Wild Squirrel Acres

  When the fragrant lilacs are in bloom, do you ever want to bottle up that aroma? Try this simple lilac syrup for a unique and fresh way to sweeten up your day. You can also freeze this syrup to use later, so you can enjoy fresh lilacs year-round.     Ingredients: 2 cups lilac florets 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 3 blueberries (for color) 1 lemon wedge or 1 tsp bottled lemon juice     Instructions: 1. Add sugar and water to small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. 2. R emove from heat. Add blueberries and squeeze lemon juice into the syrup. 3. Pour mixture over the lilac florets. 4. Cool in fridge several hours. 5. S train out the florets and blueberries. 6. S tore in a glass jar in the fridge.   To make a simple springtime “soda,”, simply add 3 tablespoons (more or less to taste) to about 8 oz of sparkling or mineral water. Alternatively, add some vodka and make it a happy hour!   This reci...

Big box stores sell a small jar of synthetic rooting hormone for only a few dollars, but many people want to avoid exposing themselves to this. A DIY alternative is willow water. Have you ever tried to cut down a willow tree, only to find a few months later that it is sprouting everywhere? This tree just wants to grow and roots so easily. You can take advantage of this natural tendency for rooting by making willow water. The magic behind this phenomenon is in 2 compounds that are found in willow trees: salicylic acid (the stuff in aspirin that helps with resistance to pathogens) and IBA (indolebutyric acid, which stimulates root growth).  First, find a willow tree...any variety of willow will work here. Willows love water, so check by ponds, rivers, and streams. The best time to collect would be early spring or summer. If you're collecting in the summer, you'll need to remove the leaves. Focus on getting the new growth - the ends of the branches that are thin and pliable.  Nex...

My daughter learned to identify stinging nettle when she was only 2 years old. We were out for a walk in the woods, when she started screaming, staring at her hand in confusion. She had grabbed a stinging nettle plant. 😥 After the sting died down via lots of mommy kisses, we looked carefully (with our eyes only!) at the plants around us, learning how to identify the pointy mint-like leaves and the prickly hairs on the stems of stinging nettle.  "Is this one stinging nettle?" I asked, pointing at some garlic mustard.  "No!"  "Is this one stinging nettle?" I asked, pointing at some nettle. "Yes...owie!" Nettle is best eaten in the spring, when the leaves are young and tender. I wear thick gloves and use scissors to harvest, dropping them into a plastic shopping bag. I wear long pants or boots to prevent my legs from brushing inadvertently against the plant. You can collect nettles at any time during the growing season for tea.  Nettles are typical...