Sunny

Every single day of the summer, unless forgetfulness or sloth crept in, the girls or I took a trip to the herb bed to snip the chamomile and calendula that blossomed overnight.  The first few dozen bowlfuls brought satisfaction, but by the time October rolled around, I was sending the girls out to gather them and then just dumping them on the screen to dry or not to dry, as they would, and eventually, I simply didn't gather them at all.  The bright bursts of color the calendula trumpeted in an otherwise barren garden, well after the first frosts and even past the first snowfall, were worth more than the petals to me.  I highly recommend growing calendula (pot marigold) for reasons culinary, medicinal, or for the simple virtue of their brilliant orange and yellow heads.

I took these pictures, obviously, in the honeymoon period of calendula and chamomile, when I blissfully ignored the fact that photo-journaling gardeners are kind of weird.

 


 

 

 

 

 Luci and Pip snitched blossoms whenever we went out.  

 

We interrupt these flowers to bring you a HUMAN CHILD.

 

 

  

And ANOTHER.

 

 I infused quite a bit of calendula oil (this snapshot also taken during the honeymoon period)

 

 

and dried so many blossoms that I still have 4 or 5 cups of petals left.  They were pretty, though, yes?

 

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