From My Garden to My Shelf

Glass jars of dried flowers and leaves on a vintage wooden coffee grinder at The Arcadia — A little of the garden, gathered and kept.

I have been harvesting calendula in abundance, along with chamomile, rose petals, nasturtiums and a little lemon myrtle. Some days I head out to check one thing and come back with another handful ready for drying.

On Sunday, the dehydrator was busy with nasturtiums, calendula, chamomile and lemon myrtle. I kept checking as they dried. Growing them is one part of it; learning when to pick, how to dry and how to keep them is another.

Yellow and orange nasturtium flowers among green leaves in an Arcadia garden bed — Nasturtiums bringing colour to the garden.

Now I have these jars on the shelf, and I am rather pleased with them. I know where their contents came from because I have watched them grow. There is work in every jar: planting, tending, picking, drying and finding somewhere to put it all.

I am still learning what I can grow and make here. The apothecary garden is giving me plenty to work with, and plenty of ideas for what comes next. For now, I am enjoying this part: gathering what is ready and keeping a little of the season.

That is life at The Arcadia. One harvest leads to the next project. G gets a garden tour, and I get another idea.

Esther

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