butterflies

Spring is in the Air
by

Spring is in the Air

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s that time of year again, when the food supply  comes alive.  The garden and the springtime are almost synonyms.   Cast off your winter coat, indulge in the last of the winter larder, and start your preparation for this years treats.  It’s treats galore!

The infamous dandelion is back in full bloom, covering roadsides, hilltops, lawns and open spaces with bright yellow specs of early spring sunshine.  Pretty and nutritious, this hearty wild edible, is a plant that is either a friend or foe.  To those who think of this as a weed and find it a nuisance, it’s a lot of work to get rid of.  For those of us who indulge in it as a food supply, it’s free salad.  Perspective can be everything.   The larder can be full of sunshine dandelion goodness, if your recipe choice calls for it.  First in the spring, first on the table, the nutritional content is this plant is worth putting on the dietary list.

The beautiful bounty of your garden surpasses the fruit and vegetable plantings.  The edible flowers add a spark of colour and beauty to the garden and some help to deter pesky insects and slugs that  consume your vegetables as fast as you do.  Companion planting has mixed blessings, from deterring destructive insects to the beauty of salads, syrups, jams, baking  and other dietary delights, that pretty flowers enhance.  Choose your garden splendor, there’s time to grow a feast!

15 Different Types of Edible Flowers You Can Grow and Eat

A picture perfect salad, with a dash of rose petal,  tea from your marigolds, syrup of lilac, dainty cupcakes dressed up with violets,  it’s decadent, sweet smelling and creates a unique, inspiring garden and larder which enhances your dining experience all throughout the year.

This garden attracts useful pollinators, bees and butterflies to help the garden grow.  These beneficial insects  promote fruit and vegetable production, helping to give the yield that your hard work deserves.  The organic garden is preferred for this, since healthy insects need to pollinate without pesticides and your body is better able to absorb the nutrition of plants from organic gardens.

Weeds can be a treat.  Chickweed is edible and can be used as a garnish or in your salad.  Lambs quarters has a medicinal value as well.  Just be sure that all of your consumption has a food value and is not poisonous.

So here’s to spring and all of the goodness that it brings.  Good health and good eating to all.

Written by Dr. Louise E Hayes

May 23, 2025

 

 

 

Take Flight
by

Take Flight

Good morning brave hearts.
The cooler fall air reminds the birds of the season of change. They call to each other to gather around. Come near! they sing. They clamour together and fill the trees, calling for each and every one of them to join the flock. It is fall. Time to move south.
The birds natural inclination to move to warmer climates, brings the masses of migrating birds together. The gregarious birds fly together for protection and flight paths. They keep each other in sight, the older ones, showing the way to the younger ones the way, the strong leading the weak. The birds will travel hundreds of kilometers in search of new food sources, shelter, homes and habitats.
The skies fill with the wonder of migration.
The long flight to ponds and forests in far off places. Will they still be there for the birds? Will those protected places that the wildlife need so badly for survival still exist? One more year of environmental protection, one more year of the survival of so many species.
Thousands fly south to warm climates, their small bodies too fragile for cold temperatures and as the leaves turn colour and fall, the protection of the trees vanishes. The winds are strong and the birds take flight to escape.
Will they return?
We protect our own forests for the salvation of the planet, air, weather, for us, for wildlife and for beauty. The forest provides a beautiful backdrop to our lives. The gracious trees, home to many animals, insects and birds provide homes, shelter from the elements, wind, sun and rain and food.
The brave birds fly on a course to the unknown. They will winter wherever they can find food and shelter. Wherever the compassionate human has protected them and the environments that they need for survival. Parklands, forests, back yards with shrubs and trees.
The migration is a marvel of distance and stamina.
How many will come back to us?
The quiet of autumn fills our ears as the chattering birds leave us behind.
The monarch butterflies have already gone on their long flight to Mexico.
http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/
Hibernating animals dig into the earth for their long winters sleep and ponds become quiet.
Trees shed their leaves in preparation for their own winters sleep.
The land is changing. The scattered seeds of summer plants find resting places in the soil. New life for next year.
Prepare for winter, it will come soon.
The peaceful land keeps us busy with fall harvest. Hay for the livestock, fall fruits and vegetables for us. The farmers markets swell with food and our own food baskets are heavy.
The earth saves us once again.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
September 23,2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http://www.empowernetwork.com/?id=louisehayes