Category: Herbs

Vervain Lore

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Verbena Officinalis

Also, Known As:

  • Herb-of-the-cross
  • Ma Bian Cao
  • Pigeon’s Grass
  • Verbena
  • Vervain

The ancient Romans held all species of the vervain in admiration and used the ‘sacred’ herb to sanitize their homes and temples. In addition, they knew several therapeutic advantages of the herb and used it to treat numerous disorders. Incidentally, despite its multi-purpose use, the vervain is a commonly growing herb that does not appear to be different from many other plants. In ancient times, remedies prepared with the herb were often used to cure snakebite and diarrhea. At the same time, the root of vervain was chewed by people with a view to strengthening their teeth and gums. Interestingly, the herb served to diverse purposes – a love potion for the medieval witches and a substance to cure people of the influence of the ominous spell cast by these witches. In fact, vervain also finds a…

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Verbena Lore

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COMMON NAME: verbena
GENUS:Verbena
SPECIES, HYBRID, CULTIVARS:
V. bipinnatifida-light purple perennial: 3 inches tall. V. rigida-purplish blue perennial; 1 foot tall. V. rigida-‘Flame’-red flowers from June through frost. V. canadensis-rose pink flowers from June through frost. V. venosa-purplish blue flowers; to 1 foot. V. hybrida-‘Amethyst’-lavender blue; annual. V.b.-‘Blaze’-scarlet; annual. V.b.-‘Sangria’-wine colored; heat tolerant; annual; spreads 1 to 1 1/2 feet.
FAMILY:Verbenaceae
BLOOMS: summer
TYPE: annual and perennial
DESCRIPTION: Low-growing verbena blooms profusely and adds great color to the summer perennial bed. Different species vary in height from 3 to 12 inches and in a spread from 12 to 24 inches. Flowers are small and borne on short stalks; the foliage is bright green and continuously attractive. Verbenas come in white and bright shades of red, pink, blue, and purple.
CULTIVATION: Full sun and well-drained soil are necessary conditions for growing…

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Apartment Dweller’s Series: Urban Apartment Gardening: Gardening Tips For Apartment Dwellers

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarCrooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

I remember the days of apartment dwelling with mixed feelings. The spring and summer were especially hard on this lover of green things and dirt. My interior was festooned with houseplants but growing veggies and larger specimens were something of a challenge, having minimal room on the patio or balcony. Fortunately, urban gardening ideas abound and there is a host of ways to grow tiny gardens for the space restricted gardener.

Challenges for Urban Gardening in Apartments

Finesse and commitment are required for urban apartment gardening. Space is not the only issue. Lighting and ventilation pose a concern, as well as the species and varieties which will thrive in confined and restricted spaces. Over the years, I gleaned some tips on how to grow a garden in an apartment. Follow along as we investigate gardening tips for apartment dwellers for a successful tiny landscape that is both beautiful and productive…

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The Best Teas for IBS.

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Treating irritable bowel syndrome can include changing diet, reducing stress, and taking medication. Can certain herbs and herbal teas also help relieve symptoms?

Tea for IBS symptoms

There are many types of tea that may be beneficial for easing the symptoms of IBS. These include:

Peppermint

Peppermint tea may help with IBSPeppermint tea may help with the symptoms of IBS.

One review found that peppermint reduced the severity of pain for people with IBS compared to a placebo.

Peppermint is not recommended for use by people with hiatal hernias, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or gallbladder problems. Heartburn is not an uncommon side effect.

Peppermint essential oil has also been studied as a treatment for IBS. Essential oils are meant to be inhaled through a diffuser or applied to the skin only after being diluted by carrier oil.

People should always speak to a doctor or aromatherapist before considering taking an essential oil by mouth. An article in American Family Physician

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Wild Witch-Crafting With Peony Flower Ants Part 2

Wild Witch-Crafting With Peony Blooms, Root, Seed & Ants – Part 1

A Herbalist Library

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When you start on any new craft there are always go-to books. Beginner herbalists often find themselves curious about all the different ways to practice herbalism or ways to just dabble. Whether you’re interested in growing medicinal herbs, creating herbal medicine or becoming a herbal practitioner, there’s a book for you! Here are some staples that you can find.

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar is one of our all-time favorite herbal books. This book gives simple herbal recipes that can be made at home and support your health through all phases of life.

The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook by James Green is one of the best books around for aspiring herbal medicine makers. Whether you’re making tinctures from your garden or creating herbal wines and vinegar in the kitchen, he’s got a recipe for you. This book is more in-depth than most, but he thoroughly explains all the…

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Herbalist Library: Historical References

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Our ancestors cultivated a deep, rooted relationship with plants; they harvested plants in a ceremony, made herbal medicines with intention, and passed along traditional plant knowledge to help future generations maintain wellness. In many cultures, this information was shared orally, through stories or an apprenticeship with a local healer. The books we do have on traditional herbal medicines are a treasure to modern day herbalists; they’re a window into our survival as a species and often hold surprising tidbits on how we once used common plants. Below, please find some of our favorite inspirational books from western herbalists that focus on traditional plant remedies, as well as the rich history of herbalism.

A Modern Herbal, Volumes I & II by Sophia Emma Magdalene Grieve are some of the most well respected herbal books of the 20th century. Grieve is thought of as one of the first modern herbalists. During World War…

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Herb Lore: (Herbalism)

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Hippocrates – ” Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

For the purpose of this article, herbs are loosely referred to as the category of edible plants which can also be used for Medicinal, Spiritual or Magical purposes.

It seems that on every part of the globe where humans have lived, there has developed a body of herbal knowledge, something which has led to a special relationship developing between herbs and people. The foundation for this relationship is the fact that apart from herbs being acknowledged for their nutritional value, there has been a longstanding recognition that they also possess a variety of curative properties, being amongst the most important tools used by Shamen, Medicine men, Witch doctors, and healers, in general, the world over. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the population of some Asian and African countries presently use herbal…

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Hawthorn {Crataegus oxyacantha or Crataegus monogyna}

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Also, Known As:

  • English Hawthorn
  • Haw
  • Hawthorn
  • May
  • May Blossom
  • Maybush
  • May Tree
  • Quick-set
  • Shan-cha
  • Whitethorn

The herb called the hawthorn is one of the best herbal remedies to boost the performance of the heart and the human circulatory system in general. A potent vasodilatory action can be induced in the human body by the flowers, leaves and the berries of the hawthorn. When these parts of the herb are consumed, they open up the arteries to promote circulation and improve the blood supply to all the general tissues in the body. Regular supplementation with this herb can thus help bring some balance blood pressure and it is considered to be an excellent remedy for the treatment of high blood pressure – especially when the condition is connected to hardening in the arteries of the person. Problems such as those connected to poor circulation caused by aging arteries, problems of poor circulation towards the lower body and…

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