Plaintain and Poison Ivy

[Zylah]

So this morning I looked at the 'What Have You Learned Today?' forum and then went downstairs with a pleasant sense of anticipation about what I might be going to learn during the course of this beautiful summer day.

Before we proceed with today, I must take you back to yesterday's activities: I have this gorgeous secret garden project I posted about on 'Greening Gaia'; working there yesterday afternoon I discovered to my delight a forest grove hiding behind the northern wall. I proceeded to burst with all kinds of inspiration and cleared out some of the alien invasive weeds. I groomed some of the dead branches from the bottoms of the pines, so I could walk among them a bit. I got bitten by some bug or other, and brushed it off my chin. I was admittedly hot and sweaty, and had just been pulling out a few more weeds, but I thought no more about it.

Later, I planted a day lily by the mailbox. On my way back to the house, I noticed a plantain. I have a History with Plantains. I know their medicinal worth, so I tolerate them, but for some reason I really detest them. Or did, until today. Anyway, I saw this plantain and in a surge of unjustifiable spite, I pulled it out and threw it away. I didn't want it on the lawn next to the stone walkway.

Fine. Then, this morning, when I walked blissfully down to get my coffee and then wash my face, I started itching intolerably under my chin. Once I looked in the mirror, I found patches of what was obviously poison ivy (my daughter has had it) next to the bridge of my nose, by my left ear, and under my chin. [Also one on my ankle, but that hardly counts compared with the FACE rash.] I have never before in my entire life had poison ivy. It's horrible.

So I looked for jewelweed, since it grows riotously around here in some spots, but couldn't find any in our woods. Naturally, the second best option (for bug bites and/or poison ivy) which was readily available is none other than: Plantain.

So I had to go out to the front lawn and shamefacedly repent for murdering this plantain yesterday for no good reason, and then ask its cousin if I could please use some of its leaves. I got some leaves, chewed them up, rubbed them on my face, and now I feel great. Other than my ferociously stinging pride, that is.

Moral of the story: karma's a b*tch, but she's a FAIR b*tch. Just thought I'd share that for possible entertainment at my expense.

[merryb]

I enjoyed you tale of woe it made me smile - not at your pain of course.

Last year chicory appeared on my plot with its sky blue flowers. This year I planted some of the seeds and also had not cut back the orginal plants. After careful nuturing and happy anticipation of the beautiful blue flower in late summer, I found I had careful cared for plantains which are now huge and rooted down deep. Useful plants but they do seem to grow in the wrong place.

with blessings
Merry B

[Dathi]

Karma's a b*tch, but she's a FAIR b*tch.

I'm chuckling in empathy. I had a similar experience this weekend. I brew a potion called "Evil Black Stuff" (EBS). Basically it's just fermented nettles in buckets of water. Stinks like a decomposing pig after a week, but makes the most wonderful fertiliser for my chillies and other strange plants in my tunnel. So whilst clearing my garden of weeds and tenacious dock plants and collecting nettles I got a fulsome zap across the arm. The recently disposed of doc leaves came to the rescue.

Goes around, comes around!

Dathi