damian is taking a permaculture design certificate program! it’s a 12 week intensive and i’ve been joining him to listen to lectures whenever i can. the course is jam-packed with jaw-dropping, game-changing info and is making us super excited about ways to implement more permaculture around here. sponge swales! vermiculture! dry toilets! i want to make my own shampoo out of yucca root! and get a community mesquite mill! and and and!!! but you probably have no idea what i am talking about. so lets start small.
with tea.
i love tea, up until recently the tea i consumed was fancy snob tea from far away lands ordered by me on the internet. but all this time i’ve had several big bushes of tea right in my yard. it’s called mormon tea, or bringham tea, cowboy tea, or my personal favorite: whorehouse tea. ephedra funerea is the latin name (different than ephedra sinica, which is potentially dangerous). and it’s delicious. just break off some young branches and pour boiling water over them. you can also dry the branches first in a paper bag, then store and brew just like other tea. it has a very nice flavor and is mildly stimulant. it is also supposedly good for sinus problems and allergies. yay! you can harvest any time but for medicinal qualities the spring is the best time to harvest.