Today being St. Patrick's Day, I decided to "go green". No, I did not don the green shirt nor cutesy up myself with shamrocks. Instead, I went outside to work in the garden. That was green enough for me. I am not being stuffy here about those who do participate in the traditions. It was just the fact that there was not much reason to do anything since I was the only one to appreciate it. I did, however, have a grand time working the plot of ground set aside as my vegetable garden. The tomato plants are doing fine so there was little tending to do to them but the potatoes were in dire need of fertilizer and hilling. Once that was done, I started hunting for any volunteer herbs that may be sprouting through the ground. The oregano was already spilling out of the container and the purple basil had hundreds of tiny plants where seeds had fallen. I was not lucky enough to find any sweet basil, fennel nor mint up yet. Wait and see. Wait and see. I will follow the advice of Son.
I did find an entire patch of lyre-leaf sage in bloom and that made me happy. Most folks will recognize this herb as the "weed growing on the side of the road". It is not a weed, folks! It is a medicinal herb! The whole plant can be used. The leaves have a slightly minty taste (sage is in the mint family, by the way) and can be added to salads and soups. It is the root that is important to me, though. That root has pulled me through one cold after another in the past. The cleaned root made into a tisane is supremely helpful in calming a sore throat. The tisane can be used as a tea or as a warm gargle. A wee touch of honey makes the tisane even more delectable.
I find it humorous that recently, the lyre leaf-sage (Salvia lyrata) can be found at plant nurseries. For years, it was deemed to be a nuisance plant or weed. People who desired the well manicured yard (which is actually a waste of land, in my humble opinion), dumped gallons of weed killer to eradicate the plant. The lyre-leaf sage was adamant about staying and that created headaches for those who are compulsive about such things. Everything in the book was thrown at the hardy little plant but it was all to no avail. The plant survived, regardless. I guess some folks now see this as a plant "they cannot kill" so there is a demand for it.
On the Bayou, the lyre-leaf sage can grow where it wishes. When it blooms, the place is dotted with blue. Then, when the blooms fade, I simply mow over the plants. The base leaves are a great ground cover that can take a beating and still look great. It is also mighty handy to have that sore throat cure just outside the door. Lyre-leaf sage...the plant that creates headaches for some but cures sore throats for others.
Just a bit of sage advice here, folks. If you are sick, stay away from the Little Bayou House or prepare to be medicated with some fine herbal tisanes. It irks me to no end to have noticeably ill people come to the Bayou, claim that they are not sick in the least all the while coughing and sniffling up a storm. That said, I am issuing a fair warning...if you come here sick, you will be treated and some home remedies are not, lets say, too tasty. However, since I am not a doctor that can prescribe any of the helpful medicines of today, I can and will whip up a lovely cup of "tea"....and you will drink it...or I will send you on your merry way!
I have been fighting the onset of a cold for the past four days. It is not bad as I keep it at bay by using said remedies. Today, however, I was exposed, not once but twice, to folks with full blown colds...nasty colds with sneezing, coughing, sniffling, sore throats and even fever. I do not need this! So...a tisane has been by my side all day.
My bit of sage advice? Sage! Sage is an effective herb to use against the onset of a sore throat. It works wonders as either a gargle or to sip as one would a tea. As an added plus with this remedy, it tastes pretty good. Personally, I love the taste and will drink this just as a warming drink after being outside in the cold and with the cold, rainy days we have been having for the past week, it is just the thing!
To make this tisane, heat a cup of water until almost boiling. While the water is heating, fill a tea infuser with about a teaspoon of dried sage leaves. Once the water is hot, place the infuser in the cup and let steep for a good five minutes. Sweeten the tisane with honey and stir. Sip this as you would a cup of tea. Repeat as often as necessary.
So, my advice for when you are feeling sick? Stay home! Make a cup of sage tisane. Curl up with a good book and sip your drink. This way, you will feel better and you will not share the nastiness with everyone else.
