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by Melanie Brown
Here in New England I think we are all feeling the excitement and freshness of spring. Watching our beloved plants come back from their winter hibernation brings a sense of hope and renewal among other feelings of joy and wonderment. Usually towards the end of winter my brain starts excitedly brewing up ideas of herbal concoctions and wild harvesting that I want to accomplish during this time of year. With this feeling still in full force I am most certain that as a fellow plant lover you too have your own special plant friends that you are drawn to. Below are the green beings and recipes that I am especially in love with right now and I hope I can pass along something that sparks inspiration and brews something delightful in your life.  Sweet Birch twigs Sweet Birch (Betula lenta): Also known as black birch, this aromatic tree has an almost identical composition to wintergreen oil, with its distinct and uplifting aroma. In the 19th century it came close to annihilation in the Appalachian Mountains when the locals learned that oil made from the bark and twigs could be sold for cash. Oh humans... Rest assured there is abundance of this lovely tree here in our open woods. To identify I like to use a little scratch and sniff approach on a twig. If it smells like wintergreen then you know you have found sweet birch. I usually harvest one large branch, cut with very sharp tree pruning shears above where the branch meets the trunk. The inner bark is anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, analgesic, cooling, and moisturizing. With those properties in mind sweet birch makes an incredible infused oil for massaging into sore muscles, achy joints and very dry, irritated skin. This may be used as is or you can add essential oils of cardamom, lavender and chamomile to make a really nice final scent. Mineral & vitamin rich vinegar: Spring is the ideal time to start harvesting all of the abundant, nutritive, wild greens that grace us with their presence everywhere we walk. My favorite combination includes apple cider vinegar, dandelion, stinging nettle tops, and chickweed. I get really excited about vinegars because they provide daily nutrition and health benefits that aren’t available through tinctures or teas. Use as a dressing on wild salads, or even diluted with a little water and honey to taste as a pick-me-up drink.  Stinging Nettle Flower infused honey: We certainly don’t need to go into detail of the amazing medicinal qualities of honey. When you add into it your favorite aromatic flowers it just goes beyond a whole new level of pleasure. I prefer to purchase local and raw wildflower honey -- if you know a beekeeper even better. Cherry blossoms, lilacs, linden flowers, meadowsweet, hawthorn flowers, and violets are some of my favorite additions. I don’t find it necessary (or enjoyable) to strain the flowers from the finished infused honey. If fresh flowers are unavailable dried can be substituted.  Infused honey Plant infused moisturizing body butter: Perhaps you have jars of plant infused oils sitting on your apothecary shelves just waiting to be incorporated into an all-natural body care recipe. Summer is fast approaching and having a jar of melty skin butter to keep your skin happy and glowing just feels right. I also love knowing that the plants are being rubbed into my body on a daily basis -- there’s something magical about that. Creating your own body butter is also where you get to be really creative and tailor it to your skin type. Oils of olive, sweet almond, and apricot kernel are all suitable for the base. Calendula, red clover, comfrey leaf, self-heal, violet, elderflowers, burdock root, and rose are all nice options for infused oils. Coconut oil, shea, cocoa, and mango have been my favorite butters to use. To make: use 3 ounces each of two plant butters of your choice, 1 ounce of coconut oil, 3 ounces of infused oil, and a half ounce of beeswax. Combine above ingredients in a double boiler and gently warm until everything is fully incorporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool until consistency starts to harden. At this point take a hand blender and whip until fluffy. Store in glass jars.
Spring holds within it the essence of new growth, unlimited possibilities, and a carefree wild spirit. My hope is for us all to embrace this child-like wonderment and frolic through the forest and fields, basket in hand, gleefully and lovingly playing with our plant friends.  Melanie Brown is a native New Englander who always had an early connection to nature and the outdoors. Together with her four year old son she gathers the ingredients to make small batch plant based body care products which you can find at her herbal apothecary, FIR&ELM. She is a graduate of Boston School of Herbal Studies and currently apprenticing with Margi Flint of Earthsong Herbals. Her passion is to share and spread the message of community herbalism that lies right outside in our own backyards.
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