Greetings from Herban Paradise!

We're having super hot days, really cold nights, and basically no rain -- a very strange Spring --  but the garden is humming along happily.

New recipes I'm playing with:

❀ Radish Leaf Pesto

❀ Roasted Radishes and Greens

❀ Radish Green Soup

The purple Asparagus we put in last year is up, along with Garlic, Snow Peas, Mizuna, Tat Soi, Raab, Kale and Chard. We're still munching on Lettuce that overwintered in a cold frame, but its companions Arugula and Spinach have already bolted and been pulled out.

The herbs are quickly leafing out too. Catnip is being chowed by the free-range neighbor kitty. Roses, Lemon Balm, and Chives are spreading through the garden, out of control. Won't be long before I'm harvesting Mints! Volunteer Calendulas are appearing in the garden, and the volunteer Chamomiles are budded up and about to bloom.

The Chickweed harvest this Spring was my biggest ever (makes me giddy just thinking about it!). Much has been infused into olive oil which is useful for a variety of skin complaints, the rest dried and packed away. I was even able to save seeds.

Too Many Roses

a good problem to have ;)

But you almost can't pick up an herbal medicine book and certainly won't find an herbal cosmetic book that doesn't include Rose, so a few years back I made a token planting of 1 each of  3 old-fashioned varieties: Apothecary's Rose (Rosa gallica 'Officinalis'), Rosa Mundi (Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’), and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa 'Alba').

These sweet little shrubs turned out to be anything but fussy! Almost a little too robust, the Gallicas throw seed and are having a go at becoming a hedge while the Rugosa sends out runners in every direction! I didn't pay much attention to them, though, until last Summer.

It was the bees I noticed first. There are so many bees working these flowers it's actually noisy! Then, the aroma caught me. All throughout the garden I could smell those Roses. Suddenly, I was in love.

I'd only dabbled with Rose in salves and perfumes. I gathered petals in anticipation of Winter experiments: Oils, elixirs, tinctures. Infused into aloe vera, witch hazel, apple cider vinegar. Whatever I could think of!

Today my herbal pantry shelves are brimming with rosy goodness and I can’t figure out how I ever lived without them. “Queen of the Garden” as nickname makes sense to me now.

Intending to clip them back this Spring, I've decided instead to let them run wild. Wonder who will be happier with the overflow of Roses this Summer, me or the bees....

Roses used topically are wonderful for the skin. And not only for beauty. Rose is a revered healer of wounds and important first aid plant :)

Rose flowers: anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-spetic, anti-viral, aphrodisiac, astringent, cardiotonic, decongestant, expectorant, hemostatic, laxative, sedative

Rose hips: anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxident, anti-viral, astringent, cardiotonic, laxative, nutritive, tonic, high in vitamin C