Le Cercle de l'Ombelle · Moon 7 out of 12
July — High summer
Summer · 11 references pickeds this moon · mowing the tall grasses
First movement
The harvest
The essentials at a glance
High summer · Summer
11 references pickeds this moon, of which 2 contain caffeine.
Mowing the tall grasses.
July is the moon of grasses and tall herbs. Lemongrass is at its peak, forming tall clumps that are mown by the armful; caraway ripens its first seeds; mints and lemon balms yield their second cut of the season. It is the moon most generous in fresh leaves, when the herbalist's workshop is fragrant from floor to ceiling. Mowing begins early, before the fierce afternoon heat that would spoil the essential oils, then the herbs are dried in the shade, in hanging bunches or on racks. High summer is a season of green abundance: everything grows fast, everything gives plenty, and one must work quickly so as to lose nothing. July rewards the nimble hand and the eye that can recognise, by colour and scent, the leaf picked on the right day. It is a moon of happy labour, when the green year reaches its peak before turning, in August, towards the seed.
The July full moon lights the great mowings: tall lemongrass, mint in its second cut. Like the sea, the sap is said to have its tides; lunar gardeners mow under a waning moon whatever must dry, convinced that the herb then gives up its water more readily. Science debates it, practice endures: what matters is to mow early, before the sun disperses the essences of the night.
Second movement
The moon lesson
This moon harvests 3 plants ; here are their botanical profiles and their rituals.
Lemongrass
Cymbopogon · Poaceae
In July, lemongrass is at its peak, and one discovers that it is mown like fodder. This tropical grass forms dense clumps a metre or more tall, with long, cutting leaves that must be handled with care: their edges are as sharp as paper. It is harvested with a scythe or billhook, a few centimetres above the ground, and the stump regrows at once, allowing several cuts in the same year. Stems and leaves are then chopped into sections and dried in the shade to preserve their essential oil. Once dried, lemongrass does not lose its flavour: on the contrary, it concentrates its scent of lime. Its clear, thirst-quenching cup can be enjoyed hot or iced, without the slightest acidity.
Caraway
Carum carvi · Apiaceae
Caraway is an umbellifer of the Apiaceae family, that of fennel, anise and carrot, harvested not for its leaf but for its seed, fully ripe in summer. Its white umbels bear small, elongated, ridged fruits that are left to dry before threshing. It is often mistaken by eye for cumin, whose silhouette it shares; but their tastes have nothing in common, caraway being distinctly more aniseed, fresher and gentler. It is one of the oldest spices used in Europe, found in the breads and cheeses of the north of the continent. As an infusion, its crushed seed gives a warm, fragrant cup with aniseed and lightly lemony notes.
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita · Lamiaceae
Peppermint is not a wild species but a natural hybrid, born of a spontaneous cross between water mint and spearmint. Sterile, it reproduces only from cuttings: every plant in the world descends, one generation after another, from the same plants identified in England in the 17th century. Of all the mints, it is the richest in menthol, the molecule that gives an intense sensation of cold in the mouth. It is harvested before flowering, when its leaves are most laden with essential oil, then dried in the shade. As an infusion, it gives a bright, powerful and refreshing cup, the most intense of all the mints, far beyond the gentleness of spearmint.
Third movement
Tasting at home
The Moon Basket of July
Lemongrass
Fraîcheur Glacée Menthe Stévia Bio
100°C · 7-10 min · 12-15 g/L
Lemongrass, mint, apple, hibiscus, blackberry leaves, rosehip and pineapple make up this organic infusion designed for cold brewing, with stevia sweetening the carafe in advance. The dry blend, green and red flecked with gold, smells of a mojito without the rum; the rosy liquor combines minty freshness, hibiscus tartness and pineapple flesh over a clean plant sweetness that makes the sugar bowl unnecessary. Naturally caffeine-free with no added sugar, it is best prepared as an iced infusion, a few hours in the refrigerator, and becomes the house summer drink.
Herbes d'Or Tilleul Camomille Bio
100°C · 7-10 min · 12-15 g/L
The golden herbs of evening: linden, chamomile and lemon balm over lemongrass, with valerian and sage in the background, and anise and cinnamon as gentle spices. The dry blend, blond and flowery, smells of a late summer afternoon; the pale gold liquor marries the honey of linden with the apple of chamomile, the lemon of lemon balm brightening the cup. Naturally caffeine-free, this is the herbal infusion that gently ushers in the evening.
Caraway
Tisane Fenouil Camomille Carvi Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 12-15 g/L
Caraway is the signature of this blend of umbellifers: fennel and chamomile surround it, lemon balm and mint refresh it, liquorice softens it. The dry blend, blond and flecked with seeds, smells of anise and meadow; the golden liquor unfolds the rounded aniseed character of the caraway and fennel duo, the honey of chamomile, and a fine dandelion bitterness on the finish. Naturally caffeine-free, this is the round, serene cup for after dinner.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Jardin des Dix Herbes Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 12-15 g/L
Peppermint leads, in two forms, followed by fennel, anise, caraway, thyme, hop flowers, yarrow and cardamom: this organic herbal infusion composes a complete herb garden. The dry blend is a herbalist's inventory; the golden green liquor opens on minty freshness, rounds out with anise and fennel, lets thyme and yarrow lay down their drier aromatic notes, and hops their touch of noble bitterness. Naturally caffeine-free, generous and balanced despite the number of herbs, this is the evening infusion for lovers of lush gardens.
Peppermint & lemon balm
Maté Esprit Vert Citron Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 15-20 g/L
Lemon as the common thread: lemongrass, peel and verbena express it in turn, maté brings vigour, peppermint a breath of air. The dry blend, light green, smells of crushed zest; the golden green liquor unfolds continuous lemon, the vegetal notes of maté and nettle, ginger warming the background and menthol airing the finish. Invigorating, with maté and guarana, this is the clear mind of morning in a cup.
⚠ Precautions: Riche en caféine (plusieurs sources : maté, guarana, matcha, thé). À consommer avec modération, de préférence pas en soirée. Déconseillé aux enfants, aux femmes enceintes ou allaitantes et aux personnes sensibles à la caféine. Contient de l'herbe de blé : peut contenir des traces de gluten.
Feuilles de Mélisse Fraîche Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 15-20 g/L
Pure lemon balm, from organic farming, in leaves that release their uniquely gentle lemon scent when crushed, melissa, the Greek word for bee, gave it its name. The infusion offers a pale yellow-green liquor with a velvety lemon note, rounder and less acidic than verbena, with a herbaceous softness that makes it endlessly drinkable. It is one of the essential leaves of evening herbalism, alone or paired with lime blossom and chamomile in the house blends. Naturally caffeine-free.
A source of pleasure, not a medicine. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, undergoing medical treatment or have a medical condition, seek the advice of a healthcare professional.
The moon's ephemeral
A limited series, available for the duration of the harvest of july. When the moon passes, the ephemeral goes with it.
The Twelve Moons subscription
Every moon, twelve times a year, the harvest basket arrives at your door: 6 references, two per type, making 72 references over the year, the story of the picking and the ritual.
Subscribe to the Twelve MoonsFourth movement
All the moon harvests
The other references picked this moon, to record in your tasting notebook.
Paix Intérieure Mélisse Bio
Aurore de Menthe & Maté Bio
80°C · 5-10 min · 12-15 g/L
Mint opens this organic morning blend, followed by green maté, a touch of Sencha, nettle, honeybush and lemongrass. The dry leaf is a garden: crushed mint, green grass, lemon. The golden green liquor opens on a clean, clear-cut mintiness, which the maté extends with its invigorating bitterness and the honeybush softens with a subtle honeyed base. Caffeinated, lively and remarkably crisp, this is the wake-up cup for lovers of freshness, and a formidable iced infusion for summer.
Mille Mystères Framboisier Bio
Pleine Lune Moringa Bio
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Éclat d'Été Citronnelle Bio