“Putting by isn’t only about pantries. It’s a whole way of moving through a year — noticing what’s abundant, and doing the quiet, unglamorous work of making sure it doesn’t just slip away when the season changes.”
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Learn how to make elderberry syrup at home with this simple, traditional folk-method recipe — plus what makes elderberry one of autumn’s most trusted allies for cold and flu season.
This week, we’re deep into putting-by season — the quiet, practical work of turning a harvest into medicine that lasts through winter. I walk through the full elderberry syrup process step by step (no fancy equipment, no precise measurements, just the old way of doing it), along with the plant’s constituents, energetics, and history — including its old European folklore as a guarded, protective tree, and its lesser-known American cousin growing right here in New England hedgerows.
Also in this episode: a look at tomorrow’s rare astrological lineup — Venus moving into Scorpio for an extended stay, and the year’s only New Moon in Virgo — and what both mean for anyone looking to start something new this season. Plus a few notes from my recent weekend at the Misty Meadows Women’s Herbal Conference in Thetford, Vermont, and an update from the land as I work on a water catchment project here at Thompson Street Farm.
In This Episode: Making Elderberry Syrup at Home
- How to make a traditional elderberry syrup, folk-method style
- Why elderberry works for cold and flu season — constituents, energetics, and a note on safety
- The folklore of the European elder tree, and the American elderberry growing wild in New England
- Venus enters Scorpio + the New Moon in Virgo: what tomorrow’s sky means for new beginnings
- Notes from the Misty Meadows Women’s Herbal Conference
As always, I’m not a physician, and nothing here replaces care from your own healthcare provider — especially if you’re on immune-modulating medication or managing an autoimmune condition.
Folk Method Elderberry Syrup FREE Recipe – CLICK HERE!
Photos from the conference — including the full moon campfire circle — are up on the website with this week’s post. You can also catch the full newsletter and this week’s YouTube companion piece for more on this season’s putting-by work.
Images from Misty Meadows Women’s Herbal Conference
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If you’d like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I’m building by hand.
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🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools
(affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work)
Herbs featured in this Show:
1. European Dried Elderberries
2. Stainless Steel Chinois Strainer with Stand and Wooden Pestle Set
3. 16 oz Wide Mouth Glass Mason Jars with Lids, 6 Pack for Canning
My favorite tea-making tools:
BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker,
Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar,
Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars
📚Bookstore – Brenda J. Sullivan Books
https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com
🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids
Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity.
My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey.
Inside you’ll find:
- Simple planting guidance
- Space for drawings, photos, and notes
- Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden)
Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants.
✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey.
🌿 Work With Me
🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open)
Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars.
My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening.
👉 Learn more here:
https://mailchi.mp/351efb18cd6b/one-on-one-consultations-landing-page
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🎶 Music Credits
A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story.
I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work.
🎼 Song: Planning – 320bit – September 5, 2021
🔗 https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
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The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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