Calendula
Calendula officinalis
Petal and flower head · neutral · mending
Pot marigold — the gardener’s skin flower, also a golden broth.
In the mouth
How it tastes
Resinous, slightly bitter, marigold. A golden, peppery flower cup.
Traditional use
Petals went into soups for color and into oils for scraped, weather-worn skin. A gentle earth flower: it was thought to ‘knit’ both the surface and a sluggish lymph story, without the drama of fire.
In the cup
A pinch of petals in broth or rice. 1 tsp flowers steeped 10 minutes as tea. Infused oil for skin, from dried petals.
Blood
Sweet blood · sweet
Sweet first warms, then cools, and it softens. It is relaxing — the reason sugar went into cough syrups — nutritive, building, and hormonally active. Sweet herbs feed the brain and nerves, nourish spleen and pancreas, and coat dry tissue. They cleanse by moving blood toward the organs that wash it.
Read sweet bloodReached for
The promise
A careful hand
Ordinary tea for a healthy adult.
Aster-family allergy possible. Culinary petals only from unsprayed plants.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Plantain
Plantago major
The path-side leaf chewed for bee stings and brewed for raw tissue.
Irritable skin · Sore throat · Dryness
Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
The evening apple-scent that settles both belly and mind.
Restless sleep · Frayed nerves · Bloating
Ground, build, and settle
Nettle
Urtica dioica
A green salt — the mineral broth of the hedgerow.
Stiff joints · Hollow energy · Irritable skin
Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid
Traditional kitchen and folk use only. This is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are pregnant, nursing, on medicine, or unwell, ask a clinician before drinking anything as a remedy.