thistled & thrifty treasures

Anyone who has been reading this blog for any considerable length of time will probably note that I have a bit of an addiction to thrift stores and yard sales. That is definitely not the most expensive and worst of habits, especially when you find items like these in one shopping trip!

For a whole $6.00 I got Selected Highland Folktales by Ronald McDonald Robertson, The Scots Book by Ronald McDonald Douglas {I am pretty sure that these are two different Ronald McDonalds and definitely not this one!} and for my tealeaf readings, a wee Scottish teapot made by Luckenbooth Bone China.

Whoever parted with these pretties I thank them! :D

Sláinte!

Laurel

plants for a ye olde "peasant" garden

photo by PermaCultured

This post was kind of inspired by a former neighbour who had told her daughter that "gardening is for peasants" as I was digging up new beds for the home I am currently in. Having heavily manicured lawns and shrubs, and fancy plants like peonies are ok of course, as long as you hire a peasant to do the labour. Vegetable and herb gardens were way beneath her. 

So here is my tip of the hat to the lowly plants found in the peasant gardens of yesteryear. ;)

Below you will find just a few of these plants that were historically grown and wildcrafted by the underclasses for food, medicine, industry, magic, and sometimes other uses. This is just to give folks an idea, should you wish to grow your own "peasant" garden.

• Angelica {Garden}
  
• Blessed Thistle
• Catmint
• Chickweed
• Chicory
• Chives
• Comfrey
• Cowslip
• Dill
• Foxglove
• Fennel
• Good King Henry
• Horehound
• Lady's Mantle
• Lemon Balm
• Mints
• Mugwort
• Mullein {Great}
• Nettles
• Oregano
• Poppies
• Soapwort
• Sorrel
• Tansy
• Thyme
• Vervain
• Wormwood
• Yarrow

As well, there are some online resources that you folks might find helpful or interesting:

Peasant Gardens and Plants
European Medieval Peasant Garden Plot Plans
Medicine Lore, A 14th Century Medicine Chest
Did Medieval Peasants Eat Better Than Modern People?

And finally, here are some books that might be of interest:

The Medieval Garden by Sylvia Landsberg
The Ties That Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England by Barbara Hanawalt
The Herb Garden by Sarah Garland

 

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Sláinte!

Laurel

keeping frankenfood out of your garden

There is a really great article called The Four Steps Required to Keep Monsanto OUT of Your Garden over at the Healthy Home Economist that I think is a must read for anyone who is doing their own gardening and wants to avoid GMOs!

 

lovely seeds

Sadly I missed the North Bay Seed Exchange this year, but my spirits were brightened when I got these lovely seeds in the post yesterday from the author of one of my favourite 'steader blogs, Bealtaine Cottage. You can see her blog here and her shop here.

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

 

*squee* a giveaway! *swoon*

The lovely folks over at Piebird Bed & Breakfast and Soggy Creek Seed Co. are having an equally lovely giveaway! Check out the pretties that are up for grabs:

 For more info and to enter, head on over to the contest page! :D

Sláinte!

Laurel