I love Wednesday mornings in the Gemmo Forest. On this day, throughout the growing season, the guilds and gardens receive some very special love from our number one local fan, board member Alli Holte, and our multi-talented summer intern, Amiya Fornes-Sicama.
These two women bring their positive energy and belief in something bigger than themselves each week through rain, bugs, humidity, and oppressive heat. A few times a month, we also enjoy the company of Jane Clerkin, who also wears the hat of Sustainability Co-ordinator at the Monadnock Co-op. When Jane can’t make it to our scheduled Wednesday morning, she has been known to drop by after her co-op shift and clear beds until sunset. While a few others pop in as they can, bringing their unique energy to meet the welcoming spirit of the Gemmo Forest, these three have provided a steady source of support for our projects and me personally.
When my Wednesday list sounds like work for an entire week, these gentle souls dive in and magically make it all happen. They’ve taught me that a little support can go a long way and that even dragging silage tarps across fields can be enjoyable in community. Some of the most challenging days weather-wise this season was spent tending the tea garden, which is a central gathering place for our events and the first stop on our guided tours. The use of herbal teas dates back to ancient Egypt and India, and most forest visitors have had an experience with or know of the mild medicinal benefits of at least a chamomile or mint tea. I’ve discovered that a discussion of herbal teas is the perfect introduction to plant medicine and an effective bridge for introducing the more abstract idea of Gemmotherapy Extracts from fresh buds.
Amiya and Alli with the first Holy Basil (Tulsi) harvest.
Our circular tea garden features hugelkultur beds, each home to different tea herbs. The beds, built last growing season, were never quite completed before winter’s arrival. This season, they needed shaping and considerable mulching to withstand the heat that would arrive in July and August.
The idea for the tea garden came to me in a dream. In it, I was guided to a specific spot in the forest where hundreds of little people were already working on the project. My job seemed to be to support their work with some physical structure.
Ground was broken in Spring 2024 when board member Christine Terrel gave a week of her time to whatever needed tending. She can now add hugelkultur design to her list of many talents. Early in this growing season, Alli and her husband, Andy, helped add a bed, as did several Monadnock homeschool families who joined us during May.
So, within the past year, many have contributed to completing the Tea Garden, making it a truly collaborative project. Last fall, we were fortunate to experience a first noble harvest from the tea garden, and if this week's Tulsi Basil harvest is any sign of what’s to come, it will be a bountiful year for tea, all a result of community efforts.
And speaking of bounty, I have two rich recordings for you to dive into this weekend.
On 20 July, we entered Leo season. According to astrologer Anastasiia Koryttseva, the themes for the next four weeks will be courage, commitment, and innovation. Listen to our most recent conversation with Anastasia here and learn how each sign will be impacted now through 21 August.
For those joining us on our exploration of sun transits it is currently moving through Gate 31. The I Ching hexagram for this gate is Influence. Here’s a question you should consider for yourself in the days ahead: What is your place in life? On Tuesday, the 29th, the sun begins its transit through Gate 33. The I Ching hexagram is Retreat, and it is time to reflect on what you must do to stay safe. For more insight on these two gates, tune in here to listen to my most recent conversation with Lois and Christine.
Until next week,
It's Here!
The Art and Science of Gemmotherapy: The Complete Guide
Copyright @2024 Gemmos with Lauren Hubele You are receiving this email because you have shown interest in Gemmos with Lauren Hubele? Lauren's work? Lauren's writing? Our mailing address is: Gemmotherapy with Lauren Hubele 180 Hurricane Road Keene, New Hampshire 03431
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. We need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. ~Sue Monk Kidd With arms full of crates, I made my way to the open car trunk in the rising heat of what promised to be another sultry day. Once relieved of my load, I paused momentarily to fact-check myself. What had begun as a joy-filled morning of flower and herb harvesting had shifted into a drive to complete a mission. Tension stretched across my...
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. Albert Einstein Dear Reader, The row of Bodegold Chamomile intercropped with onions was long overdue for a first cutting. It's nearly unimaginable that something so dainty and small could carry such potent medicinal gifts. The sweet lemony scent penetrated the air as I filled my basket. I wondered how this simple yet profoundly soothing sensory experience could be...
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Dear Reader, In March 1986, the opening of a McDonald’s near Rome’s Spanish Steps sparked a protest. The protest grew and over time developed to what we know today as the Slow Food Movement, a grassroots network of activists in more than 160 countries. Although it did not curb the rise of fast food establishments, it built awareness around culturally significant foods and their preparation. Today, the program extends to support for growing those...
