According to a recent article in The Wichita Eagle, this has been an unusually good year for wildflowers due to the long cold winter and then immediate summer-like (hot!) weather. We seem to have skipped spring altogether, but I won't complain since the flowers have been so beautiful and prolific this year. Here's what's been blooming around our house this past week or so:

Each morning I like to start my day by taking a walk around our property to check out what's newly sprouting and what's in bloom. I get quite attached to a few of these "wildflowers" (aka weeds!), and get quite distressed when my husband mows down one I've had my eye on.  Here's what is currently blooming:

Other Names: Tragopogon major, Buck's Beard, Go-To-Bed-At-Noon, Goat's-Beard, Joseph's Flower, Noonflower, Noontide, Star of Jerusalem, Western Goat's Beard, Yellow Goat's-Beard, Yellow Salsify.

This plant originated in Eurasia and Northern Africa and was introduced into the U.S. at the beginning of the 1900's as a garden plant. It is now naturalized over much of the U.S.. Flowers generally open in the morning and close by noon (though this is not exact). Edible uses.



Oxalis, the Greek for sour, applies to all sorrels because of their acid juice. No native plant has leaves so sour as the wood-sorrel. The acid resembles that of a lemon; hence the leaf is very pleasant in flavor, and is not only relished by the rambler in the woods, but in salads.

Every child knows how wood-sorrel 'goes to sleep' by drooping its three leaflets until they touch back to back at evening, regaining the horizontal at sunrise - a performance most scientists now agree protects the peculiarly sensitive leaf from cold. The leaves are more sensitive than those of any other of our wild flowers, closing during darkness or at the approach of a storm.
 
Names given locally to the plant in the Old World are wood sour or sower, cuckoo's meat, sour trefoil, and shamrock -- for this is St. Patrick's own flower, the true shamrock of the ancient Irish, some claim. Alleluia - another folk-name, refers to the joyousness of the Easter season, when the plant comes into bloom in England. - Wild Flowers Worth Knowing by Neltje Blanchan (c. 1917) and Wild Flowers, Vol. 1 by Anne Pratt

The leaves, flowers, and bulbs can be eaten fresh or cooked. However, the fresh leaves and stems contain oxalic acid and can cause poisoning if consumed in large quantities. Wood sorrel contains significant amounts of Vitamin A. More info here and here.


White clover blossoms were used in folk medicine against gout, rheumatism, and leucorrhea. It was also believed that the texture of fingernails and toenails would improve after drinking clover blossom tea. Native Americans used whole clover plants in salads, and made a white clover leaf tea for coughs and colds. White clover is thought to clean the system, decreasing irritation and muscular activity of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also used to decrease the activity of the central nervous system. Like red clover, it was thought to give anyone who carried its leaves the ability to detect witches, sorcerers and good fairies in his presence. It also was seen as representing the Trinity by Christians.

As-Yet-Unidentified:


Wildlife


Also spotted: Numerous bald eagles and two coyote.

As promised, I've finally put together a list of most of the medieval herbs we'll be attempting to grow this year for our garden project. The herbs are grouped according to usage, though of course many would have served multiple purposes.

Culinary / Kitchen Garden: Borage, Chicory, Oregano, Chives, Thyme, Parsley, Onions, Basil, Lovage, Wild Strawberry

Household Garden: Clove-Pink, Scotch Broom, Costmary, Soapwort, Mullein, Roman Chamomile, Fennel, Meadowsweet, Wallflower, Tansy, Lady's Bedstraw, Pennyroyal

Physick / Medicinal Garden: Feverfew, Horehound, Elecampane, Hyssop, Opium Poppy, Marsh Mallow, Angelica, Wood Betony, Cowslip, Wormwood, Moonwort, Pot Marigold, Mandrake, Rue, Cinquefoil, Clary

Dye and Fiber Garden: Woad, Agrimony, Madder, Weld, Indigo, Flax, Safflower, Dyer's Chamomile

Roses:
I'm also hoping to grow the following period-appropriate roses. More information on medieval roses can be found here:

• Apothecary's Rose, R. gallica officinalis, available at Heirloom Roses
• White Rose of York, R. alba semi-plena, available at Rogue Valley Roses
• Wild Dog Rose, R. canina, must be grown from seed in the U.S.
• Scotch Briar, R. spinosissima, available at High Country Roses
• St. John's Rose, R. sancta, available at Vintage Gardens
• Rosa mundi, available at Rogue Valley Roses

Garden Reference:

• Medieval and Renaissance Gardens: An excellent handout from an SCA class on Medieval/Renaissance garden design. Includes an extensive bibliography.
• SCA Period Gardening: Includes translations of several medieval gardening texts and a number of plant lists, including Charlemagne's.
• Medieval Peasant's Garden: An article about a 7th grade Medieval History project; includes plot plan and lists for Medicinal, Household, Culinary and Dye/Fiber plants.
• The Bonnefort Cloister Herb Garden: A list of herbs in the late 13th-early 14th century Bonnefont Cloister Garden, grouped according to their uses.
• Santa Clara University's Medieval Garden: Plant lists for the medicinal, kitchen and Mary garden's can be found here.
• The Medieval Kitchen Garden: A good article on medieval gardens and kitchen gardens in particular.
• Medieval Gardens at l'Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud
• Medieval Gardens at The Prebendal Manor
• Gardens at Buckfast Abbey
• Medieval Gardens: The Mary Garden: A list of plants with symbolic meanings, representing the virtues of the Virgin Mary.
• Mary Gardens: A wonderful comprehensive reference site.

Folk Medicine / Herbalism Reference:

• Monastery Gardens: Ancient Herbal Folklore
• Herbalism, Medieval, Magickal and Modern: An extensive collection of SCA class handouts, articles and documentation.
• Herbalism in the Middle Ages: A collection of articles, websites and period sources.
• Monk Herbalist: All About Ancient Medieval Healers
• Medicinal and Magick Herbs of Medieval Europe

Seed Sources:

• Sand Mountain Herbs
• Richters Herbs
• Horizon Herbs
• Alchemy Works

Finally, I've compiled a list of useful reference books in the blog toolbar on the left-hand side.