So far we have been experiencing the perfect spring. Rainy nights are followed by cloudy mornings and sunny afternoons. I haven't had much time to dedicate to my flower garden, just space moments here and there. Even so there is a lot of color and medicine popping up around the garden beds and random places in between.
One plant of swiss chard successfully overwintered and I took a few of it's leaves plus some oregano for a spring pasta salad. I love the bright red stems of this type of chard and chop them up & lightly steam them to add color to the mostly green meal.
Then there is the star of the show ~ a lonely poppy flower that came up in the vegetable garden. Normally these flowers bloom in great number and much earlier in spring, right at the change over from winter. This year only one poppy grew in the vegetable garden and a few others in an herb spiral near to the house.
When I was younger I would cultivate these poppies for psychedelic adventures. Now I just love the vibrant red color that they bring to the landscape and the bees that seek them out for their pollen and nectar.
Then there is calendula, the star of the spring herbal garden and the namesake of my blog. Calendula as an herb has totally transformed my life. It was the first herb that I really connected with besides cannabis and has been responsible for healing on so many levels. When I first landed in this place I planted calendula all over the place. But, due to a variety of reasons, this is the first time in a few years that I have had significant calendula harvests
Part of my spring rituals includes making little bouquets with some of the flowers I find, both medicinal and decorative. I love to commemorate the changing of the seasons with these bouquets that I use to decorate the house . They also make great gifts for plant lover friends 馃挌馃崁
