I just returned home from a great trip to Europe! I have been to Amsterdam several times, but never in the summer. The days were warm and long and Roses (Rosa) were blooming everywhere! On the 15-minute train ride from Schipol Airport to Central Station, I could see Elder (Sambucus nigra) flowering along side the tracks. Rows and rows of white clusters waving at me as the train sped by. Seeing one of my favorite herb friends as soon as I landed was an auspicious sign that our trip was going to be incredible!

We spent most of our time on Obonjan Island, a 136- acre private island off the coast of Northern Dalmatia in Croatia.  A mastermind group my husband is a member of rented the entire island, so about 150 of us had the island to ourselves for five days. There are too many highlights to mention, from learning about business from a highly curated group of some of the smartest and coolest people on the planet, to the epicness of glamping on a private island in the Adriatic Sea.

As an herbalist, I think what I was most excited about was that there is an abundance of medicinal herbs growing all over the island. There is an herb garden that may have once been tended, but now is taken over by the Mint (Mentha) that was used in some of the cocktails served at the sea-side and pool-side bars. All along the roadside, Bindweed (Convolvulus thunbergii), Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota),  grow in abundance, adding beauty and color to the planted Allepo Pine (Pinus halepensis).  The contrast of pink, yellow and white flowers with the vibrant blue of the Adriatic filled me with joy everywhere I looked.

As always I am reminded that no matter where I go, my herbal allies are there. They are a reminder that their are no borders, no boundaries, nothing that separates us from one another. Plants remind us that we are home, regardless of where we are.

To find out more about herbalism through my blog, podcast, and other offerings, check out my website, Baker Botanica.

With love,

Jessica

when energy flows, wellness grows