We are enjoying a lush and healthful season in our medicinal and tea herb garden this year. This week, I highlight three of our familiar residents: Calendula, Bee balm, and Bronze Fennel.
CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis) has thick, fibrous roots and grows in thick patches that can be used as a cover crop or as a living mulch to protect the soil. The flowers provide nectar and pollen that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The nectar—along with the pests that it traps—attracts beneficial insects such as ladybugs, hoverflies, and lacewings.
This flower has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties, and is often used to soothe a long list of skin ailments including—but not limited to cuts, scrapes, bruises, bee stings, insect bites, fungal infections, eczema, and rashes. Cut the flowers on the stem 1/4″ above where the next lower leaf is meeting the stem. (A new flower bud will form there.) I use the flowers to make an infused oil and dry them to use in teas and culinary creations.
BEE BALM (Monaarda fistulosa) A must try herb for tea and many other uses. Also called wild bergamot, this is not the same as bergamot orange in Earl Grey tea. This herb is native to North America and has a connection to the Boston Tea Party. One of the most popular plants to figure in Liberty Teas was wild bergamot. This beneficial tea not only tastes great, but is good for helping fight off colds and the flu. So it’s especially nice to have on hand in the winter months!
The leaves of wild bee balm are edible raw or cooked. They are also used as a flavoring in salads and cooked foods. The flowers and petals make an attractive edible garnish in salads. Once bee balm flowers begin to bloom, cut the stems often to encourage more growth. Harvest them by cutting 10 to 12 inches worth of stem. Cut above where the leaves attach to the stem, tie together and hang upside down until the flowers dry and are brittle to touch. Then, crush the leaves and flowers and store in a sealed container for use as tea.
BRONZE FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare) Fennel is a vital host herb for the Eastern Black Swallowtail and the Anise Swallowtail butterflies, offering a safe haven for their young to mature, providing food and shelter to these lovely pollinators. Bronze Fennel is a wonderful culinary herb – the leaves are great with fish! It is a wonderful companion to tarragon, providing the same unique anise flavor. Bronze Fennel is one of the main ingredients in Italian sausage and the seeds have a sweet licorice-like taste. This delicious culinary herb also has wonderful medicinal potential and helps to ease bloating and digestion. It makes for a soothing after dinner tea! In ancient times, bronze fennel was believed to keep evil spirits away from the home.
Much of the research that has validated fennel’s health benefits has been done with fennel seeds, which are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory effects. Fennel seeds have long been used to reduce intestinal gas, which is why many cooks add a few fennel seeds to the cooking water when cooking asparagus, cabbage, beans, and other gas-producing foods. When taken as a nutritional supplement, fennel capsules can reduce common symptoms of menopause.
How to Harvest Fennel Pollen: Fennel pollen has been a trendy spice among chefs since before 2011, though Italian cooks have used it as a dry spice for hundreds of years. Boasting the complex citrusy-licorice flavor of fennel in concentrated form, fennel pollen includes the pollen and dried petals that fall from fennel blossoms as they dry. To harvest fennel pollen, snip several heads of fully blooming fennel and gently massage the pollen from the flower head. When stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place, fennel pollen will store for several months.
You will want to leave some flowers behind to produce seeds for cooking and munching. The green seeds are super delicious! The flowers will provide nectar for many beneficial insects.
Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/8262977/what-is-fennel-pollen
Available this week:
Spearmint
Peppermint
Chocolate mint
Sweet mint
Field mint (Bo he)
Bronze fennel
Motherwort
Wood betony
True Comfrey
Russian Comfrey
Purple coneflower
Self heal
Holy basil (Kapoor tulsi)
Apple mint
Catnip
Lemon Balm
Lime balm
Anise Hyssop
Calendula
Moldavian Balm
Bee balm
Marsh mallow (leaves)
As always, please follow the cutting guides presented with the plant on the yellow dot stick. This helps ensure the continued growth of flowers and leaves to nourish the plant and offer more cutting opportunities. Please email with any questions, suggestions etc. to tina.marcus10@gmail.com.
