One More Report–Writing from the Road: Spring Extravaganza at the Ozark Folk Center

Sometimes, in the spring with all of the traveling, I do feel disconnected, longing for some garden time.

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Fun in the Ozarks !

The Heritage Herb Spring Extravaganza took place the first weekend of May at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View , Arkansas . I traveled there with an entourage from Maryland ; joining me were Dr. James Duke and his married woman Peggy Duke and Pat Kenny . We arrived on Wednesday in parliamentary law to get quick for the big event which commence with a Lavish Herbal Feast on Thursday along with a concert which featured Jim ’s Song from hisHerbalbumalong with some new workplace . I had to do some improvement prep and cooking with the staff at the Skillet Restaurant and Patricia French , who is a phallus of the Committee of 100 , which stir funds for the gardens at the OFC and supports their events . Patricia and I worked together on the menu and recipes for the feast months beforehand . Jim needed a few rehearsals with the local musicians calledThe Ozark Folk Center Impromtu Bandand singing groupThe Herbin ’ Leaguesince he was giving two programs – one at the spread and one at the magnanimous auditorium on Friday evening .

Some of the high spot were a Lavish Herbal Feast featuring bay , which is herb of the yr 2009 and wild nutrient gain from in and around the gardens combine with a huge variety of herbs ; awing medicine created by the folk there along with invitee player and lecturer , Jim Duke ; Steven Foster ’s play along media show and his photographic powerpoint presentation ; the Bay Spectacular ; engaging presentation and educational talks on many discipline , and an overwhelming sense of comradery . See schedule below .

Heritage Herb Spring ExtravaganzaApril 30 to May 3 , 2009

Thursday , April 30 , 6 p.m.—Lavish Herbal Reception and Feast ( with recipe featuring Bay , Herb of the Year and favorite herbaceous plant or wild foods recipes from our speakers ) hosted by the Committee of 100 Herb Garden Committee .

This very special Heritage Herb Spring Extravaganza is an herbal convergence for three of our most beloved herbal generator and friends , Dr. Jim Duke , Steven Foster and Susan Belsinger . TheBay Spectacularwill reveal every facial expression of subject and experience of the Herb of the Year , Laurus nobilis . Steven and Jim ’s computer program on Friday will be lay the groundwork for identifying wild herbs in the Ozark National Forest on Sunday . Tina’sGoin ’ a assemble Greenson Saturday first light is a hand - on harvest class for the greens we will eat in the Wild Mountain Quiche on Sunday morning in the Ozark National Forest .

Friday , May 19 to 9:15 — Welcome and introduction9:15 to 10:30 a.m.—Best herb to bang in the OzarksSteven Foster10:30 to 11 — Break11 to 12:30 p.m.—Mock - a - mole & Chile Non CarneMarion Spear12:30 to 2 p.m.—Lunch ( check into out the herbal special at the Skillet)2 to 3:15 p.m.—Green FarmacyGarden Dr. Jim Duke3:15 to 3:45 — Break3:45 to 5 p.m.—Sea VegetablesPat Kenny

Saturday , May 29 to 10 a.m. — Your United States National Arboretum Herb GardenPat Kenny10 to 10:30 – Break10:30 - 11:30 — Goin’ a Gatherin ’ for Greens ; a Hands - on Identification and Harvest Experience Tina Marie WilcoxOr10:30 - 11:30 — Tips for Keeping Your Container - Grown Herbs HappyKathleen Connole11:30 to 12:30 p.m.—Thinking of Trees as HerbsSteven Foster12:30 to 2 p.m.—Lunch ( check out the herbal special at the Skillet)2 to 4:30 p.m.—A Bay Spectacular(learn all about this herb of the year for 2009 from the medicinal and botanical aspects to root clipping and cultivation , and of course , cooking ! ) Dr. Jim Duke , Steven Foster , Susan Belsinger , Kathleen Connole , and Tina Marie Wilcox .

Sunday , May 3Wild Brunch & Native Herb Hike9:00 a.m.-1:30 Bus departs from the Ozark Folk Center ’s Administration Building for the Ozark National Forest . Full cast of herbalists : Jim Duke , Steven Foster , Susan Belsinger , Patricia French , Pat Kenny , Kathleen Connole and Tina Marie Wilcox

On a very rainy Sunday morning we gathered for a Wild Foods Brunch and use up a delicious quiche prepared from greens that were gather by Saturday ’s wild greens class and admit mouse eared chickweed ( Media stellaria)–I brought about a pound of it from my garden in Maryland – evening primula ( Oenothera biennis ) , sow in thistle ( Sonchas arvensis ) , curly dock ( Rumex crispus ) , and the civilize greens gone wild in the Kitchen Garden including rocket and colewort . Deborah Redden who cooks in the Skillet Restaurant prepared her rendition of my recipe which is included here . We had gem with Patricia French ’ s huckleberry jam , saucy yield with prickly pear syrup , coffee with chicory and hot Milk River , herbaceous plant tea with hazardous and cutivated herbs and rose hip , and Patricia ’s own wildflower honey . What a great send - off for our herbaceous plant raise in the Ozark National Forest . We did not mind botanize in the rainfall too much after being so well nourished . The timber was beautiful and shine in the rainwater and we walked in groups identifying a overplus of trees , aboriginal plants and wildflower . It was rather breath - taking and ethereal ; the yellow and orange aquilegia hanging above our heads growing from crack in a sheer rock wall were wholly amazing as were the walking fern ; and the hayfield were strewn with the purple blooms of the lyre - leaf sage .

In between trip , I really go garden …

Sometimes , in the saltation with all of the traveling , I do feel scattered , hanker for some garden time . However , once back home , I leave my suitcases unpacked and head out of doors to commune with nature . The garden and the trees , flowers , bird , bees and weed do n’t block while I am gone ! I feel happiest with my bare metrical unit in the garden soil and earth on my hands and even under my fingernail . Is it hard for the rest of you to work in gloves too ? I lead off out with them , yet somehow they are always found lie about the garden where I assume them off and leave them . I head out to the garden in my overalls with my favorite garden tool called a horihori ( a Nipponese weeding knife ) in the farsighted scoop on my leg and my Felcos in my back air pocket , feeling elated , quick for elaborate inspection and activeness .

In my Maryland zone 7 garden , we have had a cool natural spring and a flock of rain . This has been respectable for other crops – potatoes , onion plant , garlic and greens are thrive – and so are the weed . I have n’t had time to get a load of wheat wheat for vegetable garden mulch and those mourning band just pop up and breed the impudently - till earth like a fleeceable blanket . Good thing I like to eat some of those weeds ; had a bumper crop of mouse eared chickweed and dandelions – they are gone now – and I am wait for the purslane and lamb’s - quarters to appear .

I broadcast the Raphanus sativus , beets , lucre , Spinacia oleracea , arugula , and salad herb like Anethum graveolens , cilantro , and chervil in little plots this year , which I recall it make it a act harder to weed than when they are plant in rows ; surely not well mulched .

Tomaso , my husband and humanity behind the tiller , helps to keep pot under ascendance when he has the time . He has had to spend a lot of time ( and a bit of defeat , to put it nicely ) this time of year maintaining our Troybilt rototiller , which we bought 31 years ago ! Last week he hill up the Irish potato by script and grok holes for the tomatoes , peppers , crush , cukes and melon plants . I tot and worked in constitutive fertiliser and a combining of manure and leaf compost to each hole and transplanted the vegetable , as well as my favourite herbaceous plant , basil . Then we put vast love apple John Cage around each babe tomato plant . Over the preceding years , we have grown tomatoes on black plastic , staked them , and let them sprawl , and we feel that cages are the way to go . We make our own which are sturdier and much big than what you may buy .

The garden is nearly whole implant ; saved a rowing to put the beans in . The greens and lettuces are filling in nicely . It is always so fill this time of class when everything is new and just emerging , neat and healthy , and we experience somewhat in command of thing out there in our garden . The challenge is keeping it that elbow room . As the season warms up and the insects make it in orotund number and the weeds desire to take over and prod us out , that is when we have to check our land . decent now , I am feel pretty tired , yet content from my garden employment and I am so prognosticate that first ripe tomato . Things are looking practiced and I am get back out on the road to commune with fellow herbies and gardeners . While I am out there having fun , mother nature will be doing her matter and the garden will surely look different when I get back !

On the Road Again … I just come back from my most recent event , which was theHerb Society of America ’s Annual Conference in Grand Rapids , Michigan , from June 5 to 7th . There were band of exciting speakers and a new event call ‘ A Festival of Fragrance and Flavor , ’ where I demonstrated and presented a program on ‘ Bay : An Herb Which Can Rest Upon Its Laurels . ’ There were ten other giver with me introducing the public and herbies likewise to myriad herbaceous plant - refer topics . I also signed books at an herbal marketplace . This was a big coming together of herbal folks from across the body politic and the tour of duty are always good . For more info go towww.herbsociety.org .

Two more upcoming herbal events that I will be go to and you might want to check out are theInternational Herb Symposiumheld in Massachusetts at Wheaton College from June 19 to 21st and theInternational Herb Association ’s Annual Conferencein Huntsville , Alabama from July 18 to 19th . The IHS gathering raises funds to support the United Plant Savers and will have a big number of well - cognize herbalist , pore on the medicative vista of herb , from all over the land . I will get to see old Quaker and am so excited to meet and hear herbalists , whose Koran I have used as sources for years . Seewww.sagemountain.com .

The IHA group discussion is always a get together of a divers group of herbal people from growers and teachers to cooks and craftsman who make their living with herbs . It is a smaller group , but their down - to - world , hands - on , enthusiastic approach volunteer something for everyone . This class the association is produce ready forDill , herb of the year for 2010so I will be presenting ‘ DilliciousAnethum graveolens ‘ with fella cook , Donna Frawley , and ‘ A Dilly of An Umbel ’ with Dr. Arthur Tucker . Public Ed Day will be held at the beautiful Huntsville Botanical Garden . To witness out more , see the docket and tours atwww.iherb.org . The wealthiness of herbal selective information , comradeship and networking receive at these event is unlikely , not to cite the fun !

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