Summer Protection

This month I’m focusing on botanicals because summer is a fine time to plant and harvest them. Before the advent of modern medicine, people relied on botanicals to cure their ills. Because of this, legends have grown around the power of certain herbs to protect as well as cure. For example, they say to sprinkle mustard seed and cayenne pepper on door sills to guard your home, probably because these herbs have a strong flavor. In truth, they also keep ants and other insects from crossing the threshold. For a prettier botanical solution, plant marigolds, juniper, lilies, bamboos, or ferns around the front of the house or grow them in pots on the porch.