Wild Thyme Herb Shop

12/17/2025

🔥🎄🌺⭐️🦋

12/16/2025

12/15/2025

I love this!

Wreaths 🍃
Since ancient times, wreaths have symbolized the wheel of life and a circle of hope.
Each person according to season or phase of life, will find themselves at the top of the wheel ⏰(12:00, spring/birth), making the rounds (3:00 summer/ renewal), at the bottom (6:00 autumn/decline) or struggling back toward the top (9:00 winter/death/regeneration).
Taking a walk, gathering botanicals from the winter landscape, and making a wreath, all become part of a meditation on the season. As we create and appreciate this labor of love, a wreath becomes a reminder that no matter where we are in the seasons and cycles of our lives, we will always continue to cycle through the good, the bad, the ups, and downs, youth and aging, life and death.
A linear path merely takes us from beginning to end, but the wheel of life symbolized in a wreath, reminds us that we are always most vital, engaged and alive when we accept our current phase, create forward movement, and celebrate the season at hand.
Perhaps this year, instead of arguing about politics, or getting trapped in a frantic rush to buy gifts and decorations, take a walk in nature with family and friends. Make your own wreaths from the special things you gather and renew this ancient holiday tradition designed to engage us in the spirit of the season.
Happy Yuletide from The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti

12/14/2025

There will be people in your world (if not you yourself) who have resolved for 2026 to finally put in a small garden to grow a few edible plants, so please share this post to help them get started.

We talk about bed preparation almost every week, but beginners may need a bit of help in figuring out what kind of beds they want. Whether this small garden will host the charismatic tomato, pepper, eggplant types, or smaller things like beans, peas, radishes, salad greens, herbs, and more, starting small and having a successful year can encourage future gardening efforts. And as seasons change new plants can be added to the space as the early crops are pulled out after they finish producing. Plus, small beds are easy to cover with floating row cover to protect plants from an overnight frost.

Start with the size that seems workable for learning. Beds as small as 4' x 6' will surprise you with the output if you plan well. Another option is to use containers such as Smart Pots that provide the drainage needed (to avoid overwatering), plus they come in many sizes and can be shifted around if repositioning is needed.

Choose a garden location with at least a half-day of sunshine, with morning sun being the best option. Visit the various Dirt Doctor library pages to do with soil, amendments, fertilization, pest control, and while you're at it, look into some of the in-depth topical books such as "Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening," "Texas Gardening the Natural Way," or "The Organic Manual," all by Howard Garrett.

https://buff.ly/PlGkkkA

12/14/2025

Great information!

Lichen is one of the easiest living things to overlook — and one of the most fascinating once you notice it.

Those soft greens, pale grays, and powdery patches on tree bark aren’t dirt or moss. They’re lichen, quietly growing right in front of us, creating a miniature world on branches, trunks, and stones.

Lichen isn’t a single plant. It’s actually a partnership between two organisms: a fungus and an alga (or sometimes cyanobacteria). The fungus builds the structure and offers protection, while the alga produces food through photosynthesis. Neither could survive as well on its own — together, they form something entirely new.

If you look closely, lichen grows in a few distinct forms.

Leprose lichen is the powdery kind. It often looks like it’s been lightly painted onto bark. These lichens lack a smooth outer layer, so they appear dusty or granular, made of loose fungal threads and algal cells. Despite their soft look, they’re surprisingly good at repelling water.

Foliose lichen is the leafy kind. It forms lobes that resemble tiny leaves or wrinkled paper. These lichens have a clear top and bottom and attach to branches with fine, root-like structures called rhizines. Sometimes the edges even lift slightly off the bark.

Fruticose lichen is the shrubby or stringy kind. These grow upright like miniature bushes or hang down like hair. Because they extend out into the air, they absorb moisture directly from the atmosphere and are especially sensitive to environmental conditions.

That sensitivity is what makes lichen so important.

Lichens absorb everything from the air around them — nutrients and pollutants alike — which is why scientists use them as natural indicators of air quality. When you see leafy foliose or bushy fruticose lichen thriving on branches, it’s usually a sign the air there is relatively clean.

So the next time you pass a tree, slow down and look closely. Lichen may be small and quiet, but it tells a much bigger story about the health of the world around us.

12/12/2025

Most people focus on their muscles but overlook the connective tissue that quietly shapes how the entire body feels and moves.

12/10/2025

Introducing our new Calendula Skin Salve! It’s soothing and healing for cuts, bruises, scrapes and burns, plus your chapped dry skin loves the hydration! Safe for two legged people and 4 legged people too! 🐾 Great stocking stuffers in the 1 oz. size 🎅🏻 You can order it here:

*Tax is going included in stated price.Hand made with love! Made with organic Calendula petals, organic Virgin Olive Oil, Natural yellow bees wax, and a touch of lavender and grapefruit pure essential oils. Can be used by people and pets too! 🐾

12/10/2025

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

12/05/2025

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! When it’s cold outside and a hot cup of spiced rooibos chai is what you crave! It has Cinnamon and Rooibos, along with other spices and herbal extracts (caffeine free!). I’ve served this blend many times over the years, it’s everyone’s favorite! Warm up with a cup of chai! order here:
https://www.wildthymeherbshop.net/product-page/spiced-rooibos-chai