Autumn is coming. In my native MD it should already be here. It’s always been my favorite season. I love the crisp weather and the wind blowing leaves around. I love the trees changing colors and the animals growing their winter coats. In South Carolina, Autumn means that the temperatures have gotten to be almost bearable most days. My garden is still going, but that’s the area for you. My Gulf Fritillary butterflies are still fluttering about busy laying eggs, and in the last week I’ve observed two Monarchs as well. I’m guessing they stopped over for a rest and a bite to eat during their migration. We should all know by now that monarchs are in very bad danger due to loss of habitat and pesticides killing off their milkweed. (Be sure to include this plant in your pesticide-free garden.) They are gorgeous butterflies, and they actually seem to have their own butterfly characteristic as well. The monarchs are much more aggressive in their pursuit of nectar than any of the other butterflies in my garden. The first one I observed was attacking my lilac. It was aggressively attacking it, to the point it was pushing the branches about a little bit. I actually started to wonder if it wasn’t caught in an unseen spider web, and I went to see if I could free it, but that wasn’t it. It was just really loving that lilac. I must say, I love lilacs as well, so I can sort of relate. Old fashioned lilacs do not grow here. In Maryland they grew everywhere and you’d find these massive seventy year old shrubs that just dripped with blossoms. I could bury my face in the flowers and inhale for hours. It is one of my favorite scents and I had one of the old ones in my old yard. Here in South Carolina, I am making do with a hybrid of some sort. I think it may be Korean? I really don’t remember. Old fashioned lilacs only bloom once, although when they do it is spectacular. This species of lilac blooms repeatedly, but they are small and sparse flowers. It’s a trade off. Still, they smell wonderful and the butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate it as well. The Mexican sunflower (tithonia) is still producing well, and that is a favorite with every insect out there.
This is the first year I’ve grown Tithonia but it will be a staple in my garden in years to come. I did not realize it would get so big, growing seven feet tall and sprawling several feet wide in every direction. It is a big rough plant, but oh it is worth it. It gives masses of almost neon orange flowers that the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love. The tithonia plants are the busiest part of the garden with all of the garden inhabitants feeding from the nectar and pollen. This morning I observed two hummingbirds in battle over who had territorial rights to the flower. I could watch those little warriors all day. The flowers do not last long but they are prolific, and when dried, the birds feast on the seeds. This is a fantastic plant I cannot recommend enough if you have the room. But I digress.
I am about to whip up some herbal potions, so I thought I might write a bit on that. First, if you are gathering your own herbs, the best time is in the early morning after the dew has dried. This is when the essential oils are the strongest. They are best gathered before the plant starts flowering as well. I pinch off any flower buds on my herbs until the end of the season so it will keep producing. I pinch them off rather than cut, as it is less damage to the plant. Once you have your herbs gathered, lay them out to dry somewhere cool and dark. If you have a rack, more power to you and I am jealous. I do not, so I lay mine flat and cover with paper towels. Your herbs need to be completely dry to make infusions. You do not want any water getting into the mix.
I have a list of things I plan to make this year, but first up is a pain relieving arnica cream. I am also making magnesium body lotion for my niece, so I may combine the two. Arnica is not one that I have growing in my garden, so I ordered it from a reputable source (Mountain herbs). I got a bag of flowers that looked whole and fresh and still held the scent. To make the oil to use in my potions, I first had to infuse it. There are several ways to do this. If you’re in a hurry you can heat it over very low heat over the stove, but I really prefer not to use this method. The way I do it is to pack the jar with the herb and then fill it with your infusion liquid, whether it’s an oil or alcohol. Be sure the plant material is completely covered. It is best to leave a little room at the top for extra oil to make sure. Label the jar with the date and let it steep. I shake it up every couple of days. It should steep for at least a month. The longer it sits the stronger it will be. You can also set your jar in the sun and let the sun help, as long as it doesn’t get warm enough to turn the oil bad. For the arnica I used olive oil. Let it infuse for at least a month. If you want to work magic into your potions, you might start and end your infusions during the lunar cycle you are working with. Once your infusion is done, you then strain out the plant material and keep the oil. This last batch of oils I made I used a nut milk bag. (Who knew there were such things?) It’s a fine mesh bag that can be washed and reused and I found it very handy. Once you have your ingredients you are ready to work. I’ll be making mine this weekend and will post more about it then with photos. For now, enjoy your weekend and the Autumn weather. Halloween is coming!
Hedgewitch's Garden 