pumpkin or marshmallow?

At the health food shop today, I mentioned with a sigh that we'd had to go to the doctor. For all the focus we have in our house on good nutrition and 'natural' remedies, when Fionn gets an asthma attack he needs his inhaler. The lovely Suzy empathised and noted that when he is an adult, there is something which might help: Puffplus by Silberhorn. Curious, I took away their brochure. Ingredients: elecampane, fenugreek, marshmallow, garlic and horsetail. I've tried without success to germinate elecampane before, and I'm going to have another go this year. Garlic, I always grow. I've been hovering over marshmallow in the Kings seed catalogue; it says that marshmallow likes damp conditions which should mean that I'll plant three seeds and they will take over the entire garden. Fenugreek and horsetail I will have to research further, but the signs are that I can grow my own lung strengthener.

In a garden of finite space (there is more lawn to be converted but not time to convert at the moment), choices have to be made. I think that access to supermarket vegetables is not a problem in the short and medium future, but some of the proposals regarding regulation of non-pharmaceutical supplements do indeed potentially jeopardise access to vitamin and herb supplements. This summer, alongside as many vegetables as I can fit in, is the summer for elecampane, marshmallow and echinacea. This article from the Herald mentions fenugreek as an excellent microgreens crop. Hmmmm.

Meanwhile, as I progress slowly knitting my purple cross-over cardigan, I ogle beautiful amazing ravelry pictures of shawls. I'm thinking of knitting a lacy shawl or a clapotis for myself. That will be next year.

Off to find recipes for rice milk. Mad hippie.

Comments

Sharonnz said…
Miss M is going to start a medicinal herb garden as a project for next year but in the meantime, and while we don't own our own soil, we can access marshmellow, etc at Cottage Hill Herbs - just up the road. She's having fun trying potions on all of us!
August 2, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Sandra said…
What fortuity Sharon. I would certainly love to be so close to such a wonderful resource. I found fenugreek seeds, marked sproutable, in the health food shop today.
August 3, 2010 at 7:52 PM
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