Friday, September 25, 2009

Enter my Sweet Annie Give-Away!!


My favorite non-edible herb is in full swing for harvesting here on Wildenblue Farm. It is known affectionately as Sweet Annie, due to its heavy sweet scent. Botanically it is known as Artemesia Annua. I just love harvesting and bundling up the boughs of my Sweet Annie and hanging the bunches wherever I want a primitive country feel. As it dries, I reach up and grab a handful to sprinkle on my braided rugs just before vaccuming them. It makes a bit of a pleasure of the monotonous chore!


Sweet Annie is also lovely for entwining into sweet-scented wreathes, or for use in potpourri or sweet bags. Never use Sweet Annie for culinary purposes. It is not meant to be consumed, but is used strictly for decorative purposes.


If you live in the continental United States, you may purchase Sweet Annie bundles from my Wildenblue Farm Primitives Etsy Shop, which you can click on to the left of my blog page, or on this link: http://wildenbluefarm.etsy.com/ They are available for a limited time due to the impending heavy frosts!


If you have the room and the desire, Sweet Annie is easily grown, but be forewarned! It self-seeds readily, and can become an invasive PEST! One of my Strawberry Beds (and Berry Garden... and gravel pathways... and Barnyard... and....) is loaded with Sweet Annie seedlings and plants, which must be removed before the seeds develop and drop, lest I have double the trouble next year!

Now, I have a surprise for a lucky faithful reader who is a residence of the continental United States. (I'm so sorry to exclude International Readers, but due to Postal Customs Restrictions, I cannot ship plant material outside of the United States.) If you care to send me an email, I will enter your name in a Sweet Annie Drawing! I will accept emails for ONE WEEK... til October 3rd, 2009... and on October 4th, 2009, I will draw a name and I will post the winner of a Sweet Annie bundle that evening.
To enter the drawing for a bundle of Fresh-Cut Sweet Annie... send an email with your complete name and mailing address to WildenblueFarm@aol.com
I will fairly select one winner who shall receive at no charge what-so-ever a beautiful fragrant bundle of Sweet Annie. This will be fresh-picked from my garden on the day of shipping as weather permits. Because it is fresh, you must unpack it as soon as it arrives, give it a gentle shake and hang it to dry in a dry, airy spot. Please know it will be wilted or will wilt soon after delivery... this is normal! DO NOT place in water.

Here is a link on some information about Sweet Annie that you may enjoy! http://www.herbcompanion.com/Projects/Annie-Sweet-Annie.aspx
Autumn blessings from Laura of Wildenblue Farm!

2 comments:

  1. I agree that I wouldn't use any artemesia for culinary purposes, they are successfully used for medicinal purposes. Wormwood is a digestive bitter, a general ppurpose tonic (in small doses) and is the flavouring for absinthe. Southernwood is another strewing herbs which can be used for digestion. Sage brush can be used in similar ways to sage for coughs, sore throats etc. Sweet Annie is now being used as an exciting alternative to other medicines for malaria. How wonderful you have copious amount of this fantastic plant. It is a plant I have been wanting to grow and use for several years now, but is difficult to obtain in the UK.

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  2. Thank you for that info, Sarah. I've heard of the use of Sweet Annie for malaria. Are seeds not available in the UK? I'm curious, as once you have one Sweet Annie growing, you can count on at least 50 the following season! We are US zone 4 here, and it a prolific weed, but in a good way!

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