What can the flowers tell us about life? These stately elderflowers offer up wisdom every day when I pass by their hedgerow at the edge of the growing space...and I've learned enough to know that I should listen to my elders! It's good to question, but first we must listen.
In a single season, a newly sprouted row of elderberry bushes can produce enough vegetation and flowers to feed pollinators and buffer the wind. Nourish and protect. When the flowers drop off and the blackish berries form in their place, the plant pumps up its production of the powerful bioactive compound anthocyanin, which research is showing has the capacity to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and even protect and improve our brain function! Now that is real protection. An umbel of elderflowers bobbing around in the breeze reminds me to take care of both myself and others. What's really exciting, is that our recent planting of elderberries is forecast to yield generous clusters of large, plump fruits that we will make available this year to our members and customers! So start thinking about what you might do with some immune-boosting elderberries (tincture, syrup, jelly, or vinegar, to name a few) and we will keep you posted later in August when it's time to harvest.
For the moment, be sure to take some time to listen to the flowers if you would like to learn something new. What do your favorite blooms have to share with you?
And of course, don't forget to eat your vegetables!
