Little Lavenders in the Landscape

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

As spring approaches we get anxious to start planting our garden! In March, we have time to plan which lavenders we want to add or replace in our garden. In late March and into April and May, after the weather and the ground have warmed up, we can usually tell which lavenders need to be replaced. After we do spring garden pruning and clean up, we have a better idea of how much space we have to plant. There are also more lavender plants available from local growers at that time of the year.

English lavenders, Lavandula angustifolia cultivars, are the hardiest lavender plants to grow, but eventually, they do need to be replaced with new plants. Some lavender plants that are over 10 to 15 years old are very woody and parts of these plants may no longer produce new leaves or flowers. As long as a garden space…

View original post 1,599 more words

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cardamom

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

f you have ever tasted Biryani (Indian flavored savory rice) or kheer (Indian rice pudding) or the famous Finnish pulla, you would probably identify the aroma of cardamom. The sweet and mystical spice was used by the Greeks and Romans in their perfumes and the ancient Egyptians as mouth fresheners. Even today, Cardamom (green) is one of the most expensive spices. It’s not just native to the South-East Asian belt, it’s increasingly used in Europe as well.

1- Cardamom, ginger, and turmeric belong to the same botanical family Zingiberaceae: cardamom is part of the Zingiberaceae family and is sold in pods, seeds, and powder form. The pods can be split open to expose the aromatic seeds. Both turmeric and ginger are roots, or rhizomes, while cardamom is the seed of the plant. It pairs very well with turmeric and ginger. Turmeric imparts a deep yellow color to curries, ginger…

View original post 766 more words

Herb of the Month; Cardamom – The Queen of Spices

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Cardamom is the Queen of Spices and has grown lavishly under the tropical canopy on hillsides in the Ghat Mountains on the Malabar Coast of southern India to be harvested by hand and shipped around the world. The cardamom familiar to India and the western world is called green cardamom and it, along with several other types such as giant cardamom, black cardamom, and bastard cardamom, have been used for cooking, perfumery, incense, and medicine since very early in history.

Ancient Egyptians used it frequently for perfume along with frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia, and had a recipe for an ointment called “Oil of Lilies” that included the scent from 1000 lilies. It is often mentioned as one of the ingredients of the ancient incense kyphi. Cardamom essential oil is one of the oldest essential oils known in perfumery and in the apothecary. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice after saffron…

View original post 3,341 more words

The Beautiful Herb That’s Amazing for Your Heart; Red Clover Benefits

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Finding a three-leaf clover may bring good luck, but taking red clover as a healing herb may bring even better fortune!

People have appreciated the therapeutic qualities of the red clover’s pink and red-hued blossom for generations. Women, in particular, have passed down its secrets as a remedy for feminine issues, whether premenstrual syndrome or menopause symptoms.

In modern times, scientific research has backed up its traditional uses, including supporting bone strength, blood health, hair growth, and mental wellness. For women, red clover might also offer support for symptoms of menopause; for men, it’s believed to encourage a healthy prostate.

What Is Red Clover?

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) — also known as cow clover, meadow clover, or wild clover — is a legume found in Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa. Red clover contains isoflavones. Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogens, which are chemicals that are similar to the hormone estrogen…

View original post 1,071 more words

Learn About the Incredibly Nourishing Oil for Hair, Skin and Nails: Hemp Seed Oil

Herbs that Boost Collagen Naturally

Lavender for Body and Soul

Good Witches Homestead

Lavenders have everything for the modern garden as an amenity plant. They are
evergreen, fast-growing, compact and fragrant. The origins of its name are
probably from the Latin word Lavare indicating the plant has another use as it
means to be washed and suggests it was regularly used to perfume bathing water.
There are numerous references to other qualities of lavender in Roman times – such
as a cure for mild epilepsy and as a laxative. The production of lavender for
aromatherapy, perfumery and alternative medical purposes are now well developed
in countries where various species of lavender are found naturally i.e. from the
The Mediterranean to the Middle East, India, North Africa, and Asia.

Climatic Factors

Lavender production requires dry roots and shoots, free draining soils and
reasonable light levels. Low fertility sandy soils are ideal with a Ph range of 6.0 to
7.0. When selecting suitable sites frost…

View original post 2,141 more words

Lavender and Aromatherapy

Good Witches Homestead

Lavender is one of those scents that have the power to evoke the senses. Most notably, feelings of relaxation and well-being. In fact, it was long believed that Cleopatra’s secret weapon, in love, was Lavender.

Calm and refreshing it’s not surprising the word Lavender in Latin (Lavoie) means for wash or bathe. Because of its sweet aroma, it was widely used in Europe as a herb to wash linen. Later, Lavender’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties were discovered, giving rise to its use as an aid to bug bites, burns, and skin abrasions. This essential oil is also used to repel mosquitoes. Planting Lavender in one’s garden is a great way to naturally repel unwanted pests. If you like to make your own honey, bees LOVE Lavender flowers or if you prefer to buy honey, you can make a Lavender honey infusion using dried Lavender buds…

View original post 2,455 more words

Just What Exactly Is Ayurveda?

Good Witches Homestead

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian stream of medicine, is basically a Sanskrit term that has been drawn from two roots – ‘Ayus’ denoting life and ‘vid’ meaning knowledge. In effect, life or ‘Ayus’ manifests an amalgamation of the body, the mind, the sense organs as well as the soul. It may be noted here that the Vedas are earliest Hindu texts of knowledge which are known to have been exquisitely discovered by the sages or wise men of India several thousand years back. The four Vedas enclose the information, cadence as well as the makeup of the universe, in addition to the secrets behind the ailments and health.

As aforementioned, there are four Vedas – the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda. Precisely speaking, Ayurveda is an element of the fourth Veda, which comprises comprehensive critiques related to treating the sick by means of using mantras, potions, and…

View original post 3,960 more words

Kick Off 2019 With A Health-Minded Resolution!

Good Witches Homestead

All of us want to live happy, fulfilling, and creative lives. How can we achieve this goal? Undoubtedly, creating and maintaining good health is key. Most importantly, we need to pay attention to what is unfolding in and around us. This means regular internal “check-ins” to determine what we need – rest, nutrients, emotional and physical contact, stretching and movement – as well as the daily practice of healthy habits. We must literally “practice to be healthy,” rather than practice to be sick. This requires effort, knowledge, support, and repetition. In today’s world, it also necessitates knowing how best to manage the daily stress that is part of our lives in a way that works for us personally and individually.

Reducing stress and its effect on health is a challenge for nearly everyone. Some of us turn to pharmaceutical medications, which often not only fail to truly reduce stress but…

View original post 2,623 more words