Tying the Thyme

A harvested sprig of wild thyme... must never be left to wither flat upon a board. Carrying the trimmed shoot to the parlor fireplace, I unspooled a measured length of dark linen thread from a wooden bobbin. Resting the sprig against the warm oak mantel, I bound the woody base with three taut, overlapping coils, securing the tension with a disciplined knot. Not a single leaf suffered damage. Suspending the bundle upside down from an iron nail beneath the shelf, I stepped back to ensure sufficient clearance from the hearth drafts. Inversion forces the essential oils to concentrate at the tips. Proper curing... permits no shortcut.