Chamomile

Chamomile prior to first picking.

chamomile - dainty daisy-like blooms

a solitary blossom

Chamomile after the first picking.  Notice that most of the flowers ae gone.

Chamomile flowers spread out on a plate for bugs to crawl out.

Chamomile blossoms spread out on a screen for final drying.

I just finished my third picking of chamomile flowers.  The harvest was meager compared to my two earlier pickings in late May and early June, but I wanted to make sure to put up as much of this delightful herb as possible. I also tied up two fairly nice-sized bunches of chamomile stems that I hung in the solarium.  The scent, many find it akin to apples, sweetens the surroundings very effectively, even with the windows open and vent fan running.  The flowers left on the plants outside will remain to go to seed for next year’s crop.

My grandmother gave me a jar of dried chamomile flowers when I was in junior high school. She had that jar in her pantry for years.   I used the flowers to make a rinse for my hair.  The fragrance was lovely.  Chamomile will always foster memories of my grandmother.   

In previous years, chamomile was just another wonderful and aromatic plant in my garden. I never harvested the flowers.  I had no intention of harvesting chamomile this year since I had no chamomile last year and did not plant any seeds this year.  But, as spring arrived, so did the chamomile plants.  Lots of them. They just sprung up in an area of the garden where they had been growing two years ago. 

So, this year, I decided to make up my own jar of dried chamomile.

Since the plants and flowers flourished, I thought I would take the time to harvest, one blossom by one blossom, and dry the flowers for tea. 

This third picking should just about top my storage jar off.  I will enjoy looking at the filled jar of little daisy-like flowers before actually using them for tea.  After all, the picking is very time-consuming and I want to admire the results before the contents are used up.

Like most garden harvesting, the task is usually tedious and consumes a lot of time.  But, the reward of fresh and home grown anything makes all that effort so worthwhile.

I will use my little jar of chamomile wisely and I will enjoy every little bit!