Poplar Hill Happenings

Check out why the tulip poplar is called tulip poplar! Our Name Sake.

Poplar Hill during Dogwood Season

Here is a picture of Poplar Hill right now. 

Pictures of the Poplars in bloom to come in May.  In about 12 days they should bloom.

Jewelweed

I've decided to cultivate the jewelweed in my garden along the creek. I think jewelweed is one of the prettiest and most interesting plants in all of the eastern hardwood forests. Jewelweed (click for the wikipedia description) grows in damp areas, attracts humming birds and is useful in dealing with skin irritations such as dry skin, poison ivy, bee stings and those nasty little stingers from stinging nettles. Simply pulling of a bit of the plant, crushing it to get to the juice and then rubbing the juice on the irritated area can be very soothing.  Search the web for herbal formulas for all kinds of things.

Apparently some folks think that poison ivy always grows along with it's natural treatment, jewelweed, but I've rarely seen the two growing side by side. However, generally if you get into a batch of stinging nettles you can look around for some jewelweed growing nearby, primarily because they both like wet feet. Wet forest soils are the perfect growing condition for the two.

In the late summer and fall when the jewelweed flower has gone to seed and the seeds are dried in the little egg shaped pod one touch of your finger will cause the pod to spring open and will send the seeds flying! Hence, jewelweeds other name, "touch-me-nots". If you can get one of those brown seeds, scrape away the brown coating and get to the soft part. The soft part of the seed is the most beautiful robin egg blue! So few things in nature are that color. Robin eggs and jewelweed seeds are the only things I can think of.

I'm interested in making some jewelweed soap because my husband is constantly in places where poison ivy is. We currently purchase a product called Tech-nue which works wonderful before and after poison ivy exposure, but if we could make some jewelweed soap, that would be a few more pennies pinched! If you know how to make jewelweed soap, please post it or e-mail me.

Taking baby steps toward a self sufficent life, Christine

Dogwood and Red Bud Alert!

Birds gone batty! Rain and the Garden

Rain, Rain, Rain and Bird Activity

Us Kentucianians are getting drenched!  We are exepected to get two or three more days of this too!  We are not sure we can get out of the county to go see a movie!

Before the rain started this morning we had all kinds of brids singing.  The pheebes that returned two weeks ago were just fussing at one another.  I can't tell if it's male territorial fighting or if it's mating season.  They are one of the earlies to have chicks.  They manage to always nest under our deck. 

When all the rain stops we will be picking rocks out of the garden and hoping to plant the early crops ASAP! 

Christine, taking babysteps

Red-winged Blackbirds in Southern Indiana

I couldn't belive my ears when I was hanging laundery this morning..."O-ka-LEEEEEE!".  I thought "that's a Red-winged Blackbird by the pond on the neighbors property."  I walked over and strained my eyes.  I saw them flying high above and pearching in the trees.  Gosh, I thought spring is coming.  I'm going to keep my eyes out for a confirmed sighting, but the song sure is strong.   

Zone 6, 51 degress, no rain.  partly cloudy