6 herbs that resist frost and help me get through the winter

Hey Hive, just sharing here a few plants that help me out during the colder months of the year, and which I'm very grateful for showing me that it's possible to survive this harsh weather. I'll skip on the long into today, let's get to it.

Rue (ruta graveolens)

This is plant that has a bad reputation for having more negative side effects than positive ones. I don't doubt that as anything in Nature, it can be misused and cause problems, but that doesn't mean its a plant to shy away from.

There is a lot folklore surrounding this one, and not so much science. It is a plant often associated with regulation of menstrual cycles and also considered abortive. It's often planted at the entrance of houses to keep negative energies away.

My first interactions with it were through mascerated oils which caused a lot of pleasure when rubbed on the skin. It was presented to me as a plant associated with femenine energy and that it should be consumed when wanting to connect with it.

Its good for me to take moments to go into the femenine intuition instead of trying to achieve everything through action, so thats my main reason to consume it. I also feel ot helps liberate gases and cleans the digestive system, perhaps a bit aggresively but very effective.

Peppermint (mentha piperita)

I don't think its necessary to say much about this one. Most people know about it and have consumed it on more than one occasion. It tastes great, is great for oral health, helps with digestion and is a mild antibacterial. I am blessed with an abundance of it growing in the stream, though now a lot of them are under water with the growing of the currents due to nonstop raining and snowing.

Wild parsnip (pastinaca sativa)

I don't know if the internet is full of crap or if I'm an exception, but in most sites it is said that its leaves and stems are toxic and cause skin rash. Not only do i not get any sort of rash, i can eat leaves and stems without any issues (luckily i tried the plant before reading, otherwise i would put theory over my experience).

This gives me some conspiracy vibes as there have been campaigns to erradicate the plant. Maybe it depends on where it grows, perhaps the climate has an influence on its toxicity, that could be it too. However, i think like many wild edibles, there has been intentional misinformation so that the food industry doesn't suffer any loses from people going out into Nature and get tons of food for free. It is also said that the toxins are activated by the sun so maybe since i live in the forest they don't reduce receive enough sunlight to activate them.

Have you ever suffered from wild parsnip rash? Please let me know in the comments.

For me the magic of this plant is in using the leaves for tea as they have one the best fragrance and taste I've tried from wild plants.

Rosemary (*salvia rosmarinus)

My rosemary plants are still small but I can take a twig or two without causing too much damage. Gotta love the hardiness of this one. This is another plant that there's a lot of info about out there, but what i like the most is it's ability to provide clarity of mind. It's enough to just smell it to receive it's benefits, and change your perception on the current situations, which makes it perfect for aromatherapy.

Feverfew (tanacetum parthenium)

As the name suggests, it's effective for bringing down fevers and also traditionally used for treating migraines. I don't really use it much, but sometimes i like making an infusion with all the herbs i have available just to stimulate my defenses. Of course none of them go in high dodge and I've found no negative side effects in doing this

Costmary (tanacetum balsamita)

A very bitter one that I'm just getting acquainted with, despite growing it here since year 1. In the past it was prescribed for madness and other mental "imbalances". It's also thought to boost the mood so thats a good thing in the darker months of the year. It smells great but the taste isn't so good, although you can sense some mintyness in it.

I have plenty more to share but the post is already becoming too long so maybe I'll get motivated for part 2 one of these days. Thanks for your time and attention 🌿