Ozark Folk Center Craft Village
Yarb Tales
Comfrey is a leafy, herbaceous perennial with a long history of medicinal use. Its Latin name, Symphytum officinale, from the Greek word, symphis, means growing together of bones; phytom is the Latin word for plant; and officinale means that the plant has uses in medicine or herbalism.
Temperatures dropped to the low thirties and upper twenties last week. Basil was cut, buzzed in blenders with olive oil and frozen for sauces. Countertops in the homes of gardeners are laden with tomatoes and peppers of every hue. Butterbeans and peas, some ripened and dried and others with green shells are awaiting processing. All of this bounty, waiting safely inside after several days of a harvesting flurry needs to be stored properly for winter meals.
Mycorrhizia, A Friendly Fungus
There is much more growing on our herbs than what meets the eye. Being familiar with the plant parts that we cannot see are very important to successful cultivation. As our herb garden team plants seeds, cuttings and root divisions in pots and in the garden, we are constantly taking action to enhance heathy root growth. These actions include transplanting potted plants when they show signs of being root bound; making sure that our herbs have good drainage; using potting mixtures that contain friendly fungus and mycorrhizia and feeding the plants and their growing media with natural fertilizers.
We have enjoyed frequent spring rains this year. The moisture does come with a price. It speeds up plant growth and slows down the progress of wise gardeners. Walking, and especially, the use of heavy equipment in the yard and garden, when the ground is muddy, compacts the soil. Clay particles become elastic and sticky, causing soil to cling to weed roots. Machines operated on wet soil causes deep ruts and hard clods.
Elephant garlic, Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum is a relative of garlic, onion and leek that lives in many local Ozark Gardens and survives long after cultivated areas are abandoned. It is named for it very large, often apple sized bulbs. Individual cloves can be the size of regular garlic bulbs. Click on the title to read the complete Yarb Tales.