Learn about the Back To Eden method of modern homesteading.

Back to Eden: Building the Landscape From the Soil Up

At our “Modern Homestead,” Roadstead Farms, we use the Back to Eden approach as a foundation for landscape management. By covering exposed soil with natural materials—particularly arborist wood chips—we imitate the protective floor of a woodland. This covering helps conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature, suppress weeds and gradually build healthier soil as it decomposes. Rather than continually disturbing and depleting the ground, we allow natural processes to improve it. The result is a more resilient, lower-maintenance landscape that supports productive gardens, ornamental plantings and the long-term health of our homestead.

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Why We Gather

Herbalism can become a solitary pleasure. We read, tend our gardens, dry our harvests and fill our cupboards with jars—but much of the fun is lost when we keep it to ourselves.

The Herbal Year brings that pleasure back into the company of others. Think of it as part book club, part maker circle and part old-fashioned Tupperware party—only with herbs, seasonal food, folklore, music and considerably more atmosphere.

Each month gives the hostess a reason to raise the stakes. We do not simply sit around and discuss herbs. We smell them, taste them, make something with them and explore the stories they have carried through history. Guests leave with a finished project, a useful Field Note and perhaps a new herb or preparation they want to try at home.

For women who enjoy herbs, this creates something many of us want more of: an imaginative reason to gather in person. It offers conversation without awkward small talk, learning without a classroom and shopping without an impersonal store. One guest can host the next gathering, add her own style and keep the circle moving through the seasons.

October gives us permission to have even more fun. The Seven Herbs of Samhain turns the gathering into a haunted herbal salon filled with mystery, scent, candlelight, old lore and the stories gardens keep after dark.

This is not merely a party about herbs.

It is a party made more memorable because of them.

Here’s our The Seven Herbs of Samhain guide to help you host this event:

Pre-Work Field Note

Read The Haunted Herbarium: Samhain-season folklore, apples, brambles, rosemary, rowan/hazel symbolism, juniper, oak and the documented ancient association between Druids, oak and mistletoe. Distinguish documented history from later folklore.

Host Story

Guests cross the threshold into the Black Grove. Seven herbs appear, each revealing lore and one word of a hidden phrase. The climax is the Haunted Herbarium Door Charm.

Signature Maker Project

Haunted Herbarium Door Charm - rosemary, sage, lavender, juniper, dried apple and other safe botanicals tied with black, plum or natural ribbon and finished with an old herbarium/lore tag.

The Herbal Seance Game

The Circle of the Seven Herbs. Seven covered jars/sachets are called one at a time. Guests identify each herb by scent/clues, hear its lore, and collect a word card. The completed message: THE GARDEN SLEEPS, BUT ITS STORIES REMAIN.

Optional Projects

Herbal Divination Crystal Ball: clear craft globe, safe dried botanicals and a symbolic label. Ghost of the Herb Garden: stiffened cheesecloth over a form with dried herb accents and battery micro-lights.

Music and Atmosphere

• Dark Celtic instrumentals

• Loreena McKennitt / Clannad atmosphere

• Dead Can Dance-style ethereal ambience

• Danse Macabre or Night on Bald Mountain sparingly

• Low forest, wind and bell soundscapes

Spooky Hors d’Oeuvres and Sweets

• Blackberry-goat cheese crostini with thyme

• Apple, cheddar and sage tartlets

• Wild mushroom-thyme tartlets

• Rosemary-Parmesan ‘witch finger’ straws

• Deviled eggs with black sesame

• Dark chocolate-blackberry tartlets: The Devil’s Bramble

• Rosemary shortbread tombstones

Choose Your Spirits

With Spirits: Blackberry-juniper gin punch; optional apple-brandy thyme cider. Without Spirits: Blackberry-juniper shrub spritz; sparkling apple-thyme cordial.

Suggested Run of Show

Time

Experience

0:00

Cross the Threshold; Choose Your Spirits.

0:15

Fogging Cauldron reveal and Black Grove story.

0:30

Circle of the Seven Herbs / Herbal Seance.

1:00

Reveal the hidden phrase.

1:10

Make Haunted Herbarium Door Charms.

1:45

Spooky hors d’oeuvres and lore.

2:05

Optional crystal ball or ghost mini-project.

2:30

Apothecary table; invite the next host.

2:45

Close the Circle.

Host Materials Checklist

• Covered herb jars/sachets

• Rosemary, sage, lavender, culinary juniper, dried apple

• Black/plum/natural ribbon and twine

• Old-style labels and lore cards

• Black cauldron plus separate inner serving bowl

• Dry ice, insulated gloves/tongs, warm water

• Clear craft globes and stands

• Cheesecloth, forms, starch/stiffener, battery micro-lights

• Battery candles

Apothecary Table and Next Host

Offer door-charm refill kits, blackberry-juniper shrub mix, Samhain simmer-pot kits, dried-herb bundles, sachets and extra Field Notes. A guest who books the next Herbal Year gathering can receive a complimentary seasonal maker kit or upgraded materials.

Host Formula

Host -> Welcome drink -> Field Note -> Game -> Maker project -> Food and lore -> Take-home -> Apothecary table -> Next host.

Safety and Historical Framing

Dry ice: use insulated gloves/tongs in a ventilated room; never seal it in a container; never serve a drink while solid dry ice remains in it. Safest effect: dry ice and warm water in an outer cauldron surrounding a separate inner beverage bowl. Mistletoe, belladonna, henbane, mandrake and foxglove are display-only if used at all and must never be placed near food or drink. Use battery candles around dried botanicals. Present folklore as folklore.

Simples & Worts - The Herbal Year

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Borage is brilliant, bee-loved, and brief. The best craft methods capture its star shape before the color slips away.

History

Borage is an Old World annual that became familiar in European gardens and later crossed the Atlantic with settlers and seed exchange. Its intense blue flower made it memorable in garden writing.

Lore

The best-known borage tale says it brings courage. That is lovely folklore for a card or garden journal, but it is not a reason to ingest a plant that contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

In the Garden

Why borage needs a gentle method

Borage, Borago officinalis, is an annual with nodding blue star-shaped flowers and bristly foliage. Bees visit it readily. The flowers are delicate, however, and air-dried bunches rarely preserve the bright blue and flat star form that crafters hope to keep.

For flat work, pressing is the simplest choice. For dimensional flowers, use a flower-drying desiccant such as silica gel in an airtight container. Harvest only dry, fresh blossoms and move them into the drying process immediately.

Harvest & Preservation

Two ways to hold the star shape

Pressing: place flowers face down between smooth absorbent sheets, then add firm, even weight. Change the paper if it becomes damp.

Silica method: pour a shallow layer of flower-drying silica gel into an airtight container. Set blooms face up and gently spoon crystals around and over the petals.

Close the container and follow the product’s timing and safety directions. Check carefully rather than leaving delicate petals too long.

Lift flowers with a soft brush. Store finished pieces in a dark, dry box until use.

Projects made for small flowers

A constellation of pressed flowers on a greeting card

A framed “blue stars” botanical study

A clear locket or bookmark made with properly dried flowers and craft resin

A non-food pH color experiment using discarded flowers, documented as a nature-study page

Make Something

Arrange seven pressed stars on heavyweight paper as though they were a tiny night sky. Add the botanical name in pencil and frame behind UV-filtering acrylic. Keep it out of direct sunlight; even well-dried blue flowers can fade.

Modern Caution

Modern herbal caution: Borage contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and reputable sources advise caution about eating the plant. This project is intentionally non-food. Do not make tea, garnish, tincture, or supplements from the material described here. Keep dried flowers and silica gel away from children and pets.

Continue the Series

Next: Comfrey Leaves as Pattern: A Craft-Only Guide to Botanical Printing

For a flower that holds color more reliably, continue to “How to Dry Flowers for Herbal Crafts.” The Pro article explains why color retention and reject rate matter commercially.

Sources and Further Reading

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Borage

University of New Hampshire Extension: Borage safety discussion

And here’s to sharing our herbal lifestyle with you.

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Start with flowers that want to be preserved, harvest them at the right moment, and match each bloom to air drying, pressing, or silica gel.

History

People have preserved flowers as household decoration, remembrance, specimens, and teaching objects for centuries. Modern extension guidance gives hobbyists more reliable control over timing, airflow, darkness, and desiccants.

Lore

A dried bouquet often carries the lore of a season, a wedding, or a garden shared with someone else. The memory is real even when the botanical color changes.

In the Garden

The top flowers to plant for drying

Some flowers keep their shape and color far better than others. For a first drying garden, build around dependable performers rather than asking every fresh flower to behave like an everlasting.

Strawflower: papery petals and strong color; ideal for wreaths and bouquets.

Statice: branching sprays that air-dry easily and fill arrangements.

Globe amaranth: compact clover-like heads that hold their form.

Yarrow: flat flower clusters that add structure.

Larkspur: upright lines and useful blue-purple tones.

Love-in-a-mist: delicate flowers followed by striking seed pods.

Blazing star: vertical texture for taller designs.

Ornamental grasses and millet: movement, neutral color, and volume.

Lavender: fragrant stems for sachets and narrow bundles.

Hydrangea: generous heads best dried individually and only after they begin to feel papery.

Harvest & Preservation

Method 1: air drying

Harvest near prime condition on a dry afternoon, when surface moisture is low.

Remove lower foliage and damaged petals.

Make small bundles; thick bunches trap moisture and invite browning.

Secure with a rubber band or twist tie and hang upside down in a warm, dark, dry, well-ventilated space.

Allow about two to three weeks, then test the thickest stem. It should feel dry and firm.

Method 2: pressing

Pressing suits flat designs and delicate flowers. Place blooms between absorbent, unprinted papers and apply even weight. Change papers when damp. Thin petals may finish within one to two weeks; thicker specimens take longer. Label each batch so your future self knows which harvest and timing produced the best result.

Method 3: silica gel

Silica gel preserves dimension better than pressing. Use a purpose-made flower desiccant in an airtight container. Support the bloom in a shallow bed, spoon crystals around the petals, seal, and follow the product instructions. Wear appropriate protection and keep the desiccant away from children and pets.

Make Something

Make a “year of the garden” shadow box. Add one representative bloom each month, plus a handwritten tag with species, cultivar, harvest date, and drying method. This turns a pretty arrangement into a useful record of what actually performed in your climate.

Modern Caution

Modern herbal caution: Dried botanicals can collect dust, absorb humidity, fade in sunlight, and become a fire risk near candles or heat. Decorative material is not automatically food-safe, cosmetic-safe, or pet-safe. Label craft-only materials and keep them separate from culinary herbs.

Continue the Series

Next: Commercial Flower Drying: A Small-Farm System for Quality, Batches, Pricing, and Proof

Use the six plant profiles in this collection to choose materials. Pro Channel readers can continue to “Commercial Flower Drying” for batch records, yield, pricing, and compliance gates.

Sources and Further Reading

University of Illinois Extension: Drying flowers for design

University of Missouri Extension: Drying flowers and foliage

Penn State Extension: Lavender production and products

And here’s to sharing our herbal lifestyle with you.

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A tidy old-world perennial can be a lovely dried-flower ingredient—provided you know which “hyssop” you planted.

History

Hyssopus officinalis belongs to an old European and Mediterranean herb tradition. Over time, the word “hyssop” has also been applied to unrelated plants, making botanical labels especially important.

Lore

Hyssop appears in religious, cleansing, and household traditions. Historical symbolism can enrich a story, but symbolism is not a modern safety instruction or proof of a remedy.

In the Garden

Start with the botanical name

True hyssop is Hyssopus officinalis. Anise hyssop belongs to a different genus, Agastache. They can both be attractive garden plants, but a craft label should never collapse them into one ingredient. Record the botanical name, cultivar, harvest date, and garden bed.

True hyssop forms upright stems with narrow leaves and blue, pink, or white flower spikes. It prefers sun and free-draining soil. A light harvest near early bloom gives you clean lines; leaving other stems standing supports insects and gives the plant time to recover.

Harvest & Preservation

Dry flower spikes in small bundles

Confirm the plant label before cutting.

Harvest dry, undamaged stems just as most flowers on the spike begin to open.

Remove lower leaves and group four to six stems.

Secure with a rubber band, then hang in a dark, airy place.

Check after one to two weeks and continue until stems snap rather than bend.

Craft uses that preserve the silhouette

Narrow herbarium-style frames

Slim wreath accents between larger seed heads

Short bundles tied to place cards

Pressed flower spikes arranged as a simple botanical alphabet

Make Something

Create a botanical specimen card: press one flowering tip between absorbent papers under weight, changing damp papers as needed. Mount the fully dry stem with narrow archival paper strips. Write the botanical name, harvest date, and garden location beneath it.

Modern Caution

Modern herbal caution: This is a decorative craft guide, not an essential-oil or medicinal-use guide. Do not ingest an unfamiliar plant, and do not assume that true hyssop and anise hyssop are interchangeable. Concentrated essential oils require specialized safety guidance.

Continue the Series

Next: Borage Blue Stars: Pressing a Fleeting Flower for Botanical Crafts

Read “Monarda After Bloom” to compare another mint-family flower, and use the general drying guide for pressing materials and storage.

Sources and Further Reading

University of Minnesota Extension: Edible flowers, including Hyssopus officinalis

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Hyssopus officinalis

And here’s to sharing our herbal lifestyle with you.

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This sun-loving ornamental brings movement to the garden and a cloudlike texture to dried arrangements.

History

The plant long sold as Perovskia atriplicifolia is now generally classified as Salvia yangii. It became a modern landscape favorite for drought tolerance, silvery foliage, and long blue bloom.

Lore

Its misty color…

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Monarda After Bloom: Bee Balm for Bouquets, Wreaths, and Seed-Head Crafts

Wild bergamot gives pollinators a summer feast—and gives the patient crafter texture long after the petals fall.

History

Monarda is native to North America. Its common names—bee balm and wild bergamot—connect its pollinator value, fragrance, and long p…

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A practical guide to growing garlic for a beautiful harvest—and turning the bulbs, skins, and stems into useful seasonal crafts.

History

Garlic has traveled with cooks and gardeners for thousands of years. In colonial New England it belonged to a wider household world in which plants served the kitchen, garden, workshop, and…

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Elaine Erskine Dow, the Parson Capen House, and the Living Legacy of Simples & Worts

How a Topsfield teacher, curator, and garden historian, Elaine Erskine Dow, transformed a First Period house and its herb garden into a community of learning—and inspired the growing library of history, gardening, herbal crafts, and practical knowledge we are building to…

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At the height of tomato season, the kitchen can become the wrong place for sauce making.

Large pots release heat and steam. Tomato splashes reach the stove, walls and floor. Processing a serious harvest can occupy the cooking range for most of the day.

Moving the operation outdoors can transform the work.

A high-output LP-g…

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Some herbs announce themselves through fragrance. Others win us over through flavor. Calendula and chamomile first capture our attention with flowers.

Calendula shines in shades of gold and orange. Chamomile produces small white blossoms with raised golden centers. Both belong to the daisy family, both have long h…

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Spring may receive most of the gardening attention, but autumn offers its own planting season.

Cooling temperatures reduce transplant stress. Rainfall often becomes more dependable. Weed growth slows, and the soil remains warm enough for roots to become established after the air has turned comfortable.

For gardeners in co…

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Few dishes capture the late-summer garden as simply as ripe tomatoes and fresh basil served over toasted bread.

The Italians gave us bruschetta: bread toasted or grilled, traditionally rubbed with garlic and finished with olive oil. When a baguette is sliced into small rounds and toasted, the resulting pieces ma…

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For years, our classic way of preparing a butterflied leg of lamb has been wonderfully straightforward: fresh herbs, Dijon mustard, garlic, good olive oil—and a hot grill.

It is one of those dependable dishes that feels both rustic and elegant. The mustard sharpens the richness of the lamb. The herbs perfume it. The grill su…

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Some herbs earn their place in the garden because they are beautiful. Others are valued for their flavor, fragrance or usefulness. A select few bring all those qualities together—and carry centuries of human history in their leaves, stems and roots.

Sorrel, sweet woodruff and angelica are three such plants.

One supplied the…

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Healthy plants begin below ground.

We often notice a plant’s flowers, fruit or foliage first, but its success depends heavily on what is happening around its roots. Soil must hold enough moisture, release nutrients, drain excess water and contain sufficient air for roots and beneficial organisms.

Fortunately, most home gar…

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Late July brings a special moment to the herb garden.

The rush of spring planting is behind us. The garden has filled out. Lavender has been gathered or is nearing the end of its first flowering. Basil is growing faster than we can use it. Mint, thyme, rosemary, oregano and lemon balm are ready to be cut again.

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen. Edible flow…

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Can You Identify These Two Unusual Plants?

Today’s Simples & Worts challenge features two striking plants from very different botanical families.

Study both photographs before selecting your answers.

Plant No. 1 (shown above)

This dramatic perennial produces tall towers of pea-like flowers above distinctive, palm-shaped leaves. It belongs to the legume fami…

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We finally are seeing some major definition to our backyard!

Many mints established.

Lavender bank.

Sorel

Horehound Too.

Calendula (orange flowers)

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