A field of Queen Anne's Lace

Not sure if there is a more beautiful sight than a blooming field of Queen Anne's Lace flowers. It is truly a picture to behold. There are of course many rivaling sights to be seen on God's beautiful planet, but it is one of those marvels. Fortunately you can see this pretty plant bloom almost everywhere, as it has often been considered an invasive weed. Perhaps it seems that way, before the flowers bloom.  I know I am often tempted to weed them out of my garden beds, but I hold off. I wait- because I know when the blooms come it will be worth the vision. 

My pic- Northport ME 2020

Note the red center. My pic- Northport ME

 Gorgeous! Isn't it? The best time of year to witness these blooms is the end of July into August, and they bloom rather long before turning to seed. So you can't really miss it. The story behind the name of this plant is that  "Queen Anne of England (who died in 1714) pricking her finger—drawing a drop of blood—while sewing lace." (https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/herb-to-know-queen-annes-lace) 

If you look closely at some of my pictures below you will see the little red dot (dark red) in the center of some of the flowers. I love the name. I love the story. I love the unique red center of this plant. The uses of Queen Anne's Lace are also quite extraordinary. The modern day carrot is derived from this plant. If you dig up the roots, they are not as pretty and "carrot-shaped," but they definitely smell of carrot. You can wash the roots and chew them. They are a little tough, but the flavor is unique. Or you can wash and dry and boil in a decoction. 

To decoct the roots. You will want to use one, 2-3 inch root per cup of water. Place the clean roots in a pot for boiling/ simmering. Cover with the appropriate amount of water. Turn the heat to a medium temperature, and bring to a low boil/ simmer. Continue to "cook" the roots for 30 minutes, while you have a lid on the pan. When the time has elapsed, remove from heat and let sit for another hour. You can then drink hot- and store the rest in the refrigerator for probably a week before it would spoil.

The decoction of wild carrot is known to help with low energy in the gall bladder, and kidneys. It reinvigorates these organs bringing about a cleansing effect to the system. I recommend drinking the decoction with just the Queen Anne's Lace first. Anytime trying a new herb. I do not recommend combining with other plants. You want to get a real feel, and taste for the herb by itself before mixing in other herbs. Companion plant you may want to blend with Queen Anne's Lace are fennel seeds, a touch of lavender, and a bit of chamomile. I like to mix more earthy tasting plants with floral flavors. 
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There is some interesting history about the use of wild carrot seeds as a natural contraceptive. I am not going to go into the details on how to accomplish this, but will share my own personal trial with this herb, in this way. You can read more on this here (https://herbalisl.blogspot.com/2009/11/queen-annes-lace-conscious-choice-for.html). I would recommend cross referencing a few sources before attempting this method. For me personally I do not believe in taking any "drug" or hormone related birth control substance. I also do not believe in getting "fixed" and changing the body through surgery, unless there is an absolute need or emergency. I believe in doing things naturally. I also believe in a God that provides natural solutions- if we look for them.

Our Father has given us a monthly cycle with a natural rhythm that we can follow with practice and experience. There is a window of days when we as women are most fertile, and very likely to get pregnant. Thankfully it is a window, because it does allow us some choice over our bodies. To me the choice is something you think about before coming together with your spouse. The choice to end another life is not a choice that is a definite destruction of life begun.

Besides the natural rhythm method also called Natural Family planning, there are herbs that have been used for thousands of years by herbalist to aid the body in pregnancy, child birth, nursing, post partum, pre-pregnancy and even to discourage pregnancy. I believe that wild carrot seed can be a blessing for a mother who is in need of some personal healing time for herself. Although I believe in big families, having many children in a row can be very hard on the mother. 

I have collected the seeds in volume in the fall when the heads turn brown. You can just cut them off. Now the first year I did this, I dried the seeds in the umbral. I would not suggest doing this. I plan on collecting this year, and will shake the seeds loose onto trays and then dry further in paper bags. You will need to collect a lot of seeds- because they are tiny, and I believe when drinking as a tea, you will want a teaspoon at a time- so yes that is a lot of seed collection!

Thankfully Queen Anne's Lace grows so abundantly it will be no trial to collect enough flower heads for the seeds. Just remember to collect from areas that are healthy, and not in roadside drainage. If you have access to a field- that is the best place for your collection. During times of intimacy- when I know that I have been close to my fertility time, I will drink the wild carrot tea for a few days. I enjoy the taste quite immensely, and I know that I am benefitting my kidneys and gall bladder as all herbs have many functions, many purposes. That purpose could just be to provide some beauty and joy to what may be a dismal day. 

I was on vacation when I took these pictures. Feeling very sad at the recent loss of my dad. The one morning I had decided that that was enough mourning (for now). I need to dwell on the positives. I woke up and watched the sun rise, and then went down to the field of Queen Anne's Lace growing outside my window. I picked a bouquet of the flowers and placed them on the table with Bee balm and Golden rod. Just the act of picking a bouquet is enough to turn around a sad mood. Would love to hear your experiences with this plant below. Thank you for reading this through. 😊

​**Update- I recently came across an article about Queen Anne's Lace by the HappyDIYHome website. It is an exceptionally thorough and well researched article on Queen Anne's Lace, and you will find a lot more information including habitat, growing patterns, and also some look-a-like information as Queen Anne's Lace should not be mistaken with Poison Hemlock. Check out their article!
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My pic- Northport ME

Northport ME