Seed Saving!

  Earlier this summer, I was delighted to find two "Ladyslipper" plants sprout up in the middle of the radish row.  This was quite the surprise as I had not intended to plant flowers mixed in with the radishes but somehow a couple of saved seeds were tumbled together with the radish seeds.  Actually, I did not know that I had any more of the seeds at all!  This was indeed a good thing in more ways than one.  First, the blooms of the plants are quite beautiful and, second, the leaves of the plant are handy to have around.  These leaves can help heal poison ivy rashes from the get-go. Years ago,  I admit that I was a bit dubious of this remedy and thought I should "try it out" before recommending it to anyone.  I headed out back behind the canebrake where I knew a large poison ivy vine was entwined around a pine tree.  Well, I figured that I might as well pull off some of the obnoxious vine whilst trying to catch a rash.  (I am probably the only person alive that actually tried to get a rash!)  The pulling of that much vine did, indeed, give me a bit of a rash on my wrist.  After washing the spot well, I headed to the garden and grabbed a handful of the "Ladyslipper" leaves.  As I was rubbing the area with the leaves, I noticed an almost instantaneous relief in the itching!  Care was taken to make sure that the plants juices were smeared all across the rash area. I picked a few more to use later and figured that by the next day my arm would be quite red, itchy and nasty looking.  Nope.  It did not happen!  After using the leaves twice, the rash went away for good!  Now you can understand why I really, really like these plants and was so happy to see the little seedlings.

  I actually should not be calling the plants "Ladyslippers" at all but should stick to their proper name of Balsam.  Pop labeled them "Ladyslippers" long ago and it just stuck with me all of these years.  As I said before, old habits die hard.  Balsams are also called Jewelweeds or Touch-me-nots.  The term Jewelweed comes from the small, jewel-like flowers and Touch-me-not from the seed pods.  Those seed pods will "pop" when handled causing the tiny seeds to go flying about the garden!  

  Finding the Jewelweed plants growing in the radishes made me happy but I am just as elated to find that both large plants are covered with seed pods!  I have already picked a good number of them and the plants still have a lot more that need to mature a bit.  The plants, themselves, look a tad ragged since I pulled out the tomato plants that were shading the Ladyslippers.  They seem to flourish in shaded, moist areas and do not do as well when exposed to the heat of the sun.  

   Some of the remaining leaves of the plant will be harvested, boiled and frozen. This will be added to homemade lotions and soaps that can be used to heal poison ivy rashes.  So now you know just why two volunteer plants and a hand full of new seeds make me so very happy!