
Marie McKinsey
- Aug 28, 2014
- 4 min
Right Plants, Wrong Season?
One of the differences between Outlander - the Book and Outlander - the TV series is the time of year the story begins. In the book, Claire
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Marie McKinsey
- Aug 24, 2014
- 3 min
A Druid's Herbal
I have always been curious about the Druids. Much of what is "known" about them is mere speculation because their most sacred rituals and
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Marie McKinsey
- Jul 28, 2014
- 6 min
Meet the Family: The Mints
Here's a question for you, Outlander Gardeners: What do mint, rosemary, oregano, lemon balm, basil, sage, hyssop, thyme, lavender, bee...
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Marie McKinsey
- Jul 12, 2014
- 3 min
Outlandish Hair Grasses
"He sat on the stool in his shirt, closing his eyes in momentary relaxation as I unbraided his hair. He'd worn it clubbed in a tight queue f
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Marie McKinsey
- Jun 19, 2014
- 2 min
Bee Is for Borage
it is likely that an 18th century herbalist would make a tea from the dried leaves as a remedy for depression or to relieve menopausal disco
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Marie McKinsey
- Jun 7, 2014
- 3 min
Claire and the Fight Against Infectious Disease
Discouraging "germs" is a bit off- topic for a plant blog. But we are talking here about the Outlander books and Claire Fraser's pragmatic a
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Marie McKinsey
- May 27, 2014
- 2 min
In Praise of Laudanum
Claire wanted the laudanum to sedate Jamie while she treated his badly damaged hand. In the event, he insisted on substituting whiskey for t
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Marie McKinsey
- May 5, 2014
- 3 min
Potatoes: A Story of Feast, Famine - and Poison
As a time-traveler, Claire knew what a calamity The Rising would be. She advised Jenny to plant potatoes so the residents of Lallybroch woul
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 18, 2014
- 3 min
Lavender Blues
As Tom Robbins, another of my favorite authors, says in his novel, JITTERBUG PERFUME, "with immediacy and intensity, smell activates the me
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 14, 2014
- 1 min
A Gaelic Blessing
This fun little song was part of my community choir's 30th Anniversary concert.
I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed sing
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 13, 2014
- 3 min
Rhododendron Hell
"Roger didn't need to read it; he knew well enough the thoughts that were going through the other's mind. The same thoughts he'd wrestled...
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 11, 2014
- 3 min
Garlic - a Food, a Medicine, an Aphrodisiac?!
Claire might not have known how to grow garlic before Mrs. FitzGibbons handed her that basket of cloves and a digging stick, but she was und
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 6, 2014
- 3 min
Stinging Nettles
If you've ever encountered a stinging nettle, you have no trouble understanding how being flogged with a bunch of them would be an effective
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Marie McKinsey
- Apr 2, 2014
- 2 min
The Little Blue Flower At The Start Of It All
If it is possible for plants to travel through time, forget-me-nots would be well suited for the journey.
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Marie McKinsey
- Mar 30, 2014
- 2 min
Preventing Scurvy with Watercress
" 'What are you doing, Mr. Fraser?' Grey asked, in some bewilderment. Fraser looked up, mildly surprised, but not embarrassed in the...
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Marie McKinsey
- Mar 30, 2014
- 3 min
Strawberries and The Clan Fraser
In Drums of Autumn, Jamie tells Claire this story, "Strawberries ha' always been the emblem of the clan - it's what the name meant, to start
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Marie McKinsey
- Feb 24, 2014
- 1 min
Sleeping With Mozart
How is it possible to share a bed with a man who has been dead for 222 years?
It's simple - try learning to perform his music. It stays wit
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Marie McKinsey
- Jul 13, 2013
- 4 min
The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11
I wrote this when I had become tired of pointing out the problems with this project. Our protests fell on deaf ears anyway. It was clear tha
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Marie McKinsey
- Jul 9, 2013
- 1 min
What Is the Difference Between a Fruit and a Vegetable?
When people find out that a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable, they are usually surprised. They think of fruits as being sweet and vegetabl
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Marie McKinsey
- Jun 29, 2013
- 5 min
Will the Alki 11 Rowhouses Cause Flooding?
If you've been following these posts for a while, you are familiar with the math: for every inch of rainfall, nearly 5500 gallons of stormwa
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