Hamilton Pool Farms

One of the things I love most about Elder is that the medicine changes so beautifully through the seasons 🌿

Right now the Elder tree is covered in delicate white flowers that carry their own kind of magic. Elderflowers are traditionally used as a diaphoretic herb, helping the body gently sweat and move through fevers while also offering beautiful support for the respiratory system. They also make the most lovely cordials, teas, wines, and summer infusions.

And then later in the season… those same flowers transform into the deep purple berries we know and love.

Elderberries are one of my favorite herbs for supporting the immune system year-round, especially during times of illness or increased stress on the body. Rich in antioxidants and long revered in traditional herbalism, elderberry syrup has become a staple in our home.

There’s something so fascinating about watching one plant offer completely different medicine depending on its stage of growth.

The flowers.
The berries.
Same plant.
Different gifts 🤍

Every summer, the bee balm calls.

Its vibrant blooms rise above the grasses, drawing in bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and herbalists too!

One of my favorite ways to work with this plant is as an oxymel: a simple preparation of fresh herbs, raw honey, and vinegar that captures the essence of the season in a jar.

As I harvest the flowers, I’m always reminded that medicine doesn’t begin in a bottle. It begins in relationship. In knowing the plant. Watching it grow. Noticing when it blooms. Harvesting it at just the right moment.

Bee balm is a beautiful ally for the respiratory system, offering support during times of congestion and seasonal illness. Its aromatic oils are warming, uplifting, and gently antimicrobial. Combined with raw honey and vinegar, it becomes both medicine and food—something that can be enjoyed by the spoonful, stirred into sparkling water, or drizzled over fresh summer vegetables.

There is something deeply satisfying about taking a plant from the garden and transforming it into something useful, beautiful, and nourishing.

This is the kind of herbalism I love most.

Rooted in the seasons. Rooted in the land. Rooted in relationship.