When what I really need is to complete projects I’ve started or prepare
spots in the garden for plants I want to get (or just get the last of this
year’s acquisitions in the ground), I found another plant to add to the
garden’s most wanted list. What caught my fancy this time? Hops. Yes, hops. The
stuff beer is made from. No, I won’t be making beer. Heck, I don’t even drink
beer.
But hops I like after being introduced to the plant earlier today courtesy
of another master gardener. It’s a vine – one that will grow counter clockwise
around a twine support I’m told. The hops flowers themselves are darned cute
(sorry beer makers, that’s my opinion: cute), and cute will get the plant an
invite into my yard. And its usefulness is not limited to beer making. My hops
guru told me that hops can be used to make a tea or stuff pillows, which are
said to aid in sleeping. Hmmm. Food for thought (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
When I got home I did a little online research. Among other things, hops tea
is said to have a calming effect and is used to aid in inducing sleep. But
would it be bitter? Have an odd taste of any kind? Using the cup of hops
flowers I brought home with me, I brewed a cup of hops tea this evening. It
turned out quite pale and mild, though the flavor likely would have been
stronger if I’d let it steep longer. And while I didn’t notice any physical
reaction apart from liking the flavor, it did make a pleasant cup of tea.
Yes, there will be hops in Deborah’s Garden next year. The only question
remaining is where in the garden the hops will be. What I do know is that it
will be a welcome addition to the garden, a pretty vine with cute cone shaped
flowers from which I can make tea or vine wreaths and share the bounty with my
beer making friends.
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