Self-Heal, Heal All {Spring Herb} – Good Witches Homestead

You’d think a plant with a name as auspicious as this one would be dramatic and imposing. Instead, it camouflages itself in your lawn. But it has been used internally and externally since at least the 2nd century in both China and Europe. Its botanical name, Prunella, derives from the German word brunella, which comes from die Braune, meaning quinsy {a throat abscess}, for which it was commonly used in the Middle Ages.

Description:

Self-heal is a creeping perennial that volunteers in moist places like woods, pastures, sub-alpine meadows, and, of course, lawns. It sends up a flexible, branching, flowering stalk that can reach 1 foot tall, with soft oval or lance-shaped leaves and beautiful pink to blue-violet flowers on spikes.

True to its name, this herb traditionally “heals all,” from simple eyestrain to whole-body inflammation.

Preparation and Dosage:

Self-heal is used as a tea, in tinctures, and as an extract in capsules and tablet form. Make a strong infusion, and drink 1 to 3 cups a day. For the tincture, use 1 to 2 droppers full of warm water or tea two to four times daily. Follow the label instructions on other products.

Healing Properties:

Self-heal is a great example of a herb that is used both in traditional Chinese and Western cultures. In Europe, the herb has been used since the Middle Ages and is mentioned in 16th-century herbals as a wound-healing herb and a gargle for diseases of the mouth and tongue.

In China, self-heal has been used since at least the 14th-century as a cleansing herb that normalizes liver enzyme output and reduces fevers. In traditional Chinese medical thinking, each internal organ associated with a sense organ, and the liver is associated with the eyes. Thus self-heal tea can be used as either a wash or a tea to help ease eyestrain, red and itchy eyes, sties, and other eye inflammation. The tea or extract can also help relieve dizziness and headaches when these symptoms are associated with a liver imbalance.

Self-heal is loaded with protective and antioxidant compounds known as phenolics, which act as antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties similar to the ones found in pomegranates and green tea. Since the taste is mild and refreshing, the herbal tea or extract can be used regularly as a healthy, calming drink for the liver, the skin, and the whole body.

A number of current studies show that self-heal can protect the blood vessels and has antiviral effects against influenza, herpes sores, and HIV-AIDS.

The entirety of the article at its Source: Self-Heal, Heal All {Spring Herb} – Good Witches Homestead

Yarrow {Achillea millefolium} – Good Witches Homestead

Yarrow {Achillea millefolium}

Family: Asteraceae

It’s said that, as a baby, the great Greek warrior Achilles was dipped in yarrow by his mother, to give him his superhuman strength – but that she held him by his heel. That being the only area not covered, he was of course later slain by an arrow to his Achilles’ heel,” his only weak spot. And don’t forget the medieval teaching that yarrow grew in churchyards as a reproach to the dead who need not have died had they eaten their yarrow. In China, it is believed that even the stalks are powerful; they have been historically used to cast the I Ching.

Description:

Yarrow grows as a low, spreading a mat of finely dissected, aromatic leaves that reach about 1 foot high. Umbrella-shaped clusters of tiny white flowers appear above the foliage in summer on stalks up to 2 feet high. Achillea is native to the entire northern hemisphere {North America and northern Eurasia}. If you want to grow the most potent medicine, stick to the white-flowered species and don’t choose any of the other lovely flower colors that are available in nurseries.

Preparations and Dosage:

Make an infusion by steeping 1/4 cup of the dried flowers in 2 cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drink 1 cup of the tea two or three times daily. This is a mild herb, and it can be taken regularly for 2 to 3 weeks.

A traditional combination of easing fevers and other symptoms of flu is one part yarrow leaf or flower, one part elder flower, and one part peppermint leaf. Infuse the herb combination for 30 minutes and drink it throughout the day as desired.

The leaf is well known for its ability to stop bleeding when applied directly to a wound, and you can carry it dried and powdered in your first aid kit.

Healing Properties:

Yarrow tea is slightly bitter and aromatic and is a famous European remedy used to ease the symptoms of colds, flu, painful digestion, “liver stagnation” {weak bile flow} accompanied by poor fat digestion, and a feeling of fullness after meals, especially fatty ones. Laboratory studies have definitively established that yarrow has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic {relaxing the smooth muscles found in the uterus and digestive tract}, anti-fever, and antiviral effects. As an extra bonus, yarrow seems to have a calming effect, which can help with PMS and other nervous conditions, and it stops bleeding when applied to a wound.

It turns out that there is a fair amount of variation in the chemistry and biological actions in wild yarrow populations, so we recommend growing your own from seed or from plants obtained from one of our recommended sources rather than purchasing plants from nurseries or gathering them from wild populations.

Safety:

Avoid yarrow during pregnancy and while nursing unless you are under the guidance of an experienced herbal practitioner. Allergic reactions to members of the Asteraceae family, though rare, are known in sensitive individuals. They can manifest as a skin rash {even from just handling the herb, which is more likely with the fresh plant}, digestive upset, or headaches.

In the Garden:

Yarrow is found from sea level to above the timberline in the wild, so you know it is highly adaptable. It thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade, loves water but can endure mild drought, is winter hardy, and spreads quickly in cultivated {or disturbed} soil. It does like poor, acidic conditions, so do not fertilize it. Let it dry out between waterings.

You can grow yarrow from seed if you sow in the fall or stratify the seed before planting. {It’s often sown directly.} But root division is another good method and can help control the plant since it has a tendency to spread.

Harvesting Yarrow:

Snip off the flower clusters when it’s in full white bloom {no color varieties, please and thank you}, and then cut the stalk all the way to the ground to encourage further blooming. You can harvest the leaf at any time of year. For drying, you can also cut long flowering stalks and use the hanging method, snipping the flowers off later. Keep the whole flower clusters intact when you store them.

Additional Information on Yarrow:

Also, Known As:

Gandana
I-chi-kao
Milfoil
Millefoil
Noble Yarrow
Nosebleed
Old Man’s Pepper
Soldier’s Woundwort
Stanchgrass
Thousand-leaf
Thousand-seal
Yarrow

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Nasturtium 101 – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Nasturtium 101 – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: nasturtium
GENUS: Tropaeolum
SPECIES: T.major; T. minor
FAMILY: Tropaeolaceae
BLOOMS: summer
TYPE: annual
DESCRIPTION: Very colorful, five-petaled blossoms grow on short or trailing plants. The leaves are round and attractive. Blossom colors include red, pink, and yellow and hues in between.
CULTIVATION: Nasturtiums are very adaptable and can grow in poor soils and under drought conditions. They need well-drained soil and plenty of hot sunshine.

The genus name, Tropaeolum, is a Greek word meaning “to twine” and is descriptive of the growth habit of many species within this genus. Another possible explanation for the origin of this name is the Greek word for trophy, tropaion, for to some people the flowers looked like a Roman helmet or round shield.
T. minor, first found growing in Mexico and Peru, has been in cultivation since the middle of the sixteenth century. Nicolas Monardes, a physician from Seville who wrote the first herbal about New World plants {Joyfull Newes Out of the Newe Founde Worlde}, introduced nasturtiums to England in 1574. He called them Flowers of Blood, a translation of their Spanish name. Because of the tartness of the leaves, the English called this new plant Indian cress. Its larger cousin, the T. major, was not introduced to the garden until over a hundred years later. Other common names included canary flower, yellow larkspur, and lark’s heel.
The name nasturtium is from Latin words meaning “nose twister.”
Pickled-nasturtium-seeds-recipe-Poor-Mans-Capers-Decorators-Notebook-blog-5 Nasturtiums have been used extensively for their taste and medicinal value. Sailors took barrels of pickled seeds on long voyages and ate them to combat scurvy. The pickled seeds were eaten like capers. Eating nasturtium blossoms was said to soften the muscles, or keep them from getting stiff. Oil from the seeds was rubbed on the body after exercising for this same purpose.
Eating nasturtiums are still popular today. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, and the blossoms serve as colorful holders for dips or sandwich fillers.

To make Stuffed Nasturtiums, mix together 8 ounces of cream cheese, one small can of drained crushed pineapple, and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans {or walnuts}.
Form this mixture into small balls and carefully stuff each ball into a large, firm nasturtium blossom.

Nasturtium Cordial

Nasturtium cordial is a stunning and refreshing summer drink when diluted with sparkling water and can also be used as a syrup for flavoring cocktails etc.

200grms of organic caster sugar

225ml of water

50 nasturtium flowers

large sprig of lemon thyme or lemon verbena (a small piece of finely chopped ginger is also a great addition)

a squeeze of lemon juice

Pop all the ingredients (except the lemon juice) into a pan and gently bring to the boil stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Cover, take off the heat and allow to sit for until completely cold and then strain out the flowers and herbs.

Decanted into a clean sterile bottle and the cordial will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Late Spring Flower ~ Wallflower – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Late Spring Flower ~ Wallflower – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: wallflower
GENUS: Cheiranthus
SPECIES: C. allioni, C. cheiri
FAMILY: Cruciferae
BLOOMS: late spring-summer
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Wallflowers come in lovely shades of orange, apricot, and yellow. Plants grow to a height of 14 to 18 inches. Numerous flowers occur at the ends of spikes. Leaves are long and narrow.
CULTIVATION: Wallflower plants cannot tolerate extreme heat and humidity. Given a sunny, airy spot in a mild climate, though, wallflower produce bright blossoms over a long period, if it is watered regularly. The plants grow easily from seed, which should be sown directly in the flowering site in spring. Blossoms often come the first year from seed.

The following legend tells us of the origin of wallflower: The daughter of a Scottish lord fell in love with the son of an enemy border chieftain The fathers, of course, took offense at the match, and the lord betrothed his daughter to a prince of his choosing and locked her up in a tower until the wedding was to take place. The chieftain’s son, posing as a minstrel, sang at the foot of the tower, suggesting that she throw down a rope ladder and run away with him. The girl threw him a blossom of a wallflower to indicate she understood and then began to climb down to her lover. Tragically, she slipped and fell to her death. The heartbroken young man adopted the wallflower as his emblem and wandered over the countryside singing of his beloved.
Because of this legend, the wallflower is a symbol of faithfulness in adversity, according to the Victorian language of flowers. During the Middle Ages, troubadours and minstrels wore bunches of wallflower blossoms as a sign of good luck.
The genus name is from two Greek words meaning “hand” and “flower” and refers to the custom of carrying these sweet-scented flowers as a bouquet to ward off the evil odors resulting from poor sanitation practices of the past. They were especially popular during spring festivals.
The French call it giroflee violier because it has the same sweet scent as does the carnation, often called gilloflower.
The common name comes from the growth habit of some species, which prefer to climb stone walls or fences.
Wallflower has also been called blood drops of Christ, for the deep red wallflower was supposed to have grown under the cross. Also known as the bloody warrior, wallflower was planted outside the cottage gate as protection against invaders.
Wallflower has always been valued as a medicine. The water of the distilled flowers, drunk twice a day for three to four weeks, was thought to make a woman fruitful. It has been used for uterine and liver disorders, to treat enlarged glands, and to purify the blood. Other remedies made from wallflowers have been used to ease pain during childbirth, treat palsy, and clear up cataracts. According to the doctrine of signatures, the yellow wallflower was used to treat jaundice. Scientists have discovered substances within the seeds, roots, and leaves that affect the heart, and for this reason, it is not recommended for a home remedy.

The plant was originally found growing in the Aegean Islands.

GRAPE HYACINTH – Good Witches Homestead

Source: GRAPE HYACINTH – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: grape hyacinth
GENUS: Muscari
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS,
M. armeniacum ‘Early Giant’-blue
M.a. ‘Blue Spike’-up to 12-inch blossoms.
M. a. ‘White Beauty’-white.
M. botryoides-pure white.
FAMILY: Liliaceae
BLOOMS: early spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Most grape hyacinths grow 6 to 8 inches tall and produce spikes full of round, almost closed blossoms. They spread about 3 inches and have foliage that is long, narrow and grasslike.
CULTIVATION: Grape hyacinths come from small bulbs, which should be planted 3 inches deep and 3 inches apart. For best effect, the bulbs should be planted in quantities. They are particularly effective under trees or shrubs. Grape hyacinth does equally well in full sun or partial shade. The leaves should be left to die back naturally after the flowers bloom.

Some species of the genus Muscari have a sweet, musky scent, and this is the reason for the name, for Muscari is from the Greek word moschos, or “musk.” Many gardeners originally grew the plant for its scent and not its beauty. The species name botryoides is also from Greek and means “a bunch of grapes.” This, along with the plant’s physical resemblance to the hyacinth, gives us the common name, grape hyacinth.
M. botryoides is also called the starch hyacinth, for it smells like starch.

Grape hyacinths are native to southern Europe, Northern Africa, and western Asia. The small bulbs have been used extensively in cooking. It has been suggested that boiled in vinegar {to reduce the bitterness}, the bulbs of M. comosa and M. atlanticum can be made into very tasty pickles. Other species are so bitter that they have earned the name Bulbus vomitorium. The first-century Greek physician Discorides wrote, “of this wort it is said that it was produced out of dragon’s blood, on top of mountains, in thick forests.”

HYACINTH – Good Witches Homestead

Source: HYACINTH – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: hyacinth
GENUS: Hyacinthus
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS,
H. Orientalis ‘Amsterdam’-bright red to pink.
H. o. ‘Anne Marie’-light pink.
H. o. ‘Carnegie’-creamy white.
H. o. ‘Delft Blue’-blue
FAMILY: Liliaceae
BLOOMS: early spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Hyacinths are widely used as a spring bulb. The top flower size is 7 to 7 1/2 inches in circumference. The flower spike is composed of neatly rounded mounds of small blossoms. Flowers are available in pink, white, cream, reddish pink, blue, yellow, and violet blue.
CULTIVATION: Good drainage is a must for this plant because the bulbs rot easily if water stands on them. Bulbs should be planted in the fall, 6 inches deep, 6 to 8 inches apart. Mulch them in the fall to protect the tender spring growth from frost damage. Bulbs should be planted in an area that bets full sun or partial shade.

According to mythology, hyacinths originated because of the wrath of Zephyr, a god of the wind. Apollo, king of all the gods, fell in love with Hyacinthus, son of the king of Sparta. One day as Apollo and Hyacinthus were playing quoits {a game similar to today’s horseshoes}, Apollo threw the metal ring and Zephyr, jealous and enraged, caused the wind to make the metal ring hit Hyacinthus and kill him. Broken hearted, Apollo created the hyacinth flower out of the blood of his friend. Some even say that the petals look like the Greek syllables ai ai, meaning “woe.”
The Victorian language of flowers hyacinth means sport or play, and the blue hyacinth is a symbol of sincerity.
The Greeks dedicated this plant to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. In ancient Sparta, annual Hyacinthian feasts were held. A Greek girl wore a crown made from hyacinth blossoms when she assisted at her brother’s wedding.
Greeks used concoctions made from the plants to treat dysentery and the bite of poisonous spiders. Such a concoction was also reputed to have the power to prevent a young boy’s voice from changing during puberty, making it very popular with singing masters of the time.
Hyacinths were first found growing in Asia Minor, as is suggested by the species name orientalis. Cultivated in Turkey and Persia, hyacinths were brought to England from Persia in 1561.

The following story is told of how hyacinths got to Holland: Trading ships carrying crates of these exotic and expensive bulbs wrecked off the coast of Holland. The crates broke open, and the waves washed the bulbs ashore, where they rooted and produces beautiful flowers. However hyacinths got to them, the Dutch lent their magical hands to the plant, and by 1724 more than 2,000 varieties of hyacinth were found in Europe. Though interest in the bulbs never quite reached the level that tulips created, the price of hyacinth bulbs was quite high and competition for new varieties fierce.

Scilla – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Scilla – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: scilla
GENUS: Scilla
SPECIES: S. sibirica
FAMILY: Liliaceae
BLOOMS: early spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Scilla has short {4 to 6 inches} spikes of bright blue or white flowers. The foliage is attractive and the growing habit neat, making it an excellent plant to use as a border or edging plant. It also lends itself well to an informal setting and looks very good naturalized under trees or shrubs.
CULTIVATION: The small bulbs should be planted 4 inches deep in the early fall. Give them an open, sunny spot, and they will multiply rapidly.

Ten species of Scilla are native to Europe, and several of these have been cultivated for many centuries. Some records indicate that at least five species of Scilla were being cultivated as early as 1597.
The genus name means “I injure” and refers to the poisonous properties of the plant. Red scilla was even used as rat poison.
Scilla is often called squill. The bulbs of both the red and white squills were made into a concoction called a “syrup of squills.” This supposedly had medicinal properties, and a drug found in the bulbs was used as a component in heart tonics. The physiological effects of eating this bulb were thought to be similar to those of inhaling tobacco, for both acts on the nervous system. Roman statesmen suggested Scilla was a diuretic. It was also used to treat asthma and dropsy.
The Welsh name for this plant is cuckoo’s boot. S. bifolia was described by John Gerard, author of a sixteenth-century herbal, as “small blew flowers consisting of sixe little leaves spread abrode like a star. The seed is contained in small round bullets.”

During Elizabethian times, the starch used for stiffening collars was made from the bulbs of this plant.

The Victorian Language of Flowers – Good Witches Homestead

The language of flowers was quite suited to Victorian England, for it allowed for communication between lovers without the knowledge of ever-present chaperones and parents. Messages that would be a social impossibility if spoken could be conveyed by sending certain types of flowers. How these flowers were sent was of great importance as well, for this was also part of the message. If the blossom was presented upright, it carried a positive thought. If the flower came upside down, it might mean quite the opposite. If the giver intended the message to refer to himself, he would incline the flower to the left. If the message referred to the recipient, it would be inclined toward the right. If flowers were used to answer a question and were handed over with the right hand it meant “yes’; with the left hand, the answer was “no.” Other conditions of the plant were important as well. For example, if a boy sent a girl a rosebud with the leaves and thorns still on it, it meant ” I fear, but I hope.” If the rosebud was returned upside down, it meant, “you must neither fear nor hope.” If the rosebud was returned with the thorns removed, the message was “you have everything to hope for.” If the thorns were left but the leaves removed, the message was “you have everything to fear.” If the young lady kept the rosebud and placed it in her hair, it meant “caution.” If she placed it over her heart, the message was clearly “love.” The Victorians took the language of flowers a bit further and actually began attributing personalities to various flowers, as Thomas Hood exemplified:

The cowslip is a country wench,

The violet is a nun;-

But I will woo the dainty rose

The queen of everyone.

During the last part of the nineteenth century, several floral dictionaries were published. Among these was The Poetical Language of Flowers {1847}, The Language and Sentiments of Flowers {1857}, The Floral Telegraph {1874}, and Kate Greenway’s The Language of Flowers, first published in 1884 and republished in 1978. Because more than one dictionary existed, the possibility of error was great. One of these floral misinterpretations was famous by Louisa Anne Twamley in her poem “Carnations and Cavaliers.” The poem describes how a knight gave his lady a pink rose, meaning our love is perfect happiness. His lady either did not know about the language of flowers or did not care, for she sent back to him a carnation, which means refusal. The result was the tragedy: the lovers died for each other’s love.

It was during the Victorian period that tussie-mussies became popular. A tussie-mussie is a small bouquet of fresh or dried flowers, usually surrounded by lacy doilies and satin ribbons. Tussie-mussies were popular, in part, for the very practical purpose of warding off bad smells and disease. Some of the most useful flowers for this purpose included lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Tussie-mussies made marvelous gifts then, and they still do. They are easy to make, and, accompanied by a card explaining the meanings of the flowers used, make a uniquely personal present. Tussie-mussies can be made from either fresh or dried flower. Choose a relatively large, perfect blossom for the center flower. A perfectly formed rose blossom is wonderful for this. Surround this with smaller blossoms and ferns and put the stems through a doily or starched lace. If using fresh flowers, wrap the stems with damp paper towels and then cover them with plastic wrap or foil held in place with florist tape. If using dried flowers, simply wrap the stems with florist tape. Fresh flowers that are good to use in tussie-mussies include rose, baby’s breath, cornflower, phlox, aster, and carnation. Suitable dried flowers include strawflower, statice, honesty, ageratum, and sedum.

Flowers and Their Meaning … […]

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What Was The Floral Calendar? – Good Witches Homestead

Calendars have existed for thousands of years in various forms. The Chinese, Japanese, Romans, Egyptians, and Hopi and Navajo Indians, among countless others, developed calendars.

Each of these calendars was different, but each was an accurate means of keeping track of the seasons and the passage of time. Because calendars were so closely tied with nature, it followed logically that different months should be associated with particular plants and flowers.

The Chinese, especially, used plants to keep track of time. According to Chinese folklore, two trees grew at the Court of Yao. One tree put forth one leaf every day for fifteen days as the moon waxed, and then it shed one leaf every day for fifteen days, as the moon waned. In this way, they measured the months. On the other side of the garden was a tree that put forth leaves every month for six months, then shed leaves every month for six months. In this way, they kept up with the passage of the years. A Chinese legend dating back to the seventh century A.D. says that Ho Hsien-Ku, daughter of a humble shopkeeper, ate the peach of immortality given to her by Canopus, god of longevity. She then became one of the eight Taoist immortals and decreed that honor should be paid to a particular flower each month of the year. This formed the basis of the Chinese floral calendar. Through the centuries, other civilizations adopted the custom of using a floral calendar.

Primary among these were the Japanese and English. The English took the art of keeping time with plants to an extreme with their experiments with a floral clock. A pet project of Carl Linnaeus, the floral clock, or watch of Flora, never worked quite as well as he has wished. […]

Rest of the post at its Source: What Was The Floral Calendar? – Good Witches Homestead