DIY Laying Brick for a Hearth

So as many of you know, I've been saying that we've been working on our hearth for our wood stove for quite a few months. And I'm sure your all ready to see what it looks like, I know I was excited to see the final product. So I'm going to go through it with you step by step so that you can do it to. I don't know about you, but our electricity bills just keep going up and up and it's really getting ridiculous, our last one was $500. Anyways, we had decided quite a while ago to convert to a wood stove, not only to save money but also because we love the look of them and the smell. Plus we are surrounded by bush and there is no chance of having to buy any wood.

So our project originally started off fairly simple, there was already a foundation for the hearth, we just need to replace the top layer with bricks, luckily the wall pieces were already there. So this is what it looked like to begin with.

Just in case you can't tell from these photos, the top of this hearth is laminate, and the sides are carpet. Not sure what the previous people who owned our house were thinking. But the backing is actual brick which was a great time saver for us. (Yes I know that carpet it nasty, we got rid of it).

 So we obviously had to remove the laminate, but this is what happened.

So we took the top off, and opened a can of worms. Or mice I guess... Yes that is a mice nest. Thank God we did this in the summer and there wasn't any in there!!! So that changed our plans right away. First thing we did was stop and go outside. Do not breath this stuff in. We went to the store and got those masks, and some bleach and spray bottles. Put equal parts bleach and water in there and start spraying. Thankfully I have a brave boyfriend and he scooped all that into a bag and i didn't have to deal with it. Then we sprayed some more.

We didn't want to keep wood that was soak with mouse pee and poo so we started from the ground up. There was scratches in the floor from them too, it was so gross. So we were planning on painting the floor in there anyways, because we are allergic to dust and these particle floors in trailers are really bad for it, so we were using the garage floor sealer stuff. So we painted over this too, and we haven't had any mice yet this year (yay!!)

So then we had the opportunity to change the shape of the thing because it was really weirdly shaped. And we just started cutting. (turns out we had some major difficulties with the angles we choose but that's a little later on).

After we got the main shape we started adding bracing, mainly vertically. We though we had enough new wood but we ended up using a few scrap pieces that were nailed together, it didn't really need that, we were just being lazy haha.

Then we added the horizontal pieces were the wood stove was going to sit for a little extra protection. Our wood stove is huge. And we shoved it in place (man that thing was heavy)

Next thing we did was put plywood (not osb, this is super important, you will see why in a few steps). Which I apparently didn't get a photo of, but then we put the bricks around just to see what it looked like.

Ok I'm sure that you are wondering, we just used pre-made mortar, the have it at Home Depot or your local home improvement store. Said it was for bricks and masonry, that's what you want. So we mixed up some mortar, it should show the ratio on the bag, if not you kind of want it sort of thick but not so much that it will dry before you use it all. Also once you mix it you have to use it, so make small batches. It's really scary at first I am telling you that right now. At least all of these bricks below that we laid we were zero percent confident, but we kept going, that's what you have to do because that's how you gain the confidence. So I'm going to share a tip here with you which is something we found out by accident, the more water on your surface and brick the better. It sounds silly but it really helps the mortar stick on there and easier to spread. Put water on the plywood using a cloth (this is why you can't use osb) and all sides of the brick that is getting mortar on it and the bricks beside it. Use a bucket and an old rag. Also I want to mention if you get some mortar on the tops or sides of the bricks that is ok, it wipes off fairly easily with a cloth and water. Be sure to use to separate buckets of water and cloths though as they do get rather dirty, and you want the one your using to clean them to be, well, clean. The other one it doesn't really matter, since your putting mortar on the places your wetting down.

This is what you want to do: First wet your plywood base, then wet the side of your brick that are getting mortared and any bricks beside it that will have mortar on them. Next put some mortar on the plywood and level it out with your trowel, run the extras up the sides of the bricks surrounding if there are any, if not, scrap the excess off and put it back into your bucket. Put a little bit on the bottom of your brick, just a thin layer. Then you really want to layer on the side(s) and push it up against the other bricks or the wall. Mortar will squeeze out, that is ok. You want to run your finger along the edges (or your trowel, whichever you prefer) to get rid of the excess. Make sure you have it in the place that you want it, once those are dry, they are on there. This is the point where you can wipe down the tops and sides of the bricks with a wet cloth, the sooner you do it the better, but it can still come off if you let it dry, it just requires more elbow grease.

You might want to get an actual masonry trowel, but we didn't because they are expensive and we are cheap so we just got a cheap drywall one. Which in all reality didn't really work all that well, we got some rubber gloves and put those on and just started using our hands, and once we did that everything started working way faster. At this point I know you are wondering, why is there more plywood in the center there now? Well our big slab bricks were 1/4 inch smaller than the other ones, so this was the fastest way to make everything even.

Just a quick note about cutting the bricks. I will defiantly recommend you go and get yourself a diamond cutting blade. They are meant to cut masonry and it works fairly well, we got one for our grinder, because our circular saw bit the dust (pun intended) earlier in the year and we hadn't gotten around to getting another one yet. But keep in mind the size of your bricks compared to the size of the blade, my boyfriend had to cut one side and then flip it over and cut the other side. We used an angle finder for the angles and a little bit of guess work. Turned out we had exactly one half of the red bricks left over. That's cutting it close!! (pun intended again)

Note: your floor will get really messy. If you have nice flooring that you are planing on keeping, I would highly recommend that you put down some plastic. Otherwise your floor will look like ours does, and I'm pretty sure we already swept it up. But it is really easy to get off, just sweep up the lumps and then mop.

There, we finally got it done. This week we are going to move the wood stove on and get the chimney installed. Which I'm sure will be it's own box of worms. Maybe I'll have to post a whole other post about it (man I hope not). Until then!

Foraging M - O

Hey guys, I'm back again with another foraging post, which I'm sure you were looking forward to. I just want to remind you all that the below information is second hand information that I've collected over the years through the internet and books, so please use caution when trying any of the below. Incorrect plant identification can be extremely dangerous, and can cause you to be very ill or worse case you could die. Use at your own risk.

Mallow

Mallow is a soft tasty leaf good in fresh salads. Use it like lettuce and other leafy greens. You may find the smaller younger leaves a tad tenderer. Toss in salads, or cook as you would other tender greens like spinach. The larger leave can be used for stuffing, like grape leaves. The seed pods are also edible while green and soft before they harden, later turning woody and brown. I hear they can be cooked like a vegetable. I’ve harvested and eaten them raw, and want to try steaming, pickling, fermenting, and preparing like okra.

Mallow Malva Neglecta

Edible parts: All parts of the mallow plant are edible — the leaves, the stems, the flowers, the seeds,

and the roots (it’s from the roots that cousin Althaea gives the sap that was used for marshmallows). Because it’s a weed that grows plentifully in neglected areas, mallows have been used throughout history as a survival food during times of crop failure or war. Mallows are high in mucilage, a sticky substance that gives them a slightly slimy texture, like okra, great in soups. Mallow has a nice pleasant nutty flavor. One of the most popular uses of mallows is as a salad green. (Like all herbs, pregnant women and breast-feeding woman should consult a physician first before use)

Marigolds

Their flavor is citrusy. Usually only the petals are used. No green parts.  I also use them for yellow coloring in various dishes. They’re another flower called the “poor man’s saffron” the other being the Calendula.

Marsh-marigold

Leaves are edible when cooked; boil 10-60 minutes, until tender.

roots can be cooked and eaten. The variety in Manitoba is Yellow marsh-marigold. Grows in wet, open areas in montane, subalpine and alpine regions. Warning: eat in moderation, avoid uncooked young leaves and flowers.

Meadowsweet

Also known as: Maids of the Meadow, Meadow-sweet, Meadows Queen, Meadwort, Queen of the Meadow

An herbaceous perennial up to 1.2 m (4 ft.) high with long-stemmed leaves, it has large, dense, umbrella-like heads of creamy-white flowers that emit a sweet but sickly fragrance from early summer to early autumn.

You’ll find it: in wet, damp woods and meadows; also in marshes and fens and alongside streams and ditches.

Leaves: pleasantly aromatic, dark green leaves, each formed of two to five pairs of tooth-edged leaflets. Leaves have greyish-white undersides

Harvesting the leaves: cut while young and fresh and before eaten by insects.

Using the leaves and flowers: chop up young leaves and use to flavour soups. Dried leaves have been used to introduce aromatic aromas to wines, as well as to mead. Flowers when added to beer and wine are claimed to make a stronger and headier brew, and introduces sweetness when used in cold drinks and fruit salads during summer.

Medicinal Values of Meadowsweet

Young leaves and flowers are occasionally infused together to make a tea that is claimed to ease the common cold, soothe inflammatory problems and calm stomach complaints. The plant contains the chemicals that are used to produce aspirin.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is most commonly sought for its medical properties of preventing and repairing liver damage. But most parts of the plants are also edible and tasty. Until recently, it was commonly cultivated in European vegetable gardens. Leaves can be de-spined for use as salad greens or sautéed like collard greens; water-soaked stems prepared like asparagus; roots boiled or baked; flower pods used like artichoke heads.

Miner’s Lettuce

Flowers, Leaves, Root. Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. A bland flavor with a mucilaginous texture, it is quite nice in a salad. The young leaves are best, older leaves can turn bitter especially in the summer and if the plant is growing in a hot dry position. Although individual leaves are small, they are produced in abundance and are easily picked. Stalks and flowers can be eaten raw. A nice addition to the salad bowl. Bulb also can be eaten raw. Although very small and labour-intensive to harvest, the boiled and peeled root has the flavor of chestnuts. Another report says that the plant has a fibrous root system, so this report seems to be inaccurate.

Mullein Verbascum Thapsus

Edible parts: Leaves and flowers. The flowers are fragrant and taste sweet; the leaves are not fragrant and taste slightly bitter. This plant is best known for a good cup of tea and can be consumed as a regular beverage. Containing vitamins B2, B5, B12, and D, choline, hesperidin, para amino benzoic acid, magnesium, and sulfur, but mullein tea is primarily valued as an effective treatment for coughs and lung disorders.

Mulberries

Mulberry leaves have two types, one spade shape and a 5-fingered leaf. Both have pointed edges

Musk Mallow

Leaves are edible raw. Young leaves are tenderer and less bitter than older leaves. Young shoots are edible raw. Leaves are suitable as a soup thickener. Seeds are edible raw. Seeds have a palatable, nut-like flavour. Flower buds and flowers are edible. Fruits are edible. Grows in meadows, roadsides, disturbed sites and gardens.

Mustards

They all have yellow to white blossoms, sometimes pink, usually a simple cross which is there the family names Cruciferae comes from. They range from the Mustard that produces the seed that makes the condiment to the radish in our salad to the plant that produces what eventually is cleaned and deodorized into Canola oil. In northern climates they are a spring and summer plant. Wild radish and wild mustard look similar but have small differences. One is that Mustards grow tall, radishes like to serpentine. Radish blossoms cluster and have noticeable veins, mustard blossoms are singular, and the veins are not obvious. The seeds pods are different as well. Mustard’s pod is smooth, the radish jointed and why the mustard is called the charlock and the radish the jointed charlock. Their blossoms are both peppery and mustardy. They work best in cold salads or hot soups, the latter they can be tossed in just before serving. And of course, Mustard and radish leaves can be cooked up as greens.

Nasturtiums

The blossoms are peppery. In fact, the entire plant above ground is edible, even the seeds which can be pickled and used like capers. Multi-colored, low growing or trailing, Nasturtiums are often used in kid projects because the seeds are large, they’re fast to germinate and grow, safe, and edible.

Northern Water Plantain

Bulbous base of plant is edible raw. Plant has a strong flavour. Plant is best when dried and cooked. Grows in ponds and marshes. Warning: may cause a skin reaction and be poisonous to some people, use with caution

Onions

There are some 400 species in the Allium association if you include Onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and closely related ramps/leeks, the latter having wide leaves. Usually the flowers have a stronger flavor than the leafy parts, and the developing seed head even stronger flavor. Blossoms are usually white but can also be pink. Onion stems are round, as are chives but smaller. Garlic leaves are flat. Ramps and leeks have large leaves.

Oxeye Daisy

Young leaves can be eaten raw. Leaves have a strong taste. Spring shoots are edible raw. Roots are edible raw. Unopened flower buds can be used for flavouring. Grows in fields, pastured, disturbed areas and roadsides.

Foraging D - F

I'm going to post this last thing here before the weekend, (for those of you that don't know I do not have internet access at my home) and I hope you all enjoy it. Please let me know in the comments if you found anything useful or have any tips to share!! Reminder again that improperly identifying certain plants can be toxic, and to please be careful and use at your own risk. Have a safe weekend and lets all make the day count! Thanks!


PS. Really quick update on my house construction, we have started doing the brick work for the hearth for our woodstove so we can used alternative heating methods and reduce our carbon footprint and get off the grid. I will post something next week along the lines of DIY mortar work (that is defiantly an adventure!!!!) and some photos with it. Please do not forget to share and comment on my blog!!! Thanks so much guys it really means a lot to me!!!!

Dame’s Rocket

Dame’s Rocket is a declared invasive species in several places. It’s your civic duty eat the weed. Originally from Eurasia some 400 years ago it’s a mustard that at first glance looks like Phlox. Dame’s Rocket has the typical mustard family four petals, Phlox, five. It’s found essentially everywhere in North America except the Old South. It is cultivated, escaped and is included in wild bird seed mix. Young leave collected before flowering are eaten like cress. Seed pods can be added stews and soups. Seeds are a source of oil and can be sprouted and eaten. The flowers are used to add spicy flavors to fruit dishes and salads.

Dandelion

Roots are bitter and make a good substitute for coffee.

Best harvested from late fall through early spring, when the plant is dormant and has stored energy in

the root. For medicinal use, fall is best, because inulin (insoluble fiber) levels are higher and fructose levels are lower. Freezing of winter coverts inulin to fructose. Spring roots are less bitter and chewy, higher in taraxacin, which stimulated bile production Dig roots using sturdy fork. Break/damage the root as little as possible so you don’t lose sap, which is where the medicinal properties lie. Select large, vigorous plants – small, spindly plants will have small roots and are not worth harvesting. Can be used fresh for cooking and medicine. For long term storage, drying works best. Roots should be well scrubbed before cutting. Spread on a screen and place in a cool, dry location with good air flow and dry for 3 to 14 days (until brittle). Will last about a year.  To make a tincture, place dandelion root in a jar and cover with 80 proof (40%) vodka.  Cover tightly and allow to steep 4-6 weeks, shaking daily.  Strain out plant material and store in a dark glass bottle. 

Label and date.  To make a decoction, place one ounce of dried roots or two ounces fresh roots (by weight) in a pan with one pint of water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain and compost the spent roots. 

To make a strong herbal infusion tea, use 1/2 ounce by weight of dried leaves or one ounce by weight of fresh leaves per cup of water.  Place the ingredients in a glass canning jar.  Cover with freshly boiled water.  Put the lid on and steep overnight.  Strain and compost solids.  For medicinal purposes, drink 3-4 cups per day.  Alternatively, use a French press, or steep (covered) for at least 20 minutes before straining. I’m-Sick-of-Cellulite Tea: Help bodies metabolize fats and improve elimination of wastes with these cleansing herbs. Infuse: 1-part dandelion leaf and 1-part nettle leaf. Decoct:1-part dandelion root and 1-part burdock root. Decongestant Tea: This tea helps the body to clear phlegm and open the lungs and sinuses. Infuse: 1-part dandelion leaf, 1-part nettle leaf, and 1-part thyme herb. Decoct: 1-part dandelion root

Do not use if use have irritable stomach or bowel or if you have an acute inflammation

Daylily

You can find this plant in many parts of the country, these are not tiger lilies or Easter lilies (which

are toxic), and a daylily is completely safe to eat. Daylilies have bright orange flowers that come straight out of the ground, their main stock/stem has no leaves so that’s your confirmation that it’s a day lily, if you see an orange six-petal flower like this one that has a bear stem (no leaves) it’s a daylily. You can eat them whole or cook them or put them in salads.

A foraging standby in all but the southwest desert and northwest Canada is the Daylily. Also go sparingly, they can be diuretic or laxative. That said day lilies are on the sweet side, vegetable-ish. Like squash and glad blossom, they’re used to hold tasty finger food but like other blossoms cut them away from the white bitter base.

Edible Nettles

Stinging Nettle

Boil or steam the younger plants like any fresh vegetable. Boiling/Steaming gets rid of the “sting”.

Note the fine hairs along the steam; these are what sting when you touch them.

Also known as: Devil’s Leaf, Devil’s Plaything, European Nettle, Slender Nettle, Stinging Nettle, Tall Nettle A well-known herbaceous perennial, 1.2 m (4 ft.) or higher, with tough yellow branching and spreading roots, it develops green flowers with yellow stamens in catkin-like arrangements from early to late summer. It appears throughout temperate regions of the world.

You’ll find it: in hedgerows, on grassy banks and wasteland, in woods and especially close to rubbish heaps and old abandoned buildings, where it forms near-impenetrable colonies. Leaves: upright stems, seldom branching, are covered with stinging hairs and bear green, somewhat heart-shaped, tooth-edged leaves that also impart a sting when touched (see an image of perennial stinging nettle).

Harvesting the leaves: wear gloves and cut off the top 15 cm (6 in) of young stems only to the end of early summer; after that the leaves become tough, have a bitter taste and laxative properties. Using the leaves: always wash the leaves under running water before preparing them for boiling or, preferably, steaming for about four minutes. These leaves, which are high in vitamins A and C, iron and protein, can be used as a green vegetable as well as made into a purée — this is particularly good served on toast with the addition of a poached egg. Nettle soup is a delicious summertime forager’s treat and nettles can be included in any recipe for which you would use spinach.

Nettle Soup

Collect enough nettle tops and leaves to half-fill a carrier bag, then wash carefully. Soften 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped celery sticks and a crushed garlic clove in a small knob of butter in a large saucepan. Then add 1-liter (34 fl. oz.) vegetable or chicken stock and all the nettles you can cram into your pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes or so until the nettles are tender. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, return to the pan briefly and add 3-4 tablespoons crème fraiche or cream. Heat through, correct the seasonings and serve.

Young leaves are edible raw, though they will sting in the mouth for a short time. Young shoots and young plants are edible when steamed/cooked. Roots are edible when cooked. Roots are best when collected in spring/autumn. Grows in moist soil and disturbed areas in plains, foothills, and montane regions. Warning: wear gloves when collecting to avoid stings.

Wood Nettle

Also has stinging hairs along its stem, but they don’t seem to be as virulent as those of Stinging Nettles. Note that some flowers are above the top leaves and others are below.

False Nettle

This plant is easily confused with Stinging Nettle. However, it doesn’t have any stinging hairs along its stem. The flowers are different; they are in tight clumps instead of loosely spread out along arching thin steams like Stinging Nettle. Note the very long leaf stems.

Horse Balm

This plant is most often misidentified as Wood Nettle. The main difference is that it has no stinging hairs, and the flowers are all above the top leaves, and a very different from those of Wood Nettle. Note the long leaf stalk

Elderberries

An elderberry shrub can grow easily grow about 10 feet and yield tons of food, their leaf structure is

usually 7 main leaves on a long stretched out stem, the leaves are long and round and the leaves themselves have jagged edges. These are easiest to identify in the spring as they blossom white clustered flowers that resembles an umbrella. Mark the spot and harvest the berries when they’re ripe around September.

Elderberries are known for their flu and cold healing properties; you can make jelly from them and are very sweet and delicious.

Berries are tiny and powder-blue, growing in clusters.

Berries are edible if cooked or dried.

Plant is a large, tree-like shrub.

The variety in Manitoba is Common elderberry 

Warning: berries may cause nausea if eaten in quantity. Red varieties of the berry are poisonous.

Elephant head Lousewort 

Leaves were traditionally cooked. Leaves in moderate amounts are suitable as a potherb. Grows in low wet areas, meadows, and fields. Warning: plants are poisonous if eaten in large quantity.

False Roselle

Many a hibiscus flower can go into salads and the like, but the False Roselle has edible pink flowers and the leaves are edible as well, raw or cooked.  Use the young leaves for salads and stir fry. They keep their color. Also known as the “Florida Cranberry” or the “Cranberry Hibiscus.” A tart juice can be made from its fat calyxes. Its blossoms are edible as well.

False Solomon’s-seal

Berry is edible.

Berry transitions from green to mottled/dark red.

Berry was traditionally stored in cooled grease.

Berry is high in vitamin C.

Young shoots and green parts of young plants are edible, and best when cooked.

Rhizome is edible when cooked.

Varieties in Manitoba are False Solomon’s-seal and Star-flowered false Solomon’s-seal 

Grows in thickets, forests, and moist open areas.

Fairy Bell

Berries are bright red and large (~0.5 inches in diameter).

Berries occur at tips of branches in clusters.

Taste is blandish/sweet.

The variety in Manitoba is Rough-fruited fairy bell

Plant grows in moist forested areas.

Fennel

Fennel’s blossom is an explosion of yellow and the flavor is of mild Fennel. It’s the hint of anise appreciated in cold soups and many desserts.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Fiddleheads are a high source of antioxidants, source of omega-3, omega06, iron and fiber. Tastes like a cross

between artichokes and asparagus with the texture of string beans. After removing leaves from the stalks, both fiddleheads and their stalks can be prepared as asparagus can. Boiling, steaming, sautéing, and pickling are the most popular way to treat them. Can also be pureed. The stalk is good eaten fresh, but even better cooked. Eating too many raw fiddleheads can cause an upset stomach.

The term “fiddleheads” refers to the unfurling young sprouts of ferns. Although many species of ferns are edible as fiddleheads, Ostrich Ferns are the best. They are edible only in their early growth phase first thing in the spring

 

The young, tightly coiled tender tips of plant are called 'fiddleheads'.

The spring fiddleheads of all varieties of north temperate ferns are edible. Remove hair/wool from fiddleheads; soak in salt water to remove bitterness. Fiddleheads are best when boiled for half an hour in two changes of water. Fiddleheads can be dried for storage.

Rhizomes can be roasted/pit-steamed, peeled, and pounded to remove whitish edible part from fibers, or chewed to suck out starch. Dried rhizomes can be ground into flour.

Grows in wide range of areas, including foothills and montane region. Warning: avoid long term use, has carcinogenic properties.

Warning: avoid mature bracken, which destroys vitamin B and can cause a deadly blood condition.

Field Pennycress

Growing season is early spring to late winter. You can eat the seeds and leaves of field pennycress raw or boiled. The only warning with the field pennycress is not to eat it if it’s growing in contaminated soil. Pennycress will suck up all minerals around it. General rule is do not eat pennycress if it’s growing by the side of the road.

Fireweed

You can identify by its purple flower and unique structure of the leaves’ veins; the veins are circular rather than terminating on the edges of the leaves. Best eaten young when the leaves are tender. Mature plants have a tough and bitter tasting leaves. You can eat the stalk of the plants as well. The flowers and seeds have a peppery taste. Great source of vitamins A and C

Shoots are edible raw. Young leaves are edible raw. Flowers are edible raw.

Flower bud clusters can be cooked as vegetable. Stem pith can be added to soups as thickener. Varieties in Manitoba are Common fireweed and Dwarf fireweed. Grows in open, disturbed areas in foothill, montane, alpine and subalpine regions. Warning: may act as a laxative if eaten in quantity.

Fleabane

Young plants are edible when boiled. Young plants are suitable as a potherb. Varieties in Manitoba are Eastern daisy fleabane and Philadelphia fleabane. Grows in fields, disturbed areas, open woods, thickets and roadsides. Warning: may cause miscarriages and should not be consumed by pregnant women. Warning: may cause dermatitis.

Forget-Me-Nots

Five petals, flat face, a yellow eye, usually blue but can be pink to white.  The blossoms are added to salads as a garnish and make excellent candied blossoms.

Forsythia

It’s easy to spot the Forsythia in the spring time. Just look for a naked shrub covered with yellow blossoms. You can find them in most urban areas and they escaped cultivation is several locations. The blossoms are spicy, minty, and slightly bitter. They add a cherry garnish to salads, particularly after a long winter. Very young leaves are edible raw. Better boiled.

The brilliant yellow forsythia bush can grow to 3 metres (10’) tall and can get as wide as 3.5 metres (12’). The flowers have four lobes and appear mostly in clusters of two to six. Forsythia bark is yellowish brown in colour and has raised lenticels (bumps).

Forsythia Properties

Forsythia fruit is used in Chinese medications as it contains several properties. It is a proven diuretic; skin tonic; emmenagogue (herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus); anti scrofulous (Scrofula is a tuberculosis infection of the skin on the neck); febrifuge (reduces fever); and it is a vermifuge (expels intestinal worms). It is most commonly used in Chinese medicine for colds, bronchitis, strep throat and it clears the body of toxic heat (sore throats, fever, chills, chronic skin eruptions, acne or dermatitis.

How to Use Forsythia Flowers

These beautiful flowers can be steamed and dried, used in decoctions and infusions, and made as a tea. In addition, tossing a few of these springtime beauties on a salad will impress any guest. If you collect 750 ml (three cups) of these flowers, you can transform them into syrup!  The forsythia, another reason for us all to enjoy springtime foraging! So next time you’re out there pruning the forsythia bush, save the flowers – you’ll be glad you did!

Fragrant Water Lily

The unopened flower buds can be collected and boiled as a vegetable. Once opened the raw blossom can be used as a garnish or nibble. Whether the plant’s rhizome is useful is something of a debate Flowers are edible raw. Flowerbeds can be cooked. Leaves are edible raw. Ripe seeds are edible raw. Rhizome can be boiled or roasted. Grows in lakes, ponds and slow-moving water in low and montane areas.