As August comes to a close, I can feel Autumn creeping into chilly nights once again. Already, the Alder leaves have begun to turn to gold and fall across the wetlands on our walks. The flowers have been increasingly prolific this month. I can’t seem to cut enough zinnias, dahlias, or cosmos to make a dent! Plus, the sweet viola plants have been producing blooms already! They are small however and out of season. I continue to keep their runners trimmed and feed them regularl

The beginning of this month was my annual ‘Girls Trip’ with Amy Billharz and Pinto. We escape the fireworks each July 4th and this year we went camping in the Cascades. It was a lovely way to rejuvenate! We ate lots of delicious food! As July comes to a close, the flower garden has really exploded into summer flowers. The zinnias, beebalm, lavender, and purple queen anne’s lace are prolific at the moment; as well as the vibrant calendula, which I’ve already decided I won’t

June came and went so quickly! Often, it’s still cool here in the Pacific Northwest throughout June despite the Summer Solstice marking the beginning of summer and paradoxically the shortening of the daylight hours. Working at Lowlands Farm continues to get busier as we begin the Flower CSA. Harvesting, prepping, and bunching bouquets for the CSA is the highlight of my week there now! I love seeing all our hard work coming together into something so beautiful for others to e

August has arrived and we’re having long sunny dry days here in the Pacific Northwest, just like most of the country right now. One of my favorite ways to cool off in the summer is with ice cubes. They aren’t something I normally partake of because they are so internally cooling that they can be tough on digestion. However, they are perfect for hot days when I just can’t seem to cool down. Freezing herbal tea into ice cubes to pop out later for long afternoons siting on por

I won’t lie, the strong and clear sun of summer is not my favorite. Its rays just seem to burn me and make me feel ill if I’m out too long. You’ll mostly find me haunting the deep shade of the forest this time of year loving the way the light illuminates the layers of green leaves like stained glass. I’ve taken to making a cold brew on the go and adding ice to it throughout the day to keep cool. This month my go to herbs have been Elderflower and Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum

It’s become a tradition recently to take a vacation with Pinto to a quiet and remote place away from the fireworks of July 4th. This year I decided to try a location East of the Cascade Mountains within Washington instead of my normal escape route to Canada. Dear friend, Amy Billharz, came along to make it a true Girl’s Trip. Driving across Snoqualmie Pass I’m always struck by how different the landscape is East of the Mountains. It becomes desert-like, with huge expanses o

For many years now it has been a ritual of mine to create a wreath of flowers and plants on the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere usually falls towards the end of June and marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer. The Sun is at its pinnacle on this day and after this the daylight hours will begin to shorten again as we swing slowly back to the cold time of the year. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have almost 16 hours of da

As the first day of Summer approaches, the days are beginning to get warmer even here in the Pacific Northwest. Sunny hot days are perfect for cold brewed herbal tea in the afternoon. Cold brewed tea is typically made without adding heat to the plant material. This changes the flavors that are released into more light and savory notes. Bitter herbs tend to be less intense with this method which is nice since they have such a cooling action on the body. Nettle is no excepti