Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
1. Make An Infusion. Take 30 grams of dried herb or 75 grams of fresh herb and add to 500 ml of boiled water. This is just like making a cup of tea. Let the infusion steep for fifteen minutes. Strain and drink. Drink this tea to calm your nervous system and anxiety. CAUTION: Some people become sensitive to sunlight after drinking the tea for extended periods of time.
2. Make a herbal wash. Much the same as the above infusion but left to cool and applied topically. Use the infusion to bathe wounds, skin sores and bruises.
3. Make a tincture. Fill a clean glass jar with St. John’s Wort flowers. Add vodka to the top of the jar. Store in a cool, dark place for six weeks. Strain and fill into amber tincture bottles to soothe depression and anxiety. A standard daily dose of tincture is 5ml three times a day. When trying a new tincture for the first time go slowly. Take a week to reach the three doses a day. Again, this may cause sensitivity to sunlight. Listen to your body!
4. Make an Infused Oil. Fill a clean glass jar with St. John’s Wort flowers. Add cold pressed virgin olive oil to the top of the jar. Set jar in a sunny window for four to six weeks. Strain and pour into a bottle with a flip top. Apply to burns and muscle or joint inflammations including tennis elbow and sciatica.
Do not replace orthodox medicine with herbs without consulting your practioner.
Friday, June 19th, 2009
1. Rose water makes a great facial toner. After cleansing your face, spray and wipe clean with a cosmetic pad.
2. For those of you who like to iron, spritz pillow cases and sheets with rose water before pressing.
3. The rose is known as the flower of love. Wrap this up as a gift and give to someone you care about.
4. Roses are cooling. Keep a small bottle of rose water in your car or purse for hot days to cool you off.
5. Add some rose water to a tepid, cool bath to cool you down.
Enjoy and thank you sweet rose for all your help!!!
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
You will need a clean jar (we use mason jars), distilled water, witch hazel and rose petals. We use petals from the wild Rugosa Rosa or Apothecary rose petals. It’s the old fashioned rose petals you must use, not hybrid roses.
This is the rose water we make that is used in our Rosemary Face Cream and Rosemary Body Lotion.
Be sure to refer to our Herbalist’s Golden Rules to know when is the correct time of day to do your picking.
Fill your glass jar two thirds full with witch hazel (available at your pharmacy). Fill the last third with distilled water. Pick your rose petals daily and continue to add them to your solution until it is full. Keep this jar away from bright light. After the jar is full, store in a cool dark place for six weeks. Strain the solution into a clean spritz bottle and voila!!!
5 Things You Can Do with Your Rose Water
1. This makes a great facial toner. After cleansing your face, spray and wipe clean with a cosmetic pad.
2. For those of you who like to iron, spritz pillow cases and sheets before pressing.
3. The rose is known as the flower of love. Wrap this up as a gift and give to someone you care about.
4. Roses are cooling. Keep a small bottle in your car or purse for hot days to cool you off.
5. Add some of this to a tepid, cool bath to cool you down.
Thanks for stabbing so may times as I pruned you this spring Happy to know I had some healing salve to save my unprotected arms, what was I thinking????
Thanks Miss rose for all of your love and class. But I must say I prefer you in your old world form.
Monday, May 25th, 2009
Have you ever wondered how to use Stinging Nettle?
Here are 6 suggestions:
- Pound bruised fresh nettle leaves with salt and apply three times daily will help those with external ulcers, boils, abscesses and infected splinters.
- Powdered nettle leaves applied to razor and glass cuts and nosebleeds will staunch bleeding.
- Make a hair rinse from infusing fresh plant material in a cup of hot water. Let steep and cool. Strain the infusion and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. This will help balance over-oily scalps.
- Those with hemorrhoids will respond to the above infusion (minus vinegar) in a sitz bath form.
- As a tonic for adrenals and kidneys, try a cup of the infusion daily for six weeks and then three of four cups a week after that.
- In the spring, sautee leaves and eat like spinach, or add to rice or omelets.
Be Careful When Harvesting Nettles!!!!!
These plants are not called stinging nettles for nothing. They can really hurt. Be sure to wear your gardening gloves while harvesting. Nettles “sting” because of histamine and formic acid in the hairs that trigger the familiar allergic response.
Last night I harvested my nettle. Even with gloves on, she usually gets a piece of me. This time I asked her for permission first before harvesting. I know it sounds crazy but she was very nice and did not sting me!!! I thanked her for my bounty.
Always remember the Herbalist Golden Rules – 5 tips to help you harvest herbs.
Friday, May 15th, 2009
Dandelion recipes – taraxacum officinale (flower of survival)
- The flowers make a dandy wine, fritters and seasoning.
- The root can be steamed, broiled and roasted as a coffee substitue.
- Steep one cup of blossoms in two cups of boiling water for two hours. Strain and use a refreshing face wash.
- Add spring leaves (before flowers appear) to your salad as a cleansing remedy.
- Apply white juice from dandelion stem daily to cure warts. (Haven’t tried this myself but have read this several times).
- Saute the leaves in olive oil and garlic – Italian style!
Monday, May 4th, 2009
Wild violet recipes – viola odorata
- Include violet leaves and flowers in your spring salads to aid digestion.
- Steep 2 cups of leaves and flowers in one litre of boiling water overnight and drink the next day. This infusion will ease a nagging cough and soothe internal mucous surfaces.
- Apply chopped leaves mixed with honey to boils and acne.
- Drink two or more cups of leaf infusion to ease monthly breast swelling and fibrocystic complaints.
- Use violet poultices in addition if there is pain or swelling in breast tissue.
- Violet is a really COOL plant. Drink it to cool you down and reduce fevers.
As you harvest, be sure to thank Miss Violet for all her help.
Happy Spring!
