This time of year is another one of my favorites. We are past the early spring where everything is starting to grow. We are also not quite to the late summer when there’s a crisp chill to the air that signals a change in the seasons even if it still looks like summer.
Most days are warm unless we’ve had rain for multiple days at a time. Even when it’s overcast it’s fairly warm, and as soon as the sun comes out it warms up to to beautiful pleasant temperature.
There are flowers blooming from early summer till fall. This time of year however there’s one of my favorite, one of the tourists favorites, and one that is useful in more ways the one – it is the Fireweed.
Fireweed, they say, got it’s name because it’s one of the first plants to come back after a fire has burned through an area. I wonder if it also might have something to do with the fields of it that cover the open areas along hillsides and such on a big fireweed year. To see a whole mountainside covered purple could almost be mistaken for a fire for a moment.
Fireweed is an edible plant. In the early spring the new shoots are tender and make a great addition to green salads. They can also be cooked as you might with any greens. The leaves are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, they’re good for your digestive track, and have some good vitamin A and C along with other trace minerals. I have seen people make fermented tea out of the fireweed leaves as well.
The flowers bloom for quite some time as they start at the bottom of the flower cluster and move their way up over time, blooming for nearly a month from start to finish. Once they reach the top, the old wives tale says, that we have 6 weeks to the first hard frost. I’ve found that to be true for the most part.
My favorite use of the fireweed though is making jelly and syrup. Picking the flowers takes a little bit of time as you only want the actual flower, not the stem or anything behind the flower. It takes quite a lot of flowers for one batch of jelly as well. 8 cups of washed flowers to make about 5 of the 8 ounce jelly jars.
Fireweed is a great flower to pick for jelly as you can start picking it as soon as it starts blooming, make a batch, wait a week and then pick enough for another batch, wait a week, and continue until it’s topped out.
The other nice thing about picking fireweed is how tall it is. As you can see in the picture with my greenhouse, it’s tall enough you can stand upright to pick, so there’s no stooping down or squatting like when you pick berries. So, while it might take a while to pick, it’s easier on your body.
Fireweed Jelly and syrup has a mild, floral flavor that’s perfect for toast, waffles, pancakes, and even ice cream. Fireweed ice cream is one of the most popular flavors in the summer at any ice cream shop in Alaska.
This week I will be picking fireweed with the young women group that I help with. Most of them have heard of, even tasted fireweed products, but have never made any of them themselves. They are very excited for Wednesday evening to come as am I because I need to replenish my fireweed jelly stock as well.
Featured Artwork:
Gentle Grace
Sometimes the paintings that teach us the most are the ones that begin with a little uncertainty. When I started Gentle Grace, I challenged myself to paint without first creating a detailed pencil drawing. Horses have always fascinated me, but I’ve also found them intimidating to paint because of their graceful form and proportions. Instead of relying on a sketch, I trusted the watercolor process, using soft, subtle colors to gradually build the horse through layers of light and shadow. By leaving the white of the paper untouched where the highlights belonged, the horse slowly seemed to appear with each brushstroke.
What surprised me most was how naturally the painting came together. Before I realized it, Gentle Grace was finished—and it had become one of those pieces that reminded me that growth often begins just outside our comfort zone. I hope this watercolor horse brings the same sense of peace, confidence, and quiet beauty into your home as it brought to me while painting it. Visit the shop to explore Gentle Grace, available as fine art prints, note cards, a canvas tote bag, a magnetic notepad, and a 20 oz water bottle.
Leave a Reply