Current harvests

Yesterday I finally found some time to decant the herbal products I've had macerating in the larder and cupboard since the beginning of the year. It feels as if I'm not doing as much as I did last year, but I still produced cleaver, hawthorn flower and leaf, dandelion root, ginger root, clove, cinnamon and ladies mantle tinctures, a nettle iron tonic and hawthorn flower and nettle vinegar (the second batch). I've got nettles, sage, white dead nettle, red clover and ground ivy drying in various locations and there are two jars of dandelion flower oil, some comfrey oil in the larder and two batches of dandelion syrup in the fridge.

There are new jars of hawthorn flower brandy, cleaver, plantain and fennel tinctures and fennel and chive flower vinegars macerating happily in dark places.

My frustration is that I didn't have time to collect any elderflowers and rose petals before it started raining, so I can only live in hope there may be some left to gather when the rain finally stops (is that a possibility this year?).

The good news is that the ox-eye daises I planted three years ago have finally germinated and flowered, showing that herb growers' patience has to extend further than I thought possible!!

I'm looking forward to meeting people at the Herb Society stall in Garderners World at the NEC next Saturday morning and hearing about other people's herbal exploits.

Sarah