Wild Strawberry, Green Herbal Oils and Salves and another Nettle Soup Recipe...

Hello Beautiful Beings,

The pulsing green of the season is thoroughly upon us. What a joy to see the trees fully leafing out in canopy and feeling the edges where sun meets shade as the warmth of the sun continues to deepen towards summer.

On my walks around the farm, the white blossoms of wild strawberry seem to greet me wherever I go. You can learn more about the importance of wild strawberry in Indigenous North American culture as well as its medicinal uses in the European herbal tradition in my post HERE.

Wild Strawberry in Flower

I was trying out a few new techniques in making herbal salves and oils this week and I was amazed by the verdent green colour that yielded to oil. I look forward to sharing more with you on this in a future post. What I can say from my many experiences in making herbal oils over the years is that it truly is an art and so many subtle nuances of moisture, sun, warmth, freshness and plant stability all play their part.

The Cleavers we discussed last week is now showing its tiny white flowers. This is the optimal time to harvest, before the flowers turn to seed.

Cleavers in bloom

The young nettles are growing rapidly and will soon be too tough to enjoy in soups. We can certainly prolong the season by keeping them cut back to encourage young growth. If you want to start a nettle patch of your own, I have lots to share, just reach out to me. Do plant them in an out of the way place as they like to proliferate :) Here is an Italian version on Nettle Soup that includes tomatoes. Such a great addition to the flavour of nettles. You can turn this nourishing soup into a hearty meal with a few simple additions.

Italian Nettle Soup

Time to celebrate the coming long weekend. For some of you this weekend brings a return to cottages, camping and trailer life. Enjoy! I hope it will bring you time to connect - with family and friends and the magnificence of the Natural World that holds us in her embrace. May you allow yourself to move beyond productivity and begin to relax into the season of sun and warmth and outdoor living.

Looking forward to connecting with you again next week.

With great joy and exuberance for the season, Jacinta 💜