May Day! May Day!

Soft white flowers of Sweet Woodruff

We have finally reached the “calm before the storm”!! As soon as we return from our decadent relaxation period in Mexico, the seed orders are flowing in and needing to go out, the hops need to be dug and then mailed and each hop person (pretty much) visited with about their order! Meanwhile, seed orders are also flowing in by phone so it’s pretty much around the clock activity for us! Then, in mid-April we open to the public and begin Farmer’s Markets. We, this year, are training new folks and luckily the employment gods were with us and we have some great energy helping us out!! But, I digress. The biggest event of our year then occurs in mid-May when we celebrate our Mother’s Day Art in the Garden weekend. This free event is both Saturday and Sunday and we feature 35+ quality artists in the garden, artists painting in the garden, an herbal food booth, beer and wine, and herbal appetizers for everyone to taste. We also have live music filling the air all day both days. This event is in its questionable 20^th year. We can’t all seem to agree on how long it’s been going or even the method of it’s evolution. All we know is, we have become The Mother’s Day Tradition for many folks and are super-grateful that it goes that way. We all have so much fun (looking back on it anyway) and our spring mantra is usually – “if we can only live through Mother’s Day Weekend, we’ll make it”. So, the helping-hands are (loosely) lined up, the buns are ordered, the food ideas are dancing through our head like sugar plums in winter!

Oh, and need I mention we await the second grandchild, due last Friday, and Mom, traditionally one of our main food booth people on Mother’s Day Weekend, nesting in and beginning to feel the pregnancy has gone on long enough – let’s meet this baby already!! This, from the child who made me wait an additional 17 days to meet her!! And she’s only four days late! Admittedly, every time the phone rings, I answer swiftly in anticipation of the news ringing in of an impending arrival. Patience, patience, it’s what I told my daughter yesterday….I must exercise it myself!

One of the features sure to show up on Mother’s Day is our May Wine for sampling. We have several great patches of Sweet Woodruff and each year we gather the heavenly aromatic baby-white blooms and stuff them into a mildly sweet white wine. I used to sneak out early and gather this, but of late the entire family gathers the Sweet Woodruff together and thus adds some of all our positive and happy spring energy into the mix. (Never gather your flowers when in a bad mood, to be sure not to negatively affect the results). This we marinate for 5 days or so, turning each bottle several times each day to excite the flowering marinade, and of course to add more energy, then strain off for Mother’s Day and add champagne and sliced strawberries. For a little bit of extra sweetness, we also add some stevia, this year, I’m using fresh bruised leaves, but when not available you can just sprinkle 1/8 tsp (really, it doesn’t  take much!) over the serving bowl. Of course, a beautiful serving vessel to honor the Mother’s and the tasty results are a must. Sometimes, the flowers (preferred) come on late and we have had on those occasions to use just the greenery with also great results.

The Woodruff itself is a sweet (haha) little plant that thrives in shade. It is one that some complain of as it spreads, but on the other hand, some folks love it as it is great filler under trees, where finding plants that are happy there can be difficult. And, you get your spring drink supply recurring every year. The Stevia, on the other hand, is a sun lover and a tender (very) perennial.  But with it being 700 times sweeter than sugar, if you harvest and dry leaves during summer, you will end up with a year’s supply easily, even though you are also using fresh leaves to just bruise and add to anything and everything all summer long.

First grandchild, Spencer, is now 5 months and a week.  He is growing and entertaining us in new ways every day and we love that Mom works here so we get to see him 5 days a week!!  Often six days, during the above mentioned hectic-early-spring.

Enjoy your spring – its not too hot, sometimes its too cold, its not too sunny sometimes its not sunny enough, but at this time of year, when I look out as I work, I see everything “hurt your eyes green”, and have to say, all is good in my world and we hope all is good in yours! Happy Mother’s Day!

May Wine Recipe

750 ml rhine or chablis wine

1 cup fresh Sweet Woodruff flowers

750 ml champagne or sparkling cider

1/4 tsp stevia

1 pint sliced strawberries

Flowers to Garnish

Three days before Mother's Day, gather the woodruff flowers (make sure to shake off any bugs!) Pour off a bit of the wine another container and stuff just as much woodruff flower in as you can.

After three days, strain off the flowers and you are ready to make the May Wine.

Into a beautiful punch bowl or pitcher, mix equal parts of the seasoned wine and champagne. Stir in the stevia. Top with half the strawberries and sprinkle on some flowers just for looks.