The winner of the latest drawing is CRYSTAL.
To claim your box of samples, send me at e-mail at olympicorchids at gmail dot com or leave a comment on the Olympic Orchids Facebook page
I will be away from the blog, traveling in Europe from September 4-17, so would like to get this drawing finished up and the prize sent off before I leave.
There will be a new drawing once I’m back in Seattle, once again for a big box of samples and anything else related that will fit in the box.
Several years ago I wrote about Artemisia, but have become newly fascinated with Artemisia tridentata, also called big sagebrush. You can read a little bit about it here. I have discovered that it grows everywhere east of the Cascades, and last month harvested some, thinking we might want to distill it. Life intervened and we waited too long, but I took the dried-out leaves and tinctured them, thinking it might be interesting.
Much to my surprise, within a day the alcohol had turned a bright green, and within a week it was dark emerald green, so I removed the plant matter and filtered it. It is so dark now that it is hard to photograph. I think you can see it best when the bottle is turned on its side and the light shines through. The bright green color was surprising given that the plant itself looks grayish. Best of all, the tincture has quite a strong scent that really captures the fragrance of the fresh plant. I think this tincture would make a great perfume!
To enter the next drawing, leave a comment about where you would like to travel in Europe or some association you have with sagebrush.
[All photos are mine]
[All photos are mine]
Posts
Lette Germany to see my cousins :)
ReplyDeleteWe will be visiting friends who live near Bonn. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteI hope you enjoy your travels! I'd love to visit Ireland. My friends that have visited on vacation there say such lovely things about the people and the landscape.
ReplyDeleteAnnalyn, We were in Ireland about 3 years ago, and it certainly is a great place to visit. You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteHello Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll have a great time in Germany. Eventually if you want to pass by Brussels you're more than welcome :-)
This summer i spent one week in Dublin, one in Oslo and one in Paris. I would like to also visit the east like maybe a tour in Polland.
Frederic, we will come to Brussels at some time, but not this trip, which is mainly to Poland, just stopping in Germany for a couple of days. If you visit Seattle again, please let me know! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteItaly is where I'd go back over and over again. I'd also revisit Ireland, Spain, Denmark, to name a few. Belgium is something of a second home already, so I'm not even counting that ;) The Scandinavian countries are yet to be discovered ;)
ReplyDeleteEl, it sounds like you have lots of travel plans! You're entered in the drawing.
DeleteA sagebrush tincture! How exciting to see the plant being used in perfumery, instead of it tumbling around, lol.
ReplyDeleteMary, I've never seen sagebrush tumbling - it mostly just sits there and grows a little in the spring when there's rain. But I'm looking forward to doing something with that green tincture! You're entered in the drawing.
ReplyDeleteI was in Provence three years ago and Seville two years ago. I want to explore Basque Country. I’ve been reading about the history of the region and San Sebastián is supposed to be a foodie destination. I wonder if there are many perfumers in the region.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool!
ReplyDeleteI tried to tincture shiso leaf and it also came out very bright green.
In Europe I would love to see Ireland and Croatia because my mother's family came from those places... Croatia has an awesome park with natural water formation things whose name I forget.
Scotland again because kilts.
Italy? Everywhere really. Finland, Spain, etc
And of course France-- Paris,Grasse, all the fragrant places.
Happy New Year Ellen. We miss your posts.
ReplyDeleteEllen, greetings from Durango, Colorado! I’m a middle school teacher enduring teaching in-person during C-19. The challenges and restrictions required for safety are so tough on the kids and teachers, but we’re learning and growing behind our masks! A fellow teacher shared some Blackbird with me, what a joyous surprise! Thank you for your creation, it helped me so much this first week of school.
ReplyDeleteWhile I live surrounded by Big sagebrush and her sister, Rabbitbrush, my favorite Artemesia tridentata memory comes from a rare foggy day in Gunnison, Colorado, a high elevation desert town that lies in a sea of sage. It was like smelling the wild sky. Transcendent!!
Oh, and being a Durango bicycle fanatic, I’d definitely try to see some Tour de France (now!!!), or one of the Northen Classic races in early summer, or I’d head to Belgium in winter to watch cyclocross!!!
Travel safe, and again, THANK YOU for bringing Blackbird into this world. It saved me!!!