Lemonade Days and Blackberry Summer
by Mary Ann Perry
More Details at:
http://www.sayit-n-herbs.com/html/stillroom.htm
“And the running blackberry, would adorn the
parlor of heaven.”
Song of Myself by Walt Whitman
Summer; sipping iced lemonade, while lolling on
the afternoon porch dreaming our dreams of
‘blackberry summer’. Blackberry summer will come
soon enough, those days of fine weather in late
September and early October. Right now let’s
accept the zest and zeal the lemon in our
lemonade gives us and fill ourselves with summer
when the herbs and flowers speak to us.
People have developed herbal calendars and found
symbolism in plants and nature since ancient
times. What better way to express summer than
through herbs and flowers? Many herbs are
associated with summer. Helen Keller said “Keep
your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the
shadow. Its what sunflowers do!” What more
appropriate, sunflowers symbolize adoration and
a sun worshiper in the language of herbs. The
calendula or pot marigold is a symbol of sunny
days with good health, joy, and affection. The
calendula cares.
The Chinese, Japanese, Romans, Egyptians,
American Hopi and Navajo Indians, among
countless others, developed herbal calendars.
Because calendars were so closely tied with
nature, it follows that different months
should be associated with particular herbs.
Primarily the Japanese and English adopted
the custom of using floral calendars. In
addition to formal calendars using certain
flowers, superstitions and old wives’ tales
about plants and flowers abound for each
month of the year. These are generally
connected with the changes in weather and
how they affect the gardener.
Chinese Herbal Calendars specify the pomegranate
as the symbol of progeny and prosperity and the
month of June. When I was a child, I lived in
northern climes, where pomegranates were rare
and expensive. My Mom gave us the experience of
this rarity and I remember experiencing the ice
cold, juicy, red pulp and the crunchy seeds as
a little bit of summer paradise we shared.
Japanese celebrate the peony in June,
symbolizing ‘hands full of cash’. The Chinese
call the peony Sho-yo, which means ‘the
beautiful’ and it is considered the flower of
prosperity. It reminds me of my Mother’s summer
peonies and the long lasting beauty of those
huge, brilliant, pink bouquets brightening our
simple, farmhouse home. At the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition in 1876 the peony was used
to symbolize the American Spirit, ambition and
determination to adapt and thrive.
The rose is the English Floral Calendar symbol for
the month of June, and means success, love, beauty,
congratulations, reward for virtue, grace, joy,
“You are gentle.”, friendship, silence and unity.
Celebrate roses by making Rose Wine to enjoy
during those long ‘blackberry summer’ days. Pour
one gallon of boiling water over 3 or 4 quarts of
lightly packed rose petals, add the cut-up rind of
2 oranges and 3 pounds of sugar. Boil for 20
minutes; cool, strain, and add a package of yeast
dissolved in warm water and the juice of from the
oranges and 4 or 5 peppercorns (white). Let all
ferment in a covered crock for about 2 weeks.
Strain, discard petals, and bottle in sterilized
bottles, corking lightly for about 3 months or
until the wine has finished working. Seal each
bottle with paraffin. “A rose by any other name
would smell so sweet.” From Romeo and Juliet by
Shakespeare.
The Summer Solstice occurs around June 21st and
is a celebration when nature is heavy with the
bounty of the coming harvest. This is a time
when energies abound, and a good time for magic
and purification rites. Some, who practice the
arcane arts, choose to bury protective amulets
each Midsummer Eve and construct new ones. Rue,
rowan, and basil, tied in a gold or white cloth,
are a good protective trio that can be carried
in your pocket year round. A few cinnamon sticks
tied over the door of your home are another good
protective charm.
Larkspur with its ardent attachment and levity
brings swiftness to the long balmy days of July
in the language of herbs. The Chinese celebrate
the lotus flower in July, the symbol of
perfection and purity. Japanese calendars specify
mountain clover as their July herb. For the
English it is water lily with its great beauty
that brings to mind July. In the United States
what better way to celebrate than 4th of July when
thyme symbolizes the courage and bravery of our
fight for independence. We place rosemary on the
graves of soldiers’ honoring their brave deeds
with remembrance, fidelity, and devotion. With
nasturtiums we celebrate our patriotism and white
carnations our democracy.
“To smell wild thyme will renew spirits and energy
in long walks through the August Sun.”
unknown author
Gladiolus pierce our hearts with generosity and
strength of character in August.
August 1 is Lammas, which is a celebration of the
first harvest, particularly of grain products.
The word Lammas is Old English for "loaf mass"
and even today breads play a central role in the
Lammas feast. Though the Celts saw this sabbat as
the beginning of their autumn to day we enjoy this
festival as the waning summer in which the first
fruits of the harvest are readily available.
If your summer herb garden has spoiled you for
anything other than fresh herbs, devote your
sunniest window into an indoor herb garden to
carry you into ‘blackberry summer and winter’.
When summer has long passed, a gift of an herbal
jelly or rose wine, labeled and tied with a
ribbon, is a much appreciated way to share the
memories of summer.
Keywords:
summer, flower language, herbs, herbal, herbalism,
herbal symbolism, floral calendar, June, July, Aug.
Written by: Mary Ann Perry, Anaheim, CA, USA
maryann@sayit-n-herbs.com
