So, thanks to Darling Daughter, I am now "forced" to try something new. It is no big secret that living like I do, I muddle around with tisanes, poultices, balms and other herbal concoctions. She knows this and also knows that I grow or forage my herbs. In fact, she is all for it as she is quite the same. That said, she and my son-in-law always find some plant that is not in the Small Gardens and they give me that as a gift. Last Christmas, they gave me a ginger root. This was unlike the culinary ginger that fills the back garden, it was Shampoo Ginger. Alrighty, then! I carefully planted this root in a huge pot to keep it separate from the other garden bound plants. Well, it took off growing and never stopped!
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I was meandering the herb gardens while thinking about what to plant for my fall/winter vegetable plot. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted with nine blooms on the Shampoo Ginger plant! (Those buds sure look a lot like the pine cones that the squirrels are dropping from the treetops.) I gave the largest "cone" a gentle squeeze and, sure enough, it was filled with liquid. It is that liquid that I am supposed to harvest and turn into shampoo! Tomorrow will find me on my knees with a jar in hand trying to capture all of that lovely stuff before something knocks over the plant and spills everything.
This is my first experience growing, harvesting and using this type ginger. From what I have read, each cone will refill a few times after they are emptied. According to all information, only the red ones should be harvested as the others are still growing. That makes sense. There are a couple of brown cones that will need to be removed so that will be done, as well. Wish me luck in this new endeavor! I am making shampoo!
