It’s amazing what a little rain and warm spring weather will do!

Last year I planted a small raised bed garden in the backyard of my duplex apartment. I had a couple tomato plants, herbs and peppers, but not much else. As the summer progressed, I got a little bit of food out of the effort but the record heat and drought really did a number on my plants and overall the garden wasn’t particularly successful.

Cue Spring 2012.

Unlike last year, in Austin we’re getting enough rain for the forecasters to scale back our drought rating and the weather has been remarkably warm (I think our last freeze was maybe in February).

Thanks to all our spring rains, gardens in central Texas are going crazy!

Even before I knew we’d be getting all this rain, this year I planted triple the garden space of last year, using both of my raised beds as well as a series of containers made from storage totes with holes in the bottom. A couple of these containers have water reservoirs (actually, 2.5 gallon water jugs) on the bottom, while others are dirt from top to bottom. It’s all part of the life-long experimenting that comes with gardening.

I have two tomato plants in one of the raised beds, snuggled up with some chard and spinach. In the second bed I also have rosemary, thyme, peppermint, fennel and a single ornamental plant. I also have a series of containers in which I’ve planted basil, comfrey, lemon balm, catnip, zucchini, echinacea, eggplant and pumpkin.

Last, but certainly not least, is the compost pile.

Really. I have a small pile of garden waste (leaves and green matter) and kitchen scraps. At the edge of that is a type of squash yet to identify itself, and some sort of legume, perhaps a pea, which is strange since I don’t typically eat peas or similar plants that could have ended up in the compost.

For now everything is happy (so happy, in fact, that this early in April I already have a green tomato!), but this leaves me with lots of unanswered questions. Will the zucchini plants survive the (inevitable) onslaught of vine borers? Will the pumpkin take to the chain link fence, or choose to tumble to the ground? Will the tomatoes produce a surplus this year (they didn’t last year)? Will the comfrey, a shade and water loving plant that is super happy right now, make it through the summer?

And perhaps the most important question of them all: will 2012 be the year the peppermint successfully reaches its goal of total garden domination?

 

For more on container gardening, you might like the article on container gardening in the new issue of Mother Earth News!

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Carla and Stephanie, teachers at the Austin-based Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine, led our eager group on an early evening plant walk in the Muller Development in East Austin.

I’ve posted the brief comments they made about each plant, to the best of my ability. Please note that many of these plants have fantastic medicinal qualities, but if you’re new to herbal medicine you should take care to learn more about the plants, the preparations and uses, before diving in. Just as you wouldn’t take a prescription medicine without understanding how it’s used (or get it from a professional), you shouldn’t just pick a plant that you just learned and know just the basics about, and start chowing down on it.

Agarita

Mahonia trifoliolata (Berberis trifoliolata, Mahonia trifoliata)

This is a great plant to use for the gastric system, and all parts of the alimentary canal. Agarita contains berberine, the same constituent in goldenseal. Usually roots and woody parts are used medicinally, although leaves are also effective. Agarita berries are edible as well. Local herbalists consider this to be one of the best local plants to use for a variety of illnesses, and would have it in their top 10 useful herbs.

 

 

 

Yucca

Yucca spp.

In the agave family. The root contains saponins, which can be used to make a form of soap. These constituents are  precursors to cortisone and can help with inflammation. The root is edible and can be roasted like a potato. The leaves can be used to make cordage.

 

 

 

 

Prickly or Wild Lettuce

Latuca verosa and Latuca serriola

Similar in appearance to dandelion but leaves tend to be more upright, and there are prickly spines on the leaf spines. The leaves are edible and can be used raw or cooled. They are very astingent, and bitter, stimulating digestion. Latuca Verosa – called lettuce opium. Has the lobed/toothed leaves. Serriola – less of a toothed leaf. Taken internally, the herb causes secretions from mucus membranes, the latex in stems has a relaxing effect, but care should be taken if used internally in significant quantities or in an herbal preparation because it can cause cardiac issues.

 

 

Sow thistle

Sonchus oleraceus and other spp.

Another dandelion look-alike, although this plant grows much larger than dandelions in Texas. It has spikes on leaves,  and multiple flower stalks, both traits also unlike dandelions. Leaves are edible as raw or cooked greens, and flower buds are delicious sauteed in bacon fat.

 

 

Red seed plantain

Plantago rhodosperma

All species of plantain have similar qualities and can be used medicinally. Leaves of plant have parallel veins which is unlike look-alike plants and can be used to distinguish it. Often grows in disturbed soils, can take a lot of abuse.

Plant can be used topically. Amazing for tissue regeneration.  Best for insect bites – you can chew up leaf and put the pulp on a cut or fire ant bite. in dried, powdered form plantain is great  in a facial scrub or mask for acne. A plantain poultice can help to pull out splinters. Psyllium husks = plantain seeds. Also called “plant for life.”

 

 

Hedge parsley

Torillis arvensis

Looks like so many other things. Not really medicinal. Be careful. Althogh edible, some look-alikes are very poisonous. Makes burrs. Grows up in a stalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening primrose

Oenothera speciosa

Very safe to use. Typically flowers are used medicinally, and evening primrose oil contains fatty acids that are especially good for women, relieves menstrual cramps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acacia

Acacia spp

Tree with small  yellow flowers; thorns. In Mimosoideae subfamily, with similar leaves, and is considered a legume. Bean pods can be ground up  like mesquite beans, with similar results.

 

 

 

 

 

Texas verbena

Glandularia bipinnatifida 

Looks a bit like lantana (Lantana camara and spp) but leaves are different. Verbena leaves are fern-shaped, and look like nervous system, while the lantana leaves are oval. Verbena is a good nervine and can help promote calm and relaxation.

 

(thanks Sam Coffman for corrected identification)

 

 

 

Poison ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

It tends to grow in places that are disturbed or where there is a lot of human activity. In Austin it is prolific on the greenbelts and on the hike and bike trail. Protective of other plants. Don’t touch, but surely we don’t have to tell you that. It also tends to make blog writers break out into song when least expected.

 

 

 

 

Englemann’s Daisy

Engelmannia peristenia

No immediately known medicinal or edible properties. Just a cool plant we found as we wandered around.

 

 

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