Sweet Violet

Violet Flowers & Leaves

I picked a bowl of violets and their leaves a couple of days ago.  I'd pick more, but it's been raining.


Did you know that violets are useful herbs?  They are!  They've been used infused in oil and as a tea for centuries, and are even known as an herb that inspires courage, which is rather interesting, since it was thought to help a person sleep.  Ah, the dichotomies of life!


Assigned as a cure in the past for respiratory illnesses, it was taken as a tea or oil.  It was used to fight insomnia and as a laxative, and contains an aspirin-like property.


Considering how prolific violet is, it's no wonder people used them extensively in the past; and yet, they are rarely used today. A pity, methinks.


It seems unfortunate to me that the violet's scent is so fleeting.  If I pick a handful of flowers and take a sniff, I catch a momentary fragrance that never fails to delight.  It's a light, refreshing floral, to my mind.  I would be a very happy camper if I could bottle that scent!


You might be wondering what I plan on using mine for.  First, I make a batch of Violet Eye Cream every year.  I love how it smells and how it makes the skin around my eyes feel moisturized and appear non-baggy.


For the last two years, I've made violet syrup.  Yum!  I wish I could think of more things to use it on, but alas, only ice cream for now.


This year, it's the eye cream, for sure.  Then, assuming I can harvest more before their short season ends, I will make tea and try it in lemonade.  One of my Facebook friends suggested that, so I hope I get the opportunity to experiment.  Since I can dry it, I can create at my leisure--even though uttering the word, "leisure," makes me laugh!


If you're in a region where violets are blooming, go ahead and pick them, provided they are subjected to pesticides and herbicides or vehicle exhaust.  Make a tea and allow yourself to sit and enjoy one of the plants that God gave us.

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Not on my site, but also available:

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