Happy Mother’s Day - May 13!

Next week I’ll be out along our creek bank scattering wildflower seeds. Yes, I know I’ll be getting a jump on the official wildflower celebration, but I want to catch the spring rains. I intend to get a lovely crop of flowers waving in the summer breeze. We’ll be able to look out the window and see a swath of color in running along the property. How refreshing that will be!

Have you ever wondered how some of the plants we consider wildflowers have been used in the past?

The butterfly weed was called pleurisy weed because it was commonly used as a folk remedy for that and other lung diseases. Wild leek was used to flavor stews. Native Americans ate the corms of the wild hyacinth raw and cooked. They also used the roots of the purple coneflower, now more familiarly known as echinacea, believing them to increase the body’s resistance to infection. Tinctures of this plant have also been used for hundreds of years. The golden fuzz of the golden yarrow was collected as a cure for rheumatism. Bitterroot taproots were eaten raw or cooked. The leaves of wild bergamot were used as an herb tea. Bear grass was woven by the Native Americans into baskets and wearing apparel.

Some of the plants originally considered wildflowers are now coveted for their value in cultured gardens. Some of these are the California poppy, the columbine, Chinese houses (innocence), cosmos, purple coneflower, and blanketflower (gaillardia).

Of course, some of the plants we consider wildflowers are beautiful to look at, but are poisonous to man, beast, and bird. And unless you have put a lot of study into these plants and their exact species, you should never try to use them in their old uses. Today we even have to be concerned about whether such plants might have been sprayed with poisons, either intentionally for insect and disease control, or unintentionally through wind drift.

So enjoy, your wildflowers in their natural habitat. Do some research to find the plants that are native to your area, and then plant them in the places that it would be natural for them to appear. I’ve found a lot of useful information in “A Garden of Wildflowers: 101 Native Species and How to Grow Them” by Henry W. Art. But there are countless books available in which to find everything you want to know about wildflowers. Let’s give back to Mother Nature a little bit this year. And she’ll give us beauty to enjoy each year.

The name of the oil is derived from the Italian city Bergamot, located in Lombardy. This is where the oil was first sold. Though once used simply in folk medicine, bergamot is currently used in many applications. It is used to instill the deep, rich aroma and flavor so appreciated by those who enjoy Earl Grey tea, as well as in many foods and beverages. It’s widely used in perfumes, colognes, and deodorants.

This oil is useful in skin care, in problems with the nervous system, the immune system, digestion, and respiratory systems.

Its antibacterial and antiseptic properties make it useful as a spray or wash in areas used by many people. For example, you could use bergamot as one ingredient in a refreshing wash or spray to use in the bathroom when you have a large party. The aroma will be fresh and clean, while you are protecting your guests from any bacteria and germs that might be carried in or out of the bathroom. Or add a few drops of a refreshing mixture of oils containing bergamot to the cardboard core of your toilet tissue before you hang it. Every time the roll spins you will enjoy a new whiff of the aroma you select.

Bergamot is one of the most effective oils for balancing the emotions. It is effective mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. The aroma encourages joy, confidence, and harmony. It brightens the mind and lifts you when you have let yourself fall into stagnation. It also facilitates concentration and motivation.

Care should be taken when using this oil on the skin as it can be phototoxic if used in concentration. Otherwise it is non-toxic and generally does not irritate the skin.

You will find bergamot in Touched By A Scent’s Rest-Easy, High Country, Blue Magic, Meditation Formula Two oils, and in High Country Room Spray and High Country Sachets.