some poison ivy, you got a cooling remedy.
How did I get Jewelweed to grow in my garden? I simply found some plants that were blooming and took them
 Jewelweed bloom image from wiseacre-gardens.com home. I waited until they were blooming because I knI laid them down on the soil, plant and all. Next summer, I had Jewelweed and I’ve had it ever since. In fact, I rip much of it up because it spreads so easily.
Jewelweed is an ingredient in my Boo-Boo-Goo. Because of its watery nature, I doubt it would work well in a salve. I’ve heard of people steeping Jewelweed in Apple Cider Vinegar and rubbing that on when venturing out in the woods or once the rash has erupted. OUCH! I like the ice cube idea.
A year or so ago I wrote about St. Fiacre, the patron Saint of Gardeners. I went out on a limb when I shared my thoughts on who else helps to take care of my gardens – fairies, or nature angels, whatever you want to call them. Well, something has happened again that *could* support my belief that I got an army of fairies watching out for my little patch of Eden. It could also just be dumb luck. I prefer to believe otherwise as it brings a little mystery and magic.
Two nights we had a wicked storm. At 2am the lightning was flashing so brightly that it was like Mother Nature was standing outside flipping the light switch on and off rapidly. My wind chimes sounded like cathedral bells from the wind. Lots of thunder, the roar of the rain…you get the idea. But never did I hear anything cracking and falling.
One edge of our property runs at a sharp angle. The corner where it meets our neighbors’ is home to a couple of large, old trees. One split and fell, reaching into our property. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the blinds in the morning to see this huge tree suspended just four or five feet above one of my raised beds. My husband had just installed a trellis support for the cucumber planted there. He spent a hot afternoon in the garage making four of these when he had other pressing matters to attend. I had just planted another betony plant for tea. I have a row of cosmos in there, only a few inches tall, for cutting flowers. I haven’t had cutting flowers for some time and miss them. I’m saving room for the holy basil and arnica I will be transplanting soon. They are coming in the mail, any day now. Indeed, all of the raised beds are planted and filled with anticipation. Thankfully, they were spared.
Had it not been for the tree, threateningly hanging over the plants I started in late winter and Jeff’s hard work, I wouldn’t have given a second thought to the storm. I think the tree (almost) mishap is a message, telling me that St. Fiacre heard my prayers this spring when I asked for protection and care. The fairies and he are at work; they are saying “Ta-Da!”
I wonder if I can talk them into running over to my neighbors’ and help out with the tree removal?
I saw women wearing ethereal, flowing dresses and big floppy hats with fresh flowers. You would have thought I was at the recent British Royal Wedding, but I wasn’t. I was at the Indiana Medical History Museum. As a joint event with the Herb Society of Central Indiana and the Purdue Master Gardeners of Marion County, the museum hosted a garden tea on June 5th, 2011.
 A festive herbie! 
“But why at a Medical History Museum”, you ask? Well, they have a lovely garden that houses many plants and herbs used medicinally in the past and present. What I enjoyed about the gardens is that the plants weren’t simply identified; rather, there was a brief description of what these plants were used for.
 Feverfew blooming in the foreground at the IMHM Guests were encouraged to stroll through the gardens and the 110 year-old pathology building.
 Horehound at the IMHM Amidst the gardens were artists painting whatever inspired their creative talents.  Of course delicious finger foods accompanied the tea, and on this day, I was thankful hosts offered both hot and iced tea.
Inside the pathology building is a magnificent amphitheater. It is here that guests listened to a lecture on the benefits of herbal tea by Joyce Miller, owner of the Huckleberry Hutch in Rushville, Indiana.
 Joyce Miller of the Huckleberry Hutch
To an audience under the refreshment tent Kathleen Hull, MD discussed the medicinal histories behind the wild yam vine (used in the first birth control pill) and Sweet Annie (used for malaria). I learned some new tidbits.
All of this was for $12. Wow! I came away with some fabulous pictures too. The museum will be hosting a couple of FREE lectures later this summer, including topics such as herbs used in the Civil War. Check out the website if you’re in the area. This is definitely not your typical museum visit.
And now for some cool pictures…if you’re an herbie, that is. 
I just love these mortar and pestles lined up on the marble tiled island. Notice the copper edging on the island? Incredible!
 Mullein at the IMHM...What I find so 'neat' is that you will find these growing along the roadsides.  Elderberry - Black Lace
Sorry Shannon! After today’s conversation, I was inspired to blog about this and when thinking of a title, I was reminded of those “for Dummies” books.
 herbs drying at Conner Prairie, Fishers, Indiana - photo by me For the rest of you, here’s the story: I instructed a friend on what to do with her excess of herbs – dry them. I explained a couple of different methods and went home. I should have checked up on her. Her herbs went moldy. Why? The moisture couldn’t escape because she had them in a a closed container. I won’t go into the different ways to dry herbs here; there are lots of websites and books covering this very topic.
This is the idea behind drying herbs – you want the water to evaporate. Don’t worry that what makes basil smell and taste like basil will evaporate too. It won’t. In fact, the ‘herbness’ becomes stronger when dried. That is why in recipes using fresh herbs requires more than dried. This herb ‘essence’ I’m referring to are the herb’s essential oils.
I’ve read that you want herbs to dry in an environment about 95 to 105 degrees. The drier the air, the better; humidity slows the process. I use a food dehydrator. I’ve also used the sun. I have two old screen doors that I lay out on my patio. I have to really watch the herbs using that method because they can fry to a crisp on my patio.
Speaking of being crisp, that is another thing to watch out for when drying herbs. You want to make sure they are dry before you store them in an airtight container. Otherwise, the moisture will evaporate and mold. I use the crunch test. If I push on a dried herb and it crunches and crumbles, it is done. If it is real pliable and leathery, it dries for a bit more. There is no perfect science to this because different herbs hold different amounts of moisture and the humidity in the air can alter the drying times. Plus, if you dry in the sun versus a dehydrator, or an oven on low heat, or in the back window of your car….all of these will have varying times. It is just a matter of checking up on them every couple of hours. Plus, although I have never tried it, I hear that oven-drying your herbs alters the color. They taste the same though.
 jewelweed from illinoiswildflowers.info I tend to leave the leaves on the stems and strip the dried leaves off. Others do the work before hand. I think it is a personal preference. Others say to harvest your herbs on a cloudy day or after the dew has dried but before the heat of the sun has hit. In a perfect world, yes. But, who lives in a perfect world? I get out there when I can. Honestly, I haven’t noticed a difference. The only difference I HAVE ever noticed was last year. We had a drought and my jewelweed, belonging to the impatiens family, had hardly any ‘juice’ to yield.
 jewelweed bloom from illinoiswildflowers.info Jewelweed juice is good for poison ivy, by the way. It is a weed. I snagged a bunch growing wild along a shady road and spread it around my yard. Voila! I have jewelweed. My husband and his co-workers can attest to this bit of herbal wisdom. But that is another blog.
I just love it when I can help others. Of course, it helps to have a willing guinea pig. Normally my guinea pigs have the same last name as myself, but not this time. My neighbor has been initiated into this elite group with a baptism of soaking her toe.
She had a throbbing, red, swollen and very sore big toe. She isn’t sure what the culprit was exactly. With a 3 mile mother-daughter run looming in front of her in a few days, the cause was irrelevant. She needed relief, like, now. I gave her a Ziploc bag of calendula and chamomile with the instructions to make a strong tea and soak her toe before bed. While you’re sitting there, I told her, you might as well have a glass of wine. What else are you gonna do?
 Calendula from calendula.name She already had essential oils of tea tree and lavender. I suggested she put a drop of each on her toe, cover it with a band aid, after the soaking. She called the next morning to say that her toe felt better and the swelling had greatly reduced. Yee-haw! Now I need to give her a jingle and see how the race went.
 chamomile from viable-herbals.com Why these herbs in particular? Chamomile and Calendula are anti-inflammatory and have some anti-microbial properties. You use the petals. They are also soothing to the skin. Tea tree and lavender have anti-fungal, bacterial, and all other sorts of make-me-feel-better kind of stuff in them. Since we didn’t know what the cause was exactly, I figured these two essential oils combined were a good panacea. Normally you do not put essential oils on your skin without a carrier oil of some kind. However, lavender and tea tree are generally safe to do this with when using just a drop.
And now for that necessary statement: I am not a certified herbalist or nor a medical practitioner of any kind. Do your own research! This blog was for my bragging rites and ego.
I’ve got you now, you little blankety-blank-blank. This is the third year in a row you’ve appeared in my spearmint bed, but this is your last! The first two years you evaded me because I thought you were two different pest problems. With a bit more tenacity this spring scouring the internet, I solved the mystery! You’re disguise has been blown! You are….the 4 Lined Plant Bug! Your days of sucking all the juices out of my mints are over! I will have fresh mint this spring!
Mid spring I see these strange little black depressions on my mint leaves. Eventually, the whole patch is wilted over, weighed down by the spots. Then, the same spots start appearing on other plants, even the weeds! If I look really, and I mean really, close, I’ll see the teensiest little bright red, fat beetle with a black belt. No, I mean it. It has a black midsection or band. But, I think it could be metaphorical too.
 picture from mobugs.blogspot.com By July, another larger bug is clearly visible. This bug is black with yellow stripes. No, it doesn’t go buzz. The yellow stripes run the length of the back.
The 4 Lined Plant Bug is difficult to identify because the juvenile stage looks so different than the adult stage. On insect identification sites, I would type in “little red bug” and get all kinds of pictures of NOT what I had. It wasn’t until I saw the adult stage did I know that I had the 4 Lined Plant Bug. But even then, I still thought I had two pest problems. Finally, this afternoon, I found a blog about them.
 damage to leaf - picture taken from wingsofjustice.com So then what did I do? Today, on Mother’s Day, I concocted a sinister home-made insecticidal soap and sprayed the dickens out of my mint. I mixed up water, some Murphy’s Wood Oil Soap, and cayenne pepper. I’ll have to keep it at, but if you’ve priced the commercial stuff, you’ll know why I will bother making my own! It wasn’t the way I envisioned spending my day, but a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do.
In the past, I just gave up, whacked down the entire patch, ripped it out in July. By mid September I had a new beautiful crop with no critters. Now I know why; the adult female dies in August and the eggs overwinter, hatching in the spring.
 adult - picture taken from vegedge.umn.edu
The Victory Garden (2003) by Lee Kochenderfer
Normally book reviews are written just before or after publication. I’ve overlooked the novel, The Victory Garden by Lee Kochenderfer, for a number of years. Shame on me! My excuse is that it is a ‘young reader’ book. I encourage you to not make the same mistake- disregarding a novel written for preteens.
Although the author targets a younger audience, she does not shy away from adult topics, namely war, death and poverty. As the title simply suggests, all plots are braced against the keeping of a WWII Victory garden. The protagonist, Teresa, has a beloved brother flying overseas. Her family maintains a Victory garden, like many other families in her rural Kansas town, because they believe it will help bring the boys home.
When her neighbor is badly hurt, she volunteers herself to maintain his garden despite its size. With the help of classmates, the Young Sprouts as the local newspaper calls them, sell the produce to buy a war bond. It is here, amidst the humid days of weeding and lunching in the shade, that Teresa befriends a bully. Billy’s fists hide the secrets of his impoverished life that Teresa eventually discovers. Naturally The Victory Garden focuses on this complex relationship as it develops, but it was the setting that captivated me.
So what was it that I enjoyed so much about this story? I learned much about the War Garden movement. For the past few years, I’ve been hunting for information – like a book solely dedicated to its history – on the Victory Garden. Usually I my online searches turned up lots of reproduction posters and DVD series of the PBS show by the same name. Occasionally I’d find a period pamphlet or flier. I was looking for something that described the experience, a list of crops grown, pictures, and autobiographies of families living this way.
The Victory Garden does just that. Sources for further reading are given at the end which I was grateful for. Being an adult, I am all too familiar with the effects of death, poverty, uncertainty. I appreciated the author’s gentle touch with these matters as they were written for a preteen.
My only complaint is that the characters, the descriptions of the environment and some situations could have been fleshed out more. Then again, it was written for an audience whose attention span for adjectives and nuances might be limited.
So, check it out from the library. Encourage your child or grandchild to read it with you this summer. It would certainly give you both something to talk about.
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I’ve made a tea for my son to help him settle down at night and get a good night’s sleep. It is working so well I want to share! Before I do though, let me assure you that all other stimuli were nixed as the culprits for his frequent waking. In other words, if your child is having difficulty sleeping, be sure the following are already in place.
1) No caffeine.
2) No stimulating video / games within two hours of bed time.
3) Some activity each day.
4) Just prior to bed, share some ‘good feelings’ either through stories, books, or just plain togetherness.
Here is what I do…
Brew a strong tea. I don’t measure. I just fill up my tea pot with sleepy time herbs like lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, a pinch of American Scullcap and passionflower. I then add a teabag like peach or blueberry for some fruity flavor. I pour near boiling water over the herbs and let them steep for at least 30 minutes. Once I strain the water, I freeze it in ice cubes. Before bed each night, I pop a few cubes out to thaw. I sweeten it with a little stevia and dilute with a bit of water. Each time I make a new batch I change it just a tad, but I keep the lavender, lemon balm, chamomile, passionflower and scullcap. Most of these herbs I grow in my garden and dry in my food dehydrator.
I am not a doctor nor a licensed herbalist. Before you try any sort of herbal remedy, do your research. Check with a professional and go EASY.
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