Lilacs. Lilacs everywhere. Ahhh, Spring lilacs. Yes, it’s true, the smell of dreamy lilacs in the breeze just doesn't last long enough. So that’s why I love to preserve its floral essence in a delectable, wiggly jiggly, spreadable, sticky sweet jelly. It’s perfect smeared atop some crunchy buttery toast or biscuits, but I like it on warm lilac muffins with steamy black tea.

Somebody asked me yesterday what my herbal path was, my story. Here's a smidgin about me (so far anyway) for those who wanna know......

I grew up a naturalist, clinging to the arm of my momma and her picnic baskets and canteens of soup and spent many weekends under the pines and vacations in the forests and the deserts, in tents, in canoes, wading rivers, tip tops of mountains, in caves, fishing, gardening, all of it. She paved my love for life and the outdoors probably without even knowing it. I've always had a close relationship with the plants, like building little fairy houses or big ol bonfires, and whistling with grass blades or pelting someone with acorns and rolling down grassy hills or napping under old oaks.... the peace, the fresh air, the quiet, the play, the smells and the simplicity of it all is so healing and over the years I've grown quite attached. Whether it be wild or cultivated, to this day, this is where I go to play or to heal mentally during trying times. I'm continuing to learn that health as a whole is a blend of emotional health, dietary approaches, balance, spirituality and knowing that the body has the ability to heal itself, if we allow it too. I'm a lover of life and I'm all about happiness, and I'm happiest when I'm mingling with the plants.

Even though I had to leave behind my ever so loved food and medicine garden in California, I was able to harvest a little bit from almost everything before setting off on this new journey. And now, as I cozy up for the Winter I'm busy planning out my new garden space where there is sure to be an abundance of herbals in the years to come.

So here's a peek at some of the newly added herbal goodies below: garlic mullein flower oil, fire cider and a few new tinctures here on local harvest as well as my website.... natural medicines made with love from me and my gardens.

Clary sage was once thought to make people immortal and many believed that it could clarify the brain, the eyes and even the “inner eye”, and that those who drank a tea of the leaves and flowers could see the future. Today, clary sage is used as a flavoring in everything from cigarettes and omelets to muscatel wine, but it does have many medicinal properties too. In fact, it has a medicinal pedigree going back to the ancient Greeks, but it's probably not the first herb you think of to treat complaints like hot flashes, indigestion and anxiety.

The young tops of Clary were used in soups and as pot herbs. It gives a new lift to omelets, and was used to flavor jellies. The leaves were chopped into salads. Culpeper recommended a 17th century sage dish where the fresh leaves were first dipped in a batter of flour, eggs and a little milk, fried in butter and served as a side dish. The flowers have an aromatic flavor and make a lovely contrast in salads. All sage flowers are edible after removing all greenery and stems.

Mallow is one of the earliest cited plants in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance")

Know your weeds: Look down, because Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) probably grows around you. The flowers, leaves, young shoots and roots are edible, either raw or cooked and are very nutritious. The seeds alone contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat.