"Thanks for all the lovely comments!! :) I grew my calendula from seed (from Richter's) and saved some to grow more again this year, although I'm hoping I'll have plenty of plants that self-sowed too!"
Celebrate “culture” in agriculture & share skills like growing, cooking, canning
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Amber Westfall
- Female
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Canada
- The Stew: A Potluck Member Blog (4)
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Amber Westfall's Groups
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Radical Homemakers
97 members
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Herb Lovers!
176 members
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I Could Ferment That!
120 members
Amber Westfall's Page
Latest Activity
Lyndsay Officer commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Calendula officinalis'"Sarah, my first calendula came from seed "borrowed" from an overgrown front garden I was walking past! It grows so well and you will have seeds from now on into the future. Now I'm not advocating theft here... being respectful and…"
Kristie Nackord commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Calendula officinalis'"Hi Sarah, I personally HIGHLY recommend growing calendula from seed. Try to source your seed from someone local as it will already be regionally adapted. (seed swap, seed library, local seed company) If you can't then I highly recommend Horizon…"
Sarah Elise commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Calendula officinalis'"Would you recommend growing calendula from seed? Where would you suggest getting the seed? I, too, try to make my food healing and my medicine delicious! What a great post.
~Sarah Elise"
Kristie Nackord commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Calendula officinalis'"I love what you said "I love when the lines between food and medicine blur and disappear. In fact, why we're so hell bent on isolating and separating the two, I'll never understand."
I grow a ton of calendula and create infused…"
Cornelia commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Calendula officinalis'"This is such an awesome post, Amber, thank you! And can I say how I covet that retro tea kettle - so fab!"
Calendula officinalis
"The yellow leaves of the flowers are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against winter to put into broths, physicall potions and for divers other purposes, in such quantity that in some Grocers or Spicesellers are to be found barrels filled with them and retailed by the penny or less, insomuch that no broths are well made without dried Marigold." ~The Countrie Farme I grew and dried a lot of calendula last year.…See More
Midge Salley commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Winter Sown'"That is awesome. I will start saving mine for next year. Thanks"
"Yay! Very exciting. Great score on the takeout tubs. :) Good luck. The Winter Sown site has all the info you need to get going. http://www.wintersown.org/"
Cornelia commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Winter Sown'"Thank you, Amber. What is SO funny, is that I just fished out two beautiful takeout containers from the office recycling bins - black trays, clear tops -woot, I'm on my way!"
"Hi Cornelia! They trays are currently tucked into the corner of the outside wall of the garage and greenhouse, open to the east. I may move them around as the weather warms up and to give them more light. As far as I know the…"
"Thanks Shellie! I love my pantry. It's much more full now than in the pics here. I use it everyday and I love to stop and admire the shelves filled with glas jars and dishes."
Cornelia commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Winter Sown'"How wonderful! I love seeing the "chickens" out in the snow like that! Did you place them on the south side of the building? Is there any danger of a warm snap, germination, then another cold snap? So many questions! Thanks for sharing!"
Shellie A. Gades commented on Amber Westfall's blog post 'Pantry Love'"Amber - this is absolutely wonderful! Love your thriftiness!"
Winter Sown
Last night, with a glass of wine and a soundtrack that included this bit of dreamy, awesomeness, I winter sowed some seeds.I started with just a few flats last year. Only the chamomile did really well. This year I'm trying again, sticking mostly to self-sowing natives and other hardy perennials that are well adapted to the climate, naturally drop their seeds in…See More
Profile Information
- What kind of HOMEGROWN are you?
- Dirt Under My Fingernails City Slicker
- A bit about me:
- Since the beginning of the year I have planted and tended to a garden. I ate and preserved the harvest and shared some with friends. I connected with other gardeners who freely shared their bounty with me.
I learned that many of the plants that people call weeds are wonderful sources of free and nutritious food. Many of these plants and more are medicine. I now make my own medicine. Significant sections of my home have the look of an herbwyfe's apothecary. This gladdens my heart.
I make friends with anaerobic beasties, invite them into my home and ask them to stay awhile. They get real intimate with milk, cabbage and cukes and the resulting transformation is nothing short of alchemy.
I collect all manner of glass jars. Mason, pint, quart, corked, brown, blue, tall and short. I have a thing for cool stone crocks, simple hand tools and aprons.
I have a well stocked pantry, medicine chest, water supplies. My cupboards are filled with local goodies, homemade jams, pickled beets, dried beans. Squashes lurk amongst fruit butters and piles of books.
I have neatly stacked linens and cloth. Napkins, lacy handkerchiefs, scarves for gift wrapping. Wool blankets, cozy throws. Rags, pee wipes.
My craft section has grown. I have baskets of thrifted yarn, crochet cotton, my great grandmother's crochet hooks, embroidery hoops, ribbons, buttons, baubles and beads.
I look around and see that so much of the stuff of my life has been handed down, salvaged from the trash or purchased from yard sales, thrift shops, community stores and church bazaars. My place is small but if you came to visit me I could take you on a tour that would last for hours as I recounted the story that comes with many of the pieces that make up my home. Nearly everything has a history and tale to tell, much longer than your average trip from the foreign factory to cargo ship to big box store to trunk of car and the ride home.
All together it makes for a rather mismatched and quirky sort of place. My tastes run eclectic and my sense of aesthetics and lifestyle habits certainly aren't for everyone. But that's ok, because I'm doing much of this for me out of sheer pleasure and soul biggering joy and that suits me just fine. And when I come home, I enter into a cozy world, a haven well used and much loved and I wouldn't want it any other way.
- Currently reading:
- Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front by Sharon Astyk
- Currently listening to:
- Anything under the Last.fm tag 'new weird America'
- My latest DIY project:
- Just finished a batch of sauerkraut, gonna try a batch of Sauerruben.
Amber Westfall's Blog
Calendula officinalis
"The yellow leaves of the flowers are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against winter to put into broths, physicall potions and for divers other purposes, in such quantity that in some Grocers or Spicesellers are to be found barrels filled with them and retailed by the penny or less, insomuch that no broths are well made without dried Marigold." ~The Countrie Farme
I grew and dried a lot of…
Posted on February 18, 2011 at 12:10pm — 6 Comments
Winter Sown
Last night, with a glass of wine and a soundtrack that included this bit of dreamy, awesomeness, I winter sowed some seeds.
I started with just a few flats last year. Only the chamomile did really well. This year I'm trying again, sticking mostly to self-sowing natives and other hardy perennials that are well adapted to the climate, naturally drop… Continue
I started with just a few flats last year. Only the chamomile did really well. This year I'm trying again, sticking mostly to self-sowing natives and other hardy perennials that are well adapted to the climate, naturally drop… Continue
Posted on January 29, 2011 at 4:14pm — 5 Comments
DIY Herbal Pastilles
When I read this article on herbal pastilles a couple of months ago, I just knew I had to try making my own. I have to admit to coveting the suribachi that the author uses and I was thrilled to receive my own as a Christmas gift from the ADG! It's so pretty and works amazingly well for powdering herbs. I think it's the best mortar and pestle I've ever used.
Last night I… Continue
Last night I… Continue
Posted on January 13, 2011 at 3:45pm
Pantry Love
I desperately needed more pantry space, and my boss who is preparing to downsize to a smaller home, had two shelving units to get rid of. Thus the Unstuffed Pantry has come to be!
I'm ridiculously happy about the whole thing and after I had filled and artfully arranged the shelves the other night, I spent a long time just sitting and looking at this new edition to my… Continue
I'm ridiculously happy about the whole thing and after I had filled and artfully arranged the shelves the other night, I spent a long time just sitting and looking at this new edition to my… Continue
Posted on April 7, 2010 at 12:19pm — 2 Comments
Comment Wall (1 comment)
- At 12:59am on March 26, 2010,
Heather Flansworth said… - That's so awesome, I'm so glad you showed me! The community gardens here are actually one of the reasons I moved to this neighborhood, and it's so funny, because I've kept thinking, "I need to make a map or something so I know where they all are," because there are tons of little ones and I never remember where things are that I come across while walking the dog. I can't wait to see what they're going to do with this and how they're going to involve the community!
Also: I love having a blog buddy! Your blog is so awesome and I was so sad when you posted that you were going to write less, but I get why. Planting season is starting! There's so much to do! I feel like I keep obsessively drawing out garden charts and re-reading books I stole from my parents and grandpa, and that's with me having basically stairs, a fire escape, and a 5' by 13' patch of lead-soaked grass to work with. I don't know how everyone with actual yards does it!
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