We're loving a burst of sunshine and warmer temperatures up in our corner of the world! The days are longer, and the early flowers are showing up in all their glory, the lovely wild Crocus among them.
The stigmas and styles of a fall-blooming Crocus, C. sativus, are the source of the wonderful culinary and medicinal spice Saffron, commercially cultivated in the Mediterranean area and West and Southwest Asia, with most production taking place in Iran.
As it turns out, Saffron can be grown in the Pacific Northwest as well, although the US Saffron crop is mainly from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that more than 4,300 Crocus flowers are required in order to produce a single ounce of Saffron!
Summer is one of my favorite times of year here at Em's Herbals. It's harvest season! The shop fills with fresh herbs, beautiful colors, and the excitement of transforming freshly harvested plants into the handcrafted products many of you enjoy throughout the year.
There’s something almost poetic about summer—the long light, the thick green air, the hum of life in every direction. And yes… that includes the insects.
For a limited time, our locally harvested Cottonwood Bud Salve is here! One of my favorite things about herbalism is how connected it keeps us to the seasons. Certain plants only offer themselves for a brief window each year, and when they do, it feels like receiving a gift.