Lots of herbs are ready to harvest or use right now.
The comfrey (pictured at the right) is just at the end of blooming, you'll find a lot of the stalks are starting to fall over & smother other smallers plants next to them. Time to cut some it back. Some of my comfrey leaves are HUGE this year.
Comfrey Root: I am finding the frozen grated fresh comfrey root excellent for so many things. I won't harvest any more root until fall, but I'll put this information in here anyways. I took fresh comfrey root last year & just grated it & froze it in baggies. It has been a life saver with some external skin problems, and with an eye infection. I just crack a bit of it off, add a tiny bit of water, blend it in my blender & strain it. Remember to make it fresh every day.
Comfrey Leaf: I am cutting off some of the big flower stalks & drying them whole to use in the winter for any colds or lung problems. Remember some people are sensitive to the leaf used externally, causes itching. The root usually works better for those people. Anyway, I use comfrey leaf tea in the winter for lung problems. If you have an abundance of comfrey leaf, it is excellent added to compost to help break it down. And the flower stalks are beautiful in vases in the house.
Valerian is in bloom: the flowers smell amazing, I always bring some in & put them in vases.
Keep collecting lots of spring nourishing herbs for use in winter as a green powder or in infusions. I just dry the herbs, keeping them whole, and will grind them or use them in infusions whole in the winter. I collect a few comfrey leaves, tons of dandelion leaves, nettles, plantain leaves. I also do dry some cleaves & chickweed even though they are really not so useful dried.
Yellow dock is blooming now. Remember, we just use the root, the leaves are a bit high in oxalic acid which can contribute to aching joints.
Yarrow is in bloom, collect & dry leaves & blooms. Keep some dried for teas in the winter for colds. Tincture some for the same use. And use it in salves to help stop pain & bleeding.
You may notice as the days get warmer that the chickweed is a little harder to find. I have some with huge leaves in a shady damp area of the yard. It is right next to the miner's lettuce, so I just go down there each day & pick a bit & eat it on the spot.
Cleavers is about to get those nasty sticky little burs on them, which makes my dogs look like they have little green beards. I usually pull it up at this time of year (it will still come back). Remember it is not so useful dried, so use it fresh to tincture, this is pretty much your last chance until next spring. I have also been using it juiced. If you remember it is great for cleansing the lymphatic system, which is why I've been feeling a low grade germy feeling, as it is pulling out toxic matter from my lymphatic system.
If you have lemon balm, this is a pefect time to tincture some fresh for help with sleep during the winter. And lavender if you have it. Sometimes I make a tincture with lavender & lemon balm, both help you sleep & this tastes great. We'll be working with that next class I think.
If you have Calendula, use the petals of the flowers on your salads. Same with nasturtium flowers.
This is a great time of year to make another salve, her are some ideas of herbs you may have in your yard that can be used: calendula, comfrey, plantain, wormwood, heal all, lavender. Look back in your notes or in one of your herb books & see what the properties are of some herbs that you have growing in your yard, make an infused oil & then make a salve from it. Add some essential oils if you have them, tea tree or lavender are wonderful in healing salves.
Remember to take a minute before harvesting any plants, think of what you would like for this plant to help you heal, pick it with intention, leave an offering of intending thanks or reiki.
