The solstice herb is up

St. John's Wort opens around the longest day — the one week to gather it if you mean to make anything.

The yellow stars of St. John's Wort arrive right on cue at midsummer, and the flowers carry their pigment for only a narrow window. If you want a tincture or an infused oil, this is the week to prepare: pick a dry, sunny morning, take the top flowering clusters and buds, and look for the blood-red stain on your fingers that tells you the herb is ready. Everywhere else the field is at full tilt — keep cutting the roses, which will not be better than they are now, and get the biennials sown for next year while the soil is warm.