and very informative article Chris - thank you so much!

In part of it, I thought I was back in school. You made me remember "stuff" I'd forgotten

I drink my spinach everyday and my spinach plants are up about 3 inches

I agree with Vic! Very good information and interesting article.

Thank you Vic and Sandi.
Vic, sorry you had that back-in-school feeling. Although, I find things like this much more interesting now that I'm older and there's no test! I'm glad you also found it interesting. lol

In my days of leaf raking, I always wished for fewer leaves. After I got wiser about the benefits of all that good mulch, I wanted more of them (up to a point).

Some lovely photos.

Thanks, Tee, the mulch is definitely another benefit of leaves.

It was a GOOD thing for me to remember Christine

I'm just embarrassed at how much I've forgotten

Wonderful article Christine! A short 101 on leaf structure is always welcome! I enjoy seeing different kinds of leaves, different textures, shapes, variegations, size, growing habits..adds much needed variety long after the flowers have faded, or if the flower won't bloom for some reason too Plus it really gives you a visual cue too if the plant starts getting sick...or maybe overindulged with fertilizer or water, or starts pouting when it needs more or less light. Can't always dig out her roots!

It was a good reminder for me too, Vic! Also wanted to ask, would you share your favorite spinach smoothie recipe?

Thank you, Tarev!! More great things about leaves!! They sure can tell us so much about what is going on with a plant! And I especially love the fuzzy textured leaves, some of them feel like velvet to the touch, which I find soothing. As a child I used to love picking the geranium leaves because they felt so soft... as long as I did't get caught!

First, I bake 3 or 4 sweet potatoes. When baked, I cut them in thirds and put on cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, put them all in a freezer bag.

I make a tea using green, hawthorne, and milk thistle tea bags. While the tea is simmering I add 2 or 3 chunks of the frozen sweet potato and sometimes throw in an inch or so of ginger.

Into a blender, I add a heaping cup of frozen blueberries and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon. I then add a capful of either vanilla or almond extract, sometimes a half capful of each.

I then add fresh spinach almost to the top of blender. When tea is ready I pour it over spinach and blueberries and add the sweet potato and ginger as well.

Run on liquify until everything is liquid. This makes a half gallon. I have 1/2 gallon glass canning jars I put this in. Refrigerate.

The color is not appetizing but it's healthy and the cinnamon and extracts hide the flavor of the sweet potato which I don't care for at all.

I drink this concoction every morning.

Thank you Vic. Without the sweet potato, it reminds me of a drink that I would get at the local healthfood store when I lived near the big city... except they added flaxseed and some rice-milk. I'm going to try your recipe!

I actually put Flaxseed in it when I drink it. I think of flaxseed as part of my vitamin regimen so I didn't think to tell you that. I take my vitamins and supplements with this smoothie