The apothecary row
A small medicine garden
A narrow strip along the south fence given over to the old, reliable herbs — the ones I can dry, infuse and actually use.
Nothing exotic grows here. Just the everyday herbs that have earned their place in kitchen gardens for centuries — gentle things for teas, soothing oils and simple salves made on the stove.
I grow them because they're beautiful, because the bees adore them, and because there's a quiet satisfaction in reaching for a jar I filled myself. None of this is medical advice — it's a gardener's herb patch, kept the old way.
The plants and what I make
Calendula is the workhorse: its petals dry easily and infuse into a golden oil that becomes a soothing balm for rough hands. Chamomile heads, picked in the morning and dried, make the calmest evening tea. Lemon balm and mint go fresh into the pot all summer.
A sensible note
Herbs are powerful plants. I only ever grow and use the well-known, gentle ones, I never make medical claims, and anything beyond a cup of tea or a skin balm is a conversation for a qualified herbalist or doctor — especially if you're pregnant, on medication, or treating a child.
Drying and storing
Most of it comes down to the same rhythm: pick dry in the morning, lay loosely on a rack out of direct sun, and jar it once it's crisp. Labelled, dated, and kept somewhere dark, a summer's harvest lasts the year.
Growing in the row
- Calendula salves, oils
- Chamomile tea
- Lemon balm tea, fresh
- Comfrey plant feed too
- Yarrow & echinacea for the bees
On the shelf
- Calendula salve made Apr
- Dried chamomile jarred
- Herbal tea blend house mix
- Comfrey feed brewing