Southwest Herb Gardening: What To Plant In June, and Watering In June

By Crooked Bear Organics

We recommend most plants be planted in the fall or spring. However, if you must plant during the summer months watering may need to be more frequent and you must be diligent about observing your newly planted plants for signs of water stress. Follow the guidelines in the Watering section.

Many cacti and warm-season succulents can still be planted in the summer. When transplanting cacti and succulents, mark either the south or west side and plant facing the orientation you marked to avoid the burning of tender tissues. Most nurseries will mark the side of the container to help you determine proper planting orientation. However, if the original orientation is not known, newly planted cacti and succulents need to be covered with shade cloth if the plant surface appears to yellow or pale suddenly. Use a shade cloth rated between 30-60% as anything higher will block most of the sunlight and…

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Southwest Herb Gardening: June In The Low Desert

By Crooked Bear Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

June in the low desert is generally the driest and hottest month. Desert gardeners often must begin their garden activities in the early morning or at sunset to avoid the intense sunlight. Plants must endure the intense heat throughout the day. Many native and desert-adapted plants have numerous adaptations that enable them to live successfully in the desert, such as succulence, drought-deciduousness, and small leaves, to name a few examples. Even with these numerous adaptations, desert plants sometimes need a little help to keep them healthy and thriving in your garden. Native and desert-adapted plants that were newly planted and those that are not established in the landscape need to be watered until they become established in the landscape and can then survive with natural rainfall. Even established plantings will need an occasional supplemental watering during long periods of drought to keep them healthy and stress-free.

Summer is the prime…

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The Spice Pantry: Queen of the Spices, Cardamon

By Crooked Bear Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Cardamom – The Queen of Spices

My favorite spice in the house!

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.

cardamon flowers

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…

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June Herb of the Month: Capers

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Did you know:

Capers – Capparis spinosa
• Capers are the flower buds of the Flinders rose (or caper bush) Capparis spinosa
• This thorny shrub is native to the Mediterranean and hardy to USDA zone 9
• Capers thrive in hot dry climates
• Grows as a mounding shrub with a sprawling habit
• The flower buds are hand-picked then either pickled, brined or packed in salt to preserve
• The bitter flavor is mellowed by pickling, resulting in a salty, slightly sweet taste
• Buds that bloom produce a white flower with purple stamens which then will form a small fruit
called a caperberry.
• Caperberries are also pickled and are often served on antipasto platters or used as a garnish for
martinis
• The smaller the caper, the better the quality, flavor and commercial value, and are also called
nonpareilles or surfines; larger ones are known as…

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One Of My Favorite Places To Find Incredible Wild Plants & Mushrooms

Greetings!

First, I want to say “Thank you!” to everyone who pre-registered for the upcoming Summer Flora & Fungi Hike on July 7th. Registration is now closed, as both walks have filled to max capacity. Stay tuned for another Learn Your Land outdoor event to be held in August!

Second, let’s talk about ideal locations to find incredible wild plants and mushrooms.

Bogs are magical. Floodplains are great. Deciduous woods are wonderful, and forest edges are fantastic.

I love walking through all these unique ecosystems during all seasons of the year, though I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention an additional habitat that I absolutely love exploring…

A hemlock forest.

There’s something special about it. Dark, moist, green, and aromatic… this is how I typically think of a hemlock forest. Deep in these woods, incredible wild plants and mushrooms can often be found if the conditions are right.

I recently explored a hemlock forest in search of summer’s flora and fungi. Needless to say, I brought my camera along and documented the experience. If you’re interested in learning a few new incredible plants and mushrooms (some of which are edible and medicinal!), check out the brand new video!

Speaking of incredible wild fungi, Black Trumpet mushrooms are appearing right now. These fungi are some of the tastiest wild mushrooms on the planet, though they’re not always so easy to find. Check out this recent Instagram post to learn a few foraging tips!

Click to view post

Thanks for reading and watching, and as always, thank you for your support!

-Adam Haritan

Witchcrafting with Burdock Root & Leaf

By Slavic Witch

Please Do Research Before You Consume Or Smoke … Anything

By Orzula

Been noticing a lot of worrying posts lately,

Particularly among the newer witchblrs, so I feel as though I should say something:

⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT INGEST/CONSUME/SMOKE ANYTHING UNLESS YOU HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ⚠️

And research that is preferably done off of Tumblr (aka Google it), so you’ll find a wider range of opinions, articles, and thoughts on the matter.

For example:

Certain stones and crystals are toxic when mixed with water/liquids! Big ones include malachite, turquoise, and selenite – but that’s just to name a few!

Various herbs can interact negatively with medications/the body: St. John’s Wort with birth control or anti depressants (even though it is used to treat depression in small doses), sleepy time herbs are not to be used in conjunction with melatonin or other sleep aids/pills; some herbs can cause liver damage – pennyroyal, valerian, comfrey, etc – if consumed.

DO NOT JUST SMOKE THINGS because a tumblr said to try it!!! I just saw a post about smoking valerian root – THIS WILL CAUSE A CHEMICAL BURN IN YOUR THROAT AND LUNGS. ⚠️

So for the love of gods, and all things decent – including your health – PLEASE do legitimate research before ingesting any herbs or concoctions. 🌿

Source:orzula

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike

By Adam Haritan

Greetings!

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting the 2018 Summer Flora & Fungi Hike on Saturday, July 7th at McConnells Mill State Park in Western Pennsylvania… and, I’d love for you to join us!

Summer is the perfect season to explore Pennsylvania’s land in search of interesting and useful plants, trees, and mushrooms. McConnells Mill State Park — with its deeply-cut gorges, hemlock-lined ravines, whitewater currents, and historical landmarks — is a prime area for summer exploration.

While exploring the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge within the park, we’ll delve into a myriad of fascinating topics related to this season’s flora and fungi, including:

Edible and medicinal plants
Edible and medicinal mushrooms
Summer wildflower identification
Tree identification, along with edible and medicinal uses
Medicine-making using wild plants and mushrooms
Natural history and ecology of the area

… and more!

Interested? Here are more details:

What: Summer Flora & Fungi Hike at McConnells Mill State Park
When: Saturday, July 7th, 2018
Where: McConnells Mill State Park, Western Pennsylvania
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM OR 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

The program is geared toward adults and will entail moderate hiking (about 1.5 miles).

Please note that in order to maximize your learning experience, space is limited and registration with payment in advance is required to secure your spot.

To purchase your ticket, and to learn more about the outing, please visit the following link and choose the appropriate session:

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike with Adam Haritan

I’d love to see you there!
-Adam Haritan

Lunar Tinctures

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Good Witches Homestead

Making your tinctures following the phases of the moon allows the powerful gravitational pull of the moon to draw out the properties in the plant and also adds a bit of ancient wisdom to your mixture. Just as the gravitational pull of the moon affects many things in nature and our lives, it’s thought that this very same phenomenon affects the strength of our tinctures. Although there is no scientific proof that the moon gives our tinctures a little something extra, herbal traditionalists have long believed in the power of the moon in regards to making plant medicine.

Herbalists of old knew how to plant, harvest, and preserve food and herbs, among other things, following the phases of the moon. For instance, seeds for above ground plants were planted with the new moon, as the lunar gravity pulls water up from the ground creating perfect conditions for a seed to…

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Your Apothecary Cabinet: Calendula Oil

By Crooked Bear Creek Organics

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Marigold has much value today and in traditional cultures as a homeopathic remedy, but the oil extracted from the flowers, called calendula oil, is not far behind in providing benefits. Learn more about this oil distilled from the petals of the pot marigold or Calendula officinalis, and how you can harness its health and practical everyday uses.

What Is Calendula Oil?

Marigold is a genus of about 15 to 20 species of plants in the Asteraceae family. This flower is native to Southwestern Asia, as well as Western Europe and the Mediterranean. The common name “marigold” refers to the Virgin Mary, to which it is associated in the 17th century.

Apart from being used to honor the Virgin Mary during Catholic events, marigold was also considered by ancient Egyptians to have rejuvenating properties. Hindus used the flowers to adorn statues of gods in their temples, as well as to color their…

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