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The result was nothing short of wonderful! The delicately fragrant tea tasted like gentle chamomile with honey. A young friend described
tea as tasting like a 'yummy dessert in a cup'.
I no longer buy chamomile tea at
grocery store. Instead I harvest my pineapple weed from a proper garden bed. I allow a few flower heads to develop into seed heads, which I collect for future planting.
(Sidebar: Why did I buy chamomile tea instead of grow
herb? I'm asking myself this question. Think of
money I could have saved! Oh, my lord. I'm an idiot.)
With good care
pineapple weed becomes a handsome soul a foot tall with attractive ferny foliage. Collect
brown seed heads from wild plants if you wish to grow it. Grow it as you would chamomile.
Pineapple weed can also be used as an accent plant with other more traditional garden plants. The chartreuse color of
flower heads glow when mixed in with blue-flowering plants.
But be careful! We are talking about a weed, and we all know how easily weeds spread. Collect
seed heads before they turn completely brown, or you'll wind up drowning in tea.
Visitors to my garden often point out my pineapple weed bed and tell me I need to weed. I inform them I grow
weeds on purpose. My visitors look at me as if I'm crazy. Weeds are pests! Has she finally lost her mind?
I explain my reason (it happens so often that explaining is growing tiresome). My visitors wind up sniffing
plants and peppering me with questions.
So,
next time you're on your knees in your garden about to yank out another weed stop yourself and take a good look at
plant.
You may have found a Cinderella in disguise.
Disclaimer: The results I achieved with this plant are solely my own. I am not responsible for any adverse effects you may experience as a result of consuming
Pineapple Weed. Please do not consume any wild plant until you are sure of its identification and any dangers it may pose. If you suffer from plant allergies then please check with your doctor first.
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Jenny Harker is an experienced gardener, psychic, and writer. Visit: http://www.livejournal.com/~paragarden/