Calendula Uses: Our 14 Favorite Recipes
There are many, many uses for calendula! Calendula is perhaps most commonly known as a first aid support for cuts and wounds. It’s also used internally as an antimicrobial to help the body resist pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Having anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, astringent, and vulnerary properties, calendula is also a good herb…
7 Reasons Herbs May Not Work
Many times people new to herbs get excited about learning and using herbs. I know I sure did. They go out and buy all kinds of books. They stock up on a lot of dried herbs, bottles, and preparation utensils. They have their cabinets, refrigerator, and closets full of the things they’re making and trying. They’re…
What do you know about Tree Medicine?
Trees are a critical member of ecosystems, providing habitat, stabilizing soil, moderating climate, and filtering air. They produce our most basic need — oxygen — and also provide shade, lumber, and food in the form of nuts, berries, and sap. Most often, we appreciate trees for their beauty, shade on a hot summer’s day, or…
Elderberry Calendula Cold and Flu Elixir
Herbalists need to be good at multi-tasking and planning, like a juggler with three or four balls in the air. Late summer is a good example, when I am simultaneously picking the calendula flower heads daily and setting them to dry, planting another round of cilantro, wildcrafting the last of the mugwort before it goes…
Maca-Roons Recipe
Maca’s nutritional profile reveals it is rich in copper, vitamin C, and potassium as well as trace elements like iodine, iron, and zinc, fatty acids, and amino acids. Maca has a mild butterscotch flavor and can be added to smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and other foods as a nutritional supplement. If you are looking at adding…
Health Benefits of Goldenrod (+ Tea Recipe)
You know it’s late summer when you see the beautiful and stately goldenrod plant gracing our yards, meadows, and waste spaces. It mixes in so beautifully with Joe-Pye weed, queen Anne’s lace, and loostrife. I am among the many who grew up thinking goldenrod was ragweed (learn about their differences here) and responsible for the late…
10 Awesome Uses For Aloe Vera
It’s late in summer, and with the heat bearing down upon us, most of us Americans are dreaming of the impending fall that is just around the corner. At the beginning of the summer, my back patio started with only one aloe plant, but now, over the course of three months, it has transformed into…
How Much Do You Know About Popular Herbs?
Almost everyone has heard of them, the popular herbs promoted in mainstream press and hyped by marketers. But every “herb du jour” has a fascinating story that just may surprise you! If you’re interested in learning more than just hype, rooting and sprouting herbalists herbalists can start their journey in the Online Introductory Herbal Course,…
Zucchini Summer Squash Chocolate Chip Muffins
The winding down of summer correlates to one thing. No, not fall—yet. We’re talking about the overflow of fresh summer produce coming out of every local farm! Tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, onions, strawberries….you know it, and it’s probably in abundance right now at the nearest CSA or farmer’s market. Or maybe even your own garden….
Goldenrod vs. Ragweed: They’re NOT the Same Plant!
Many of us who suffer from hay fever—allergic rhinitis—typically associate this annoying affliction with the spring. And yet, the late summer and early fall yields abundant amounts of ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya), a plant that possibly creates the most allergic reactions of any of the flora that grows throughout the country. This parade of sneezing and…
