July at Max Patch
Natalie Hesed
On a foggy July morning, my daughter Chloe and I headed up for some morning hiking on Max Patch. No long range views today, but the breeze and the surrounding fog made me feel like I was on a private Scottish Island!
I harvested yarrow flowers while Chloe munched on her favorite outdoor treat "sour grass" (Oxalice spp). We dry yarrow and keep it around for cold and flu season--The tea is pungent but effective in helping recover from fevers and colds! We also use it in our wound salve, along with calendula and comfrey from our garden. These ingredients infused in oil plus a few shavings of beeswax from our honeybees makes a great concoction to help cuts and scrapes heal all year long! The white flowers you see in the photo above are yarrow.