It will soon be the end of October and we are in a severe drought. Most everything is dry and brittle and we need rain. We are using our laundry water and dish rinse water to water our plants.
We are concentrating on keeping water to our citrus by using any leftover water from most anything. We have water restrictions as well.
There is a burn ban in our state and the our city officials are telling us there will be no fires of any kind at this time.
This was our first year to grow lemongrass and I have learned much this season. First is we should not plant so much into one pot. This does not allow the lemongrass to grow nice and plump at the base.
This is what happened to our lemongrass. It was just too much in one pot.
By the way, lemongrass blades will cut you so be careful. The edges are very sharp.
So we gave a portion a haircut so we did not get cut and so we could get to the base.
These are the blades we cut off. These can be used to make tea as well as the root. The stalk/base can make tea and cut up into season food.
So we cut below the soil to remove the base stalks and keeping some root. We are going to use some for tea and cooking and to also root some for propagating. We will spread them out into different pots this time letting each rooted stalk have their own pot.
So I removed the outer part to get down to the more tender parts and cut up some of the blades and stalk. I used two of the bigger pieces and 4 cups of water to make the tea.
I put it in a the pot with the 4 cups of water and brought it to a boil then reduced the heat to simmer, put on a lid and simmered for 15 minutes. Then strain it into a cup.
I put about a teaspoon of honey in the lemongrass tea and my husband and I sat on the back steps and sipped our tea.
It is a lovely tasting tea. Next cup I think I will use only have a teaspoon of honey. The reason for the honey is the lemongrass has a slightly peppery taste and the honey goes well with this tea.
I did not take photos of our supper but we marinated some chicken with spices and some of the lemongrass and cooked the chicken until tender and it was delicious.
The garlic and onions I planted are starting to emerge. I normally plant in the spring but our summer garden has not been doing good for the last couple of years and I am getting to where I cannot tolerate the heat. So we are concentrating more on fall gardening now and permaculture.
Here is the chart from the back of the garlic bag we got from the garden center. You still have time to plant, just wanted you to know. :)
By the way, I did add water to this bath and we have two more in the yard that we add water daily. This one does not hold water as well because due to it's age it is more shallow. I am concerned for our birds, squirrels, chipmunks, geckos, bees and all the tiny creatures that come to drink water.
The other day I was wishing for my camera because I was outside and a small gecko looked very dry and like it was looking for water and I went in and got a small glass of water and went back out and dripped water from my finger to where the gecko was laying and it lapped the water with it's tiny tongue. Nature is beautiful when we pay attention.
When my husband and I were sitting on the back steps drinking our lemongrass tea we watched some bees and another gecko drink water from a small glass bird bath by the back steps. The leaves keep falling into it the water making it look messy and I feel that I should clean it out but the bees and geckos like this mixture because the bees land on the leaves to drink in the water that sits on the leaves and the gecko will walk up a branch that hangs into the glass dish and uses that to get to the water. I am learning that what we may want aesthectically pleasing for us is not necessarily what is best for nature.
Grandma Donna
