Brighten Up For Spring
I do believe home is built around the table and that is why I delight in all the ways to decorate it. What a breathtaking table setting this is, a lovely atmosphere for a Sunday brunch. For spring I enjoy the tabletop to be decorated with fresh cut flowers and herbs, light linens and vintage…
Hands in the Dirt
The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. – Alfred Austin As gardeners we shape and sculpt the earth, which in turn shapes us. Fresh air, sunlight, rain, and sweet and pungent scents nourish…
Food Faces
Finding ways to engage children in healthy eating is important at a young age. Not only are they in their growing and learning years, but it creates good habits for years to come! It is unbelievable how children’s taste buds adapt to healthy foods when they start eating them. Trading out the chicken nuggets for…
Hungry for Hutchins
Tucked between a hill and the woodlands buffering the Concord River northeast of Concord Center are green and fertile fields designated as farmland since at least 1775. Today this land is the site of Hutchins Farm, organic for 40 years. It was love at first sight, for Hutchins and me a few years back. Stepping…
Signs Of Spring
I had the most wonderful surprise on my afternoon walk yesterday. The snow is melting, the breeze is warming and the flowers are starting to break the soil. The seasons are changing and signs of spring are all around us. What a beautiful time of year!
Hildegard von Bingen
The Middle Ages brought us the Abbess Hildegard von Bingen, the Sybyl (Healer) of the Rhine, considered to be the first German Woman Physician and the mother of German Botany. The Benedictine monastery at Mount St Disibode was to receive the young Hildegard when she was 8 years old. She had been promised to the…
How To Make No Drawer Nightstands
The other day I found myself searching for home inspiration. Where better to look than Pinterest? (find us on Pinterest here) I needed a serious update for my bedroom and living room, and all in the same department… side tables. I found the perfect, simple and contemporary look I desired; a piece from Crate & Barrel….
Insomnia is a Symptom
When you have had a good night’s sleep, you should wake refreshed and feel well rested. The amount of sleep that you are getting does not necessarily indicate the quality of sleep. Everyone is different when it comes to getting enough sleep. For some 5 hours of good sleep is just the right amount while…
Very Common Herbs To Try
We recently posted the article, Cup In Hand, which is an introduction to tea with a good mention of herbs. We created an infographic for you below so you can easily reference some of the very common herbs to try. Most importantly, the chart identifies the ideal herb for various conditions.
See The Flowers
I often have to pause and ask myself, what are my eyes fixed upon? It is usually a pretty straightforward answer. Being a doer, a go-getter and a goal-setter I frequently find myself consumed by my work and the DIY projects that surround my lifestyle. I have goals and dreams, and they are big, and…
Tommy Priester
Tommy Priester is a well-known practicing herbalist in the Boston area. Often times he will guest speak on topics, including his most popular, Lyme Disease. We were grateful to have him visit our academy this fall for a talk during our October Guest Speaker Series with the Reisens and Jovial King. Read a brief excerpt…
Jovial King
We thoroughly enjoyed Jovial King, herbalist and founder of Urban Moonshine, when she came to visit our cottage last October. She is a sweet soul with a passionate spirit. We deeply respect those herbalists who find a vision and go after the dream! Here is a little bit about Jovial and Urban Moonshine. From their…
Andrea and Matthias Reisen
It was a joy to have the Reisen duo make a trip to our school for a talk on “Herbs and Their Many Healing Properties.” Andrea and Matthias Reisen are gifted, loving herbalists who co-founded Healing Spirits Herb Farm and Education Center. They grow and dry some of the best herbs we have ever seen!…
Cup in Hand
What goes through your mind at the mention of tea? I used to think Lipton and I’m not kidding! Preferring coffee over tea for most of my life I just wasn’t that interested in it unless it had some special connotation like; afternoon tea as served in England (of which I’ve enjoyed on numerous occasions)…
What is a Weed? Finding Appreciation
By Kerry Maegan Hughes-Rico, M.Sc. – Herbalist and Ethnobotanist What is a weed? There was a time in my life when weeds were simply generic plants, unnamed and unknown. I used to drive down the street and hardly notice the “green carpet” that would buzz by me. The world consisted of people, animals, objects, and…
Hawthorn Tea for the Winter Heart
The trees are bare, the leaves are raked, and the gardens are tucked in for a long winter’s nap. But the pink rose in my front yard, with its deceptively delicate looking petals, still gives its sweet fragrance to the chilled air. Around the corner in my urban neighborhood, there are other bright gems —…
Buckwheat Pasta with Spinach Pesto
Take your fresh pesto (from this recipe) and make it into a tasty dish with buckwheat pasta, cooked greens and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese! This recipe is surprisingly simply and very good for you. See below!
Delicious Beet Greens and Spinach Pesto Recipe
This is one recipe we can’t help but visit time and time again! We introduced the Spinach Pesto recipe at one of our free cooking classes earlier this year, with much enthusiasm from the class. Now we are bringing the recipe to you so you can make anytime from your very own kitchen. It’s not…
Holiday Gift Guide: Natural Gifts for Kids
We are wrapping up our Holiday Gift Guide Marathon with natural gifts for kids, a whimsical selection of outdoor and play things for the little ones, infants to elementary. This year, forget the electronics and find a gift that challenges the imagination. From handcrafted masks and kitchen play sets to small herbal gardens and gardening…
Holiday Gift Guide: Hostess Gift Ideas
Looking for a creative gift to bring to your next holiday get together? We have a lovely display of hostess gift ideas for the party planner, from housewarming smudge sticks to vegan candles. See below for our Holiday Gift Guide: Hostess Gift Ideas for some of our favorite items that make excellent presents for the…
Holiday Gift Guide for Him: Herbalist Gifts
When it comes to finding gifts for men, isn’t that where everyone gets stuck? So this year, we’ve gathered some of the best gift ideas for the nature lover in your life. See below for some of our favorite manly herbalist gifts, ranging from cycling gear to organic shaving creams to local foodie items. …
Holiday Gift Guide for Her
For the all-natural woman on your holiday list this year, shop local, shop organic, but above all, shop smart. She’ll appreciate a thoughtful gift that is also functional–one that she may use out in the garden, for preparing meals, or on the go! See below for our favorite picks from vegetarian accessories to beautiful, handmade bags!…
Homemade Pumpkin Soup Recipe
This weekend, the students and staff cozied up at the Herbal Cottage with tea and soup as we talked through the nervous system, incense, flower essences, and so much more. Everyone enjoyed the soup so much that we thought we’d share Marlene’s very own Pumpkin Soup Recipe with you here, a delicious concoction that tastes…
Urban Moonshine on Finding Joy
This last week Jovial King, founder and CEO of Urban Moonshine, came to visit the Herbal Academy of New England to teach us about bitters and tonics. Learning about her journey was a delight, to say the least! While she shared with us a wealth of information, from history to benefits of bitters, perhaps the…
Falling Into Fall With Delightful Guest Speakers
The temps are dropping, the teapot is whistling, and our first course is off to a great start! What a wonderful time of the year to gather together to discuss and share our herbal journeys. Through our first weekend of certification, we’ve learned that many of our apprentices come from rich herbal backgrounds while others…
Eating Nutritiously
When we think about nutrition, it’s important to begin by accepting people’s preferences and acknowledging that dietary practices are often based in cultural and subcultural mores and may or may not be influenced by ethical, religious, and health concerns. It is possible to help people to improve their diet while respecting whatever cultural, ethical, or…
Plantain For Bee Stings
By Nina Katz – Herbalist After gathering oodles of wild amaranth, purslane, lamb’s quarters, and gallant weed (galinsoga), Barbara and I headed back to the parking lot with some of them, and her CSA share, before moving on to gather wild grape leaves. As we walked, we talked about the bees on the farm, and…
Brie Wrapped in Grape Leaf Appetizer
Brie wrapped in grape leaves is a delicious appetizer. We hope you’ll enjoy this simple recipe below!
Stinging Nettle
What plant has the highest amount of protein, by weight, of any plant? Hint: it’s not a bean, lentil, or pea, and you can gather it yourself in wild and not-so-wild places. The answer is stinging nettle. Stinging nettle is an amazing superfood vegetable that is not only high in protein but also in calcium, magnesium, iron,…
Yarrow: The Plant That Made Achilles Invincible
Yesterday, we harvested our first yarrow of the season. Yarrow is one of my favorite plants, and its uses are legion. It makes a nice cooking spice, effective bug spray, slows bleeding, brings down temperatures and activates the immune system, soothes sore throats, supports the digestive system, and promotes labor. Not only that, it’s a…
