I recently delivered some wedding flowers to Becky Slabaugh whose ceremony was held in her mother Jayne’s abundant garden. It’s been a total honor to do all the girls wedding flowers and work with that sweet family. This photo of Jayne’s cosmos, zinnias, marigolds and sunflowers epitomizes summer.
Crazy abundance here in Jayne’s arrangement – normally I’m not a hanging basket fan but this grouping sure packs a punch! I love how the Fuschia Gartenmeister is reflected in all the callibrachoa and that the baskets basically merge to create more impact.
With the rapidly approaching close of summer we are looking forward to offering new classes in a safe environment.
All classes require masks to be worn at all times ( except when eating your pie! ) and the upcoming 3 classes will be held outside.I feel we can’t be too careful with delta rearing it’s head.
We had a successful Summer Market – well attended and safe with all wearing masks. So lets just deal with the reality in front of us and get on with things we can do.
Our upcoming Nettle Cordage Making class is a repeat of one that was popular the first time we offered it.
With Nettle being such a beneficial and useful plant I thought it would be good to know some of the wonders this plant provides. (Click that link to register).
The stinging mechanism comes from hollow hairs called trichomes that cover the stem as well as the undersides of nettle leaves. These trichomes break upon contact with humans or animals, revealing an internal sharp point.
Once this sharp point makes contact with skin, it injects a combination of chemicals subcutaneously that produce the stinging sensation. These chemicals include histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, and formic acid.
There are many purported antidotes to the sting of nettle.Curiously, the juice of the plant’s own leaves will heal its sting. To make this happen leaves are picked and folding up and crushed to get out some juice whice is rubbed on affected area. Of course gloves are needed for this step. Once the leave is folded and crushed you can chew on it ( without fear of stings ) to get out more juice to apply to the sting.
The juice of dock leaf, or Rumex obtusifolius, which often grows in close proximity to nettle, is also said to alleviate the pain
Now to some of the many awesome uses.
The most common use for nettle was as fabric with the stalks being harvested in late summer, dried, and pounded before twisting into cordage of various thicknesses. From rope, to fish nets to fine fabric this versatile plant provided for people as early as the Late Bronze Age ( between 1570 and 1200 BCE ) and perhaps before.
Nettle fabric also has the ability to be dyed or bleached like cotton. It was a common household textile in Scottish households during the 16th and 17th centuries. During the First and Second World Wars, nettle fiber was used as a substitute for cotton yarns, when this material was unavailale
France used nettle extensively in their production of paper, among many other items. French cheese-makers also discovered that a nettle leaf decoction would curdle milk and produce an excellent substitute for rennet. Of course, nettle has also been enjoyed in a culinary capacity for hundreds of years.
The health benefits of eatting nettle are well documented and it’s ready availability over most of the world was and is very helpful for maintaining good health.
Nettle’s high nutritional content and low calories have made it popular in the kitchen. Per cup, these dark, leafy greens contain 37 calories, two grams of protein, and six grams of dietary fiber. In addition, they contain more than one-third of your daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A, eight percent of the RDA of iron, and 42 percent of the RDA of calcium. Nettle leaves can be easily steamed and have a taste similar to spinach. When cooked, the leaves do lose their sting and turn a vibrant shade of green.
The above information is from Two Burning Houses: A Natural History of Stinging Nettle by Petra LeBaron-Botts on the North Cascades Institute blog, as well as An Essential Guide to Nettle; History, Benefits & Uses on the Gaia Herbs website.
I hope this information entices you to join the nettle cordage class as Kaili is a fabulous teacher!! She will have great handouts, as well as extra stems to take home so you can continue your crafting.
On Sept 11 Elin Noble offers an all day Indigo Gathering class. Elin has a life time of experience with dyes and has taught as well as created art work her entire life.
With your scarf tied up into any number of options you will dip your fabric and be astonished of the magic of this ancient and much revered dye plant.
A full day to experience and learn from one of the best in the field. Bring your own lunch and I’ll provide my famous pie for a break in the fun.
Local textile artist and craftsperson extraordinaire, Patti King, brings us the meditative craft of Bojagi – The Art of Korean Patchwork
With a lovely selection of fabric to choose from you’ll make a sachet similar to the ones in the photos. Patti has a deep knowledge and understanding of using each piece of fabric, honoring both the material and the time it takes to grow, spin and weave fiber. Her work reflects this and she’s well spoken, deepening our appreciation of handcrafts. In addition you’ll make something lovely for yourself.
For many the idea of making an entire quilt is either too large or not really needed. By learning this delightful, very portable Korean tecnique you can make small beautiful pieces out of small scrapes and have a very managable project as well as darling gifts for friends. Jazz it all up using silk thread and it becomes more elegant.
Amid this enchanting tree house, Megan Kroh of Love Light Flower Farm, goes a wide range of gorgeous flowers and creates arrangements which she sells at the intersection of Maxwelton / Sills & French Rd – right across from the little brown church. She recently helped Brita with a large wedding and I got to go pick up some sweet peas from her.
I just thought you needed to have a window into another talented person on this island.
She grows the tallest and most lush sweet peas I’ve ever seen as well as so many other beauties. She’s on Instagram as @lovelightflowerfarm
She also sold her ceramic vases and arrangements at our recent Summer Arts & Crafts Market. Below is one of her early spring arrangements.
I hope you can make it to some of our upcoming classes. I’m sure they will be inspiring.
Happy end of Summer to you all – the blackberries are ripe if we can get them before to many more wet days.
Gratefully,
Mary Fisher
Cultus Bay Gardens
Whidbey Island
Clinton WA