The Plants are Up and Calling

Today after making extracts from dried plants we went outside to stack the last of the firewood. With the rain lately the new Mullein plant rosettes (second year plants of this biennial) had doubled in size. Because we have been without Mullein for a month or so now with so many people using it this winter with flu and colds we grabbed knives and started gathering.

What a joy it is every year to see and get o use the abundance of life emergin from the earth again. when that was done we spied the Valerian plants emerged though still purple leaved. perfect time to harvest roots still full of qi. and so we started digging deciding which plants to harvest and the babies to leave for next year. they smell TASTED so good. what a grounded feeling. This year for the first time we will gather the Valerian flowers which smell so divine and make a separate extract and then mix the two together. I feel like the lightness and aroma of the flowers will beautifully balance the deep grounded earthy and deeply relaxing roots.

Valerian is one herb that works best as an extract as the volatile oils will vaporize in a decoction.

Nettles are next on the list but this years cools has them hiding a bit longer. they are up though and next week should really be seen. This is the best time of year to eat them and get their huge nutritional benenfit.