Gardening
I planted chamomile in last year's herb garden. It produced a few pretty flowers, but not enough to do much with before dying off in the winter (or so I thought).
This year, to my surprise, it popped back up again on its own — and is already loaded with a bounty of blooms!
Yesterday, I snipped off the first wave of blossoms and put them in the dehydrator to dry. I am looking forward to trying my first batch of tea soon — and finding other culinary and household applications to experiment with.
Mother Nature has a sense of humor. As I try to be patient for all the seeds and transplants to establish that I carefully chose for this year's crop, this forgotten chamomile was the last thing I expected to become the first garden project of 2025!
Rachel Hamilton-Trow
Notes from the kitchen at The Apiary — preserves, ferments, and the occasional honest failure.