Here's a garden curiosity. I had only dimly registered the existence of this plant, which grew by itself near our back garden bench. It's in a shadowy spot and even though it's a couple of feet tall and I have to brush past it every time I access the garden shed, I didn't give it much thought. Then Dave asked the other day, "What is that plant?"
I used my plant ID app on it and found that it's lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), which I think is also known as sweet melissa, though I might just be thinking of the song. Crushing up one of the leaves gives a powerful lemon scent.
Here's another volunteer -- a little pansy or viola in the weedy "wildlife area" behind the bench. It beats me where this came from. I don't think we've ever grown violas that color. Brought in by some bird, I guess!
Gardens are so mysterious -- how things just show up. Like our oregano, which is back again for a third year, and blooming up a storm. We never planted it and I haven't a clue how it got here.
We had our friend Warren over yesterday to give him lunch and reacquaint him with the garden, which he's going to water while we're away on our cruise. He's cared for our place before so he mostly knows the drill, and it's not as complicated now that we have no dog. (For the time being!)
Dave was going to cook for him, but the weather has been warm and he wasn't in the mood to whip up an elaborate meal. So he bought some charcuterie and we had a simple lunch of cold cuts, cheese, raw veggies and crackers, with some summery gin drinks. We sat out in the garden and were once again visited by the meat wasp:
Almost as soon as we sat down, this critter flew in, carved off a piece of the charcuterie and flew away with it. We set aside that particular slice of meat for its consumption, and it returned over and over. It was mesmerizing to watch. Afterwards I had a jolt of concern that lunchmeat might be bad for it somehow, with added salt and preservatives. But Google assures me the wasp will not be bothered.
Here's another find from a recent walk. Apparently it's a halogen oven? I've never heard of such a thing, but someone was trying to give it away so who knows how well it works. I didn't take it, but I sent a picture to Dave, my resident cooking expert, who pronounced it "BS."
Lemon balm makes a good tisane..
ReplyDeleteLemon balm is great! You can use it in salads, for instance, or crush a few leaves slightly and put them in a jug of cold water as a very refreshing drink on hot days.
ReplyDeleteHow considerate of that wasp to stick to what you set aside for it! I have tried that strategy many times, offering the wasps something apart from our table, but they always, always come straight back to the table. And especially annoying (and dangerous) is it when they start flying around my face. What ARE they looking for there?!
Meat wasp (yellow jacket) at the table, I’d be back in the house. Every time I’ve been stung, that’s what it was. And the fourth time was the charm with me ending up at the hospital. So, I stopped teh video. I had never heard of a halogen oven. Now I’m all read up.
ReplyDeleteI have wallflowers in my side bed, not a plant I like or planted, I've left them there, birds often eat seeds, which they don't digest and then dump them around the garden. I'm bust taking cutting of plants I do like.
ReplyDeleteSo Warren, did you have a good time over at Steve and Dave's place?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess.
What did they give you to eat?
Just some cold shit from the fridge. Meat and cheese and lettuce. That kind of shit.
And what did you do over there?
Most of the time we were watching a meat wasp!
Hell no, you watched a meat wasp?
And you'll never believe it. Freakin' Steve filmed the entire frigging show on his phone!
No way! Those guys really know how to have a great time!
Ha-ha-ha!
Ha-ha-ha!
lemon balm is great but it seeds freely...
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a meat wasp. But then Mitchell mentioned "yellow jacket". That's what it looks like to me....and the sting is potent!
ReplyDelete