Infused with luck...

Pics by Johanna

The Red Clover is honoring us with its presence again! And it´s just as well to start harvesting. It will be here to the the very end of fall,bur in order to get enough of this lucky flower to keep us trough a long winter,it´s just as well to start harvesting it early. Bring a bag on your walks and just pick a little on a regular basis,and within the summer and fall you will feel rich and very lucky.
To understand how lucky,check out "Infused with life"  posted the 4th of October, 2011. It will tell you the great qualities of this herb and how to make a herbal infusion that will "infuse you with Life"!
Important to remember when you harvest the flowers, is that they have to be dry when you pick them.
They will spoil if you pick them in wet weather. Let the flowers dry in a airy and dark place on a piece of clean fabric,or dry them in the owen on 50 degrees celsius with the door open for about 7 hours or over the night.

Raspberry leaves, of course...

Pics by johanna It´s Raspberry leaves, as everybody probably guessed... the other most relentless and strong weed in our garden. It pops up everywhere from a amazing underground network of roots, and yes ,it has an amazing capacity to work with our roots too. During my four pregnancies,I drank a gallon of raspberry infusion every day of the second part of pregnancy. Reason being that the Raspberry has such a strengthening effect on the uterus,and thereby makes the uterus work more efficiently in the birthing process. And my babies did come shooting out,so to say,and the births took from one and a half hour to at the longest four hours(the first one). Raspberry leaves contain a alkaloid,fragrine, that strengthen and gives the muscles of the pelvic region more tone, and it is very rich in minerals and vitamins,and then in particular vit C and the presence of vit E, vit A and B complex. High in calcium and iron,phosphorus and potassium. Here are what Susun Weed says; It prevents miscarriages and postpartum hemorrhage from a more relaxed uterus. It eases morning sickness and stomach distress throughout the pregnancy. It reduces pain during labour and after because of a better toned pelvic region. It does not, however, reduce the pain of cervical dilation. It increases fertility in both men and woman ,and in particularly when combined with Red Clover. So an other good reason to go out in the garden and pull up those new shoots of Raspberry leaves and take well care of them. Not that we are all pregnant, but does only a pregnant woman want a strong pelvic region??? I pull them up and dry them on the floor of a dark and well ventilated room. Then I put the dried herbs into paper bags for storage. For herbal infusions,poor two handful of crumbled leaves into a liter, or a quart of boiling water. Put a lid on and leave to steep for a minimum of four hours. Strain the infusion and squeeze the remaining liquid out of the leaves(can´t waste anything of this valuable tonic!) Poor into a glass or glass bottle and store in the fridge. I always bring my bottle with me when I go out in the morning,knowing I have something of real value to drink during the day.

A summer dream...

Pics by johanna



As a result of last falls project to protect our outdoor space from the winter snow,we now have our little glasshouse that we can fill with plants and sprouting vegetables,and where we can retreat from the daily hassles of life,with a book and and a cup of tea. And what could be better than filling it up with roses from your favorite rose nursery as we did for a photo- shoot for Interiør Magasinet. The roses added so beautifully to the ambience ,smell and gave the feeling of being lost in time and space. I can just recommend a trip to my favorite rose nursery,Hesleberg in Asker to stock up on the roses for this summers dreamy outdoor retreat...

The juice of life

Pics by Johanna juicing has become my new passion. Few things gives me more direct energy and an immediate feeling of centering. The main ingredient is organic carrots,and the most potent and vital ingredient is the wild weeds from the garden. The last months I have been out picking nettles and dandelion leaves and roots every morning for me and my family´s morning fix... . I add some fruit for freshness,normally I use an apple ,but also some times I variate and add some ananas or pears. I add some ginger and often a stalk of organic celery. And of course if I can find it organically grown, beet root. Because I always cut my nettle and dandelions down to use in the juice,I also have a continuous supply of the fresh growth of the plants and dont have to worry of them going into bloom. When drinking juice there is no digestion needed and thus the vital nutrients goes all to feed your cells. No energy is "wasted" on digestion.

Norwegian Woods

Pics by johanna Oh yes,by the way...we have written a "kind of" garden book, and it´s out on the marked now! Most big bookstores should have it,and if not then you can ask your local bookstore to order it for you. It´s a garden book,but not so much a how- too..book but more a good read about life,a garden,and the joys of living it and in it.