Organic Calendula tea on a cold winter’s day does not come without preparation unless you are buying it. As I sip on the hot tea looking through the pile of seed catalogs that have been arriving since the new year I smile, recalling this past summers kitchen garden.
Calendula a plant that will bring plenty of bright sunshine to your garden.
Flowers range in color from oranges to bright yellows and are packed with beta-carotene and vitamin A. Calendula is a staple in my garden and I grow it for its healing properties.
Tea Preparation: Steep 2 or 3 flower heads with petals in a cup of boiling water for approximately 5 minutes.
Knowing that gardening takes planning, now is the time to order up your seeds and designate a place in your own garden for this healing herb. Once you buy a pack it is easy to harvest your own seeds after that. I bought one package and planted only half of them. I had so many flowers I couldn’t keep up, so the ones that produced seeds became my next years supply.
To harvest the flower heads, pop them off their stems after the morning dew has dried. I place my fingers under the flower head and just pull up gently. Do not cut the stem because more flowers will bud off from it. Once picked, lay them out to dry in a shady dry place. After they are fully dry put them into a sealed glass container. You can also infuse oils with the fresh flowers to be used later in healing recipes.
The list of healing benefits for Calendula is staggering and it is one herbal plant every family needs on hand.
It can be used in place of corticosteroids a class of steroid hormones which have numerous side-effects, some of which may be severe. Calendula does not have side effects unless you are highly allergic to plants in the ragweed family. Do your own research or consult your physician if you have questions/concerns or are pregnant/ nursing♥
Calendula uses:
- All skin irritations: eczema, sunburns, rashes, insect bites, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, diaper rash
- Minor injuries
- Dry damaged-skin
- Protection from premature aging
- Helps new tissue grow
- Anti-inflamatory
- Anti-bacterial
- Heals burns
- Natural restorative properties
- Regulates and eases Menstrual Pains
- Alleviates hot flashes
- Stimulates immune system
Quest Type 