A Month of LOVE, by Melissa Fryar

Happy February! As we dig out of our snowstorms, I am thinking of the season…we are in between the winter solstice and spring equinox. For me, it is the hardest month. I grow weary of the limited light, the heavy foods, the lack of time outside.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a hibernator. I love the slowdown and being cozy inside with a good book, but by the end of this month, I am craving spring and tender green things. Berries and fresh nettles replace apples and citrus. It is the month of hope—for warmth and the sun’s return.

We must mention Valentine’s Day, of course! Love it or hate it, it is here. Personally, I think it’s a bit sad that some have just one day when they focus on gifting their loved ones—we should celebrate love on a regular basis. AND, I cannot be against love and its celebration.

Since it is the holiday of the heart, I thought that I would talk about heart health this month. As I age, I think more and more about tending my heart. Especially in these times—so much heartbreak and grief—I think it is important for us all.

My two favorite plants for the heart are hawthorn and rose. Both are rose family plants (as are apples). Hawthorn berries are probably the most well-known heart tonic. Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers contain constituents that increase blood flow to the heart, tone arteries, normalize blood pressure, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Blended with mullein leaf, hawthorn can move fluid congestion around the heart, and blended with motherwort, it can soothe heart palpitations. Hawthorn is both food and powerful medicine. It is safe to use daily, but check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you are on heart medication. Hawthorn makes a lovely tea, syrup, or conserve.

Bless Your Heart Tea

• 1 part hawthorn berries

• 1 part hawthorn leaf & flower

• 1 part linden leaf & flower

• ¼ part orange or lemon peel

Prepare as an infusion and enjoy 2–4 cups daily.

Now, I know that the phrase “bless your heart” has become an insult, but my Mamaw said it often and truly meant… bless your heart. If you were sick or sad, these were her first words. I always loved them—a true blessing on your heart. This tea is so lovely and nourishing for your heart. Not only the hawthorn, but also linden, which is moistening, and the flavonoids in the citrus peel are helpful as well.

Roses took me a bit longer to love and incorporate into my medicine and rituals. They were so… basic. I had a good friend and permaculture teacher who introduced me to antique roses—the REAL roses, full of scent and history and so hearty. Not the high-maintenance and fragile hybrids. I fell in love.

If you have never grown antique roses, I highly recommend it! She taught me to feed them once or twice a year with a blend of alfalfa and bone meal, and to plant chives beside them to attract beneficial insects that eat aphids—and she was right. Easy and enchanting.

Rose is so comforting to the heart and also moistening. I love to add a few petals to my nourishing infusions such as oatstraw or raspberry leaf. We get our bulk roses from Mountain Rose Herbs, and they are lovely and so fragrant. They are also organic, which is so important with a flower that is conventionally grown with lots of pesticides. Not only are they a wonderful addition to tea, but they also make a soothing bath.

Sweet Love Soak

• 1 cup oats

• 1 cup rose petals or buds

• ½ cup milk or milk powder

• 5+ drops rose essential oil

Blend together and put into a cotton bag. Steep in a hot bath and soak until content. Add a piece of rose quartz to amplify love.

We do have several premade products that I love for heart health:

• Eclectic Herbs HBP Complete Powder with hawthorn, garlic, and rosemary

• Red Moon Herbs Heart Tonic — hawthorn, dandelion, and motherwort

• Wise Ways Rose Glycerite

And if you love the scent of roses, I recommend:

• Badger’s Rose Face Balm

• Evan Healy’s Sonoma Rose Hydrosol

• Anima Mundi’s Love Essential Oil Blend

If you are in the market for Valentine’s Day gifts, we have many options—
SO MUCH Chocolate! My favorites are French Broad Chocolate Lounge bars and their Hazelnut Dragee, and Lake Champlain’s Hazelnut bars. Dr. Bronner’s chocolates are delicious and fair trade!

Bath yum — bath bombs, salts, and decadent body oils to nourish your skin and spirit
Beeswax candles — we have hearts galore!
Aphrodisiac blends such as Pine’s Herbals Sweet Love Potion

Bow Chica Now Wow Rea Blend

• 1 part damiana leaf

• 1 part horny goat weed

• 1 part oat tops

• ½ part rose petals

• ½ vanilla bean, cut into small pieces

Blend together and share a pot with someone that you love—even just yourself. Damiana is my favorite “juicy” herb, and it makes for a lovely night of rest. Add cream and/or honey to your taste.

I hope that this inspires you to tend your heart and nourish love.
Happy Winter!
Melissa