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Slap-Happy Gardener

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 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  If you don’t know it yet, I am a slap-happy gardener. I enjoy being in God’s nature, always trying my hand at growing herbs/plants to heal and keep the body moving. Sometimes my planting experience is a success, sometimes not, but the goal is to create teas, tincture, and topical items that soothe, heal and energize body, mind and soul. Today’s project has me working with Goji Berries and Chrysanthemum flowers. Organic Goji berries and Chrysanthemum flowers are easily accessible at health food stores and online.  I used my nut grinder to grind up the Goji berries and chrysanthemum flower tops. Thank goodness for AI I am able to do formulations for making tinctures- me and math have a complicated relationship, lol. Now all I have to do is make sure the herb/fruit infusion stays mixed by giving them a shake twice a day. After about 6 weeks, voila! tinctures I can use daily. Goji berries and Chrysanthemum flowers are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TC...
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Layer Up!

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 Nothing like a cold, winter day, Brrr! I remember back in the day, before we would go outside, Mom would tell us to, "Layer up!" put on socks, long underwear underneath our pants, hat, scarf and gloves. We would be burning up inside the house but once outside, there was no stopping us. Nowadays, I use the word layer as a part of a herbal protocol. When I am going through cold, flu, I try to hit it at every level. Recently I started feeling a little under the weather-coughing, stiff neck, runny nose. I looked around the house, asked myself, "What do I have that I can start using now?" Like the story in the Bible about the woman and the jar of oil (2 Kings 4-KJV), I used what I had. To perk up my immune system, I started taking 2ml Echinacea (E. purpurea) 3 times/day, for about 4 days-Echinacea is used for acute onset of bacterial or viral infection (colds and flu).  To address my coughing, I combined White Horehound and Wild Cherry Bark Tea-both very good for the re...
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Bacopa and Rosemary, Together Again

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                A few weeks ago I planted cuttings of Bacopa.            Bacopa now. It was much bigger. I cut a lot of it to dry and make tincture.                                        I cut fresh Rosemary-on bottom hanger, hung upside down to dry. Lavender at the top drying for another project. Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) from my mother plant. After some weeks of patiently waiting, I had a nice bunch of fresh plants to work with. As mentioned before (Blog, "Remember What? Who?), Bacopa is a medicinal herb used to enhance cerebral functioning. I decided to pair Bacopa with another herb...Rosemary! The spice? Yes! In herbal medicine, Rosemary is indicated for impaired circulation to the brain, specifically for symptoms of depression or cloudy thinking. The pleasant aroma of Rosemary also helps alert the mind and improves...
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Right at My Back Door

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Evening Primrose in all of her glory. Harvesting Evening Primrose flowers, pods and seeds for my infused oil. Evening Primrose seeds. The pods and flowers drying on the rack-It took about 2 weeks for the pods to dry. So we meet again, Autumn is here, time for harvesting what is in the yard and putting garden stuff away…or not. There are always projects to do and garden/plant events to go to. This month I attended a retirement party for the Coordinator of the Union Co. Master Gardener Program. It was a beautiful event, lots of folks came out.    Me and our Coordinator  at the party, she will be greatly missed.   Ok, back to the activity. Beeswax, a double boiler and infused Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera biennis), 3 things I have not worked with…Well,  better now than never. For 2 weeks I air dried Evening Primrose pods, seeds and flowers (See pictures above). I thought to myself, “Why don’t you make something different with the infused oil, maybe a salve”. A sa...
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Fennel To The Rescue!

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I’ve never been a whole-hearted tea drinker but over the past years I’ve developed an appreciation of herbal/medicinal teas. The warmth and soothing aromas put me in a good mood, and depending on the tea, quiets the mind, energizes and heals the body.  Most of us know Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) as a spice used in certain meat dishes, soups and salads but Fennel seeds have a wide range of health benefits. I use Fennel seeds as a digestive aid, relieving gas, bloat and indigestion. In the pictures below I show how I make Fennel tea. Supplies: Fennel seeds (I used Whole Foods 365 organic seeds), tea filters and nut grinder.            Seeds in the nut grinder, waiting to be ground up. I'm putting ground up Fennel seeds in tea filter. Finished product. I steep the tea bag in hot water for about 10-15 min. Ready to drink. FYI, Fennel is easy to grow, I've had the pleasure of growing beautiful Fennel plants but the Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars g...
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Feels So Good

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  A few blogs ago, I harvested Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) flowers growing in my yard and made an infusion using Extra Virgin Olive Oil. One month passed, with me giving my infusion a couple of shakes a day-actually shaking up the oil and flowers to keep the mix from separating. After a month, the infusion was ready to be strained. Everything you need: Infused oil, strainer, cup or bowl and gloves.          The flowers after straining, messy but worth it.                                                      The finished product  I love Roman Chamomile oil, it can be used topically for irritated skin, rubbed on sore, tired muscles/body parts. At night I message it on my neck, chest and arms, the aroma helps me to fall asleep. Roman Chamomile oil can also be messaged on and around the abdomen to ease bloat and in...
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Remember What? Who?

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  As we age we would like to maintain a quality of life in which we are able to care for ourselves for as long as we can. My daily prayers include thanking The Lord for good health in spirit, mind and body. On the market, big name supplements Prevagin and Neuriva address specific concerns-brain health. Their claim is that, over time, they improve memory and cognitive functioning-good to know. But, if you're not into taking pills, there are wonderful veggies and herbs that can be included with your daily meals that help with cerebral circulation, mental clarity and concentration. Bacopa(Bacopa monnieri) is an easy plant to grow. I've  seen it grown in aquariums and outside. I've had my plant for a few years now(seedling from Strictly Medicinal site)  and it's still going strong. Bacopa leaves and stems can be thrown in smoothies, soup, salad or juiced. I will warn you, Bacopa has a strong, somewhat bitter taste that hits you on the back end. Your first bite you experi...
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