Every morning since late last fall, I have chamomile for my
pre-breakfast drink. I guess I’ve fallen back into my earlier habits, before my
sweetheart inadvertently got me hooked on coffee to wake up.
I was using the tea bags when that very same sweetheart
brought home a bag of the real thing: dried chamomile flowers. It’s aroma and
flavor is more intense than any found in a tea bag. I had to resurrect my
stainless steel tea ball; it was either that or use a tea strainer after
steeping. I like the tea ball; I leave it right in the cup while I drink my
honeyed tea.
It bothered me that I didn’t know where the loose tea was
grown or how it had been treated, so this spring I ordered seeds and started my
own chamomile seedlings to plant in the garden. I’ve direct sowed chamomile
before with no luck, so I made sure of its survival with a dozen seedlings. Ten
survived and half of those are flourishing.
The half dozen plants that are doing well are the ones with
more space and light. I didn’t plant them in the crowded herb garden, but
placed them in my front yard garden as I think they’re as pretty as any regular
flower. They’re in bloom now with delicate little daisy-like flowers and ferny
foliage. I won’t strip them of all the flowers as I want them to seed
themselves wherever they feel comfortable. I imagine they’ll get into the
compost and end up scattered around my urban garden.
The plant looks a lot like Fewerfew, which has made itself
at home here in various spots. It’s even out on the terrace, where the city
snowplows throw salt in the winter. It’s cheery, long and re-blooming flowers
can be enjoyed all summer, as new plants pop up all the time. If I suffered from migraines, I would ingest this plant. I have a feeling
Feverfew much hardier than chamomile, but time will tell.
I realize some may think my gardening system messy, but
there is a method to my madness. The theory that plants find the best place for
themselves has become a proven fact in the
Garden
of Nemesis. I allow them that
freedom, as long as they are polite and let other plants share the space and
not try to be bossy and take over.
Every spring is an adventure. The plants and I play a sort
of hide-and-seek. They hide and I seek. Sometimes even various seeds from I
don’t know where mysteriously show up and plant themselves, adding to the variety.
It’s never boring and there’s always something to eat on my garden walk. I hope
to enjoy my home-grown chamomile tea soon.
Hi Marilu nice post
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post, Marilu. Thank you for sharing. I have colored my hair for many years. Recently, I bought chamomile tea bags to use in place of hair coloring. Will let you know how this works for me. We have lots of sunshine on our patio. Would the chamomile grow well in a well-drained pot?
ReplyDeleteI've never tried growing it in a pot, but don't see why it wouldn't work. I think you're going to need more than one pot could produce. Is there any way you could find a fence row somewhere and plant it there? I've found it's able to hold its own, even when encroached upon by other plants. You’d have to find somewhere where it’s not mowed or trimmed and start the seeds indoors rather than just sowing. In this case I’ve described, they may need a “head start” in order to compete. Once they’re started, they should reseed without any labor at all. It’s too bad you don’t know someone with a farm/farmette who would let you use a little plot. I don’t want to discourage you on the pot idea, however. You should not need fancy soil or pots, as herbs grow all over in “waste” places. You could use plastic or fiber grocery bags filled with regular dirt. If my second year crop is abundant, I’ll mail you some. Is it the flowers that you use, or the roots or the entire plant?
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