something's coming to my backyard soon and her name is violet!

baby's got a serious case of spring fever. whoa, i don't know what's with this warm weather in michigan, but i'm not gonna question it, i'm just gonna love it up!!! i'm reeling with excitement about what's popping out of the ground. i've already got some flowering crocuses in the backyard. my st.john's wort is green and creeping low to the ground. peppermint is springing up in my garden -- everywhere as peppermint does. motherwort is spreading her sprightly leaves. and i can tell the tightly wrapped buds of my forsythia are just dying to bust open. soon two of my favorite little weeds will be everywhere. . . you guessed it dandelion and violet. i cannot wait to harvest some golden dandy flowers to make dandelion wine. mmmmm. and violet, well let me tell you about violet. first of all, have you ever eaten a violet flower?? i'm talking about those wild violet flowers all over your yard -- viola odorata. if not you should (that is if you are absolutely certain you've correctly identified viola odorata). they are just heavenly and an amazing way to take the gifts of spring into your body. and actually flower is a misnomer for those pretty little blossoms that pop up everywhere. they are in fact "fake" flowers. they do not have propagation powers. the real violet flower is green and comes later in autumn and hides in the violet leaf. interesting eh? and not only are those tiny fake flowers delicious, but so are the leaves. i love to throw the leaves (and flowers) into a salad. they are so super nutritious, packing in lots of vitamins and minerals. eating these greens boosts the immune and reproductive systems, as well as lend support to the nerves, lungs, liver, gall bladder, digestive and urinary systems. wow, violet is a powerful lady! and her story gets better as she is known as a cancer healer (particularly skin and breast), congestion and cough soother and is a must when dealing particularly with breast tissue cysts, tumors and growths.

this is merely a tiny introduction into the world of violet. there are so many traditional medicinal uses of this plant and i could go on and on and on. my point is not to go stick a bunch of violet leaves in your mouth, but rather to be aware that some of the most healing medicines are in your back yard. most think of violet as an invasive lawn pest, but she is my gal and she can be yours too. i encourage you to do your own research and give violet a try. i cannot wait to see her very soon!

xo
fh