It's wildling season! Time to fill your herbal tea cabinet!

The wildlings are growing happily in my yard right now so I'm spending as much time as I can soaking up summer and gathering the teas that I use to help me stay happy and healthy when the Winter Hag romps outside, knocking on my windows looking for a way in.

Here's a quick look at what my yard is gifting me with.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

When I bought my property, it was a played out cornfield. The first seeds I sowed on it were yarrow seeds. I now have a lovely thick stand of it and can gather as much as I want without hurting it. It's astringent and diuretic. It promotes sweating. I use it when I have colds or fevers.

Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens)

I love the mints. I contend that they're not invasive, they're merely enthusiastic. I dry great armloads of this twice a year. I drink mint tea all winter because just a whiff of the scent reminds me of summer. I also make mint senkanjabin (a flavored syrup used to make drinks) in the summer. Mint is uplifting, cooling, and good for tummy troubles. I also use it in teas for stuffy head. Inhaling the steam from the cup while I'm waiting for it to cool enough to drink helps open my nose.

Musk mallow (Malva moschata)

This is not the preferred species of mallow but it's what my yard offers. The leaves are demulcent and soothing. They have a wide range of uses when fresh. My luck with them dried has been variable. I tried to make a syrup of them a couple of weeks ago but I boiled it for too long and I ended up with mallow sugar. Since I hate failure and can't stand waste, I tried a spoonful in a cup of tea and found that it gave it a bit of soothing slipperiness to my tea. Instead of a failure, I now have sweetener that I can add to my teas for sore throat this winter.

Blackberry (Rubus spp)

Here's one of those life lessons for you. Fifteen years ago, I purchased blackberry roots from the USDA Extension yearly sale, envisioning fresh fruit, jellies and juice. I've never gotten a single berry from those plants even though they have taken over and ruined the entire garden that I planted them in. I just can't get ahead of them. Meanwhile in another part of my property, a volunteer sneaked in and started colonizing. At least I get berries from those. I gather this plant mainly in self-defense in an attempt to get rid of them. The tea is good for a number of things including fighting colds and easing diarrhea. I've recently read about fermenting blackberry leaves to make a better tea. I'll try nearly anything to use up more of this plant. I'll let you know how it goes.

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)

A couple of years ago, I noticed a couple of these plants in the yard. We stopped mowing or walking in a big patch around them. They've grown and this is the first year I've had enough to harvest. I have both a tincture and an oil steeping and am now drying a bit for tea. I'm looking forward to getting to know this lovely little plant.

Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Everywhere! I love it. The scent in the fall is subtle and haunting. And no. It doesn't cause allergies. It's insect pollinated which means that the pollen stays put on the plant waiting to be carried away and deposited elsewhere. That little green plant that quietly grows by the foot of the goldenrods? The one with the spike that doesn't even look like flowers? There's your culprit. Ragweed is wind-pollinated and flings its pollen everywhere. They bloom at the same time. Goldenrod tea helps clear up the stuffy nose that you get with colds and allergies. I make both tea and tincture from it.

Pineapple Weed (Matricaria discoidea)

I'm still trying to encourage this plant in so I never take enough for more than a couple of cups of tea. It smells wonderful and I use it just like it's cousin chamomile.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

A variety of health benefits are ascribed to this plant ranging from settling diarrhea to helping reduce blood pressure and strengthening the cardiovascular system. It also tastes good. I use it just because it's a gift from my land to me.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

One of my favorite plants, I use far more of it than I could possibly gather myself without the use of a baler. Although I purchase the bulk of what I use, I still gather my own for when I want a "special" cup of tea. It's often used for lung issues and women's health.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

This one's a member of the mint family. I've always used it as a culinary herb in soup but I recently discovered that it's often used to help lung issues such as coughs and asthma plus a plethora of other complaints. This patch is new to my yard so I'll keep begging my gill-over-the-ground from friends while I let it grow for a couple of years. I suspect that I'll have all of it I can use by then.

If you've never tried making your own wildling teas, why not spend a few minutes in your yard and discover what it's offering?

Look for patches of flowers in the lawn. I know where the plants that I want grow in my yard and stop mowing them as gathering time approaches. I'm sure my yard offends some sensibilities. Oh, well.

Make certain that you have a positive ID on every plant that you want to gather. If you don't recognize it, don't ingest it. Learn about it!

Keep in mind that you're not likely to end up with enough of any one kind of plant to make tea with it every day, all winter unless you have access to a huge foraging space and are willing to put in a considerable gathering effort. I take a small basket out every few days and gather a bit at a time. I'll end up with a pint jar or so of most of the herbs that I gather. I blend them in the cup whenever the mood strikes me throughout the winter.

Are you gathering wildling teas? What blends do you make with them? Share them with us in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!