What is Compost Tea? Plants Drink Tea, Too!
At the Herbal Academy, we believe in cultivating awareness of our interconnectedness with the living communities all around us. When we use the earth’s resources with wisdom and respect, all of us (plants, animals, humans) will live far more healthy and abundant lives. A key way we enjoy these gifts is by consuming herbs for…
How to Compost: Getting Started Guide
Spring is finally starting to show its face in our corner of the world, and Earth Day is just around the corner. What better time to talk about ways to keep our lovely planet healthy? It may seem impossible, but each of us can make a difference, in small or large ways. “Food makes up…
How to Make an Easy Red Clover Tea: Red Clover, Red Clover, Bring Good Health on Over
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a well-known “weed” introduced to North America by European colonists and is now commonly found in fields, roadsides, and in yards from May until September. This herbal perennial in the pea family (Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae) roots itself with a long taproot and rises up with a slender, hollow,…
Herbalists Are Academics
Herbalists are life-long learners. Our journey of knowledge never ceases, and we’re not afraid to put in the hard work that comes with that learning. The amount of research, preparation, and study that goes into herbal practice would astound many. Our numbers include doctors and scientists, teachers and farmers, students and parents, and many more…
Dandelion Root Oxymel Recipe
Dandelion can do all sorts of dandy things. This winter has seemed to hang on for dear life, despite the fact that we are now officially in spring. Particularly long winters can leave us all feeling a bit heavy. Whether it’s heavy eyes, sluggish movement, or heavy feelings, now is the time to wring it all…
Spring Books for Children and Parents
Yesterday, I took a walk for the first time since winter made its hesitant retreat, leaving only a few remnants behind. These remnants are shadows of a figure that used to loom large and heavy. I am fearless now as I walk, carefully stepping on the edges of ice patches that line the road so that the breaking ice makes a satisfying crackle under…
Easy Seed Starting Guide
Gardeners around the nation are chomping at the bit to get some dirt under their fingernails. Gardening is one of the top hobbies in the nation. In fact, almost 50% of the population gardens in one shape, way, or form. And the hobby shows no sign of slowing down. In the past year, edible gardening…
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner (9 DIY Natural Cleaners)
Spring cleaning is finally upon us. Now is the time that we’ll purge our garages of unwanted junk, finally throw out that old lawn chair set we forgot to return to the basement for the winter, and, of course, clean every surface in our house that we can find. But what are usually our choices…
Stinging Nettle Recipes for Spring Eating
After a long, cold winter, most of us warmly welcome the arrival of milder weather and the return of the green. As the world seems to wake up, we also wake and stretch our limbs. Emerging from a season of storage and hibernation, our winter inactivity and heavy comfort food indulgences may become more apparent….
4 Natural Allies for Allergy Season
With the recent passing of the vernal equinox, we have now officially entered the season of spring. For many of us, this time of year translates to longer days, the planting of our herbal gardens, and an ever-increasing need to wear sunglasses. For others of us, this time of year translates to allergy season. Indeed,…
Bitter Integrations! Part 2: Making Bitters
In my previous article, Bitter Integrations! we saw how humans adapted to some bitter plants to not only attain precious plant vitamins and minerals, but also improve our digestion and lower organ performance of processing, elimination, and detoxification. Part 2 will discuss making bitters, the health benefits of bitters, and specifically how bitter herbs assist…
Benefits of Fennel: Relief for You-Know-What
It happens to all of us. That moment, usually not long after eating, when we realize that we have gas. Whether during a business lunch, a mid-afternoon meeting, or even—gasp—toward the end of a promising first date, having flatulence never fails to be embarrassing. At least, it’s embarrassing whenever we’re enjoying the politeness of good…
Blackberry Winter – Tips for Helping Bees
“Blackberry Winter” is a hauntingly beautiful song mourning a love affair that ends coldly and without warning. For gardeners eager to embrace the onset of the spring growing season, a sudden cold snap (or a blackberry winter) can damage tender blooms of flowering herbs, fruits, and other spring plants. Blackberry winter comes without warning Just…
Companion Planting Herbs
If you’ve been keeping up with our articles, have taken our Intermediate Herbal Course, or even have only just visited us for the first time, you probably already know how strongly we at the Herbal Academy believe herbs can improve our health and enrich our lives. But did you know that herbs can benefit the…
Bitter Integrations! Part 1: History and Benefits of Bitters
Though bitter tastes are never our first choice on the menu, they are often the first choice in our survival. In the history of human evolution, we have created an on and off relationship with bitters that continues until today. In this article, the intriguing history and benefits of bitters is summarized, but I highly…
Deter Garden Bugs and Pests with Nontoxic Methods
When your neighbors see you walking through your garden spreading cayenne pepper and seaweed all around your crops, they may think that you’ve gone off the deep end. Gardens are for watering and spreading fertilizer, aren’t they? But sprinkling herbs around your herbal garden isn’t the work of a crazy person—it’s the work of a…
5 Easy Herbs to Grow
You may have decided that you would like to start your very own herbal garden this year, and have even had some ideas of where on your property (or in your home) it will go. But what sort of herbs should you grow in it? Starting a new garden can seem somewhat daunting, especially if…
Sheltering with Valerian
In January, I wrote about medicinal herbs in England use during World War II, and this month I would like to follow-up up with a bit more information about one of the most important plants that were collected and used, valerian. England needed effective medicines to supply the home front, so the Vegetable Drugs Committee…
Firsts For Spring
To our dearest friends, The promise of spring is plip-plopping from our roof as icicles melt into puddles below. With spring comes a new awakening of our frozen earth and along with that awakening, possibilities. We can start fresh. We can do the things we’ve been putting off doing. We can accomplish those goals that will make…
Essential Oils for Anxiety and Stress Relief
What Are Essential Oils? The sweetness of rose, the fresh greenness of pine, and the tangy fruitiness of orange: these scents are caused by unique aromatic chemicals that help attract or repel insects, play roles in the plant’s immune system, and perform other functions not yet known. Thousands of years ago, humans figured out how…
5 Steps to Starting Seeds
Most of us associate springtime with re-birth and growth, and never is this idea more in line with the season than when we grow our own herbs from tiny little seeds. Even the mightiest oak trees start as an acorn, and we can create a smaller scale version with anything from basil to tarragon to…
Secrets To Transplanting Seedlings: 3 Tips To Success
Do you remember bringing a goldfish home from the pet store and placing it in the aquarium? You were probably told to keep it in the bag for the first half hour before releasing it, to help acclimate the fish to his new environment. Transplanting seedlings of herbs and other plants you plan to grow…
Valentine’s Day Treats & Words To Love By
Baby it’s cold outside, but it’s warming up in the kitchen. We’ve wrangled up our favorite posts to get you inspired to celebrate love, from romantic desserts for two to flowery Valentine’s Day treats to share with friends! Something homemade can go a long way. Instead of waiting for a table, in a busy restaurant, where…
Vintage Valentine DIY And Morning Latte
A snow day is a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Delight in a morning latte while creating something handmade, like vintage valentine cards for your loved ones, as the snow whirls just outside your window. Vintage Valentine Cards Snow days are also a great time to tap into your creativity….
Healthy Raw Snacks You Will Love
Looking for a sweet, decadent treat that is healthy for you, too? These crunchy bites are gluten-free, raw, and fill of chocolate-y goodness and take only minutes to make, which is handy because you’ll be “testing” and craving them right away. These healthy raw treats are perfect as an after workout snack to replenish your energy…
Valentine’s Day Hot Chocolate
Holidays often include brewing something festive in the kitchen. February 14th, Valentine’s Day, celebrates lovers and all things love, including aphrodisiacs. Whether in boxes or candied roses, it all starts with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. Our delicious Valentine’s Day Hot Chocolate can help spice things up!
Healthy Chocolate Pudding for Valentine’s Day
When was the last time you heard “decadent, chocolate, and healthy” all in the same sentence? Well, here we go—this vegan, healthy chocolate pudding is delicious without any dairy, flour, sugar, cornstarch, or cooking!
How To Make A Tincture
An herbal tincture is a long lasting and effective form of receiving an herb’s gift. It has a much longer shelf life than an infusion or decoction and can be stowed in your bag or cupboard for easy access and use. In this post, you will learn how to make a tincture along with the…
Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
When I was a kid I used to eat salad as a snack. No exaggeration. I would find a bowl, put some lettuce inside, add sliced carrot and cucumber, and then douse it with Italian dressing. Crunchy bliss. I still love salad and vegetables, so it wasn’t all that strange to find myself with a…
Immune Boosting Chai Recipe
Masala chai (Masala means “a mixture of spices,” and chai means “tea”) is an Indian beverage combing spice-infused black tea with milk and sweetener. In the deep dark winter months, I crave a good chai recipe for its warming, soothing soulfulness that melts me from the inside out. On a cold weekend day that is deliciously free of plans,…
