Black Cohosh

Actea Racemose or Cimicifuga Rasemosa, also known as Black Cohosh, Squaroot, and Snakeroot is a bitter and cooling perennial herb whose roots are known for their effects on 'women's issues' and the female reproductive system. I first heard of it as part of a labor tincture in Susun Weed's Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing...

Chamomile

I love the scent of chamomile and find myself drawn to whiff deeply from it even before it blooms, just knees and nose to the ground buried in feathery leaves, and in the blink of an eye I feel uplifted and settled.

Skullcap

I have Skullcap growing that I started from seed indoors under lights, then moved to a place in our garden near echinacea and lovage which provide a semi-shady micro-climate from their tall stalks in summer and also keep the ground cool and moist.  The Skullcap plants have been spreading from their initial spot by way of runners and have since moved and colonized three feet away, together with mint.

Violets

These were one of the first wildflowers I became familiar with and am still getting to know; the slight peppery bite of leaf, more pronounced in the blossoms, doesn't fail to startle my taste buds.  They’re a sight for sore eyes coming out of winter into spring, and always cheer me up; I do so adore Violets!

Hops

The plant, in my experience, holds on tenaciously both at the root level and the climbing bine level . . . one can go on pulling and digging at the roots and shoots and they keep going, regrowing even from the smallest bit left behind and out of the compost heap as well.  Once planted it is tenacious and near impossible to push back, contain, or get rid of. Reflective of the personality who just won’t let go . . .