Journal

Abundance

 in Gardening by
calendula on the drying rack

Calendula on the drying rack

I have been thinking a lot about the abundance that is available in the garden. We grow more than we can use, more than what I can dry and store, and even more than I can turn into value-added products. It is more than I have time for, not only the given number of work hours that I dedicate to cultivated and wild plants but more than the given hours of the day.
What a blessing, yes, but the whole reason I do what I do is to share it. By nature I am a caretaker. I want to help, to help feed you and to help you feel better with what I grow, with what I can.
I have been speaking with Arbetsförmedlingen and soon I will be welcoming a few people that need to get out of their homes, who need to have a place to go, and who are interested in what I do, outdoor work. I’ll post again once that is underway.
If you are interested in coming here and picking your own herbs then please contact me. In August we will have an open garden on Saturdays, and there will be a multi-family loppis in the barn.
At this point in the season I have very little time to sit and post what I am doing so here is just a little bit of what is ongoing.

Calendula officinalis

Calendula officinalis with mint in the foreground in our garden, July 10, 2016

2016-07-19 St. John’s Wort

 in Wild Harvest by
St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) infusing in organic safflower oil

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) infusing in organic safflower oil

We get very few days away at a time from the garden, especially when there hasn’t been any rain and when it drops to 11C at night we need to close the greenhouse at night.  We were lucky enough to go to one of my favorite areas and this time stay over a night with good friends on the Baltic coast at Strömsborg.  This is a wonderful place for me to collect St. John’s Wort and get a little sunburn.  On a small island I collected enough flowers for a 1,8 liter jar.  So wonderful, warming and thrilling to see the red begin infusing immediately.  I love this healing oil, so multi purpose.

St. Johnswort at Strömsborg

St. Johnswort at Strömsborg

2016-07-18 Mint Distillation

 in Aromatherapy / Distillation / Gardening by
Mint. Grasshoppers are not included in the harvest!

Mint.
Grasshoppers are not included in the harvest!

We love mint! My children adore being able to pluck leaves whenever they want and we pick every day for pots of tea, hot and cold. Mint and tulsi cold tea is our favorite in the summer, and it’s hard to keep enough room in the refrigerator. Today my 8 year old asked if we could distill mint and try the hydrosol! What a great idea! Aromatic herbs generally have antibacterial properties so a hydrosol of mint would make a great addition to a natural cleanser (I am working on a yoga mat cleaner with no soap), or to a diffuser when you are sick or stuffed up.
REFRESHING is an understatement.
We love it.

2016-07-16 Butterflies and Hoverflies

 in Biodiversity by
Butterflies on hyssop

Butterflies on hyssop

We have so much biodiversity in our garden, and I am learning so much about life by watching the many creatures who pop up here and thrive.  I went out this morning to collect the hyssop and couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I have plenty of other herbs for cough: elecampane, sage, and tulsi to name a few.  I have some tincture of hyssop from years past and just don’t need to have more new dry hyssop on hand, not at the expense of taking habitat and food from at least 6 different species of insects this morning.

Hoverfly on hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Hoverfly on hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Hoverflies are an example of effective natural pest control. The larvae of many species eat aphids, thrips, and other herbivorous insects. Sweden is rich in hoverflies; here you can read about a Swedish naturalist who has identifed over 200 species on just one island in the Baltic Sea. I don’t know how many species live in our garden, but we are happy to have them.

2016-07-15 Morning wild harvest

 in Wild Harvest by
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

We have so many herbs growing around us here. This morning the kids and I set out in the morning to harvest meadowsweet for a planned yarrow/meadowsweet co-distillation, which is wonderful for scrapes and very nice for oily break-out-type skin. There was so much lovely red clover that we decided to collect a little of it too. Red clover is a great addition to tea blends for women.