oil infusion

I really enjoy infusing plants in oil. It seems like a better alternative than essential oils (I don't have to worry about safely diluting them) and besides I get to do it myself! Previously I've used olive oil because it's easy to get and has a good shelf life, but its smell tends to stick around. I wanted to try to have the more pure scent of the flower to use for perfume/massage oil sort of thing so this time I used almond oil. It has a shorter shelf life so I just made smaller batches.

I had some lavender I picked from a relative's garden that smelled amazing. It was only semi dry so I used the double boiler method for about 3 hours to infuse the oil since I was worried about it going rancid- and it turned out perfectly! If I had more flowers I would infuse it again but the smell is really lovely as is. It works really well as a moisturizer- my skin was so soft afterward!

I've got some calendula petals from the health food store that I'm trying as well. I didn't have enough oil to fill the jar up as you're supposed to so this one is a bit of an experiment- I let it sit in the window for a week, shaking it every day, and now it's in the cupboard for a couple of weeks. Apparently it's good for the skin as well! I just couldn't get the flower out of my mind after seeing it in some gardens around here so I figured it was a good sign.

flower essence

Unfortunately I don't have much of a garden right now but I did manage to grow some California poppies! So beautiful...they're one of my favorite flowers. I didn't want to cut and dry them since I have so few- but ever since I heard about flower essences I've wanted to try to make my own. Honestly just to see if there was any claim to them- tinctures and oils make sense since you're extracting chemical compounds of the plant but leaving it in water for a few hours to get the energy of the plant? Seemed a bit too easy and I had to try it to see if it worked or wasn't worth it. Funny I believe that plants have so much to offer us in ways we can't prove or understand but this seemed a bit much haha. Anyway..

Basically you put some spring water in a glass bowl and carefully snip some flowers into the water. I like to ask the plant which flower/how many to use..just one felt right. Leave the bowl in the sun by the plant for a couple hours(morning apparently is best) and strain the flower out when it feels done. Combine 1/3 water with 2/3 alcohol (I used vodka) and this is your mother essence which you dilute accordingly before using. I was surprised how much energy was coming off of the water- I usually don't feel these things but my hands were sort of buzzing. It should be a pleasure to work with it and now I'm really excited about flower essences!

The other day I happened to think that my lemon thyme plant  would make a good essence and I guess it thought so too because there were just enough tiny flowers left to make a batch. If I had waited one more day I would have had to wait until next year. It's when things like that which convince me I'm on the right path even though it feels like I'm just wandering aimlessly :) The lemon thyme feels so cheerful, I think I'm going to use it daily for a little while.

beginnings

I've decided to start a blog for all my herbal adventures! Learning about the plants around me has become a big interest of mine and it really is amazing what they have to offer on both a physical and energy level.


As for what I have on the go right now...a couple weeks ago I collected some yarrow flower stalks and red clover from my local park. It's hard to find places in the city that aren't sprayed or near the street but there is one place I've found that lets part of the grounds grow free.

A coat hanger makes a great drying rack..

Yarrow is one of my favorite plants right now. It's the first one I started using and I've found it helps ground me. These dried flowers will end up as tea or in an infused oil- right now I have plenty of oil left from last year. Definitely a lot of healing energy from this plant, it can be used on cuts ect.

I couldn't find too many red clover blossoms but I gathered enough to make a few batches of tea. When brewed fresh it was amazing as an iced tea- you could taste the sweetness of the pollen. I love how purple the flowers look! Drying them in the basket worked really well too which is encouraging.

I took at trip to the big park down by the water. unfortunately the hurricane knocked down a good percentage of the trees a couple years ago but it's the closest we have to a forest in the city- lots of paths and places to hide away and enjoy nature in. I went to one of my usual spots down by the water and noticed a low growing juniper bush. Apparently it wanted to become a smudge stick :) so I gathered a few springs and tied them together. This is one I look forward to using!