| As we spin forward into 2021 (are we there yet, mom?!?), it’s exciting to reflect on what you—our friends, fans, and phenomenal plant family—went herb-wild for through the seasons.Did you know we serve up a splendid spread of free herbal content on our blog?In 2020, we decked the halls of Blog Castanea with garlands of new articles, and re-polished our most popular blogs from seasons past. We brought in new contributors and the blog officially became a team sport. Are you curious which topics were herbally admired and adored this year? And which plants people felt positively passionate about? Get caught up with our Best of 2020 Roll Call: |
| 1. The Top Ten Medicinal Herbs for the Garden – Our winner by an herbslide! This one continues to be a fan favorite year after year, and it’s rocking our socks off that so many folks are excited about growing their own medicinal herbs. 2. Calendula: An Edible and Medicinal Flower – It’s hardly a surprise that this sunny bloom made the top two! Calendula is the life of the herbal party, always bright and cheerful, making moves on the dance floor long after most other flowers have packed up and gone home for the winter. 3. The Truth About Herbal Certification – Thinking about herbal studies in the New Year? Up and coming herbalists need to be in the know! Read this to learn the TRUTH about Herbal Certification. 4. Violet’s Edible and Medicinal Uses – Spring’s sweetest flower is a crowd pleaser—it’s blooms do make the most swoonful cake toppers and sweet purple syrup, after all. This is our ode to violet’s cleansing and freshening medicine, with a deep bow to its delectable edible qualities. 5. 17 Free Ways to Learn About Herbalism – Who doesn’t love something free? These are our top choices for getting an herbal education, free-style. 6. How to Cultivate, Harvest, and Prepare Lamb’s Quarters – Want to meet one of the most nutritious wild greens around? Also known as wild spinach, lamb’s quarters takes the cake as a tasty and wonderfully weedy food-herb that shines like a star in saag paneer, lasagna, omelettes, and wild greens pâté. 7. The Medicine of Pine – This aromatic evergreen stole plenty of hearts in 2020! Read up on how to use pine’s medicine and receive our preeminent pine recipes. 8. How to Make Calendula Oil & Salve – Calendula’s bright blossoms are an external remedy for practically every manner of skin complaint—acne, eczema, wounds, burns, bites, cold sores, you name it! Use our recipes to add some herbal sunshine to your home apothecary. 9. The Ten Best Books on Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs – Need a fantastic field guide to take foraging? Or a wonderfully weedy wild foods cookbook? Here are the top 10 books we reach for again and again and again. 10. 5 Tonic Herbs to Boost Immunity this Winter – Want to raise the roof on the resilience of your immune system this winter? Read up on five herbs we keep stocked in the kitchen all season long, plus our tips for using them like a pro. Looking for even more herbal intrigue? You’re cordially invited to browse the blog for your own favorites—there are dozens more articles and recipes to read! And we’ll have plenty of freshies strolling down the green carpet in 2021 too, including pieces on African American Herbalism, COVID Health Disparities and Herbal Support, The Best Herbal and Aromatherapy Books, and Acorn Processing.Big cheers to you,Juliet, Meghan, and the entire Chestnut Team |
Paths I Walk 