Monarch Butterflies continue to decorate the Lichenwood Landscape. Today they seem to be most interested in the Echinacea flowers in the raised bed gardens and I was able to get in close for the best photos so far. There are other lovely winged beauties tasting the nectar in other garden offerings, but so far they have proven camera shy. Butterflies always know the perfect moment for harvest.
Like a butterfly, I'm sampling the flowers of Lichenwood too. I made a small herbal harvest of Calendula flowers today. I go out to the Calendula garden every few days and pick as many as are at their peak of perfection so that I can infuse them in olive oil. Calendula infused oil is a staple in my salve and face cream making endeavors. I love the resinous quality of the whole flowers and make my oil using the whole flower, not just flower petals. The flowers spend 24-48 hours on a drying screen before I place them in the oil. I won't strain the oil until the Harvest Moon in September.
Many folks like to place their oil infusions directly in the garden, near the plants, where they infuse in direct sunlight and moonlight. I prefer to line my windowsills with canning jars filled with herbs and oils. They get a fine sun and moon bath in the South facing window of the sun room, but they do not get quite as hot, nor are they exposed to other elements like rain or curious critters.
At the far right is jar of Calendula just beginning the infusion process: a few flower heads, some oil, and little by little I'll add to the jar until it's full. Comfrey and St. Johnswort jars are so densely packed with herbs that you can't see the ruby red and deep forest green of the oil quite so well from this shot. I've only got one jar of St. Johnswort Oil infusing which I hope will be enough. St. Johnswort was sparse this year in our area. I saw plenty of it along the highway, but of course, one cannot harvest a nice clean healthy speciman from along the Spaulding Turnpike.
It's the first harvest of Comfrey leaves that you see infusing on the windowsill now, complete with flowers! The second growth of Comfrey leaves is almost ready for cutting. I also infuse Mugwort later in the season. Infused Mugwort oil makes a nice dream/vision inspiring bath oil when combined with essential oils of Lavender and Clary Sage. It's nice for sore muscles too. It's also the main ingredient in dream balms.
