What is July without Dragonflies?

The garden is finally taking off. Sometimes it seems so ridiculous to wait for peas in July when we're already starting crops for the fall and looking at the first tomatoes make fruit. But the Montana Marvels are delicious.

We're cutting back the "head high" early comfrey and nettles to make a nutrient tea for the heavy feeding crops and drying the other half for my Herbal Salves and Teas. The three rows of 50 foot beds we're digging this week are to accommodate next years CSA. The remaining Siberian Tomatoes, Montana Salmon Squash and some of our favorite Spaghetti Squash will be making a home there. With these being all short season varieties we're hoping that the late season hoop won't be needed. But, either way they'll be cycled out with one of next years garlic crop.

The garlic crop this year is looking great. I pulled the straw last week to start drying out the bulbs and the soft necks have finally made a strong showing. They do seem to shape up a little slower than the ophio-hardnecks. We've cut the garlic scapes on half the ophios and let the other half ride out till they uncurl and stand up straight. From that trial half we'll leave 1 out of 10 in the ground to form bulbils to increase our seed base. Giving us about 200 feet of heirloom bulbils to develop for the next 3 summers, tediously dividing them until they form full size bulbs. These ophios will be naturally adapted to our unique micro climate on Squash Blossom Farm.

Interestingly, the garlic near our center perennial purple carrot does seem the largest. Giving yet more merit to companion planting. Louise Riotte's book is always close at hand. I was introduced to her by a dear friends in the Mountains of North Carolina nearly a decade ago who had the medicinal wisdom to pick nettles without feeling a sting.



Nettles is very balanced for iron and vitamin K intake. I've been mixing dried nettles into shakes, making sun tea and herbal vinegar hair rinses. It was an indispensable drink when I was pregnant with our little guy to keep my iron and vitamin K levels up naturally. A recipe for a facial and hair toner is below.

Herbal Vinegar Toner/Rinse
16oz apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Dried Nettles

Combine, bottle and infuse for at least one month in a cool dark place. Shake every couple days to activate the herbal constituents. Apply with cotton ball for a facial or pour about 1/2 cup on your head for a hair rinse. I like to add a few drops of rosemary essential oil or peppermint.