Winter Salads and Sunsets

Buttercrunch, with baby onions on left.

We can't grow much lettuce in summer here because it's so hot (although I try anyway), but autumn/winter lettuce is another story. We are currently enjoying lots of fresh-picked salads, even though we do have to provide some bird deterrents (they hate the black pots and green tape for some reason, perhaps because it gives that part of the garden a decidedly trailer trash look) and frost protection (white row covers, raised during day to allow sunshine in). So exciting to have some delicious and easy-to-prepare greens. Pop them into a bowl and eat. Like breakfast cereal, only healthier. Gotta love that.

Red Leaf.

The late afternoons also take on a more golden hue in winter. And the cottonwood branch we bought with us from our last home has turned into a six-foot tall, lovely tree, which will hopefully get even bigger and wipe out our view of the neighbors' ugly shed and RV. At that point we'll also lose our views of the northern hills, further proof that you can't have everything, at least not at the same time.

Golden afternoon.

Golden Cottonwood.

Even nicer at sunset.

Landscaping

Big Ag and I decided to spend this weekend working on the property, weeding and removing some zombie butterfly bushes.  Why "zombie" you say?  Well, because they weren't quite alive, but also not completely dead.  

They were also huge.  Which meant we needed to use his Jeep and his winch to pull the plants out.  

This was a win/win, because Big Ag loves to play around in his Jeep, and I love the times when that useless, several-hundred-pounds-of-decaying-yellow-metal hulk can do something useful, other than adorn our driveway with its persistent oil leak and rusting parts. 

I am talking about the Jeep right now, just to clarify that.  Big Ag does not leak oil (yet).

Anyway, I now have two empty holes in the ground, which means I can do some plant shopping.  This will not be edible landscape I'm looking for, but rather something that will benefit the wildlife in the area, specifically butterflies, bees and birds.  So one hole is going to get a cottonwood tree, and the other will get some kind of native, flowering plant or flowering small tree.  

I think it's important that, along with feeding ourselves, we also feed the winged creatures that rely on the nectar and protective covering that some types of landscape can provide.  It's important to share the land. So this is definitely a project that will be pleasurable to do, and I can't wait to see something green and growing in the space where the zombies once stood.

Score!

When the tree crew started trimming the cottonwoods yesterday, I couldn't help but notice all the buds on the branches that were coming down.  I learned how to make healing cottonwood salve from the folks over at the Simple Green Frugal Co-Op ( http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/ ) so I thought I'd take advantage of nature's bounty and make up another batch.


Cottonwood salve is simply put, the best thing I've ever used for wounds of all kinds -- punctures, cat scratches, burns, and rashes.  I've also heard it's a great rub for sore muscles, but have not used it for this purpose yet.  The cottonwood bud has an active ingredient that has antibacterial and well as anti-inflammatory properties.


Here's what the buds look like:

And once I put one cup of them into a quart mason jar with some good olive oil, they look like this:

You can make the salve immediately if you heat up the buds and the oil together on the stove, but the buds contain a very sticky resin (the active ingredient) that's almost impossible to get off the bottom of the saucepan once you're done, so I wouldn't recommend it.  It's easier to just add the buds to some room temperature olive oil, seal tightly with a lid, and let it rest in a dark place for a couple of months, occasionally turning the jar to help mix the ingredients.  Then when you're ready, strain off the buds and use the oil, or if you wish, heat the olive oil on the stovetop, add some beeswax (maybe a teaspoon or so) to give it a slightly more firm consistency and pour it into some smaller jars you probably have laying around.  The tiny jelly jars made by Ball are great for this. It should stay good for up to a year, maybe longer.