This is how we live and work here in Upmaļi – in harmony with nature and its rhythms.
Each season becomes a part of our story.
Spring
Spring begins with new birdhouses and tree planting. Rhodiola rosea - Golden root starts to bloom – a new work cycle has begun. In the Upmaļi greenhouses, young seedlings awaken. In our wild meadows and forests, birds build nests, and the calls of cranes and swans can be heard even at night. We plough, sow, plant, and weed. So much work! A lot!
Summer
By the summer solstice, everything must be sown, planted, and weeded. That’s the tradition of the people of Kurzeme. Hawthorns and elderflowers are in bloom – the perfect time to start making tinctures. When wild meadows begin to bloom with red clover and bedstraw, the true magic of nature arrives – the Summer Solstice. With herb gathering, wreath weaving, bonfires, and singing until dawn. Summer is in full bloom. The scents of roses, mint, and dragonhead fill the gardens, and the sun follows us in our work from early morning until evening. Beautiful! We wouldn’t give it up for anything!
Autumn
The first autumn frosts begin, but marigolds and roses still bloom in the gardens… It’s time to dig, wash, and dry the golden roots – a job for the whole family. Some roots will be used for teas, but most will become Rhodiola rosea tincture. A sweet smell comes from the drying room – apple, cherry, and raspberry leaves are fermenting. It’s time to start making herbal teas. A lot of work. On frosty mornings, our hands freeze in the fields. Cranes and swans fly away,but at night, in the forests, the roaring of stag bulls echoes.
Winter
No rest! Teas are being made. The whole packaging room is filled with aroma. Bottling tinctures is a particularly delicate task — the herbs must be removed, pressed, filtered, and the finished tincture poured into small bottles. This is also a time for learning – to produce herbal medicine products, one must stay informed about the latest research and the insights of phytotherapists.
The golden root fields and fruit orchards sleep under the white snow cover.
And so, a year has passed.We await the spring!