I am finally home for a while after being away for most of July.  I do love traveling, but ever since I started traveling in April, I have missed more than my share of significant events on the land. Sure, you can’t be around for every blossom but this year was incomparable. As with all things, life carried on without me but my lack of presence on the land was quite apparent. Even though, I regularly declare that I am not a farmer/gardener but a forager; if truth be told I am actually the caretaker or perhaps steward of the land. I watch, observe and support when needed.  During my absence many of my beloved plants carried on, bloomed while others did not fair as well. The Finger Lakes, in particular Trumansburg had almost no rainfall since May, especially during my absence and it has taken a noticeable toll on the land.

As I walked the land, it clearly evolved differently than in other years. Some of my favorites were sparse while others flourished. I wonder how each factor: scarcity of rain, lack of mowing and my absence may have played a part in it all. Besides not mowing, I wasn’t there to deadhead and remove all the dried out parts, which were in great supply. Regardless the land was obviously stressed and employing various coping mechanisms.

Calendula

Echinachea

Bee Balm

My little medicinal garden had radically changed since I left on July 2^nd.  The Calendula (Calendula officinalis) started to take over the garden like usual and luckily provided a nice ground cover keeping some moisture in the soil. Nevertheless, without my attention by deadheading and some rain, the Calendula became very tall, thin and noticeably frail. This allowed the Echinacea (Echinacea, spp.)  to thrive along with the Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) creating a nice balance between the three.

Last fall I experimented with harvesting Echinacea’s roots while leaving the crown intact and replanting it. The crown is the part of the root system that separates the branches of roots from where the stem emerges. I left about an inch and half and replanted it immediately. I am thrilled to say that it really worked even under these stressful conditions. The Echinacea came back and is now thriving. I had always believed that I needed to say goodbye to the plants when I harvested their roots. Thank goodness, I was mistaken.

Although, there are plants surviving and some even thriving, sadly others barely had the strength to fully bloom. Some didn’t develop any blossoms; requiring too much energy so perhaps they are saving it up for next year.  I have always tried to harvest herbs during periods of abundance and thankfully have enough in my apothecary to share throughout the coming year without harvesting this year. Unfortunately, I did miss some of my favorites or could only find a very limited number of vibrant fresh blossoms as many had already gone to seed. That is just one of the challenges involved when working in concert with Mother Nature.

What changes have you noticed on your land this year? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.