Harvesting herbs and formulating teas is the most fun a homesteading herbalist like myself can have. I must admit that I have really been slacking on a crucial part of the herbalist's journey - that of keeping my herbal apothecary orderly.
Outside the weather is super hot, above 40 Celsius, around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, much to hot to do anything during the middle of the day. So, after a rapid round of outdoor chores I hauled up inside and began organizing!
🎶 background music is "Ten Thousand Smokes" by Nym
First; do you remember a few days ago I published a story about my celebration of St. Brigid?
Well, I took that opportunity to bless a piece of fabric that I wanted to use in my herbal apothecary.
If you watch the video carefully you will see that I used this cloth as a surface on which to sort herbs from their drying baskests and into their jars. I love the whimsical element it adds to the otherwise utilitarian shelving.
Mostly I focused on cleaning up any dust on the shelves and moving out empty jars or those full of herbs that are over a year or two old. There is still SO much to do. I haven't even gotten to the shelf full of macerating herbs in vodka and oil!! Making this short "TikTok style" video inspired me to do just one herbal chore per day and film the more aesthetically pleasing aspects. Next I will indeed tackle that shelf of herbs in oil & alcohol ... one jar at a time.
I love it! What advice would you give to someone who feels they need this lifestyle but has lived for twenty years in a way that feels counter to it?
I would say keep it simple and start with small steps. You dont need to grow your own herbs to fill the shelves of the apothecary right away. First you can buy herbs that might be helpful for any health concerns and start to use them - just make sure they are safe to use by doing research. Then eventually you can start to learn how to recognize the herbs that grow in the area and even start an herbal garden.
I have a question. I've read that herbal remedies need to be placed in an area away from direct sunlight. Can you hang a sheet over cupboards and shelving to achieve this? Or is a little sunlight okay?
Great question! and yes you are so right, herbs shouldn't be kept in a place where they will receive any kind of sunlight. The room where I keep my herbs is really really dark, in fact I have to bring in two lamps in order to take pictures in there. But if it did have sunlight I would do as you say and hang some sort of fabric over the shelves.
thanks so much for your question/comment!
Thank you! I'm so keen to start making my own remedies, especially balms and salves.
oh awesome! balms and salves are great places to start your herbalism journey!!
In your opinion, is beeswax or soy wax better?