Thursday, April 19, 2012

Useful Banes

Every year I battle one particular weed in my garden.

Matthew tells me that a weed is simply an unwanted plant or misplaced plant.

This thing is definitely unwanted!  I call it the water weed, as its stem is hollow and holds water.
It does flower, but it is very small in comparison to the size of the plant.
The weed is pervasive and takes over very quickly.

I never considered this plant to have any redeeming qualities.
Not until this week.

In an effort to get our yard in order I have been raking out the gardens and lawn, as well as gathering up the numerous twigs and branches that are to be found.  There is much clearing to be done thanks to the crazy storm we had in October.

The weather made it easy to be outside doing the yard work. 
It was too warm for jeans, so I dug out a pair of shorts and a tank top and got to work.

The effort is beginning to show results.  Yay!
But at a cost.

I am covered in poison ivy.  If I could shed my skin, I would!

My ankles and feet, as well as my arms, neck and face all have ugly red pumps that resemble tiny mountain ranges.  Everywhere else has a few scattered welts here and there.  The gloves I wore saved my hands, but I obviously touched my face and neck with the contaminated gloves!

For years a friend of mine would cook up a batch of Sweet Fern and give me a jar of it.  It works wonders on poison ivy, drying it while relieving the itch.
She has moved and no longer has access to the plant.

So I went on line to see if there was anything else that might help.
That is when I discovered that the unwelcome water weed, whose true name is Jewel Weed, is a natural antidote!

This information elevated my opinion of the bane of my garden.
I went out to gather some up and discovered that the plant has not made its appearance for the year.
I just know that it is getting back at me!

It is time to close as I have to go reapply the calamine lotion.....

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