Garden and Laundry Stuff

[helwen]

Here's a link with a picture of garlic scapes in case you don't know what they look like:
Garlic Scapes article. Some recipes there too I think.... (grabbed it off the 'net for the pic).



You can see a little of some mystery flowers to the left. Front left is common sage in bloom and next to it is lemon balm. Behind them are some irises. Also some tiger lilies, but since they aren't blooming you can't see them well.


Close-up of mystery flowers. A friend gave them to me some years ago and either she gave me the wrong name for them or I misremembered the name. Argh.


And even closer.... shouldn't be too hard to identify, I just haven't had the time.


Long view of the (mostly) herbal garden, looking south. That yellow flowering plant is Lady's Mantle. The small bush to its left is Roen's Peony.


The mature hops on the tripod L made for it. Side note: the baby hops that I separated and transplanted further away from each other earlier this summer have miraculously all survived. I need to get a few more garden stakes...


Second year kale. In its second year, kale blooms and goes to seed. The leaves are significantly fewer and smaller, but still edible. Being fewer though, the kale really needs them, so best to have kale alternating years. Sigh.... no I didn't get around to planting any this year -- yet!


And....


EDIT: Mystery flower appears to be Persian Cornflower

Comments

[ellid.livejournal.com]

You see those in period textiles *all* the time - I wonder if one can get dye from the blossoms?

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Yup, I think Kay had said at the time that they were a medieval flower. Hm, sounds like some research might be in order :D

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Hm, brief search doesn't find a reference to them for dyes. They apparently are excellent as cut flowers however, so that may be why they're depicted so often. I picked up a handy tip while I was poking around though -- they are one of the types of flower where if you cut the past-blooms off it will extend their blooming season.

[freya46.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm. Another way to eat garlic. are they tough?