Please pick the herbs – we like to share them!
Free Herb Garden
There’s a garden near the parking lot that’s looked after by the Earth Spirit/Pagan group. You are welcome to snip some herbs for drying, decoration or tea! You’ll know it because it’s the one with stakes with labels of the various herbs: sage, lavender, mint, etc.
Herbal teas
There are several different kinds of mint there. And they’re about to die down for the winter, so please harvest:
- pineapple mint
- chocolate mint
- spearmint
If you haven’t tried sage tea or adding rosemary or lavender, those are nice as well.
Culinary herbs
If you’re making something savoury for Thanksgiving, pick some sage, thyme, or rosemary to add. These plants like to be regularly clipped back.
There’s also some chives and arugula for clipping.
Flowers
Please leave the echinacea to go to seed, but pick the rudbeckia (brown-eyed susans).Indeed these cheerful and hardy flowers spread and we’d like to remove most of them from the herb garden so if you have a place to plant something (or willing to help move some to our labyrinth), please contact Mary and make arrangements.
Seasonal decor
Many people like to use herbs for a seasonal wreath or swag. Or even a Hallowe’en broom!
Kale
Not exactly an herb, but there’s kale there for picking as we’re wanting to plant new things. Please take!
Labyrinth picking
There’s lavender, rosemary, thyme and sage around the labyrinth. Feel free to pick. The garden path is adjacent to the Fremlin side – ie east side of the property. Take a walk around it and pick whatever you like. It’s a scent-sation.
Mint Tea
Most people have tried mint tea, and we have a growing selection of mints – in pots! pineapple mint, chocolate mint and “ordinary” mint. Really you can just take some, crush it a bit to release the flavour and scent, and add to hot water. Or you can make a mix and try it out. To dry, just pick and hang upside down in a cool dark place.
Recipes for teas
Ginger syrup recipe – makes 1 litre/ quart
¼ cup cane sugar
3 ¾ cups water
1/3 c. (approx.) thin sliced fresh ginger root, unpeeled
Put all ingredients into a pot and heat for 3-5 minutes or until it is steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, stir and let cool. If possible leave overnight to cool and then remove ginger pieces.
Put one slice of lemon into the bottom of the jar or container for ginger syrup. *
Mint tea – for 6 litre / large container
Cut garden mint the day before. About 6 – 8 cups before washing, sorting and trimming. Choose stems with the largest leaves.
Cut stems to remove roots, discard any damaged or yellowed or too small leaves or stems. Cut stems short enough to fit into the salad spinner or the large glass container that will hold the tea.
Place bunches of stems into a salad spinner after all the stems have been soaked in a large container completely covered in water for 20 – 30 minutes.
When the bunches of mint have been processed lay them in the bottom of the large tea jar until the container is ¼ to 1/3 full. Boil water and pour over leaves until the container is more than half full or double the depth of the layers of mint. Can be up to 2/3 full of water. Leave overnight to cool with the mint in place.
Remove all the stems of mint once it has completely cooled in the morning. Add ice to the container before serving if you wish to have the tea chilled.
Other teas and herbs:
Black Tea – Just add other herbs if you wish.
Cut some lemon balm stems as well. Wash and place them in a jar. *
To serve tea:
Place lemon balm leaf into bottom of the cup, pour in a tsp or so of the ginger syrup and then fill up with the mint tea.
* Refrigerate these overnight
What’s in the garden labyrinth?
Pick some fresh herbs to make or add to tea as you walk. A pinch of this; a pinch of that.
The following are available.
- sage
- lavender
- rosemary
- thyme
- calendula
- mints and lemon balm (in pots on west side of labyrinth)
To find suggestions and health benefits, just google “sage tea benefits” etc.
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