yarrow tea

Did you know that this 'weed' (as I used to think of it) has a name? It's called yarrow. Right now, it's blooming in full force in this part of Nova Scotia. As a kid, I would pick it along the roadside, pull it apart, put the flowers in my hair - you know, all of those things that kids do.

A couple of weeks ago, I was coming down with a cold-ish sort of thing, and since I'd been reading about yarrow in one of my herb books, I decided to try making some tea with it. The scent of the plant may or may not be appealing to you - for me, it brought back memories of sitting on the rocks in the ditch by the road in front of my parents house (one of my preferred places to play). It's a really herbal sort of scent, and the plant has these lovely, juicey, feathery leaves, and a tough, ridged stem.

I washed it well, chopped it up, flowers and all, and steeped a pot of it. I enjoyed the taste, and I have no idea whether it's directly related or not, but when I woke up the next morning, I was feeling much better. (Of course, read up on it before you consume it, and all of that good stuff.)

In somewhat related news, we've *really* been enjoying the Nature Guide to Atlantic Canada. It's concise, well-written, and is packed with fascinating information and detailed colour pictures. (No one is paying me for that plug - it's just a great book.) I can't wait to learn more about so many of the plants that I've grown up with but had no name for.