Tag: Plants
GIFTING WITH INTENTION: HERBAL DIY
So much of the holidays get lost behind the buying and gifting that it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this time of year is about love, family, and doing good in the world. Gifting with intention has been our goal when it comes to thinking about the holidays, and it seems especially important these days, as we live in such challenging times. As herbalists, we love giving herbal gifts, as they are unique and are always well loved.
These simple and easy DIY recipes can be made at home, and the ingredients can be sourced at your local health food store/ co-op, or on Plant Therapy.
DIY AROMATHERAPY SPRAY
It makes an excellent gift for anyone who experiences stress and worry. This aromatic blend of herbs is traditionally used to promote a joyful spirit and positive mental attitude*.
It pairs exceptionally well with this easy DIY…
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Herb Gardener Gift-Giving Idea: Hori-Hori
I’ve asked five blog contributors to share their favorite herb-related gift ideas. HSA’s blog will be running one per day during the first week of December. – Paris Wolfe, Blogmaster
By Beth Schreibman-Gehring, Chairman of Education for The Western Reserve Herb Society unit of The Herb Society of America
My father had over three acres of the most glorious organic gardens, filled with historic roses, lilies, and every kind of beautiful perennial and herb imaginable. I remember perfect summer evenings when he’d wander his gardens with a cocktail in one hand and a sprinkling hose in the other. He taught me everything I know about growing beautiful gardens organically and with a minimum of intervention.
The funny thing about my father is that he didn’t have a garage full of tools. He wasn’t into the latest, greatest gardening anything, well except for permaculture which really isn’t a latest and greatest secret…
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ENCOUNTERS IN GRATITUDE AND A CHANCE TO LISTEN
A long time ago, Anne and I traveled to Ireland. We vagabonded slowly down the west coast from hostel to hostel, over green hills to rugged seaside cliffs, stopping at standing stones and the ruins of circle forts, visiting old-growth forests left intact for hundreds of years. One day we were wandering in the southwest corner of the island with the goal of reaching one of those old forests. We crossed over a small waterfall. We walked between two ancient, massive linden trees whose roots and branches had grown together, leaving an almond-shaped opening just wide enough for us to cross. And finally, we came to the oak wood we’d been seeking. The trees were old, yes, but not very tall: craggy, leaning at odd angles, with moss covering their trunks up to the lower branches. This forest is still part of a protected area…
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Bittersweet … A Tale of Two Sisters
By Kathleen M Hale, Western Reserve Herb Society
The Sisters’ Shame
We were two daughters of one race;
She was the fairest in the face.
The wind is blowing in turret and tree.
They were together, and she fell;
Therefore revenge became me well.
O, the earl was fair to see!
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
A lot of legends of magic, revenge and sorcery begin with two sisters. Sometimes they are friends. Sometimes they are rivals. But an unspoken message in many stories is, “Don’t pick the wrong one!” Increasingly, North American gardeners are finding themselves faced with this dilemma. The choice may be between a native plant and its sometimes seductive, sometimes invasive sister, introduced from elsewhere.
Bittersweet gives us such a story. American bittersweet, Celustrus scandens, is seen everywhere this time of year in wreaths and dried arrangements. It has tiny vivid orange fruits…
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Here’s An Easy (And Delicious!) Way To Consume More Wild Plants & Mushrooms
Greetings!
The leaves have fallen from most of the deciduous trees in my neck of the woods (save for a few Norway maples and persistent oaks), and even though the year is dwindling with predictable haste, wild edible plants and mushrooms can still be found.
During a recent walk through a local floodplain, I was excited to find several fresh greens sprouting amongst the leaf litter. Many of these plants were herbaceous members of the celery family, and a few others were aromatic species related to mints and chives.
Rather than treating them as trailside nibbles, I decided to harvest these tasty plants and incorporate them into a wild, homemade vegetable broth. With the addition of wild edible mushrooms, the broth was incredibly easy to make and quite delicious.
If you’re interested in learning how to forage local plants and mushrooms so that you too can create a homemade vegetable broth, check out the brand new video!
Have you seen this waxcap mushroom? Few fungi resemble this species, and if you’re in the right habitat, perhaps you’ll encounter a specimen or two! Check out this recent Instagram post to learn more about the violet-colored waxcap.Click to view post
Thanks for reading and watching, and as always, thank you for your support!
-Adam Haritan
Home-Grown and Wildcrafted Smudge Sticks: Plant List and Recipes
Basket of newly made smudge sticks
Creating homemade smudge sticks with local ingredients is a wonderful activity to do this time of year. As the plants die back, you can harvest whatever you aren’t using for other purposes and create a number of beautiful smudges that can be used for many different purposes: clearing, honoring spirits, protection, setting intentions, letting go, bringing in, preparing for ritual or mediation, and much more.
A few years ago, I wrote an initial post on homemade smudge sticks using local ingredients–this has become my most popular post on my blog. Given that, I wanted to offer a follow-up post with some additional information and share a few smudge stick recipes for specific purposes. For initial instructions on how to make your sticks, please see my first post. This post expands the plant list that you can use to make smudges and also offers…
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Making Smudge Sticks from Homegrown Plants and Wildharvested Materials: Step by Step Instructions with Cedar, Rosemary, Sage, Mugwort, and More!
I recently posted about my research on Eastern White Cedar, and I wanted to follow-up that post with information on making smudge sticks, inspired by Eastern White Cedar. Smudge sticks are bundles of herbs that are dried and burned for purification and ceremonial uses. They come out of Native American traditions, but today they are broadly used by many for their purification purposes. I use them as a druid in my ceremonies, to bless and cleanse my house, to cleanse outdoor spaces that are in some kind of energetic funk. But I also use them practically–as a blessing for my garden at the start of the growing season, as a way to remove hostile energies from my chickens who aren’t getting along, or to pass among friends before sharing a meal. They are a great way to bring a bit of ceremony and the sacred into the everyday.
Freshly Wrapped…
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6 LUNG HERBS for the BODY & MIND
Let’s Create Some Herbal Remedies – When Cold and Flu Season Arrives.
These two recipes are prepared as teas but are not taken in your tea cup – they help with the discomfort of flu season in other ways.
Winter Inhalation
This traditional herbal steam helps open your sinuses, discourages bacterial and viral growth, and reduces pain and inflammation. Remember to stay a comfortable distance from the steaming pot to avoid burning your face.
8 – 12 teaspoons fresh or 4 teaspoons dried eucalyptus leaf {Eucalyptus globulus}
2 – 3 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried peppermint leaf
2 – 3 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried thyme herb
3 cups purified water
Essential oils of the herbs above {optional}
Place the eucalyptus, peppermint, thyme, and water in a saucepan and stir to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and uncover. Drape a large towel…
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