Merry meet all,
Summer is here and my garden is blossoming in full force. I love how my garden is growing so well. My kitty is perched on the scratching post at the back door, getting her usual nature telly.
I grow my herbs with an intention. I am growing herbs to have in order to not have to order them online. It is so much better when the herbs you want grow in your own garden. (Besides, who really wants to pay for shipping fees for that? Not me.)
I grow the herbs I want with the intention of using them for my studies at the Herbal Academy. This means I get the fresh sun-drenched, bee pollinated herbs from my garden. I can grow what I need and as many herbs as I want or need. I now get to harvest mugwort, sage, parsley, oregano, chives, nettle, dill, marigold, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, purple coneflower, apple mint, raspberry leaf, dandelions, St.John’s Wort, elderberries, strawberries, comfrey, among other herbs. I know how to properly dry and store the herbs in my apothecary. It’s definitely a win-win. You can’t beat that variety.
I also learn what grows well in my garden and what doesn’t grow well. For example, the lavender didn’t come back this year- at all. I had to buy a new lavender plant and a new rosemary plant. That is a good reason to have a grow light kit. If I don’t have a certain herb available in my garden, I turn to Planet Organic to get the herbs. I won’t pay shipping fees. I can practice bioregional herbalism that way, getting herbs locally, mostly from my garden and the abundant amazing nature trail here.
Some herbs are at risk from being so over harvested by companies that don’t practice sustainability. If I obtain the herbs I need from the garden and trail, and I am aware of what is at risk, then I can harvest sustainably and with a happier conscience. I only take what I need. I set an intention before I harvest and then harvest the roots, seeds, flowers or berries that I need at the time. For example, purple coneflower is listed as at risk on the United Plant Savers website. I am growing it in my garden and that way I can help the plant survive. I don’t harvest from the purple coneflower. I want the purple coneflower to grow and to thrive and most importantly, to be no longer endangered. I want the purple coneflower to establish itself and be pollinated by many a bee. The purple coneflower is so beautiful and has many healing properties but I’m more interested in seeing it thrive and blossom and beautify my garden! And get pollinated by bees.
My other intention is using the herbs in special recipes I get from the Herbal Academy. I have yet to try all the recipes I get from them. I have a binder reserved only for the Herbal Academy recipes. I plan to use the herbs in teas, tinctures, salves, and many other recipes. I want to have herbs like sage, parsley, oregano and chives for adding spice to a dish. I have those herbs growing in their own section in my garden. I have herbs for teas, tinctures and salves in another section of my garden. That includes herbs like lavender, lemon balm, nettle, mugwort, raspberry leaf, comfrey. The Herbal Academy has a good list of herbs to grow for teas here:
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
- Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
- Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
- Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
- Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
- Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
- Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa)
- Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
- Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
That is a wonderful selection of herbs! I can almost taste it already. I have two wicked teapots for brewing teas, and a few lovely tea towels from the Herbal Academy, and a great selection of herbs. I believe that the act of steeping and enjoying tea to be a ritual, never mundane. It is a great way to relax, unwind and connect to Mother Earth by enjoying the bounty she provides us with.
Practicing bioregional herbalism, obtaining herbs sustainably and using organic gardening methods are key to helping the herbs we want to thrive and be their very best. If you wouldn’t consume the pesticide or herbicide, then why would you expect a harmless bee to ingest it? It tastes just as bad to the bee or dragonfly, trust me. I have a beautiful garden and I use none of those chemicals. Let’s be good to the one who gave us everything we have. Let’s honour the Mother Goddess.
Blessed Be, Spiderwitch
The Paranormal Quill 