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Yarrow is one of my favorite plants. It is considered a weed by many but has many herbal, crafting and flower uses.

I plant yarrow in my wildflower and perennial beds. Yarrow is a perennial hardy up to zone 3. Once established it will return year after year with little care needed. It has soft, frilly green foliage and groups of delicate white flowers make it similar to baby’s breath.

I dry yarrow and use it in artwork and in dried arrangements. What is particularly useful with yarrow is that once it is dried you can spray the flower heads different colors, which makes it very useful in flower arrangements or glued to wreaths. Yarrow comes in other pastel colors if you buy plants or seeds from a nursery. I myself just use that I have foraged and moved from the property.

Yarrow also attracts needed insects to your garden. Lady beetles and predatory wasps swarm to yarrow. These insects are not harmful to garden plants and eat other insects, which can be harmful to your garden. Yarrow also attracts butterflies to your garden.

Medicinal uses

Make a medicinal herbal infusion with yarrow to treat a variety of ailments. Yarrow contains many oils and alkaloids including linalool, camphor, salicylic acid, azulene and tannins useful for both internal and external medicinal application. Make the infusion by placing a handful of fresh yarrow flowers or foliage in a pint of boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes.
Drink a cup of the infusion to help reduce fevers and relieve pain. The salicylic acids in yarrow are similar to the active ingredients in aspirin and work as natural pain relievers and fever reducers.

Let the infusion cool and soak a rag in the liquid for external use. Apply the rag to wounds to prevent inflammation or to already inflamed areas to reduce swelling. The azuliene in yarrow is an anti-inflammatory.

NOTE: Always use care when using any herb. You may have an allergy to the plant or it may affect medicine that you take. Do research and ask questions.

Yarrow has been grown in my gardens for over 10 years and will continue to be an important “must have” plant.

Tags: yarrow, uses for yarrow, one mighty useful weed, yarrow for crafting, dried flowers

Interesting pieces of garden art add to a garden and yard. It’s easy to find chairs that need a little work at sales or along roadsides. These chairs make perfect additions to any garden and great accents for flowers .

They are also very cheap or free. By adding flowers and moss you will have a one of a kind garden decoration that will get many compliments.

Lets get started:

• Find a chair that has a nice solid seat. 

• Wet newspaper strips and let sit while you clean the chair.

• Once the chair is clean cover it with the moist newspaper strips.

Cover the chair in newspaper and put a little spray adhesive down. Then cover the chair with chicken wire. This gives the moss has something to grab on to.  You can cover the chair with moss that you harvest in the woods or make moss using the recipe below. I myself recommend the moss mix. You get a more flowing look and you are not disturbing moss in the woods. Water the chair regularly in order to keep it healthy and growing. You can use a spray bottle or a hose with a spray attachment in order to keep it damp.  

Tips:

• the chair will prefer a partially shady area.

• Add flowers on the chair set to give the piece more color.

• I chose a metal chair that will last longer. Wood can be used but it will fall apart after a few years.

Moss milkshake

• 1 can of beer
• 1/2-teaspoon sugar
• Several clumps garden moss
• Blender
• Paintbrush 

Gather together several clumps of moss (moss can usually be found in moist, shady places) and crumble them into a blender. Then add the beer and sugar and blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and you are ready to paint and create.

Tags: making moss, moss milkshake, garden chair, make a garden art chair, garden art 

I have that lull in the garden where everything is pretty much planted but the crops haven’t taken off. It’s a great time to enjoy the garden and notice the other activity on the property. This lull lasts about two weeks and then it’s chaos in the gardens.

Picking wild berries on the land has made me realize that many of the wildflowers are in full bloom. Now is the best time to press any flowers for crafting uses or dry herbs and flowers.

I dry yarrow to use later in dried arrangements. They dry well and can be sprayed different colors. I also use Queens Anne’s Lace but the stems aren’t as sturdy as the Yarrow.

I am lucky to have a large barn. This is where I hang the flower to dry. It’s warm and quite dark so the flowers dry well. Once dry they are stored in boxes until they are needed.

Many of the delicate wildflowers I press for using on handmade paper or for use in two and three dimensional art pieces. I made my own small press from old boards. I used to use old books but the flowers sometimes stain the books so it was time to try something different.

You can also use sand and a drying solution to dry flowers. This works best for the full flowers that you want to look three dimensional and natural. And by using wire in the stems you can make a sturdy stem. Strawflowers are probably my favorite dried flower using this method. They have so many uses.

One last way you can enjoy the flowers from this season is the dry the flower heads to use in potpourri or baskets. It’s a way of catching a little of the color and beauty of summer.

Tags: drying flowers, drying herbs, using dried flowers in crafts, using dried flowers in floral arrangements