The Herb Blurb – March 2022

The Herb Blurb – April 2022

April is one of my favorite months. As the first spring flowers arrive and the ground starts greening up, there is a feeling of anticipation and hope which is sorely needed with the current state of the world. Time to get our gardens started in earnest, dig those warm-weather clothes out of the closet, and start eating the delicious, lighter offerings of spring.

Feast on asparagus, artichokes, radish, spring greens, berries, baby dandelion leaves, and chickweed. Clean out and prepare your garden beds and get those early seeds going. Pack away your winter overcoat and dig out those Easter pastels. Time for longer, warmer days and the sweetness of spring.

Upcoming Classes!

Edible Wild Foods Gourmet Workshop and Luncheon – Identification, Harvesting, and use of Wild Plants

Explore the fascinating world of wild edibles. Start with an herb walk to identify common tasty plants. Learn how to use them in refreshing teas, nutritious salads, savory soups, pasta, veggie, and side dishes. Discover how to locate, identify, harvest, and prepare wild edibles to add nutrition and flavor to your meals. Make a tonic wild weeds vinegar to take home. We’ll end by dining on a delicious, vegetarian, wild foods lunch, featuring nopalita salsa, nettle pesto pasta, wild greens salad bar, and lavender and dandelion petal shortcake cookies. Experience the fun and health benefits of eating on the wild side! Handout with plant descriptions and uses, take-home vinegar, recipes, and meal included.

Saturday, May 21, sold out, Sunday, May 22, 9:30 – 12:30.

Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, C470 and Wadsworth, $55, $50 member. https://catalog.botanicgardens.org/Selection.aspx?item=2402&sch=201842

Garden to Glass, Summer Drinks and Tapas Workshop

Join Susan Evans, author of "The Herbalist's Happy Hour," and learn how to make the most of your summertime libations. We cover refreshing aqua frescas, extraordinary elixirs, infused alcohol, and sensational syrups made from fruits, veggies, and herbs from the garden and summer markets. Become your own mixologist and dazzle your family and friends with crafted cocktails and delicious thirst quenchers. Create delicious tapas to go along with our drinks. Add some sparkle to those summer gatherings! Handout with recipes drink samples and tapas included. Special class price of $15.00 for Susan's book.

Friday, June 10, and Friday, June 24, 6-8 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens, $65, $60 member. No alcohol will be served in class. https://catalog.botanicgardens.org/Selection.aspx?item=2100&sch=189139

Crested Butte Wildflower Festival

Join me at the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, July 8 – 17. I will be teaching several of the wide range of classes offered. A wonderful week in the mountains with hillsides covered in wildflowers. https://crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.org/

Fun Things to Do!

Are you getting that garden fever? Check out garden classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens and local garden centers and nurseries. 

April 22nd is Earth Day. The need to honor and care for our Mama Earth is growing more crucial every day. Plant a tree, take a class, participate in a cleanup, volunteer, or check out a festival. Google Earth Day 2022 with your location and get involved with all the opportunities on offer.

9 Health Fair is back! Go enjoy some blood tests. See how you’re holding up for a very reasonable fee. https://9health365.org/ .

Taste of Vail for a mountain food and wine festival, April 6 -9. https://tasteofvail.com/

The kids might enjoy the Tulip Fairy and Elf Parade on the Pearl St. Mall in Boulder on Sunday, April 24, 1-5. https://boulderdowntown.com/do/tulip-fairy-and-elf-festival 

Take a hike. April has perfect weather for hiking when we aren’t having a late snowstorm. Check out the local parks and wild spaces and enjoy the early wildflowers and flowering trees and shrubs.

Free Days
Four Mile Historic Park, Friday, April 8
Denver Zoo, Sunday, April 10
Denver Art Museum, Tuesday, April 12 and Sunday, April 24
Denver Botanic Gardens, Thursday, April 21
For more check out https://scfd.org/find-culture/free-days/ and https://www.colorado.com/things-to-do

Gardens

April is the month where gardeners come out in earnest, usually in between snowstorms. It’s wonderful to look out and see small explosions of color from spring bulbs and early blooming perennials.

gardening in coloradoThe crucial item for a successful garden? Soil. I add compost to the garden beds every spring and fall. Check out www.dug.org for classes and garden plots for rent.
Now is the time to divide your overgrown perennials and get all those weed seedlings out. Go on an herb walk to find out which ones make a tasty addition to dinner.

I like a garden that features fragrance, herbs, veggies, edible and cut flowers for the house.  Drought tolerance, long bloom, and easy maintenance are also essential. Check out  https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/ pages of information on the best choices for gardening in Colorado.  Curb your enthusiasm and don’t plant more than you are willing to maintain in the dog days of August.

You can put in your cool weather crops now including kale, Swiss chard, spinach, salad greens, peas, onion sets, strawberries, and more. If you have seed starts from inside, make sure your plants are hardened off before planting out in the unpredictable spring weather. Put out some pansies and primrose to compliment your spring bulbs. Cut back grasses, roses, perennials, and dead wood in shrubs. Resist the urge to buy tender plants too early. If a late frost doesn’t kill them, it will definitely stunt them.

Easter

Easter Sunday is April 12th. Easter originated with the pagan festival of the vernal equinox in late March when the celebration of Eostre, the Anglo Saxon goddess of fertility, agriculture, and spring was celebrated. She was often accompanied by the snow hare, the original Easter Bunny.  Later the holiday was changed to Easter Sunday, honoring Christ’s resurrection into heaven.

Eggs have long been a symbol of birth and regeneration. Celebrate this holiday by coloring some Easter eggs with a child, touching base with friends and family, and consider what dreams you would like to bring to fruition in this time of renewal and new beginnings.

Herb of the Month – Dandelion

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinaleI was out for a hike in Mt Falcon and noticed the first dandelion leaves, my favorite spring edible, peeking out on the side of the trail. Emerging dandelions are plentiful and tasty this month.

Taraxacum officinale, dandelion, is one of the top five most nutritious vegetables, ahead of broccoli and spinach. It contains Vitamin A, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and trace minerals. Europeans have been eating dandelions for centuries and you can find them here in upscale markets and restaurants, not to mention the backyard.

Medicinal plant properties include its use as a liver tonic and mild diuretic. All parts of the plant are edible. Dandelion leaves can be used in salads, egg dishes, casseroles, soups, and vegetable dishes. Pick young leaves in the spring before they flower or set bud, as older leaves or leaves from flowering plants are bitter. They can be used to replace spinach in recipes. The fall roots can be chopped, roasted, and used as a healthy coffee substitute.

The flowers, steeped in water, make a fine face wash, herbal bath, or steam. You can also use the flowers for vinegar and wine. Pull out the flower petals and blend into butter and cheese spreads, or as a bright garnish for salads and other dishes. The flowers are a source of a natural yellow dye and are an important pollen source for honeybees.

So don’t scorn this generous, sunny little plant. Use it to give yourself a healthy spring boost.

The Herbalists Happy Hour

Warm weather is on the horizon and it's time for refreshing beverages, cocktail parties, and al fresco dining. My book includes recipes for fresh, artisanal beverages and finger foods made with ingredients from the garden. I went for low effort and delicious results. It includes recipes for cocktails, infused liquors, non-alcoholic refreshers, bitters, garnishes, savory small bites and more. From Blueberry Basil Blast to Smoked Salmon Mousse you’ll find plenty of ideas for healthy hydrating and flavorful snacking. Get it here 

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

- Audrey Hepburn

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