Why I've Been M.I.A.

I have not written anything in quite a while now and I have to confess to you it's because I've been down in the dumps, uninspired and unmotivated.  I guess everyone experiences burn-out occasionally and I'm no exception.  I still love herbs and natural healing, still enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, still make and sell herbal products to boost health and beauty, but for some reason I have just not felt like writing.  With spring and the onset of gardening season I will likely be too busy to write.  So what is my problem?

First, I've been unemployed for too long.  I work per diem shifts here and there but that only amounts to 4-5 days per month.  I have all this time on my hands but I've become lazy...a million projects to work on and no motivation.  So, I'm going to Texas at the end of the month, a gift from my sister and am hoping to feel rejuvenated when I return home.  She has a yard project for us to work on and I am hoping that will get my blood flowing again!

Second, I don't have much of a following so it is hard to feel strongly motivated to write when no one is reading!  However, I have reminded myself that I don't do this blog for anyone but myself and so the writing is for me, not readers!  Since I don't do FB, this is the closest thing I have to social networking.

Third, winter is always a dreary time for me!  Arthritis keeps me pretty miserable from Halloween to Easter and when I'm hurting I don't feel like writing, typing or being creative.

SO...I'm taking the bull by the horns!  I'm going to commit to posting at least 2 blogs per week.  They may be very short posts or very long ones.  They may be a simple picture or new recipe to share.  They may be just be a shared article from the web that I found interesting.  Whatever they are, I am making a promise to myself that I will write at least twice per week.  If I'm particularly inspired I may write more!

Gardening time is almost here.  I have my seeds ready and just need to start them indoors.  I am giving up my herb garden space to my husband this year for our vegetable garden.  Where my main herb garden sits is the best site for veggie gardening so I decided to sacrifice my space and pull up the plants so that the veggies may have the sunniest spot and I will plant my herbs in containers this year.  I will transplant a few of my well established plants, such as Rosemary and Sage, but will plant the rest new.  I am excited about this but when I think of all the work involved...GROAN!  I believe that we will have our most successful vegetable garden this year so the work will be worth it!

I have decided to grow less herbs this year and concentrate on growing the plants I use most for making my medicinals and beauty products.  I need to be less wasteful!  I also am bugging my husband about building me a cheap composting unit and hope to be blogging about that soon!

What will you be growing this year?  Do you garden in the ground or containers?  I would love to hear about your gardening plans!

Welcome To My Garden!



Nothing brings me back into focus when I'm feeling chaotic and scattered more than spending time in the garden.  Being with the plants, pulling the weeds, harvesting nature's bounty while the bees and insects fly and scramble around...it all makes me take a deep breath and really feel nature at work all around me.  I grow many herbs, big surprise, and we also grow vegetables, pumpkins, strawberries and flowers, albeit they are mostly medicinal but make the garden more beautiful with their vibrant colors and plant energies.  I believe some flowers are healing just in their beauty alone.

Columbine peeking through my prized, medicinally valuable Stinging Nettles

Why don't you brew up a cup of refreshing peppermint tea and take a stroll with me through our garden.  Gardening was mostly a new experience for me when my husband and I bought our home in 2004.  I had never done much gardening, except for container gardening on apartment balconies, in the past and in the spring of 2005 decided to dig up some grass and plant a small 3x5 herb patch.  I planted Basil, Sage and Pleurisy Root to begin with and that was the beginning of my incredible herbal journey!  Soon I had extended the garden space and was now also growing Rosemary, Peppermint, Onion Chives and Yarrow.  Some St. John's Wort volunteered and looms cheerily over the other plants in the summer.  I make a nice oil from the St. John's Wort flowers that is a nice all purpose healer when crushed and placed in a healing oil for a week or two, but I have to confess to you that I mostly like to watch the bright yellow flowers turn the oil bright red over a week's time.  As you can guess, St. John's Wort is used for dying and produces vibrant red shades.

   

Rosemary stands tall and is surrounded by
Basil, Sage and Peppermint



St. John's Wort and Yarrow
growing happily together












I grow these herbs for both cooking and medicinal purposes.  Rosemary is a great reliever of headaches and Sage is wonderful for sore throats and laryngitis.  Basil is a mild antiviral that is also good at lowering blood pressure.  Peppermint is great for many things, including headache, gas, stomach pain and nausea, fatigue...did you know that a strong Peppermint tea, infused for about an hour (the longer you let it steep the stronger the medicine) will give you as much energy as a strong cup of coffee?  It's true!  You get a good "kick" of energy but it won't give you the jitters or withdrawl headaches and will even freshen your breath.  I grow Pleurisy Root in this garden as well but it is not in bloom in these pictures.  Here is a pic that I took a couple of summers ago with a bee that posed for me, turning to look at me when I said "smile!"

Bee on Pleurisy Root

I grow Pleurisy Root for my own bronchial and respiratory issues and it works quite well but I enjoy the beauty of the bright orange flowers almost as much as the relief I get from drinking a decoction of the root when I have breathing problems.

This next garden went in my second year of herb gardening and though you can't see them now, soon it will be ablaze with striking yellow and orange Calendula blooms, the main ingredient in my Gone With The Wound Cream, the healing cream I make and the product I have formulated that I am most proud of!   For now there are Strawberries, Yarrow and St. John's Wort growing here.

Currently my miniature Rose blooms rule the soon -to- be Calendula garden.  I grow the mini Rosebushes simply because we have had no luck with the full sized plants and I find that the mini Roses are great for my purposes.   I use the petals in rich facial creams and drink the tea for an uplifting and refreshing treat.  Rose petals make wonderful potpourri as well.  The mini rosebush has to enjoy it's brief time as the garden centerpiece for soon it will be surrounded by Calendula.  People often ask me how I maintain all of these herb gardens and are surprised when I tell them that herbs require very little care and often grow best in harsh conditions.  As long as I keep the weeds at bay, all my herbs grow robust and healthy.  Most herbs do not require much watering and they do not like fertilized soil.  I usually just add organic compost to the soil once a year and my herbs are vibrant, healthy and full of good natural medicine!

Beautiful and healing Calendula

In the picture above is a small patch of Calendula that has volunteered outside of the Calendula garden.  The petals of this plant are useful in cooking, adding a very light flavor comparable to Saffron, and the flowers and leaves are excellent for wound healing when made into a salve or cream.   

The herb garden pictured above is the 3rd garden I put in and grows Horehound, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Thyme, Valerian and Onion Chives. Horehound is grown for the excellent cough remedy it provides.  Lemon Balm is grown mainly as a mild anxiety reliever but also for cooking and making popsicles!  Thyme is grown for cooking purposes as well as medicinal, being known to help cough, spasms and laryngitis.  Thyme is also useful for sluggish appetites and stomach complaints.  I grow Valerian for the powerful sedative and sleep remedy that are found in the root of this plant.  Onion chives are used for cooking and I also make a lovely and tangy chive vinegar that is bright pink and a delicious salad dressing or marinade for chicken and fish.  Rosemary is a strong and woodsy tasting herb used in cooking but it's also a great tea for headaches and externally it's a marvelous hair rinse that darkens the hair and keeps dandruff under control if used regularly.

Along the east side of our property we grow Lemon Balm, Valerian, Self-Heal and Stinging Nettles. I use the Self-Heal in my Gone With The Wound cream and the Stinging Nettles provide relief for allergies, asthma and are quite delicious when cooked!  I also occasionally flail my hands with the leaves for the relief it provides to my aching, arthritic joints.  Most people find the sting of Nettles to be painful but I am so used to the discomfort that I usually harvest the leaves without gloves.  Not too long ago we had high-speed internet installed and the cable man had to access the wall through the Stinging Nettle plants...I felt so bad for him when he showed me his painful welts and immediately applied my healing wound cream to his sores.  He was amazed at the quick relief of pain and how fast the welts and redness disappeared!

A neglected and unweeded herb bed...
I like to let this one just go wild!




Stinging Nettles, good for so many things!

 












In my 4th year of herb gardening I put in this small bed of herbs and planted Lavender, Spanish Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Sage, Lemon Balm, Marshmallow and Artichoke.  This pic was taken shortly after the garden was planted.  It is now more mature and full of plants, bees and butterflies!  I grow Marshmallow for it's powerful medicine...it helps to relieve swollen mucous membranes and is great for sore throats, laryngitis, coughs and more.  You can even make old-fashioned marshmallow treats by candying the roots.  I myself have not tried it but would love to hear from someone who has!

This is the same garden now, thriving and in need of a major harvesting of Sweet Marjoram that seems to have every intention of taking over!  I have learned over the years that many of the culinary herbs are best grown in containers.  Many of them are part of the Mint family and spread by underground runners, making them choke out other plants if not regularly cut back.  The Lemon Balm is ready to harvest but I let the Sage bloom this season...I love leaving it for the bees! 

We have a small hillside garden on a steep slant of ground that grows beautiful pumpkins, potatoes and strawberries.  This year, for fun, I planted bird house gourds and hope they will make a nice home for some feathery friends next spring.

Potato Plants

The strawberries are ripe and being harvested
daily now.  I love to eat them by the
handful!

Here are more pics of herbs I grow...

Wood Betony, an effective reliever of
mild pain and also good
for headaches

Mint, grown in
a container to
keep it under
control!

California Poppy, a mild sedative
that is safe for children

Lovely and oh-so-useful
Lemon Balm



Spanish Lavender

We grow veggies in containers and line them up like soldiers, as you can see in the pictures below.  We grow Lettuce, Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Scallions, Green Beans, Tomatoes (cherry and regular), Carrots, Leeks and more herbs such as Dill, Catnip and Basil.

Having a large yard and several herb gardens can be a lot of work but we find it rewarding, fun and educational.  We learn something new each year, through good old fashioned trial and error, and we are able to cut our produce budget significantly through the summer.  It's a win-win all around!

Gunnar waters an ever evolving
herb garden

This dead Curry plant is
outta here!

Hard at work eradicating the weeds
that are not helpful or edible

Weeding and getting
ready to plant this
season's Calendula

Of course I can't forget to wrap up our garden tour without introducing you to our tree sentinals that proudly watch over our small 1/4 plot of land.

Treebeard

A face in the tree

And, amidst all of this, our dog Fraulein loves to romp and play chasing balls and critters and thinks she owns the yard.

I hope you've enjoyed our garden stroll as much as I have. Thanks for joining me!   I hope I've inspired you to plant a few herbs, and if you already have a garden I would love to hear what you grow and see your pictures!  You can send them to me at guunsgirl91303@comcast.net and I'll be sure to post them for you so you can showcase your garden to the world!

If you are interested in using herbs but don't have room for an herb garden you can purchase high quality organic herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs.  When I buy herbs I only buy from this award-winning company because they are simply the finest herbs I have found and I can't grow every herb I use, so having a resource like Mountain Rose Herbs is a godsend for this backyard herbalist.   To purchase herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs simply click on one of the banners on the HOME page.

Herbal Tea Or Pills For Your Ills?

In today’s world we have literally millions of choices when it comes to drugs, whether prescribed to us or available over the counter, to help us through everything from the common cold to injury to major illness.  Very often it is appropriate to leave ourselves in the hands of a traditional doctor and the pharmaceuticals he can provide when a condition requires more than herbal medicine can offer, but for the majority of us herbal remedies can replace many of the medications we have come to rely on.  There are three major differences between conventional pharmaceuticals and herbal medicine, which we will explore here in order for you to be able to make an informed decision the next time you need to reach for a medicine to help you through a particular problem.

The first difference is that herbal medicines, unlike conventional medicines that treat a specific symptom, treat the whole person; mind, body and spirit.  Herbal medicines help to create a balance in the body whereas conventional medicines often create an imbalance.  For example, when a patient goes on a medication to lower blood pressure he will frequently need a water pill, such as Lasix, to accompany it.  Because the water pill leeches potassium from the system the patient will then need to take potassium supplements to replace what is lost.  Taking an herbal alternative will not only save the patient from buying expensive medications but will also help to create harmony and balance in the body which will improve his general well being, uplifting and energizing the spirit.  Herbal medicines are bioactive, meaning they contain several constituents that provide vitamins, nutrients and medicinal properties that work together to heal holistically and synergistically, treating the whole person rather than a symptom or particular body function, as conventional medicines are designed to do. 

Herbal medicines are natural and, for the most part, not toxic.  They generate few to no side effects and are gentle on the body, healing in a slower but more efficient way.  Conventional medications are more often than not synthetic chemical compositions that may help one symptom or function but wreak havoc on the rest of the body.  I have often heard people say, “The cure is worse than the disease.”  There is a lot of truth in that.  I have seen it time and again in my 20 years in healthcare.  The side effects from many conventional medications cause more discomfort to the patient than the initial problem.  A perfect example is aspirin, commonly taken for headache.  When taken regularly aspirin can cause Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which is a very uncomfortable condition, sometimes accompanied by vertigo.  Long after the patient’s headache is gone the Tinnitus can remain.  Herbal medicines, with all of their multiple healing components working together, help the body function better overall which instead of just resolving one symptom, as conventional medicines do, offers the patient the multiple benefits of increased energy and enthusiasm, better health and overall sense of wellness.  Conventional medications, at best, may alleviate one symptom and at worst may cause serious harm to the patient.  They are designed to solve one problem without focusing on the rest of the body as herbal medicines do, doing nothing for the patient’s overall health.

The second difference is that conventional medications require either a trip to the doctor to obtain a prescription or the local drug store.  This will cost the patient time as well as money.  Herbal medicines can be grown at home, unlike conventional remedies.  Common ailments such as stomachaches, sore throats, colds and flu, headaches, insomnia and indigestion can all be treated at home with plants growing in your own garden and neighborhood.  Herbal medicines can be as convenient as snipping a few leaves in the garden or herbs from the windowsill and brewing a pot of tea.  My husband and I are both prone to headaches but we no longer reach for an aspirin or ibuprofen.  Now I walk through the yard and gather various herbs, such as Catnip, Feverfew, Lemon Balm, German Chamomile, Peppermint, California Poppy and Lavender to make a healing tea.  Within ten minutes of drinking this tea our headaches are usually gone or have subsided significantly.  When we have had a stressful day at work we sit down to a soothing tea made with German Chamomile and Catnip.  This is so much better for us than popping anti-anxiety medicines to calm our nerves.  Not only is it safer but also saves us money and is very convenient and easy to do!

The third striking difference between herbal and conventional medicine is the lack

of research into the actions and benefits of medicinal herbs and plants.  While millions and millions of dollars are being spent each year on conventional drugs very little is being spent on herbal medicines.  The pharmaceutical companies do not see a large profit potential in herbal medicine because they can’t patent a plant and make a fortune from it.  Instead they take one constituent from the plant and add to it chemicals and ingredients that do nothing for human benefit in any way, market the pill and make a fortune from it but it can’t help the person using it as much as the whole plant, with all of it’s constituents working together synergistically to work at every level in the body to make the system strong from the inside out.  Therefore, if the pharmaceutical companies invested large amounts of money, time and energy into research the profits would be low in comparison to the cost of research.  Medicine derived from plants may not generate the big profits of synthetic medications.  Another reason we will likely never see major research done in the area of herbal medicine is that if extensive research were done into herbal medicines such information would be available to the public.  This would make the public more aware of what they are growing in their own backyards and neighborhoods and what they can do for themselves to treat common illnesses.  This is not what the drug companies want!  They want people dependent on their expensive drugs!  The pharmaceutical companies would likely be unable to demand big prices for drugs that come from common plants such as Dandelion and Red Clover and other wonderful plants that grow wild and are easily cultivated, making it less likely that those avenues of medicine will ever be pursued.  Due to the lack of research, many consumers and conventional practitioners alike think of herbal medicine as quackery.  But if extensive research were done perhaps those who now scoff would take a second look at herbal medicine.  Until serious scientific research is done herbal medicine may unfortunately stay in the background of medicine for years to come.

               So, the next time you have a headache, gather a bit of lavender from the garden and brew up a strong tea.  This will alleviate your headache, relax you and save you money on a pill you just don’t need! 

Buy dried herbs here:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/