Category Archives: gardening

The Magic of Pollinators and Herbs

a sunflower partially hidden by it's foliage

There’s no feeling like watching a bumble bee on flowering st johns wort or a giant sunflower; radiating the pure joy of doing what comes naturally, of things going right, of the natural abundance of summer and the flowering season.

yellow flowers in the sunshine

the common weed st johns wort is known for its healing ability, and pollinators love it too.

Fleeting, magical moments.

This week the sun was shining just before the wildfire smoke blew in. Calendula stood nodding in the morning sun.

calendula is used for it’s healing power in skin and tea remedies

Wood betony, covered in happy pollinators and graceful in the morning light, looked magical. Mint grew tall, absolutely at large and threatening a takeover of the garden, it’s soft leaves rising into the sun and flanked by a regiment of lemon balm.

purple spire flowers in slanting sun
Wood betony is a perennial herb used as a nervine. Graceful purple spires of flowers bloom in July in the Northeast of America.

So I joined the bees and their pollinator friends in the garden, collecting calendula, wood betony, peppermint, plantain, and lemon balm to dry for teas.

a mix of herbs an flowers in a basket
summer harvest: wood betony, calendula, peppermint, lemon balm, blackberry leaf

Just past Midsummer and moving toward Lammas, the garden is all abundance.

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Filed under gardening, Herb, herbal medicine, Herbs and Healing

A Spot of Calm

chamomile flowers

Chamomile blooms right around the height of the sun’s arc, beginning before the summer solstice in the Northeast

Thoughts of chamomile seem apropos of the moment. Calming and helpful with digestion and anxiety, chamomile is, in its small but lovely way, an antidote to the fever pitch of the news this summer.

It’s easy to grow, not picky, not overly flashy or showy; in fact its a bit ordinary. All it asks for is a sunny spot and a bit of water during a dry spell. In return it gives a profusion of cheerful blossoms all summer long that you can snip and dry for tea or put into alcohol to tincture for the same benefits. Simple, lovely.

chamomile flowers in a bowl
chamomile grows alongside roses and peonies in my garden, giving me cheerful blooms all summer.

Wishing everyone a bit of sunny calm today on the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

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Filed under gardening, herbal medicine, Herbal Tea