Wandering through another beautiful day

Last evening after a sweep through the garden, I stood in the shower, letting the water rinse the small clods of dirt out of my hair (I'm an enthusiastic weeder), and the bits of green stuff off my shins that had embedded themselves.  I realized that I was smiling as my brain reviewed the day; a day filled with nothing special, but many, many small joys.
On a really perfect day, I get to jump from project to project, driven only by my imagination.  The weather was unusually stunning for the tail-end of July.  Low humidity and low 80's with sunshine and puffy clouds, a rare and scrumptious treat between heat waves and heavy, damp air.

Need to find just the right place for this butterfly weed.  Soon.

Almost every morning starts with a quick check of the computer while listening to the bickering and calling of many types of birds.  Now that the butterflies have arrived, I can see them bouncing around on the buddleia outside the window.  Then the overnight orders are packed and put into the mailbox.  Coffee finished, the day begins.
At this time of year, that probably means that the trip back from the mailbox pulls me into some new project or inspiration.  Oh, the holy basil needs to be pinched back.

The rows of holy basil are thriving.

Lots of ripe elderberries, maybe I should start drying them... Some of that comfrey should be laid out on sheets upstairs... where's my camera?  I should get in there and pull that crazy vine that's taking over the echinacea plot, and while I'm at it, maybe start a tincture?
Yesterday the project of the morning turned out to be a pile of cucumbers that needed to be picked.  I've been wanting to try drying them (my sister and I both have way too many cucumber plants) to powder for winter projects, both culinary and cosmetic.  First try, thin slices laid out inside the back door to take in the full sun without contact with the wildlife.
Oh!  Better label that salve that was poured into jars last night and get it set up on the website.
Next, down the hill to help with wrapping soap for a couple hours.
At some point, the gist of this issue's field notes starts percolating in my head.  I'd intentionally put off writing it until after we got back from the trade show, expecting something meaningful to occur to me from that.  It did.

The fig tree is none the worse for wear after being transplanted this spring - whew!

The kitchen was filled with the scent of fresh melon that needed to be cut up for the fridge - and sampled.
In the early evening, I took the cucumber slices out back to work on, getting them ready to go into a warm oven for a few hours to finish. 

Piles of thin slices of dried cucumber.

I heard my sister and her husband talking while they worked on the herb patch across the field.  The dogs were "helping" them.  Snippets of words, laughter, barking and every so often, "No!"  Those crazy dogs...
Into my own garden, I watched juvenile rabbits running and hopping outside the fence.  My arm brushed against the Greek columnar basil, and the scent filled the air.  Weeding around the row of black raspberry plants brought my attention back into place as the vicious thorns were just waiting for it to waver.  All the while, thinking, thinking, thinking about the subject of my article.

Hibiscus blooms greeted us upon our arrival home last Wednesday.

Maryanne pulled into the driveway with a large bouquet of rose geranium branches that Fargo (dog) had decided were ready to be harvested, and walking up from the garden, their scent met me 10 yards away.
I sat down to write. 

Hyssop has established herself well in the bottom garden, and the bees love it.

It poured out of me right onto the page.  I went back to sand off the rough edges.  Checking back through it to try to be sure it says what it's supposed to say - not always as easy as it should be.  Sometimes it wanders off (and if you're still reading, you now understand).  Then into the shower.

And what will today bring?  It's one more perfect, gorgeous day before we jump back into the primordial ooze that is our typical weather.  Seems that it should be taken advantage of, so whatever it brings, part of it will be outside playing.  One thing is for sure, there will be no straight lines from point A to point B.

Blessing or Curse? Undecided.

This month has been full of fun and adventure, and I've been away almost as much as at home.  In the beginning of the month I got away to the beach with my sweetheart for a little while, came home and worked feverishly to get the magazine put together while helping my sister prepare to show her soaps at a large multi-day wholesale show.  Although it was all fun and very enjoyable, it's good to be home.  So good in fact, that I'm realizing that it's getting harder and harder to drag me off this hill.  I can't decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.  It's just too good here to leave.

Getting everything set up for opening at the trade show.

We got back Wednesday night, and immediately set to work on the orders I got for magazines and those for soap written at the show.  Once that's under control, we'll finish up the magazine and have it to the printer on the first - just like we always do.

Today we had all of mine out and about half of the soap orders ready to go, and after the mail lady picked up a bunch of them, we set out to deliver three others in various parts of the county.  The beautiful weather made the afternoon perfect as we visited the various shops and farms.

Eve's Garden in Millersville

Every mile or so (sometimes much closer) we'd pass a roadside stand.  Luscious tomatoes, fruits, freshly harvested ears of corn, baked goods, homemade jellies and jams, cut flowers, and the occasional craft were set out by the road in all manner of shelter.  All of them are run on the honor system, with boxes or cans to put your money in.  The only "manned" stand we saw was a lemonade stand with three little Amish kids set up under a big old maple tree.  At first I wondered if they'd get any customers at a buck fifty per glass - but then I remembered... tourists!  They'll probably make a fortune.

Along the way I picked up a quart of honey for $12.  I asked the young girl if she knew the beekeeper, and she rattled off the name, telling me the location.

Spring Blossom local honey

Further along, we found some stunning orange-flowered milkweed plants that will look beautiful beside the pond (not hardy here though).  At each stop, we had little chats with the people we'd stopped to see.  Some days, deliveries are a bit of a hassle, but seriously, what a fun way to do business!

Planter outside the student union building at Millersville University

Somewhere along the drive today, I started thinking about how comfortable I am here compared to how it felt to spend the week in Philadelphia last week.  As much as I'd like to travel to different herb conferences and events, the truth is that I want to be home more.  Part of it is that we're so very busy with both of our businesses and going away means working harder to catch up.  The bigger part of it, unfortunately, is that it just feels right here.  The garden needs looking after.  More than that, life here is good.  Very good.  It's hard to beat.
Quite a blessing, no doubt - but a bit of a curse, too.

Garden Fresh Salsa

Tomatoes, peppers and all the fixin's for our summer favorites are ripening in the garden now.  Time to roll a few of those recipes out!  Today's share:

Excerpted from the article "Cilantro or Is It Coriander?"
by Kathy Rohrbaugh, Penn State Master Gardener
March/April '13 issue, The Essential Herbal Magazine

Garden Fresh Salsa
2 - 3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped 
1 to 2 Serrano chili or Jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped (protect your hands while cutting these little guys) Make it as hot as you like
1/3 c chopped green onions
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh garlic clove minced
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp sea salt
½ c canned tomato sauce

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Serve with your favorite corn chips. Approx. 2 ½ cups
(Note: This recipe was the 2005 1st place winner in the Pennsylvania “Simply delicious” Vegetable Contest)
Another of our very favorites is Cucumber Lime Salsa.  The cukes are climbing all over the fence, so it's time to be making that one too.
Check out Basil Pesto and a few others we served a bus of herbal travelers a few years ago!

Citrus Olives - Jul/Aug '13 issue, The Essential Herbal

In our family, olives - particularly black olives - have been a part of every celebration in memory.  I love green olives too, and there's an orzo salad made with tons of olives and green onions that one of the standholders at market makes that is incredible, but black olives have a special place in my heart.  One of my proudest moments as the mom of a toddler was when Molly looked at me with eyes gleaming, an olive on each finger.  Sigh....
I haven't really dabbled in the oil cured olives, but suppose they deserve a shot too.

The following recipe appears in the current issue of The Essential Herbal.  I'm planning to pick up the ingredients later today.

From the article:  Summer Garden Party with Wine & Cheese
Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
www.backyardpatch.blogspot.com

Citrus Olives

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 (6-ounce) cans ripe pitted black olives, drained

Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions:
Stir together all ingredients (except garnish) in a large bowl. Cover and chill 8 hours. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Garnish, if desired. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Herb Tidbits

If you have trouble reading the captions within the pictures, click on the pictures to enlarge. I've been having fun playing with herb photos from the gardens, along with some simple info to help folks get more comfortable with the herbs and plants around them. These were created for the Facebook page, where they are displayed in a larger format.

Adventures with Calendula

We use a lot of several different herbs here, and have been trying to gradually grow them ourselves as much as possible.  This year we added a new plot where we can grow much more, and put in a full row of calendula, rose geranium, and white sage, with half rows of lavender and patchouli.  It's interesting...
I took my 3x 4 foot flat basket out to pick the calendula blossoms this morning.  There were lots of honey bees out. 

I gently moved them along to less fully open flowers, telling them that in 1/2 hour there would be as many flowers again as I'd be taking.  They didn't seem to mind.

Afterwards I also gathered some white sage, which is growing magnificently in the field.  I topped some of the central stalks to encourage side growth.  At that point, my hands were so sticky that I barely had to grasp the basket.
Down to the workshop to clean the petals.
Although I'd washed my hands well, it was necessary to stop often to remove the layers of petals that clung to my fingers.

We wound up with a couple of gallons of fresh petals.  They'll dry down to perhaps a quart of dried petals.
Every aerial part of this plant is full of resinous goodness.  The petals will be mostly infused in oil and used for calendula soap as well as our all purpose Boo-Boo Balm.

Calendula is one of those plants that deserves a special place in the garden.  Once you've got it, calendula reseeds readily.  Carried in that somewhat astringent resin, you'll find anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and immune-stimulant properties just waiting to assist in case of any sort of skin issue or minor wound.  Reach for it first during any kind of scrape, chaffing, wind burn, rashes - any skin discomfort, really.  The ways it can be used are almost unlimited, as teas/compresses, salves, lipbalm, infused oil...
The bases of the flowers (and some whole flowers) go into the still to produce calendula hydrosol. 

We're having fun with all this golden bounty!
We have Calendula Soap, Booboo Balm, and Calendula hydrosol on our website - just click on the links above to go directly to that item.

Before the Rain

We're expecting rain for a few days, and I wanted to get out early and gather the lavender for a distillation a little later in the day.  It's so quiet and peaceful (although very wet) first thing in the morning alone with the garden.  Last night Molly and I went out to pick blueberries.  She reached out for the yucca blossoms and said, "Feel this Momma, I just love the texture of these flowers."  All of you herbies know that my heart skipped a beat, knowing that she is looking at them the same way I do, experiencing the plants with all of her senses.
But this morning I was alone with just the foggy mist, a lot of groggy bees, and the lightning bugs crawling in to take shelter in the elderblossoms after a wild night of crazy bug love.
I can't lie.  The chicory and the bladderwort both have some superb root systems that defy my abilities.  They are both rampant field weeds and lovely as they are, they would completely take over the whole property if I let them.  Still, they do have a corner where I leave them alone (probably not the best idea).

The Fiji persimmon tree is full of small persimmons, but sheds them daily.  In the end, we might wind up with a few ripe fruits.  It's a young tree, so it can't really support all of that fruit just yet.  One day though...

Last night I saw the first blooms of the passionflower.  The vines have a whole corner of the split rail fence, and use this old potato fork to climb upon.  It is covered with varying sizes of buds, and is already a thing of beauty.  One of the many plants that has been enjoying our rainforest type weather of high humidity, high temps, and daily late day rain for the last week or so.

Both the stunning echinacea and the lofty fennel behind it volunteered in this space on either side of the fence.  I'm starting to notice just how big a part the birds play in the garden.

Finally, I stopped to look at the lemon thyme patch, and in doing so suddenly realized that most of the mowed path for several feet in all directions is also thyme!  The yard in that area is covered in thyme!  How cool is that?

Inside to do a litte work.  Ship some orders, send out renewal notices, and then fire up the still and se what kind of delightful lavender hydrosol we can produce.  Just another day...

Sum-sum-summertime!

This morning's gatherings.

With talk of the temperature rising this afternoon, I headed out to gather calendula blossoms and some lavender for wand weaving later this afternoon.  Things went very differently than what I had in mind, but in a good way.
First stop was the blueberry patch, followed by the gooseberry plants.  Maybe I should head over along the side of the woods and see if there are any black raspberries ready?

Black raspberries are our favorite berry with a flavor all their own.  A childhood memory...

A magnificent stand of blooming motherwort has established itself along the path, and I will be back to cut some later.  Lucky thing, because my usual stand got in the way of a project this spring, and there's only a few plants left there.
At the end of the path at the far end of the field, there are a couple of mulberry trees I hadn't thought about for years, so I pulled down a branch and picked a few to eat and stick in the basket for later.  Doing so, there was a rustle a few feet to my left, about a foot above my head... after which a juvenile ground hog plunked to the ground and looked at me.  We locked eyes for a few moments, and then I think he realized I was that woman his parents had been talking about because he took off running, scurrying under the giant burdock leaves.  I'm not sure which of us was more startled, honestly.

Munstead lavender.  A shot of the little groundhog would be apropos, but we prefer lavender!  Little cuss...

While all this has been taking place, Bob has come out to work in the fields with the tractor, removing stumps, straightening rows, and whatever else he does out there.  He is a virtuoso on large equipment.  I swear, that man could pluck a single daisy with a backhoe, BUT he doesn't much notice things like people while he's working so I cut him a wide berth.
Finally arriving back at the garden patch we have planted this year, the calendula are basking in the sunlight.  The row of white sage beside it is really loving this plot, and has reached a bushy, lush 18" while the rows of lavender, rose geranium, and patchouli are looking pretty good too.  The resiny flowers plop into the basket one by one as my fingers get ever stickier.

The calendula flowers couldn't be more beautiful!

My mind was on the wild yarrow I'd seen on my way to the field.  I forgot all about the long-stemmed wand lavender, and headed to the yarrow.  Wishing I'd brought clippers, I gathered a good quantity because I've been wanting to distill it for years.  My friend Marcia Elston of Winged Seed kindly pointed out to me that the still shouldn't be more than half full of plant material, so there is plenty out there.

Yarrow packed in the still, ready for my return.

The last stop was at the side garden to gather up the Munstead lavender that will be used in teas over the winter.  The sweet purple blossoms are the very best of the varieties that over-winter here for things like that.
Now it's back down to the soap shed to cut the batches of soap we made last night, and then I can come home and fire up the still.  Can't wait to see how this turns out.

And so the madness of summer begins!

The Essential Herbal - July/August '13

The latest issue of the magazine is whirling around out there, making its way into mailboxes across the country at a pretty good clip. If you are a subscriber, you should see it well before the end of June. If you aren't a subscriber, you can remedy that situation pretty easily by going to our website and getting yourself a subscription!
This issue is filled with all kinds of summer.  Lots of delicious recipes and instructions, some great crafting ideas, and the usual dose of lore, usage, and growing information.  Another perfect brew of herbal information splashed upon our pages!  We know you'll enjoy this one.  I found myself setting aside the work of editing and writing in order to do some of the projects that came in the articles - something I usually force myself to do AFTER we've gone to press.  

Field Notes

Perennial food gardening is a gradual, thoroughly satifying experience. 7 years in, it is starting to make a difference!

About the Cover

How do we cope with leaving behind beloved gardens?

A Bible Garden, Jackie Johnson

A fascinating look at what went into planning and executing a public garden from a historical perspective.

Herb Craft: Painting & Pounding, Suzan T Scholl

We can never get enough herb themed accoutrements! Clothing, linens, notepaper; your imagination is your only barrier with this decorative craft.

Thyme, Thymus Vulgaris, Heddy Johannesen

Versatile and lovely, there are so many uses for thyme. So unassuming that we often take it for granted. Heddy includes recipes for syrup and vinegar.

Thyme in a Magical Garden, Jacquie Beveridge

Off we go to visit the charming Thyme Garden Herb Garden in Alsea Valley of the Oregon Coast Range Mountains.

Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Cohosh,) Sandy Michelsen

One of the next plants to be introduced into the woods here, Sandy gives us some good reasons to include Black Cohosh in the garden.

SouthRidge Treasures, Coriander (Cilantro), Mary Ellen Wilcox

As usual, Mary Ellen goes beyond the lore, history, and growing information to include 6 great recipes/uses, including Black Bean Salad and Crispy Coriander Potatoes.

Seashore Stirrings, Marci Tsohonis

Oceana Soap… Dreams of the beach and the water and the sun all rolled into a fragrant decadent bar of soap. There are also instructions for a couple of different ways to swirl colors into soap.

Herbal Wines, Infused Wines, Champagne, Marita Orr

Be prepared to find yourself running outside to find ingredients to get started! Marita has outdone herself with this stunning article filled with information, ideas, inspiration, and recipes. I’ve already made 2 batches of the elderflower champagne!

Fun, Sillies & Puns, Jessica Morgan

Jessica collects cute herbal puns and jokes, and has graciously shared a bushel of them with us!

Summer Garden Party with Wine & Cheese, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Cheese Balls, Crisps, and Logs, Citrus Olives, Pickled Carrots, and all manner of pairing cheeses and wine to make for a memorable picnic or gathering.

The Fragrant Geraniums, Susanna Reppert Brill

So many simple ways to use those wonderful leaves, way beyond potpourri! Tea, cake, sugar and more plus how to keep them as house plants.

Pure? Natural? Organic?, Maryanne Schwartz

How do you wade through the hype when people throw around these words until they no longer have any meaning at all?

Pressed into Service, Rita Richardson

As the flowers bloom, it can be almost impossible to just let them go. Press them and keep them for decorative purposes!

You might be an herbie if...

Back in spring '11, Marnie Plunkett suggested on our email list that it might be fun to try to answer this question.  It was!  And we turned it into an article, which I'm shaking out for some chuckles today.


Remember Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a redneck if..." standup? Let's play "you might be an herbie if...." I'll go first. You might be an herbie if....

you say "excuse me, but...you're standing on my dandelion".
you spend a lot of time scraping labels off food jars that will be just perfect for herbs later on. 
Your herb seed budget exceeds the gross national product of some small countries.  You have lost a room or two of your house; the ceiling beams have become drying racks... ...   .

...while showing people your gardens, you unconsciously reach down, grab a leaf and start munching on it. ..

You can name plants that other people call weeds.

Latin has become your second language.

Your neighbors are used to see you early in the morning in your PJ harvesting or taking care of your garden....

You've been reported to the local sheriff for walking along the roads putting what is considered a "noxious weed" in a gallon jar! (St. John's Wort!)  

You might be an herbie if your kid is the one on the playground fixing boo-boos with plantain growing in the grass....

You know your a (city) herbie when..... You visit your relatives in the country but can't concentrate on conversations because you are constantly eyeballing...

My, this one hit home! For us though there is a little different twist. We live in the country, but often we'll be riding down the road and I'll scream thingslike, "JEWELWEED! Stop! Back-up"! Now to an outsider this might seem weird, but at our house in invariably means that one of us will ask the other, "do you think anyone would mind?"

" You MIGHT be an herbie if.......your neighbors show your wee ones their flowers and they ask 'can you EAT IT???

You might be an herbie if you spend hours picking chamomile by hand even thoughit would cost you just pennies because you know your's has been treated thebest!

You name your kids after herbs

if there is no way you can pass a rosemary plant without touching it!

...you empty your daughter's playhouse and set up a table in the corner because the windows are perfect for infusing oils!

...you think Scented Geraniums make great room deordorizers

Or you might be an herbie if you you go out of your way to walk past the nursery just to see what new plants they have out.

 ... your family has been disappointed many times after finding you working in the kitchen over non-food creations.

...you have a blender, a coffee grinder, an immersion blender, and a crockpot - all of which you wouldn't dream of using to cook with.

...your child has to plan sleepovers for those days when there are NOT herbs spread on sheets on the guestroom floor.

....people hate to have you in the car with them because you shriek so often at the sight of herbs in the wild.

...your daughter brings home a date while you're cleaning a pile of dried herbs, and he gives you the hairy eyeball...

... friends and family realized I was an herbie when they saw me buying gallons and gallons of cheap vodka (for tinctures), none of which I was going to drink. (they also wanted to stage an intervention...but that's another story~)

 

your wine cellar is full of shelves with containers of dried herbs, tincture and seeds. 

or you might...just might be an herbie if your wine store knows you by name and tells you when he sees you on the street, "we've gotten another shipment of that crystal palace vodka in today."

If there is no room in your refrigerator because it is stuffed with remedies, infusions and half finished Lavender Wands....

When you are the only one without the chemically treated manicured lawn in the neighborhood.

Or

When you tell your neighbor to stop treating their lawn so that you can make more dandelion jelly.

If you're considering getting rid of the dining room furniture to make more room for your "stuff"! Good bye pretty dishes and glasses Hello HERBS!!

your kids think everyone chews on licorice roots when they come down with a sore throat.

You grow your own weed! LOL

you get 'spices' from your office cupboard.....

you tell your husband not to mow yet because you want to make soup.

...you carry fennel seeds in your purse instead of rolaids.

you overseeded your "lawn" with dandelions....

You own more mason jars than the mason jar company :)

"You got any herb, man?" is greeted with "Yes, I do! I've got French tarragon, English tyme, evening primrose, rosemary, scented geraniums, golden oregano, painted sage, cuban oregano, feverfew, marshmallow, horehound, peppermint, curled spearmint, flat parsley...

When the "uninformed" starts to complain about their mint growing all over the place you tell them that there is a mint for mojitos!

You know and have a cooking or medicinal use for every "weed" in your yard.

you are out there digging under the snow to see if anything is growing yet.

you never take a sick day from work..because you're never sick!

you're known to go off the road often, looking at road side moreso than road!

or

you carry a shovel in your trunk.

when you are walking and you tell others these flowers are good to eat, or say or I wonder what that green plant over there is and what I can use it for.

You might be an herby if you're scared to death the neighbors will see you distilling herbs through your kitchen window & turn you in for making meth or moonshining!!

you routinely refer to things by their latin names/species names... ie what a nice patch of anthemis!!!

Being a herbie adds a certain spice to life, wouldn't you say?  We're having a bit of a gray, dreary day today, so a little smile came over me when reading these again.  Hope you enjoyed them!

Permissions

The other day a friend of mine was looking for a way to protect her property.  She was finding her photographs on various sites across the web without credit or permission.  Her pictures are well composed, often deeply moving, and she can make the simplest thing appear to be tinged with magic.  Often I can tell it is hers just by the feel of the picture, before I note whose it is because they are like looking into a dream.
So imagine my surprise when, last night while searching for the answer to a random question that arrived by email, I stumbled across this:

That's my kitchen with my still in my picture from my blog.  No credit.
Later, looking for something about making tinctures, I found this:

Come on now.  I can recognize my own handwriting on this picture of my tinctures from my blog.  I ate the salsa that came in that squatty jar behind the holy basil tincture.  No credit, but the author IS asking for tips.  I have one...
We're not naive enough not to realize that putting things online means they can be considered up for grabs, but seriously now, would it be that hard to note where the picture came from?  Give the person who did the work a little notice?  In the past, I've run across entire blog posts copied with pictures included, and pasted to another blog.  That's a whole different animal that required some reporting to the host, but pictures shouldn't be this tough.
8 years ago this blog was started, and pictures are often the catalyst for a post.  A camera is nearly always with me, and when my childhood friend Patty showed me the macro setting 3 years later (yeah, really...) all hell broke loose.  In that time 1000's of photos have been posted here on the blog or on the magazine's Facebook page.  I am not alone.  All of my herbie friends share this penchant for showing each other the offerings of nature and what we create with those leaves, blossoms and roots. For many of us, it's part of what we do for a living.  So there's a very easy answer.
Just add credit.  Better would be a link because often that gives your reader even more information.  The pictures above led to A) a full step-by-step pictorial view of a distillation and B) simple ways to preserve herbs. 
You want to make a friend?  Ask for permission.  Who knows?  Maybe the originator will even want to link back to your piece, but at the very least they won't feel like you ripped them off.  I don't know anyone who would deny permission for their photos to be used with proper crediting (although I probably shouldn't try to speak for everyone).

Ode to Calendula - Excerpt

In the May/June '13 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine, Marci Tsohonis graced our pages with an instructive article on making castile soap with calendula, but along the way she described so well several ways of preserving and using the flowers that she so obviously loves.  I have been a benefactor of her painstaking care of these lovelies, and have never in my life seen such beautiful, vibrant dried calendula.  It was obviously a labor of love.  Below is a section of that article, and as the flower buds are just starting to turn to the sun and open in many parts of the country right now, we're sharing it here for you...

DRYING CALENDULA FLOWER HEADS:
When I harvest Calendula flower heads, I leave a half inch stem attached, making it easier to press the whole flower face down on a screen for drying.  As I flatten it, I gently break off the remaining stem.  If the weather is warm, the flowers should be almost weightless, dry and crispy in less than a week.  Each petal will shrink to half its width.  You’ll be able to tell when they are ready.  Once they are dry, hold the flower head and gently pull outward at the edges of the petals to remove them from the head. 

Calendula flowers dry beautifully on a rack or screen in a warm, covered, shady area when given plenty of air circulation.  I press them onto a screen in our garden shed, and leave the windows ajar to promote air flow.  A garage would work, or even a covered patio that is out of the wind.  I sometimes notice bulk Calendula flowers for sale in natural food stores, stuffed in jars every which way, in a brownish tangle.  They lack memory of the life force when handled that way.  When carefully dried, they are a joyous addition to a summer Potpourri.

NOTE!  If you see something resembling worm larvae in either the finished oil or soap,
it is most likely just a Calendula seed!  Simply lift it out with tweezers or a spoon. It is easy to inadvertently pull a seed off the head when you are removing the petals. I found several the first time I made the infused oil.  The seeds are a somewhat curly, crescent moon shape.

SOLAR INFUSED CALENDULA OIL:
This is my favorite method.  Fill any size jar half full of dried Calendula petals.  Pour Olive oil over the petals, filling jar to within 2 inches of the top of the jar.  A little headspace is needed as the petals will expand once they become saturated with the oil.  (an overflow is quite messy) Stir the oil and petals a few times.  Cover the top of the jar with a double layer square of cheesecloth and apply the screw band (or a rubber band) over that.  Place in a sunny, south facing windowsill for at least 6 weeks.  Stir contents daily.

HURRY-UP CALENDULA OIL:
Place dried Calendula petals and olive oil in a crock pot.  I suggest you use a Rheostat/Light dimmer to regulate the heat setting on your crock pot.  Alternately, take the temperature of the oil frequently, turning the crock pot on or off, to ensure the oil temperature is maintained between 100 and 110 degrees for several hours.  The crock pot method works well, though the oil will not be quite as resinous as it would be using the solar method with a longer infusion period.

RESINOUS, FRESH CALENDULA OIL: 
I don’t use fresh infused Calendula oil in soap recipes, generally, though there is no reason you couldn’t. It is more work to make the oil, and the yield is not as good.  But this is a special oil.   Alcohol frees and dissolves the resin in Calendula, adding medicinal properties to the oil that you would not be able to access with water or plain oil alone. I’m including the recipe, while I’m up, because it makes a highly resinous, healing oil, courtesy of the late Michael Moore.  He stated that most of the Alcohol evaporates during the cook.   Some expert herbalists consider the scent from the trace of Alcohol remaining in the oil to be unpleasant.  Others swear by this method.  You’ll need to make that call for yourself.

Want to try it yourself?  Fill a food processor with cut Calendula heads.  Little bits of stem are fine to add as well.  Pour 1/8 to 1/4 cup of 100 proof Grain Alcohol over them.  Process briefly, long enough to chop the Calendula and distribute the Alcohol.  Allow to sit several hours.  Transfer ingredients to a blender.  Cover with Olive Oil.  Blend on “Chop” until Calendula is finely diced.  Scrape contents into a crock pot.  Maintain temperature of oil & herb mixture at a range of 100-110 for 8-12 hours. Strain thoroughly through Cheesecloth or old t-shirt, squeezing every last drop of this incredible oil.

Don't want to make your own?  We have it HERE

Elderflower Champagne

It isn't often that in the middle of working on getting an issue put to bed for the printer that something in an article makes us stop in our tracks and try it.  Marita Orr from With Seeds of Intention sent us just such a project inside an article full of wonderful summer beverage recipes.  The elderflowers are just starting to bloom, and so I asked her if we could publish the recipe separately so folks wouldn't miss their chance to make it this year.
I started on it right away!

We had everything necessary in the cupboard.  We had Bragg's vinegar, and I have a feeling that vinegar with the mother is where the fizz comes from, but wild yeast in the air probably is part of it too.  Here's the recipe:

ELDER FLOWER CHAMPAGNE
7 large heads of elder blossoms
1 pound of white sugar, no substitutes!!
2 large or 3 small organic lemons/oranges
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 gallon water
4 liter-sized wine or champagne bottles and corks
Dissolve sugar in 1 quart of boiling water. Add rest of water. Slice lemons very thinly and add to water/sugar.

Add vinegar and mix well.

I used the removable crock from a 2 gallon oblong crockpot.

Place elder flowers head down in a crock, large glass bowl, or non-metal pot. Pour liquid mixture over flower heads. Cover with a kitchen towel held in place with a rubber band. After 24 hours, strain through a fine cloth (I use a clean cotton diaper), bottle, and cork.

So pretty it looked ready to drink immediately!

Mature your Elder Flower Champagne in the dark for three or more weeks. It will be naturally fizzy when ready to drink, so watch out when you pop the cork!
 

After 24 hours, most of the elderflowers are a little browned.  It tastes very good (sweet).

Because I can't follow directions very well, I was COMPELLED to ad a slice of lemon and a bit of elderflower.  I also used Mason jars.  It remains to be seen how that will work.  I'm highly optimistic - as always.