Sea kale babies

Crambe maritima 

I'm beyond excited that my Crambe or Sea Kale root cuttings sprouted!! 

Sea kale in the garden

A 'formerly common denizen of single banks' in N Europe and the British isles,sea kale is a delightful perennial wonder!

In Living in a Wild Garden,  British author Roger Banks wrote,  'there are still odd clumps of it,  .... at first you think you are looking at a distant line of breakers till you realize that it is neither rough enough for such a sea to be running nor can you hear it... 

'Then through binoculars, you see that your breaking line of surf is still - still as the great wave of Hokusai's picture - and that the lace-like foam flung up on its rearing green crest is as dry as the 17th century master's woodcut. ... you realize you are witnessing the flowering of SeaKale, Crambe maritima. If only people wanted to lift up their hearts, there would be special excursions to see such a miracle and of only they cared for their palettes, there would be a local cottage industry cultivating it...'

Sea kale in bloom

- Like other Perennial vegetables, Crambe's strong root system gives these lovely kale relatives access to deep minerals.

Their seeds have a corky coating, which allows them to float off and inhabit new shores! 

In the past, I've tried growing from seed a few times, then read that root and stem cuttings are much easier to start, and was able to get a few pieces of root last fall. There is an old population near a lighthouse on our coast, and these were exposed and so likely to break off in stormy weather and high tides. 

I simply tucked them in gallon pots of potting soil, putting a piece of garden fleece over each pot to keep slugs and other visitors out, and left then on my front porch over the winter.  

I was so excited to see each of the three cuttings beginning to leaf out. There was a nice root on the piece I just planted, and I'll give one to a friend who first introduced me to this long lived denizen of shingle banks!! 

Chrysanthemum Tea

 I have joined a Tai Chi class that meets thrice weekly in the park by my youngest grandkids' school. I've been doing Qigong in the park while my grandkids play a little while after their morning school time, then a friend invited me to join the group practice. 

It's been lovely to revisit the Yang Long form, which I first learned nearly 40 years ago, during my massage training. My mentor suggested Tai Chi as a life long practice, and way you learn good ergonomics. She was so right! 

A week or so ago, the friend who invited me brought me this lovely treat - a Tea Pot and flowering tea from Numi! I often steep tea in a glass tea cup with matching strainer - but this provides such an elegant experience! Each tea "ball" can be stepped several times, and I often as some of my own tea leaves for additional batches.

Tea pot and flowering tea

This is the time of year I dream about the new varieties I'll add to my garden, and was pleased to find Bo Jo Hua Chrysanthemum tea plants at my friend Melissa's Van Hevlingen Herb booth at the Farmers Market! 

She had two varieties, which bloom in the late fall like otter Mums. Bo Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum morifolium) doesn't set reliable seed, so is only available as plants - I'm excited to add these to my garden! 

I found several blog posts about tea chrysanthemum and its flowers, which support the liver, eye health, and are good for the heart, type 2 diabetes and easing headaches (Sage Garden Theory) On a Growing Tradition, Thomas recounted his search for the plants and success. 

Bo Jo Hua Chrysanthemum

Melissa said the plants bloom on Halloween, and into November. The flowers are first collected mid day, and dried then stored. I think they will be lovely to steep in the little round pot!