Going To A Native Plant Sale

September 15, 2025 Sarah

With our move at the end of March, I missed out on having anywhere ready to plant in the spring. But with fall looming, I was ready.

While this plant sale wasn’t for West Virginia – it was held in Northern Virginia, let’s be real: Until 1863, it was part of Virginia. So a lot of plants/animals are the same here, on this side of WV. And I am not too picky. I had no idea what I would find, so I was a little shocked to see so many medicinal herbs native to the area when I got to the sale.

This opened up a lot for me, knowing I could add to the herb beds.

It was held outside of Leesburg, in Loudoun County, VA. Loudon County goes all the way to the state boundary with West Virginia. It is an easy drive out of the Shenandoah Valley and over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is where the Appalachian Trail (AT) runs across. Northern Virginia is beautiful, with a lot of it rural, full of horse farms and wineries.

I had seen the event through Yellow House Natives, a nursery in Berryville, VA. I bought quite a few plants from them – they were packed, so I didn’t get a photograph of their booth. Andrea, who was volunteering, was SO much help answering my many questions.

It was held at a park, and the place was well set up. It was sunny, though, and very warm.

The other side. Talks were going on, booths were set up, and even a food truck was making lattes.

I picked up a couple of plants from Seven Bends Nursery. They are also located in Berryville, VA.

Hill Houe Farm & Nursery got my money as well. They are located farther down in Virginia, so it’s a great option to have close by for shopping when they travel to sell.

So what did I pick up? Here are some of my finds:

Dicentra – which is also native on the West Coast, but I love its delicate flowers in spring – and I am going to let it overwinter, then put it in down at the creek.

Mountain Mint. I will also plant this down at the creek in the spring. It has a very strong smell, almost menthol. If you crush and bub the leaves on your body, it can naturally repel mosquitoes.

Virginia Bergamot (Bee Balm) is native to the mountains here, and makes a great herbal tea, as well as a pollinator friend.

Spicebush, which I paid…gasp…$45 for. It will be winter here, so I will either bury it deep in the ground or get a jumbo grow bag. I have time. If I prune it, it can stay there for years. The leaves and berries are edible.

Boneset. I went back and put a trellis around it. I have wanted a plant of it for a long time, and happily snagged it. Boneset was traditionally used as an infusion when dealing with fevers.

I also picked up more flowers and wild strawberries. Which left me happy and planting it all.

~Sarah

Gardening · Herbalism · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Visiting The Ranson Community Gardens

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 neverfreefarm

The other day, I was in Ranson, West Virginia, and remembered the Ranson Community Gardens, and we poked around to find them. It is behind the local community center, on the edge of town.

This past week they had hosted an open house for the new Herb Garden they had put in, but I’ll be honest…going to an early evening event in 90* temps and a crowd is a turn off. So seeing it in the morning was a bonus.

Ranson Community Gardens. There are parking spots in front, with picnic tables to the left and in the shade.

I loved these raised beds, made of fabric and metal. This one was growing beautifully.

It’s lovely when people work hard at their spot.

While not a fancy community garden, there is a heart in it.

The garden also has a large sized greenhouse, where the herb garden was planted.

Visiting community gardens and P Patches is a good thing. It can inspire you, give you ideas, and help understand a community.

~ Sarah

DIY · Gardening · Herbalism · Urban Homesteading · Wildcrafting

Preserving Chamomile For Tea

October 20, 2024October 20, 2024 Sarah

Last week, I popped into the food co-op closest to us and browsed the bulk-dried herbs and spices. As I walked by, I saw a jar of Chamomile and gasped—$29.99 a pound!

The bulk bins are often sourced from Frontier Co-op, a very ethical and real cooperative. For example, you can buy their products in large bags directly from them or even on Amazon. On Amazon, a 1-pound mylar bag of Chamomile sells for $1592 currently (its retail price is $44.50, but sells for less). While far more affordable (and the same product, with both being organic), it’s not exactly affordable, even at $16 a pound. And neither does one know how “fresh” it is. That bulk bin could have been filled the day before…or 6 months before. The co-op has windows that let in the sun, further degrading the color and aroma of their bulk herbs. That is something that frustrates me at that particular store, and nearly all stores selling bulk herbs and spices have them in direct light, be it LED or whatever they use.

Now, I understand that the cost also reflects picking of the flowers, but I have to think it’s been mechanized, long ago, to make it quick and simple.

While I often preach the beauty of bulk bins, they have issues. The biggest is turnover. The second is quality, which is part of the first problem. If a store doesn’t have a great turnover, you face buying stale products. Stale herbs make people think the herb doesn’t taste good when it is so old that the flavor has long departed the mortal coil. The lesser third problem is that as the stock dwindles down, you get smaller pieces. No full flowers, but rather sprinkles of dry material. That is an issue, of course, with tea bags, which are often nothing but powder.

Many herbs are easy to preserve. Chamomile is one of the easiest. In the early morning, walk along it and pluck the flowers between your first and second fingers. The flower head usually pops right off. I pick into a new brown paper lunch sack till I am tired of stooping over or I run out of blooms. Chamomile rewards you often with a ton of new blossoms within days after each harvest.

Chamomile is a “plant once, harvest forever” kind of plant. It self-seeds easily and grows with zero input from us, the gardener. You don’t need to water it; it’ll still grow nearly always. It enjoys disturbed soil and happily crowds out the actual weeds. I only plant chamomile seeds if it is a new area, or I had to fully retill and reshape a growing area every 5 or so years. Even then, I often find it growing feral in our fields. It blows on the wind; chickens scratch the soil, and such.

Pick them at their height when the blooms are full and smell incredible. And let them air dry in the brown paper lunch sacks you pick in. Protected from light, they dry quickly, preserving their color and aroma.I leave the bag(s) on the counter, turning gently every day or so, as I remember. Once dry I transfer gently into a mason jar and tuck away.

Do not use a dehydrator for herbs! The heat will destroy the delicate essential oils in the leaves and plant material.

Freshly preserved and ready to be tucked away, the flowers will lose their vibrancy of color as time passes, but that is OK. Just store them in glass mason jars, as I mentioned above, tucked into a cool, dry, and dark area.

Then, enjoy the tea you can make in fall and winter by infusing the dried flowers in a tea basket with hot water. Boil the water and let it sit for a minute or two before pouring it over the tea.

For me, it needs nothing, but a drizzle of raw honey also gives a delicious boost.

~Sarah

Gardening · Herbalism · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

How To Grow And Make Paprika

October 15, 2024 Sarah

Paprika is a spice that isn’t used enough these days. In the mid-century decades, it was the go-to garnishment for your meals. Deviled Eggs without a sprinkle of the orange-red delight? What kind of heathen are you? Of course, back in the 1930s to 70s, it was cutting edge to use paprika. Food wasn’t quite as exciting as it is now. But it was a start.

But I digress; there is a complicated history behind how paprika became a staple of Eastern Europe.

The Hungarian Pepper (capsicum annuum) came out of the Americas after it was “discovered” by the Spanish, while they were destroying central Mexico, and Christopher Columbus himself brought back a ship laden with spices, and the peppers made it on that sailing.

The peppers are in the nightshade family, so like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants they all were brought to Europe, and then wound their way back the Americas, showing up in North America for the first time.

It eventually came to Hungary due to the Turks, in the 1500’s. It only came to the United States via Europe in the 1930s (though you have to know it was here long before, tucked into immigrant’s things. Seeds always came with them, so they could grow the food they loved.)

But there is an odd side note in it all. Hungary loved peppers. They didn’t have the best land for farming mono-crops, but they could grow peppers well. They mostly raised livestock and used paprika to flavor their meat stews (goulash).

Under the Soviet Union’s rule, every state and satellite state (Hungary was a satellite state) had to grow something, so they became excellent farmers.

If left to grow in a nice warm environment, they are yellow at first, then turn orange, and finally a deep red.

I grew ours in buckets in the greenhouse. In early summer, I had them outside with the tomatoes and brought them inside in August. I noted they were not doing well this year. This summer, it was below 60* every night. There were no warm summer evenings this year.

Once in the greenhouse, they started producing in large quantities. Peppers are still growing on the plants, even midway through October.

There are many paprikas one can purchase. The most common is sweet or mild paprika, made with peppers that have no heat.

There is smoked paprika, where the peppers are smoked before dehydrating, over wood smoke.

Then there are the spicier paprikas. These are often labeled “Hungarian Paprika. ” They can be mild to quite spicy. You can be as hot as a Jalapeno using a Hungarian Wax Pepper! There are so many choices.

Once the peppers were fully ripe, I picked them and let them air dry in a wire basket in our kitchen.

You can also split the peppers, remove the seeds, cut them into strips, and dehydrate them.

Once dehydrated, process in a coffee grinder or small mill, or, for authenticity, use a tiny mortar and pestle. Dried peppers are best kept whole and processed to powder as needed. They will be that much fresher and more vibrant in aroma and flavor.And enjoy adding it to your dishes, especially a good beef stroganoff.

Commercially processed paprika quickly loses its potency in aroma, taste, and even color. Within a month of opening, the color often fades into a light brick red.

So next year, consider growing some, either from the start (they do exist if one searches the fun growers) or one of the many varieties online in seed form—a nice spicy/hot one or this one, a sweet paprika.

~Sarah

Gardening · Herbalism · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

My Favorite Herbs For Grow Zone 8b

February 6, 2024February 6, 2024 Sarah

On our homestead, we are herb-friendly. In a legal state, that sounds like pro-cannabis, but what I mean is we grow many herb plants. Both medicinal and culinary, nearly all herbs are pollinator-friendly as well. Grow zone 8b allows us to grow both annual (yearly) and perennial (comes back yearly) easily. There aren’t many varieties that won’t grow here, unlike in snowy Idaho, where summer is fleeting. Living low in altitude and near the open water is sometimes a blessing. Being in Grow Zone 8b, we have freezes and snow, but it is fleeting. Our summers tend to be sunny and dry, which leads to a great growing season.

We write quite often about growing, preserving, and using herbs here. And while I love all we grow, I have a core group of herbs I have consistently grown, no matter where I live. I consider these must-grow plants whether you start them from seed or buy them in plant form, ready to put in pots or in the ground, having these growing will improve your growing experience. You will invite pollinators so your produce crops have a higher yield. This will also lead to a healthier local environment by letting the native ones know they are welcome to live on your land. See our recent article on how to grow herbs and start them.

I have noted what I consider to be deer-resistant as well, though, as always, your results may differ. The resistant ones are grown without fencing, and our local deer never seem to munch on them.

Spring is coming, it is time to start planning!

Favorite Herbs For Grow Zone 8b:

Basil:

It is an annual in our grow zone and will collapse and die after the first freeze in late fall to early winter. While prized for culinary uses, the hardy versions are known for their intense flower spikes that pollinators cannot resist. I grow it next to our tomatoes most years. Some people pinch the flowers to get more leaves; I would suggest that you simply grow more plants instead. The flowers smell amazing as well.

Calendula:

Is it a flower or an herb plant first? It depends on what you want really. The flowers are prized for medicinal use, and pollinators love them. I have found it to be deer-resistant. Not known for its aroma, however. It is an annual, but self-seeds efficiently.

Chamomile:

It is grown for the flowers and used in teas and herbal concoctions. Yet, it is also very pollinator-friendly. Once planted it self-seeds easily and usually pops back up every year, randomly across your land. I say sprinkle seeds everywhere and let it grow rebel-style. The smell is heavenly.

Comfrey:

It is prized for its medicinal uses; it produces long stalks of purple-blue flowers that bees cannot stay away from. It is also great fodder for stock animals. One plant will produce enough for an entire family each year. Give it a lot of room, and it loves the sun. Deer do not eat it on our homestead. Comfrey is not edible for humans. It doesn’t need fertilizing and comes back yearly from its deep root system.

Lavender:

There are varieties for culinary and ones aimed at essential oil production. All are highly deer-resistant, have long-lasting flowers, and smell wonderful in the breeze. If there is one plant you put many in the ground, make it lavender. It has many uses, is drought-friendly once established, and takes punishing cold weather. With annual shaping, it will grow for many years without the need for fertilizing and often not even supplemental water once established.

Mint:

You can grow so many varieties: peppermint, spearmint, etc. But be sure to grow them in a pot so they cannot escape and take over your garden. This includes all of its cousins such as Lemon Balm. They can be used in both culinary and medicinal. Deer resistant. Is normally a perennial.

Rosemary:

It is a plant I grow all over our homestead. Deer leave it alone, it is rich in natural essential oils. Used in culinary, medicinal, and yes, oh, those delicate blue-hued flowers will lure native bees in. Deer resistant. Once well established it won’t need fertilizer or watering unless in a heat wave.

Sage:

Let’s just say it: pollinator-friendly. And it smells amazing in the sun. Be it regular sage or tricolor, this herb is cold-hardy and grows for many years with little care. Highly deer resistant.

Thyme:

Regular thyme or a fancier variety like lemon thyme grows for years with minimal upkeep. Cold hardy. Culinary, medicinal, and its tiny flowers are a joy. Deer resistant. Once established, it often does not need watering.

If you are looking for seeds, I recommend Sow Right Seeds, which sell many herb varieties. Use code “SARAHK10” for 10% off! They are also running their annual Early Bird sale through 2/29/24, where if you buy 10 or more packets of seeds, you get 25% off automatically.

Sow Right ships quickly, and yes, we have been growing with their seeds the past year and found success with them. And yes, if you spend $25 or more, shipping is free.

~Sarah