The Best Places to Purchase Herbs and Supplies World-Wide

Good Witches Homestead

Please keep in mind that the vendors shared here are not endorsed by the Herbal Academy. We have reviewed these suppliers to the best of our ability, but as we mentioned earlier, we recommend that you do your own research to determine if the supplier you are considering ordering from is a good fit for your needs!

We’ve pulled together some of the best places to purchase herbs and supplies world-wide to make it easier to find what you need for your herbal studies!

Source: The Best Places to Purchase Herbs and Supplies World-Wide

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A Deeper Look At Forest Roots

Sandy loam, a substance created by the breakdown of minerals (rock) mixed with the breakdown of carbon (tree or grass detritus). Sandy loam is what we all want, because it is the best all around substrate for growing the plants we love the most: Goldenseal, Ginseng, Black and Blue Cohosh, Wild Yam, Twinleaf, Bloodroot, Stonerooot, Mayapple — the entire interconnected clan of powerfully medicinal shade-loving forest roots. My book “Growing At-Risk” gives a chapter on each of these (and other) herbs of the hardwood forest biome. Let’s look a bit deeper into what can be done to bring these entities down home and help them prosper!

Survey the growing area. It may be a woodland with trees, brush and diverse broadleaf species already intact. If this is the case, identify areas overgrown by weedy species or heavily shaded by dead wood or thin-able trees. Such areas have often been left undisturbed for some time, and the soil may be rich and undisturbed. Clear away dead wood and crowded trees, giving access to the forest floor and providing more light to the growing beds. Forest roots like dappled shade, where sunlight moves across the moist and humus-laden soil in amorphous patches.

After all, even shade-loving herbs eat light! Remove existing weedy species and push your spade into the ground. If you have at least 6 inches of good dirt, then it’s a go. Pull the existing mulch away from the planting bed, which should be at

Mayapple Forest

least 4 feet wide, arranged with a path to the side to guide forest creatures and humans away from the planting, not over the top of the sensitive plants. Pile the mulch in the path, and plant the dormant roots in the bed, then rake the mulch back over the top of the bed. Mark the bed with a heavy stake and a label giving the date and the species planted there. Metal tags may be used for this, so that they do not fade or disintegrate with time. You will be oh-so-happy that you marked your planting spot!

Read full article via Ricoh’s Blog: A Deeper Look at Forest Roots

Make Your Own Herb Kombucha

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

This popular, fizzy beverage provides flavor, health benefits, and an opportunity to use some of your favorite herbs. Learn how to brew up a batch of homemade kombucha.

Known as the “tea of immortality” in China, where the earliest recorded use dates back to 221 BCE, kombucha has enjoyed an epic rise in popularity here in North America over the last several years. Cruise through the beverage aisles in any grocery store and you’ll likely find kombucha from several different brewing companies, with a huge range of flavors to choose from. The appeal of this unique beverage and the opportunity to personalize it with herbs and other additions make brewing your own kombucha a creative endeavor that tastes good and may also offer some benefits to your health.

Getting Started

So, what exactly is kombucha? It’s a fermented tea – a combination of brewed tea from the Camellia sinensis plant…

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Medicine Chest: Herbal First Aid Kit

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Topical Herbal First Aid Kit

As you delve into the world of herbal medicine, at some point or another you take a look at your medicine cabinet and think, “What kinds of natural remedies should I stock in my first aid kit?” Many herbs offer topical applications for a variety of everyday woes, including aches and bruises, cuts and scrapes, bug bites and rashes. And conveniently, you can cultivate or wildcraft most of these herbs or find them easily at natural food stores and online herb shops. Here are a few basics to consider stocking:

Plantain {Plantago major} leaf, a ubiquitous and easily recognizable weed, is readily available in most lawns, woodland path edges, and pavement cracks. You can apply the freshly chewed or mashed leaves directly to bug bites, bee stings, poison ivy, rashes, and splinters to quickly draw out inflammation, irritation, venom, and foreign objects. How…

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Caring With Calendula

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

This vibrant orange blossom pops in the garden add a burst of color to cuisine and is a powerhouse in the medicine cabinet. Learn more about this amazing, autumn-loving species.

Brilliantly striking, calendula’s gorgeous yellow and deep-orange blossoms bring a smile to both gardener and herbalist alike. In the fall, you’ll find this plant gracing many doorways, a staple among other autumn harbingers that herald the colder weather to come. But this dazzling ornamental’s long, storied history and powerful medicine make it a must-have for the home.

Sunshine in the Yard

Visually delightful, sun-loving Calendula officinalis is also commonly called marigold, but don’t confuse it with Mexican marigold {Tagetes erecta}, which is another species entirely. A member of the Asteraceae family along with chamomile, dandelion, and Echinacea, calendula is native to southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, but now grows in temperate climates throughout the world…

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Back to School; Finding Your Herbal Path — Good Witches Homestead

Looking for a career in the burgeoning and rewarding field of herbs? Start by finding the right educational program to suit your individual needs and goals. By some estimates, 70 percent of Americans are not fully satisfied with their current jobs, and this lack of contentment impacts not only the workplace but also our personal […]

via Back to School; Finding Your Herbal Path — Good Witches Homestead

Best Herbal Iced Teas for Summer

Good Witches Homestead

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING ICED TEA:

Brew your iced tea a little stronger than you would if you were going to enjoy it hot since the ice will water down the tea infusion and its flavor.
Some heat is required for the initial brewing, and this can be done either on the stovetop or as a sun brewed tea. Sun teas take more time but less work to make, requiring three to five hours in direct sunlight to properly infuse.
Once your tea has brewed and cooled, store in the fridge for optimal shelf life and consume within a week or less.

Iced tea is one of the joys of summer! Get ready for those hot days with our guide to the best teas to serve iced.

Source: Best Herbal Iced Teas for Summer

5 Herbal Iced Teas for Summer:

Mint Tea
This delightful blend is made with mints from…

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3 Herbs to Place in Pots Indoors to Banish Insects from Your Home — Life & Soul Magazine

Summer sure is here and that also means the insects are out. There are numerous ways that you can get rid of these critters from your home, balcony or garden, and the most simplest way is to have pots of herbs indoors or outdoors. Here are three herbs that can help banish the critters: Lemongrass […]

via 3 Herbs to Place in Pots Indoors to Banish Insects from Your Home — Life & Soul Magazine

Sunflower Lore — Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: sunflower GENUS: Helianthus SPECIES: H. annuus-grown for seed and flower FAMILY: Compositae BLOOMS: summer TYPE: annual DESCRIPTION: Characterized by its height and size of the flower, the sunflower has earned a welcome place in the summer garden. Many varieties on the market now offer diversity in color {even a white sunflower!}, size of the flower, and plant […]

via Sunflower Lore — Good Witches Homestead

A Joyful Cup — Good Witches Homestead

With our non-stop, busy lives, it’s hard to find a quiet moment to relax and recharge. But even the practice of pouring a cup of tea can bring peace of mind – especially with the right herbs. Whether you take your tea at high noon or prefer a bedtime brew, these garden herbs provide the […]

via A Joyful Cup — Good Witches Homestead