My Garden Cures

   For the past couple of weeks, some sort of illness settled in as a resident of the Little Bayou House.  It started with Mark and spread on to Son.  Each of them had full blown cold symptoms with sore throat, fever, congestion and a general bit of just feeling blah.  That mess hung around in each of them for nigh on a week or better.  Son is still congested.  There has to be something "going around" because my sweet sister-in-law had it the same time that Mark did and now Darling Daughter has it (and she lives several towns over).  When Mark first said he did not feel well, I was determined not to catch the mess.  Exposure to him meant it was likely but then exposure to his sister and Son put my chance of avoiding coming down sick to slim or none.  Three exposures to any contagious illness is not very good.  Still, I was determined so I headed to the garden.  I gathered herbs and went back to the kitchen to "stir up" a brew.  I am a firm believer that boosting the immune system can do wonders so most of the herbs were chosen because of that.  To the sage, rosemary and ginger, I added my standby of crape myrtle blossoms. (Those I had dehydrated last July.)  Steeping this in a base of fruit juice for Vitamin C gave me just what I needed.  My favorite juice to use was home-canned blueberry.  Crazy enough, the blueberry, sage and rosemary blended well!

  While some ridiculed me about drinking so much of the tisane, I never gave up hope.  For three weeks now, I downed this brew!  I went through several pots a day for the first ten days then eased off to just one pot per day.  Several times during those weeks, I thought sure I was coming down ill.  NOPE!  Not happening!  I made more tisane.  Now, both Mark and Son are mostly well.  Son still has a lingering cough but feels back to his old self.  Mark is doing fine.  My sister-in-law sounds much better and Darling Daughter is on her way to being well again.  Me?  Well, I am still as healthy as I was before all this started.  Perhaps, my garden "teas" are the answer.  I don't have time for that mess!  

A New Crop?

   The canebrake cleaning chore got a bit sidetracked today as I decided it was better to trim up the Small Gardens a bit.  Son was not able to help me so pulling bamboo can wait.  As I was trimming around the shrubs and citrus trees, I came across the most beautiful patch of lyre-leaf sage.  Yep, that "weed" that grows along roadsides in just about every place imaginable has decided that the space under the peach trees is a nice place to live.  I knew the plants were there and usually have them mowed by this time but one thing or another got in the way.  Now, I have a "grove" of purple blooms!  Lovely, lovely purple blooms are everywhere

  No, I did not have the heart to mow them today.  I figured since I use the roots in tisanes, it cannot be all bad to let the plants go to seed and multiply.  If ever the need arises that I wish for a cup of lyre-leaf root tisane, I shall have plenty to dig.  So...those are not weeds!  That is my new "garden" and it is growing well!  Ok...so I promise to not be so lackadaisical and get to mowing again...maybe tomorrow...maybe Monday...maybe after the blooms fade.  

You call it "tea". I call it "tisane".

  Meandering about the hillside, I have been known to snatch a snack or two from wild berries or fruit trees.  Blackberries, huckleberries and wild persimmons can be found along the pathways and make for the perfect, healthy snack.  It is, also, not uncommon for me to pick a few leaves from these hikes and then add to my "bouquet" from the garden.  The leaves are used to make tisanes which are my preferred drinks.  There is nothing like a fresh brewed tisane to brighten the day!  

  When I tell folks that my gathered leaves are to make a drink, I often get some pretty odd looks.  Then, if I mention the word "tisane", the looks are even funnier.  Folks are perplexed by the term.  "What is a tisane?" often spills out of their mouths.  Well, a tisane is a decoction made with herbs, spices or leaves.  "Oh, you meant to say "tea". they proudly announce.  Nope.  There is no "tea" in my tisane so technically, it is not "tea".  Well, about this time, folks get really flustered at me and ask for coffee.  I am good with that as I like coffee, too!

  The other day, I had to linger under the wild persimmon tree as I waited on the old dog to catch up with me.  As I stood there looking at those fine leaves, I just had to pluck a handful.  Then, as I passed through the garden gate, I added some rosemary and pineapple sage to my bouquet.  Ummm!  Those smelled so fine that I could hardly wait to get inside to brew my concoction!  Fresh herbs and leaves make the finest drink!  

  So, folks, it is ok by me if you prefer to call your drink by the name of "herbal tea".  I shall call mine a "tisane".  Either way, the drinks are healthy and tasty!  The name matters not!

Calling on the Bayou Magic

  A friend called me last night and made an unusual request.  "Man, I don't feel well.  Can I come find some peace on the Bayou?"   It seems that her jobs (she works three), her family and her physical health are all wreaking havoc on her mental state at the moment.  She needs a break from it all and knows that the Bayou can bring peace to even the most stressful situations.  "You need the Magic of the Bayou to heal the emotional wounds and some herbal concoctions to heal the sickness of your body." I told her.  

  I have often felt that the Bayou offers peace to those who need it most.  There is something that draws those who are weak, stressed or merely confused.  Once here, the magic starts to infiltrate their minds and, by the time they are ready to depart, all is well once again.  No one can see it.  No one can hear it.  But all can feel it.  It sneaks in to push out all troubles.

  So, she will come to the Bayou.  She will receive a few tisanes to heal the body and then will soak up a heapin' helpin' of Bayou Magic to soothe the mind.  Life is good here.  The Bayou Magic can always wash way the troubles.

You can't beat ginger root!

   Here lately, it seems that almost everyone I talk to has had, does have or knows someone who has a nasty cold.  The cold that is making its rounds throughout the neighborhood is the same one that nigh on everyone in the country is suffering.  It is obviously one rough ailment which is why I have been trying my best to avoid coming in contact with anyone sick.  I, most likely, will come down with this illness eventually but I am taking steps to build my immune system.   Vitamin C is a must, it seems so kumquats and cranberries have become my best friends! Another BFF is my old, trusty ginger root.  Fresh ginger root has a couple of fine things in it called gingerols and shaogals.  (Strange names for good things!) These two things are anti-inflammatory agents that help cure any sore throat but the most fantastic thing about them is the fact that they literally kill rhinoviruses!  What are rhinoviruses, you may ask?  Well, those are the nasty things that cause colds in the first place.  Kill those and your cold does not have a chance!  My advice is to catch the nasty, old rhinovirus as soon as you are exposed.  If you do this, it does not have a chance to catch hold.  So...in other words...drink ginger tea regularly!

  For the past few weeks, (since the onslaught of illnesses in our area) Mark and I have been following a routine of drinking our herbal tisanes. Several times a day, we have a cup of herbal brew that contains fresh ginger root and star anise.  So far, thank the Good Lord, we have avoided any problems.  Our tisane (which is a fancy word for herbal "tea" that does not actually contain tea leaves!) includes our favorite flavor of herbal tea with a hefty size chunk of fresh ginger root and a piece of star anise.  This is sweetened with local honey for a bit of delightfulness! When brewed the flavors meld together nicely.  We have found that our favorites are the fruit or berry flavored teas.  They seem to lend themselves to being spiced up with these two herbs. There is nothing better to warm the body on a cold day than a good cup of tisane! (It also helps to have some fresh baked cinnamon bread and serve the tisane using lovely handmade coasters!  These were made by my sweet niece Eva and her husband Erik!  Beautiful, aren't they?)

  Ginger root seems to be the key ingredient in so many home remedies which makes me think it should also be an important part of everyone's gardens.  PLANT THAT GINGER ROOT, FOLKS!  Once you successfully get it rooted, it is relatively easy to grow.  Just make sure to plant it in a sheltered area since it does not seem to like wind.  Then, when you need a piece of root, just pull back the soil and break off a small chunk leaving the main root intact.  Your plant should grow forever!  Plus, you have the added benefit of some lovely flowers in the spring!  Ginger is wonderful!