A close friend of mine and I often exchange our own version of “Word of the Day”–words new to either of us, usually found through some academic reading or discourse. Oftentimes, though, I have no clue about the word she sends me, but she usually knows the word I send her. Clearly, she’s the smarter one, but I hold no bitterness toward her for her superior intellect…not really, anyway. Okay, maybe a little. Yes, I’m joking, of course, for in reality, I love challenging other people with fun trivia, especially in their area of expertise. I love learning new things, too. Fortunately for me, this friend has a knack for introducing new concepts or bits of information to old topics in my personal repertoire—new things about old things, if you will. I love it when that happens! If you’ve experienced a similar joy, then you know that learning never gets old.
Just recently, she brought up the subject of saffron and the research she’s been doing on this ancient herb. Yeah, yeah…what is there that I don’t already know? Ahh! But, there are new things, she assured me. After she shared a few teasers, I heartily agreed: There are always fascinating new things to learn! Maybe there will be new things for you as well. She’s promised to write an article about the very topic, and I’m so looking forward to learning more of what she’s discovered.
Next month (which is only a few days away, mind you), the 2026 Herb of the Year will be showcased, and another herbal duo, Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox, will do the honors of highlighting this colorful and very useful herb. Keep your eyes peeled for that post coming soon.
Lucky for us, each subsequent month delivers the new Herb of the Month post from our hard-working author, Maryann Readal. Yahoo for me! That’s eleven more opportunities this year to add information to my pea-brain, which always needs an influx of new data. Though I’ve been working with herbs for close to 30 years now, regular updates are certainly appreciated.
And there’s lots more to come. We’ve got herbal topics hailing from Texas to the Pacific Northwest; from North America to Europe; from the Middle East to Asia and everywhere in between. So, don’t stray too far, or you’ll miss all the good stuff. If you’re like my friend and me, the challenge of learning never gets old. Sharing what you’ve learned with your friends and fellow herbies doesn’t either.
Welcome to the New Year! I promise, there’s no one here that knows everything. You can’t possibly in one lifetime. I can promise you, though, that there are so many cool things in the herb world you’ve yet to discover. So, please join us this coming year as we soak up all of the knowledge and wisdom herbs have to offer.
If you’re interested in learning even more about herbs, stop by The Herb Society of America’s web site or check out the membership page where you’ll find the many benefits of becoming a member.