Getting to Know the Valerian Plant
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is on the other end of the fragrance spectrum. Although some people like the smell of the valerian plant (I’m one of them), many say that it reminds them of “dirty sweat socks.” Dioscorides and Galen must have felt the same way, since they referred to valerian as “Phu.” Other common names for valerian include: garden…
The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer
It comes as no surprise that a fascination with plants was the driving force behind many an herbalist’s chosen path. And while herbalism has many expressions, a strong connection with plants and access to high quality herbs is of paramount importance to all herbalists. For some, the desire to get their hands in the soil…
The Herb Safety Continuum Scale: A Guide to Herbal Safety Use
Herbal safety is an important consideration when it comes to determining which herbs to use, and it’s important to thoroughly research the safety concerns of an herb or any contraindications in reputable herbal sources. You can use the herbal safety continuum scale to help determine and visualize where an herb lies on the safety spectrum….
Homemade All-Purpose Seasoning
Familiar kitchen herbs are a sure bet when it comes to adding flavor and zest to any food preparation, but what about the more bitter wild or cultivated medicinal herbs that also help build immunity and act as antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory agents, just to mention a few of their actions? How do we get…
One Herb at a Time: 7 Ways to Inspire Your Herbal Studies
When you begin your herbal studies, the sheer number of herbs you encounter can be intimidating. While it’s useful to learn about herbs as the need arises to solve everyday health issues, one of the best ways to approach herbalism is by studying under teachers who can walk with you step-by-step on the first part of your…
Stress Management for Parents: 3 Ways To Deeply Care For Yourself
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others. Anytime we can listen to the true self and give it the care it requires, we do not only for ourselves but for the many others…
Two Nasturtium Recipes for Summer
As spring turns to summer, gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with beautiful options. In my own garden, the nasturtiums are thriving, and I have been using them in a variety of ways. Nasturtium’s edible leaves and blossoms are high in vitamin C and exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. These benefits make nasturtiums a worthwhile…
Herbarium Project for Children
An herbarium is a collection of dried plants that botanists use for studying, identifying, and classifying plants. Making an herbarium is a great way for kids and their parents to learn about botany and the plants used in herbalism. An herbarium will help you and your child get to know what plants look like, along with…
Can Reiki Support Us? An Alternative Approach in America
The United States has become a place where people are quick to pop a pill for everything that ails them. There seems to be a pill for every imaginable (and unimaginable) ailment or ache. According to a recent Mayo Clinic study, more than 70 percent of Americans take some sort of prescription drug, with 20…
3 Old-Timey Herb Books You Can Read Online
Herbalism is seeing a revival in our times, but there is still much we can learn from herbalists who came before us. The history of herbalism goes far, far back into time with the first known reference to medicinal herbs found on clay tablets of the ancient Sumerians. Many old herbal manuscripts are preserved in libraries…
Must Haves for Your Family First Aid Kit
Every parent knows the drill – you are out on a hike or playing at the park when your child takes a tumble and is injured. Caught unprepared, you may have no easy way to clean up and comfort your child. A travel-size family first aid kit can come to the rescue when dealing with…
The Grass Isn’t Greener: Inviting Bees Into Your Yard
For bees and beekeepers, the sight of closely-cropped lawns bordered with rows of non-blooming shrubbery will never garner any votes for, “Yard of the Month.” Gone are the days when these boring patches of green are considered fashionable. Rather, we favor the yard dotted with bright, yellow dandelions and a variety of blooming native plants….
10 Elderflower Recipes and Uses
The elegant elderflower – if you’ve been noticing large, creamy blossoms on forest edges, then you’re probably seeing the flower of the elder. In this post, we are sharing an assortment of elderflower recipes to try yourself. Like us, we hope you find the flower an alluring early-summer resource! It seems appropriate that the elder is…
Harvesting and Using Elderflowers + An Elderflower Fritter Recipe
As lovely as elderberries are, elderflowers are a wonder in their own right. Familiarize yourself with the elderflower and its properties. Using elderflowers may just be the highlight of your summer! All About Elder For purposes of this article, I am referring to Sambucus nigra (European) and Sambucus canadensis (North American). An elderberry bush or…
Heal Local: 20 Essential Herbs for DIY Home Healthcare
Don’t miss our Heal Local book giveaway! See details at the end of the post! It was just a matter of time before the popularity of the local food movement expanded its influence to herbal medicine. Just like food, locally sourced herbal medicine brings something to the table – or the medicine cabinet, in this…
Natural Allergy Support: Nasal Rinses, Eyewashes & Herbal Steams
Natural allergy support is something that many of us seek, often with desperation during the spring and summer months. I had the worst allergies imaginable during both of my pregnancies—it was so bad that people would stop and stare at me, often with sympathy and sometimes with alarm. Going outside for as little as 5…
What is a Materia Medica?
Every field of study employs its own language, words, and phrases that become an integral part of engaging with the discipline. In herbalism, one such phrase is “materia medica,” which comes from Latin and literally means “healing materials.” More specifically, a materia medica is a body of knowledge that describes how plants have been used therapeutically throughout the…
6 Natural Ways to Ease Poison Ivy Rashes
Sooner or later, many of us will encounter poison ivy, oak, or sumac. Whether you are foraging, gardening, hiking, or just enjoying the warm sunny days, there is a good chance you will see one of these plants. Fortunately, there are several natural wellness options that can help offer you some support in case you…
Summertime Foot Care Tips For Kids (+ 3 Recipes)
As a kid, I believed it was officially summer when I no longer had to wear shoes. Injuries may have been par for the course, but a stubbed toe or a splinter meant I was out enjoying nature, right down to my bare feet, usually while running as fast as I could! As I learned then, summertime–with…
The Limits of Herbalism
Herbs have limits, too. For all the amazing ways that herbs can enrich our lives and help us heal, there are still things for which they should not be relied upon. But that’s not all – there are also legal considerations and limits that herbalists need to know. By approaching herbs with awareness of our limits…
Herbal Allies for Families During Allergy Season
Springtime brings the waking of green things from the Earth. The air is fresh and wild, and we feel called to the out-of-doors, to nature. Yet for some of us warmer weather is also the harbinger of, well, misery. If you suffer from seasonal allergies or someone in your family does, you know that the…
12 Nettle Recipes To Add To Your Cookbook
It is spring, and to many of us that means time to watch for the nettle. Long ago, our ancestors also watched for the first greens of spring after a hard winter with nutritional foods in short supply. As soon as they were able, they harvested nettle and incorporated its revitalizing nutrition into their diets. Nutritionally, nettle is one of nature’s…
Stinging Nettle Plant: A Spring Favorite
Many herbalists can hardly wait for spring to nourish their bodies naturally with fresh greens from the earth. Much like our ancestors, we harvest (learn how) the highly nutritious nettle, incorporate it into our diets, and dry enough to get us to next spring. Nettle (Urtica dioica) has fulfilled many needs for humans in the past. It has…
How to Make a Delicious Dewberry Syrup
Each spring, one of nature’s gifts appears in the form of dewberries. Sometimes considered a weed by those unfamiliar with their benefits, dewberries grow on low, trailing brambles along fences, in woodlands, near roadways, and in other undisturbed areas. The vines are covered with small thorns, which can make it tricky to harvest dewberries. Forage…
Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens with Fresh Eggs Daily
I’ll just say this up front: if I were a chicken, I’d want to be a chicken in Lisa Steele’s flock. Fortunately for the backyard chickens of the world, in her book Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally the author shares her unique approach to the care and tending of chickens so we all can…
The Importance of Finding an Herb Mentor
Community is an important aspect of herbalism. Herbalism is all about relationships, after all – the relationships we have with each other and with health as well as the relationships we have with plants. One of the most special relationships within herbalism, though, is the relationship between herb mentor and student. Most herbalists eventually find some…
Lemon Balm Lavender Scones
Today is a drip-droppy rainy Spring day here in Colorado. It has been raining for days which is strange for our little community. All this quiet persistent rain is bringing the world alive with vibrant greens of every shade. Dwelling in our yard is a luscious patch of fragrant lemon balm which showing it’s colors…
Plant A Magical Living Fort For Kids
A lush living fort covered in lovely plants creates a wonderful hideaway for children. It makes the perfect shady spot to spend a summer afternoon immersed in imagination or simply reading a good book. For a child, there isn’t anything that is much more fun than hanging out in a fort. A living fort is…
Growing Herbs in Unlikely Locations
When you picture herb gardens, you might think of luscious outdoor spaces that are filled with exotic fragrances, beautiful colors, and paths to wander leisurely from one area to another. For the vast majority of herb growers, however, this scenario simply isn’t possible. Most gardeners grow herbs because they believe in their natural health benefits,…
What to Do With an Herbal Education
There are many reasons to seek an herbal education, ranging from a desire to become a clinical herbalist to something more informal such as helping family and friends. Simply falling in love with herbs is also a perfectly valid reason! Regardless of the initial reasons that set us on this journey, an herbal education can…
