Seasonal Notes

Seasonal Notes is the Hilltop Botanicals journal — a quiet record of the changing landscape, botanical observations, and the small crafts that shape the studio.

Entries may include notes on seasonal plants, tea releases, honey infusions, and the botanical studies that emerge from the Hilltop garden and surrounding countryside.

These notes follow the rhythm of the seasons and the plants that define them.

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Latest Notes

Featured
How to Brew Loose-Leaf Herbal Tea: A Simple Guide From Scoop to Sip
How to Brew Loose-Leaf Herbal Tea: A Simple Guide From Scoop to Sip

Loose-leaf herbal tea does not have to be complicated. From choosing the right amount of tea to knowing when your cup has steeped long enough, here is a simple guide to making a better cup and learning to trust your own taste along the way.

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A Little Honey with Your Tea: A September Ritual From Garden to Cup
A Little Honey with Your Tea: A September Ritual From Garden to Cup

September is National Honey Month, but here at Hilltop, honey has always felt less like a celebration for one month and more like another connection between the garden and the cup. From local raw honey to botanical infusions and loose-leaf tea, here are a few simple ways we're enjoying the pairing as summer begins giving way to fall.

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The September Garden: What to Harvest, Preserve & Plant Now in Kentucky
The September Garden: What to Harvest, Preserve & Plant Now in Kentucky

September doesn't ask us to choose between summer and fall. The garden is still producing herbs, flowers and vegetables worth gathering while cooler days invite us to plant again. Here's what's happening in the Hilltop garden as one season begins making room for another.

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The Garden Between Seasons: What We're Harvesting, Drying & Planting in Late August
The Garden Between Seasons: What We're Harvesting, Drying & Planting in Late August

Late August is not quite summer and not quite autumn. In the Hilltop garden, herbs are still being gathered and dried while empty spaces begin making room for cool-season planting. Come along for a quiet look at what this in-between season means in a Kentucky garden—and a few simple ways to preserve a little of it for later.

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Which Loose Leaf Tea Is Right for You? A Guide to Finding Your Hilltop Blend
Which Loose Leaf Tea Is Right for You? A Guide to Finding Your Hilltop Blend

Floral, minty, garden-herbal, fruity, or rich and warming? Discover the five Hilltop Botanicals Core Collection blends and learn how to choose a loose leaf tea based on the flavors you already love.

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Inside The Herbal Recipe Book: 6 Garden-Inspired Recipes to Try This Season
Inside The Herbal Recipe Book: 6 Garden-Inspired Recipes to Try This Season

Step inside the new Hilltop Botanicals Herbal Recipe Book and discover six seasonal recipes for botanical syrup, infused honey, herbal sugar, finishing salt, and tea.

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Notes by Season

The Hilltop landscape changes constantly throughout the year.

Some journal entries are grouped by season to follow the plants, blossoms, and botanical observations that define each part of the growing cycle.

Spring
Close-up of pink blossoms on a tree branch with bees collecting nectar.
Summer
Wild daisies illuminated by sunlight in a natural setting during golden hour.
Autumn
Close-up of a cluster of white mushrooms growing on a fallen tree branch in a forest setting.
Winter
Close-up of frost-covered red berries on a branch with a blurred snowy background.
Close-up of a passionflower with purple and white frilled petals and a unique green and yellow central structure, surrounded by green leaves.

Botanical Observations

Many journal entries begin with simple observation.

A tendril curling along a garden trellis.
A bee resting on a blossom.
An herb drying slowly on the kitchen table.

These small moments often become the starting point for tea blends, honey infusions, and botanical studies released through Hilltop Botanicals.

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From the Hilltop Studio

Seasonal Notes also shares small glimpses from the Hilltop Botanicals studio.

Blending tea.
Infusing honey.
Preparing botanical studies.
Drying herbs gathered from the garden.

These quiet studio practices connect the landscape to the objects that eventually appear in the Hilltop collections.

From the Studio
A glass jar tipped over on a wooden surface, with dried colorful wildflowers spilling out.
People shopping at Owensboro Regional Farmers Market with a large white tent and floral display in the foreground.

The Farmer’s Market

Many visitors first encounter Hilltop Botanicals at the Owensboro Regional Farmers Market.

Seasonal Notes occasionally share small stories from the market — conversations with visitors, seasonal harvests, and the simple joy of sharing tea and honey directly with the community.

The market brings together growers, beekeepers, bakers, and artisans who produce food and handmade goods throughout the region.

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Read the Journal

Ingredient Education, Hilltop Journal, Seasonal Living, Botanical Observations, Tea Guides, Tea Rituals Heather Doucette Ingredient Education, Hilltop Journal, Seasonal Living, Botanical Observations, Tea Guides, Tea Rituals Heather Doucette

Welcome to the Hilltop Tea Guide

Discover the Hilltop Tea Guide, a free introduction to loose leaf tea. Learn how to brew tea, explore our signature blends, subscribe to our newsletter, and continue your tea journey through seasonal journal articles.

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