Chickory

I was happy to find it again last year, and added it to my garden plot. I was trying to preserve this wild medicinal before it was wiped out by "progress." 

These are things I've learned:

the roots, leaves, and flowers are all edible. You can get your B6 & prebiotic inulin & help your brain & gut by boiling the roots or adding the buds and (endive) leaves to a salad. It also helps with liver, galbladder, rapid heartbeat, & cancer. You can make a paste with its leaves & apply to your skin to reduce inflammation/swelling. I will have to try it on mosquito bites!

Lemon balm

A lovely, soft, lemony-scented member of the mint family, lemon balm graces two of my gardens so far. It calms and soothes like chamomile, but I have to be careful as it alters thyroid hormone function. It lowers it for hypothyroidism, but has been used by some for Graves disease.

Last year I discovered I had placed my catnip too close to it. The catnip is more aggressive, and soon overwhelmed it. I found no sign of it by the middle of the season and had to replant. Now I keep them a ways apart.

Lemon balm saved us from mosquitos the year before. They came out in a feeding frenzy every evening while we were still working the garden, and my partner is so sensitive to bites he can end up in hospital. Rubbing lemon balm on your skin releases the oils from the leaves, which repels the hungry insects. I also stuck the leaves everywhere in our clothing, as the released oils only seem to work for about half an hour.

Chamomile

I was late to the game with this one. I have been drinking the herbal tea for years, as a natural way to calm my genetic anxiety disease, but didn't actually plant any until two years ago. In my plot, Oasis, to be precise.

I did not harvest any the first year, as I wanted it to get well-established and grow more flowers. Boy, did it ever! It pretty much exploded with them the second year, becoming a monster-sized beasty. I  harvested many flowers from it, then broke the base up into about ten plants. All of them went nuts as well! Such happy babies! They truly were lovely. 

This season some will be moved yet again, as the light, feathery foliage and tiny daisy-head flowers are a delight to behold. They remind me of wispy cosmos, an equally abundant plant.

The heads basically fall apart if you leave them to dry too long, but I keep them in a mason jar, to be used in a teacup with a central filter. I think I will use more fresh ones this season.

Thyme

She came into my life when my neighbour at my old place donated homemade cement stones to me, and I created a garden path along the side of the house. I love natural pathways, and of course they need little spreaders in between the stones. Mother-of-Thyme fit in beautifully with Scotch & Irish moss, & steppable Baby's Tears. They all put off tiny, delicate flowers that I just loved. 

Then Creeping Thyme was added, in my new home's back herb garden. I had tried to add the Mother-of-Thyme here first, but sadly she just wouldn't stay. The new thyme is used in the kitchen & in herb bundles. Thyme releases old and stuck energy, cleanses & purifies as a smudge. It can also act as an expectorant.

Next came my plots. Within them lies both Winter & Lemon thyme, and a third that lost its label. It may be Silver. I love the fresh smell of the lemon, and it's little variegated leaves. They got moved around last year and stayed happy, so I hope their next move will see that continue. I harvested some of each for my kitchen, and my baby bunny, but she is not as fond of woody-stemmed, aromatic herbs as she is of soft-bodied parsley. 🙂

About My Blog

This is not your typical herb blog. There are hundreds of those written by many much more knowledgable than I. I do not know the latin names, nor all of their properties. I have a strong awareness of energy, as I was born an empath and clarsentient. My experience of this world comes from my own angle, and those presented to me. Plants called to me early on, and have continued to throughout my life here. 

Herbs came along in my 20s, really, and literally grew into that awareness, expanding it as my human family's health needs expanded. I speak of plants as if they are a part of my heart because they are. My blog is my journey of getting to know these wonderful, giving creatures.

Stinging Nettle

This one volunteered to be in my back garden, arriving one summer unannounced and enriching my world. I don't know what made me keep it, knowing they spread, but I'm so glad I did. 

I learned it only stings when dry, so I wear gloves to clip it now. Sometimes you want to use it dry, though, as slapping a branch against your skin ups your histamine levels which helps lessen seasonal allergies. I find it doesn't sting as badly the more I get stung, as well. The reaction doesn't seem to even last as long. Even when I hang them to dry they retain their tiny hairs and must be handled carefully.

As soon as I soak it or steep it the sting disappears. The tea reminds me of lemon balm but tastes more green than that. I use it when I am badly dragging in energy, or nutrient deficient. Of course volunteers arrive when we need them, and my bones, nails & hair were already showing signs of depletion.

I often get a sense of whether a plant is male or female. I suppose all that give off seeds could be seen as female from a human point of view, but being around them long enough usually leaves me with an impression that I go with once revealed. They are creatures, after all, with remarkable awareness of their surroundings. Some, however, give off both male & female energy, and nettle-so far-is one of them. The delicate leaves, tiny seeds, and tall stalks wafting in the wind suggest female to me, but the essence and strength of its internal medicine come across as male. To be clear, this is not meant to be a sexist impression in any way, just an internal communication between myself and the plants I come to consider family. My dear nettle  gifts nourishment, comfort, and strength to me. I rely on her/him especially after illness, which I am happy to say do not occur as often since introducing herbs into my life.

Sage:The Herb That Led Me Here

My beloved sage. In my old garden, I think I planted her quite unknowingly, but she grew so happily that I couldn't help but be happy along with her. At least 4' high and the same around, this soft, silvery green creature called me to her often in my little back grotto-the place I came to think of as Wild Thing. Back then I had no idea what she would come to mean to me, how she would stick by my side, bring me comfort, refresh my spirit. Now of course I understand her better. A new sage garnishes Wild Thing 2, madly stretching her limbs well over the path. She responds to me on an even deeper level, answering my requests to expand quickly when I have many herb bundles to make. Not once has she not responded when it involves healing myself or others. She is a giver extraordinaire and I love and value her greatly. 

Dearest sage, forever remain in my life while I walk upon this earth. I never want to be without you.