More Spring from The Essential Herbal

Everything is knocking itself out blooming around here in Lancaster County, PA. The redbuds and dogwoods are blooming, the lilacs are just beginning, and the fruit trees are stunning. My favorites are still the native woodland plants... at least this month.
Last year, I planted some trilliums and wild ginger. Even though the weather was really ugly the past few days (rainy), it is time for them to be blooming, so I checked them today. Sure enough, they are blooming!

They really are stunning. There is also a taller white trillium that is just about ready to open, and the plants are surrounded by chickweed, garlic mustard (which I keep trying to clear), false Solomon's seal, and Jack in the Pulpit. I'm trying to get information on growing Lady Slipper so that I can find an ethical source and try to grow them here too.
The other day when I was in the woods, I found some trout lily (AKA dogtooth violet) blooming right in the middle of some fern fiddleheads.



















The spring beauty was scattered on the woodland floor like tiny gems, and next week they will be joined by 10's of thousands of the trout lilies along with bloodroot, mayapple, and wild geranium. There were also the usual crop of sweet violet in the many hues of violet, purple, blue, and a blu-ish red. Also white and yellow violets.

Each year we make violet syrup with the flowers. To do so, gather just the flower heads of the violets - something that children adore doing :-). When you have a quart or so of the flowers, rinse them well and place in a pan with approximately one quart of water. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn off heat and steep for about 15 minutes. Strain out the flowers. Add 2 to 3 cups of sugar and 1 tsp. lemon extract and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, skimming off any foam that may form. When it cools a bit, bottle the beautiful lavender to purple syrup for use on crepes, ice cream, over melon (!), or to sweeten herb tea. This syrup can be made with roses, too.

May/June 2006 issue is in the mail!

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Table of Contents

Crossword Puzzle - Making Herbal Medicine
Field Notes from the Editor..........................Tina Sams
About the Cover - Cloverleaf Herb Farm
Suburban Herbie - Visit to the Herb Farm........................Geri Burgert
Never Enough Thyme - Our National Herb Garden............... Susanna Reppert
Lavender Cookies............................ Rachel Smith
Hoodia - Miracle Weight Loss Herb?........................... Maureen Rogers
Herbs for Magic....................................Susan Evans
List Article - Favorite Back Yard Remedies....from the Yahoo List
Sweet Cicely and Chervil................ Barbara Steele
Hand Sanitizer............................. Gabriel Kingsley
Cedar “Incense”........................... Karen Hegre
Making Lotion......................... Trina Wallace
Down on the Farm - Be Careful What You Wish For............. Michele Brown
So You Want to be a Vendor?........................ Tina Sams
Birth of a Greenhouse - Part 3........................ Pat Stewart
Readers’ Showcase - ...................................Staff
Lady’s Mantle.......................................... Mary Ellen Wilcox
Upcoming Events
Classified Ads
Crossword Answers
Information on subscribing or submitting
Recipe - Spicy Garlic Chicken & Hot Pepper Vinegar

Shenk's Ferry, etc. Wild Flowers - YAY!!!

Today was the perfect spring day. It is actually almost hard for me to put into words because it was so incredible. When I was very small... maybe 3 or 4, I remember finding a sprig or two of dutchman's breeches. Now, I believed without a shadow of a doubt that there were tiny little fairy men somewhere nearby. I wished it with all my heart, and for that moment in time, I was transported with that belief. It was complete magic. Since that time, I've never seen them in the wild again. Once, I almost did... found a couple sort of dried up sprigs, but not really growing. Until today. Today I saw millions of them along with trillium, corydalis. Virginia bluebells, spring beauty, grape hyacinth, violets in purple, white, and yellow, and rock cress. Oh! What a day! We went riding down along the Susquehanna river finally winding up at Shenk's Ferry Wild Flower Preserve. The road leading to the preserve was rock walls 50 feet or higher, covered with bluebells and trillium, ferns, and dutchman's breeches. At one point I turned to my sister and told her that if one of the eagles nesting nearby happened to fly over AND I would happen to see lady's slipper (still haven't seen that one....), I would be content to die on the spot.

Fiddlehead ferns above, trillium and VA bluebells below.
There were also large stands of blue cohosh, not yet ready to bloom, huge patches of wild geranium, daylilies, and something called squirrel corn... all just on the verge of blooming, but not yet open.

The phlox was just starting to open.
The day started just a little on the shaky side. First there was the very healthy sized garter snake (2') that got away before I could get a decent picture of him, and then there was this lovely 3 or 4' water snake lazing on a log over the little creek, catching some rays. All in all it was one of my favorite days of the year so far.

A Tussie Mussie Garden

Use the language of flowers to speak to the world around you. Imagine if your garden could be a large tussie mussie! Wouldn't it be an interesting planting if all the concentric circles had meaning?
Today when we create a tussie mussie for a friend or lover, we layer it with our intentions. The object of our affection (or displeasure) may or may not be aware of what is being said, but it is still being said. We will give the meanings of a few herbs in a few paragraphs....
The easiest way to make a circular garden is to begin by deciding on how large the circle will be. For this example, we'll be making a 6 foot circle. We'll need a 3 foot piece of string - with enough extra to tie, and a stake. Tie the string to the pencil, and stick it into the ground where the center will be. As you go around the circle, mark it with flour. This will be the outside of the garden.
Depending on the plants you have chosen, you will want to make smaller circles, but first the garden should be built up in the center so it will resemble the little bouquet it is to be named for. Form a mound using good soil. The center could be a 1/2 barrel, too. Make a couple circles going out from the center.
The center needs to be taller flowers. Roses (even miniature bushes would work if using a 1/2 barrel) or a nice tall rosemary would be nice. Add the plants in circles, concentrating on plants that will retain either their flowers or a nice foliage through the summer months. The outside edge would do well with alysum, or "Dusty Miller" artemesia to look like lace.

Here are a few "meaningful" herbs....
Angelica - inspiration
Basil - Peace, Love
Calendula - joy
Dill - lust
Fennel - worthy of all praise
Feverfew - protection
Flax - domesticity
Garlic - courage, strength
Geranium (rose) - preference
Hyssop - wards off evil spirits
Lavender - love and devotion
Lemon Balm - bring love
Mallow - sweetness
Marjoram - happines
Mint - virtue
Nasturtium - conquest and victory
Rosemary - remembrance
Sage - wisdom, long life
Thyme - strength and courage
Woodruff - humility
Yarrow - health, healing

Okay, so that was more than a few....and I restrained myself!

Poke Salad

At market on Friday, one of the stands had pokeweed shoots right next to the asparagas. It never surprises me to see bags of nicely cleaned dandelion greens, but this is the first time I've seen poke. It shouldn't surprise me, since older folks around here like their wild greens, but it just wasn't there before that I can recall. Now if they carry Jerusalem Artichokes next fall, we'll be in business!

The following is from The Forager's Field Guide, from Billy Joe Tatum

Pokeweed phytolacca americana

"In fact, the poke plant contains phytolaccic acid in the leaves, roots, and stalks as well as the berries; there ismore in the roots and the red outer skin of the mature stalks than in the mature leaves. Until the flower head forms, the young shoots and the leaves are a fine pot green. The acid is easily removed from the greens by parboiling them, then cooking them in fresh water. I also prefer to parboil the young shoots. If all the colored skin is peeled off - and easy operation, as it stirps off readily - it is not necessary to parboil poke stalks.

Poke is not only a widely distributed plant but a large one, so there is no shortage of green vegetables when it can be located. If you are new to foraging for poke, look for last year's stiff and broken stalks, then watch for the new young sprouts to appear at their bases. If you pick often and break back the fast-growing plant, you can assure yourself of a crop that often continues into summer. It's not unusual to have another fresh crop of sprouts in the fall, too."

The Rest of the Trip - Odds and Ends.

We were on the 19th floor, but went up to the 32nd floor where we could go out on the roof. The rooftop has planters, lovely built in benches, and nice sturdy guard rails. From the roof, the East river is right "over there", and there are ships docked on this side - New Jersey on the other. It was a bit windy up there, but we stayed a while to look at the various landmarks that were visible, and the tiny little cars on the roof of the gray building, and the equally tiny people on the streets below. I found it particularly funny to find some juicy green chickweed happily growing in one of the planters on the roof, and some daylilies a couple inches out of the ground in another. Laura got a kick out of watching me snuffle around the plants and the ground in the park. There were some dry tree leaves unlike any I'd seen before, but the trees don't have markers - darn it.
Then there was the flower shop. We were walking past this window, and it just stopped me in my tracks. If you look at the pink and yellow spray in the picture, you'll see what I mean. I was absolutely certain that they were made of wood and painted, until we noticed that you could see the seeds inside of a few near the top that are open a bit.
Finally, one of the other memorable things we did was dinner at Strada on 57th. It was just a couple of short blocks, and the food was scrumptious! I had cappelini with shrimp and a yummy cauliflower soup. Laura had lobster ravioli, and I can't remember what Rob and Molly had. For dessert, we all had cappuchino and shared a slice of chocolate mousse cake and another of tiramisu. Sigh.... delicious.
The train was late again bringing us home. I watched out the windows, seeing that the mullein is healthy and prevalent this year, and there are huge patches of tiger lily out there. On the way there, we even passed a "mud sale" held in the neighboring countryside to benefit the small town volunteer fire companies.
It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm refreshed - ready to tackle the upcoming deadline and May/June issue.

4 Seasons of Woman

Spring , Summer, Fall, and Winter. These sculptures hold a giant ring above their heads, and are in the center of a large plaza, surrounded by 4 small restaurants with lots of outdoor seating. Each sculpture is about 15 feet tall. It is breathtaking.

Did I mention that I thoroughly enjoyed all the artwork in the streets?

I think Winter was my favorite because of the mystery enfolded in her robes.

Weekend in NYC - Part One

We had a great weekend walking all over Manhattan. Molly and I visited with our friends Laura and Rob. Our train was very late getting in, so we missed the possibility of seeing Avenue Q, but it really wasn't a big deal.
Laura took us on a walking tour for a good part of Saturday. If I haven't mentioned my Crocs, let me tell you right now that they saved the day. Molly and I both wore them, and not being accustomed to walking 30 or 40 blocks in a given day, they made quite a difference. At the same time, it was a real wake-up that I am getting entirely too sedentary.
Anyhow, we started with brunch, and then headed out visit some thrift shops, etc. The first place we stopped was Backwoods. They had some great gauzy beaded mirrored '70's Indian stuff at very nice prices. The jacket I'm wearing below (standing in the fountain) came from that shop. I was really excited to see the jackets, because we sold them at our old shop, and they are so comfy and colorful. The price was also around the same as we used to get them wholesale! Molly found some things she loved, too.
From there, we headed across Central Park to the 70's and 80's where we found several thrift shops. They had some very cool stuff, but the prices gave me sticker shock. For instance, used shoes were between $20 and $40. Naturally, Molly found a pair of jeans that she fell in love with - and they were very unusual.
These pictures were all taken in Central Park. I took lots of photos of the trees, etc... but these are my favorites. The top picture is a gorgeous bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland.
The next shot is Molly and Laura under a budding tree. Things were just beginning to come to life.
Then Laura and I stood under this guy right at the entrace at Columbus Circle. I really loved all the sculpture and statuary in the park, and the old ornate gates and such. Lastly, we went to the lake in the park. I took the picture across the lake, which looked so interesting because to me it could be either Spring OR Fall, because the colors are so similar.
Walking along 5th Avenue, there were many areas that still had the greens stuck in window boxes and planters from the holiday season. We gather some dried juniper berries, and I rolled them in my fingers from time to time to smell that fresh, juicy fragrance. It wasn't quite as good as the coffee we stopped for mid-afternoon, but it was very refreshing. There's more to come... Blogger doesn't seem to like more than 4 pictures at a time.

Lancaster Farmer's Market

The Farmer's Market in the city of Lancaster is the longest continuously operating inland farmers market in the country. Ever since I was a child, the market has been filled with the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish, along with flowers for the table and baked goods that just cannot be described. As times have changed and time itself is less available, delis have popped up offering delectable pasta salads and pre-cooked meals that make your mouth water just thinking about them. In case you can't tell, I've been having a blast going all over the county this spring helping my sister find wholesale outlets for her Lancaster County Soaps. Even though this area has been my home nearly my whole life, it never ceases to be a joy and a pleasure to me. The availability of fresh foods used to be something I took for granted until I traveled a bit and found that this is not the norm.We are very fortunate here. There are also some booths with jellies and jams, coffees and teas, dips, and OH MY the candies, hot soft pretzels, hotdogs, home made breads, baklava. It can be a very dangerous place to the uninitiated. One of the very first rules is to walk all of the aisles before buying. The prices can be quite a bit different from aisle to aisle - depending on how close to an entrance the booth is. Many of the purchases come from tourists on buses, so some of the vendors price accordingly.It is a favorite place to take visitors from out of the area- especially because it gives me an excuse, but also it is great fun for my daughter and me on easygoing Saturday mornings. The surrounding area of the city is full of little shops with interesting items and crafts. One of them, the Lancaster County Heritage Museum has some incredible redware. And the very best greeting cards can be purchased at Zanzibar, and Molly wouldn't consider a trip to town complete without stopping for brunch at Aroma Borealis. These pictures were all taken strolling through market today. Can't wait to try the newest find - mini mangoes... They sure sound good. We'll have to see!

The Tanger Arboretum is behind Wheatland, the Lancaster home of James Buchanan and the adjacent Lancaster County Historical Association. At the arboretum, there are many unusual trees, not often seen in this area. Visiting in very late fall or early spring will reward one with unusual cones or pods.
I love wandering under the trees and seeing conifers that I’ve not seen before, and the very odd deciduous trees that have grown very large over the years. Last year several of us did a weed walk through the neighborhood in late April and were amazed with the specimens and the German four square garden behind the presidential residence.Here are a few shots I took the other day….
There is the Atlas Cedar which is enormous, and then a Beech tree with branches that are curly. And then, a weeping beech. There is an entire grove of different beech trees, and I look forward to arriving during just the right time to collect and taste beechnuts from these trees. The pods are very attractive.
Now if I can accomplish that in the fall, and then get out to the Environmental Center in the spring to help with the maple syrup… gather bayberries in the winter… Trees are just as interesting as smaller herbs.
The grounds of Wheatland and the Tanger Arboretum are both under-utilized areas that are filled with enough to keep a plant lover busy for a good long time. Last year we were stunned to find Marsh Marigolds and a long hedge of a fragrant flowering shrub that we still haven't identified. If you are in the area, it's worth your while to check it out.

Quilts in the Country

There are so many things I take for granted on a daily basis, living here in PA Dutch Country. As the editor of The Essential Herbal, rarely does a month go by that I don't hear how lucky I am to be in an area surrounded by people interested and involved in herbs. That's very true. Back in the early 90's when the idea to put together a state herb association came up, there were many, many herb businesses willing to drive to get together and share ideas and expertise. Most of them still exist.

Even more so though is the fortune of being around the crafts people here in Lancaster County!
We went out to deliver an order of soap into the tourist area of the county today, and stopped to see an old friend Sylvia Petersheim in Smoketown. Sylvia has a quilt shop, and a fabric shop. Her stuff is magnificent. These quilts were *some* of the ones hanging outside today. There are stacks and stacks of them inside the shop. She has a very keen eye for coordinating fabrics for a quilt top.
In addition to the quilts and the fabrics, her husband Omar cares for the grounds of their home, and they are stunning. There is a creek running through the back yard, and the mature landscaping is breath-taking. Actually, I've not been there when things are fully green and blooming, so I can only imagine.

Philadelphia Flower Show

Today I represented The Essential Herbal with at the Garden Writers' Breakfast meeting with Maureen Rogers of Herbal Connection. This allowed us on to the floor to see the displays before the doors opened. Being short, that was very cool.
The lighting was pretty tough for me to work with - as you can see with the top picture. The next one, I really loved. This is a very small part of the "Spring has Sprung" display by Haddonfield. They used flex duct, and tons of colorful slinkies to show off their gorgeous arrangements. This particular "bouquet" would be about 5' tall.
This was the display at the booth for Cramer's Posy Patch. I love their display, the way the cover the ceiling with the statice, larkspur, celosia, etc. It is so pretty. Lots of "sticks", too, like pussy willow and the like.
This table set for a fairy tea party was but a tiny portion of the very large display that won a prize, by Lamsback. The full display included gigantic bugs - a spider and a dragonfly come to mind - made of flowers, with big red floral eyes. There was a 5 or 6 foot fairy on the hillside made of flowers, looking over the pond in the middle of this display. It was a joy to look at.
These hanging baskets are an exotic plant called Nepenthes. The reddish pouches grow down under the planters and are approximately 6" in length. It appears that they would gather water for the plant. Lovely.
This little imp has just caught a fish from the pond. I'd like to point out that the price is over $11,000. Really nice work, and the expression is wonderful.
There were orchids everywhere. I would have liked a few more spring flowers, but the orchids really were lovely. They were in every color of the rainbow and in sizes ranging from teensy to dinner plate. It made up for missing the fragrant spring bulbs.

Spring Tonic

In the old days people would look forward to a spring tonic to boost the indigestion after a winter of eating foods from the winter larder, and to get the "juices running". Tonics are bitters, which stimulate the liver to porduce bile to help the body digest fats and improve the digestive process.

SPRING TONIC (from Tonics by Robert A. Barnett)

1/2 cup dried Sarsaparilla root
1/2 cup dried Burdock root
2 Tbsp. dried Dandelion root
2 Tbsp. dried Orange peel
8 whole Cardamom pods, cracked open
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 2" piece fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Honey
1 1/2 cup fresh Lemon juice
4 cups Apple Cider
1/2 tsp freshly ground Pepper
16 oz. Seltzer or other carbonated water (optional)

Bring 5 cups water to boil in a covered saucepan. Meanwhile combine the Sarsaparilla root, Burdock root, Dandelion root, Orange peel, Cardamom pods and Cinnamon in a heat-proof bowl. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and leave to steep for 15-20 minutes.
Combine the Ginger, 1/2 c Lemon juice, and the Honey in a blender. Process until smooth. Add the remaining Lemon juice and the Pepper, and blend until well combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula.
When the root mixture is ready, strain it through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all of the flavorful tea. Discard the solids. Add 1 cup of this tea to the blender and whirl just to combine. Scrape the contents of the blender into a large pitcher. Stir in the remaining tea and the apple cider.
Chill well. Serve over ice, adding the seltzer for a lighter drink.
This can be frozen for up to 3 months or keeps in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Use a blender to reincorporate the materials.
If using fresh roots of Sarsaparilla, Burdock, or Dandelion, double the amount.

When (Nursing) Mommy Gets Sick

Since there is so much going around right now, it seemed like a good time to roll out this excerpt from the Mar/Apr '05 issue of The Essential Herbal from Pam Ferry. Her link is listed at the end of the article.

When Mommy Gets Sick

You are a mother, with a young, nursing child, who becomes ill. What do you do? Do you continue breastfeeding, or do you stop? First, any anger, or disappointment you may feel, is normal and to beexpected; you don't have the time or energy to be sick. All you want to do is be able to take care of your baby and be able to get through the day, with a minimum of fuss, while getting some things (like laundry) accomplished. If you have any kind of support, now is the time to ask for help. You do NOT want to use the strength you have doing all the laundry and dishes, and possibly taking care of other children without help. The most important answer is yes, you can breastfeed your child. Towards the end of pregnancy the fetus has received immunity from the mother; the baby is therefore, born with the mother's immunities. Breastfed infants acquire additional antibodies to influenza, mumps, chickenpox, and other viruses either through mom's previous exposure or immunization (mom's). This passive immunity lasts from 3 to 6 months and protects the child from childhood diseases. Except for herpetic lesions, HIV positive and in unusual cases (up to your care provider) chicken pox and hepatitis, you CAN and SHOULD breastfeed your child. Things like frequent hand washing and keeping the child limited to outside contaminants (like everyone in the neighborhood, that wants to kiss the cute baby!!), will help prevent illness.
The question of what herbs are best to take while sick and nursing is a valid one. Although it is advised by lactation experts not to take any unnecessary medication while nursing, including herbal medications, there are herbs that are safe for both mother and infant.
First, you want sufficient milk production for which there are common herbs to use which include: Simple teas or infusions of nourishing herbs such as Comfrey, Raspberry leaf, Nettles, Alfalfa, or Red Clover and Fenugreek encourage a plentiful supply of breast milk and a relaxed, healthy mother. These mineral rich herbs also protect you from mineral loss during the stress of nursing and infant care. Rotate, using one for a week, to derive the unique benefits that each offers.
Second, you want to increase the vitamins and minerals that are normally depleted during viral illness. Vitamins C (to fight inflammation and infections) and A (for eyes, and cell health) can be obtained from elderberries (my personal favorite), dandelion leaves, watercress, parsley, cayenne and comfrey, to name a few of the commonly used herbs. Comfrey and parsley also provides you with a B complex (to nourish nerves and provide energy).
Another commonly depleted nutrient while ill, is potassium (depleted by excessive urination or perspiration, vomiting, diarrhea); you can supplement this mineral by taking comfrey, watercress, dandelion, parsley and mints. For nausea, drink Fennel/Barley Water. A combination of the two herbs not only increases the breast milk, but eases after pains and settles the digestion of mom and babe.
Prepare barley water by soaking ½ cup of pearled (regular) barley in 3 cups cold water overnight or by boiling for 25 minutes. Strain out the barley and add to soup or discard. Heat a cup or two of the barley water to boiling as needed, store the rest in the refrigerator. Pour 1 cup boiling barley water over 1 tsp. Fennel seeds and steep for no longer than 30 minutes.
And of course, always remember to increase your intake of water.
So, the way a breastfeeding mom can survive the flu is to have plenty of nourishing herbal teas on hand, a quiet room where you and your nursing infant can both remain lying down as much as possible (with all needed baby supplies within reaching distance), and hopefully a loving partner to bring you soup, snacks or other “feel good” foods.
Stay well!!

Pam Ferry, RN, Herbalist, Doula (DONA) and Lactation Educator
Mother’s Circle and Healing Herbals
www.healingherbals.net

editor's note: Comfrey is currently frowned on for internal use by the FDA.

another day in Lancaster County PA

Somedays, I can forget how lucky I am to live here. Somedays, things might conspire to keep me in the house all day without even walking down to the mailbox. Then there are the days that are really no different that any other - they are just full of beauty and peace.
The other day I rode along on a "sales blitz", passing out literature to tourist shops in the area. We went to Gap, Intercourse, Strasburg, and Bird-in-Hand. Previously we'd been to Lititz and New Holland. There are a few other little villages that we need to stop in, but we've been fairly thorough about it.
Monday was an interesting day weather-wise. In the morning the snow was nearly white-out in its severity, but didn't stick around. It stayed very cold and the wind was wicked. We parked the car in the towns and walked a bit, choosing stores
that had the right tone. Some of the things that I didn't take pictures of were: recess at the Amish school, long colorful lines of laundry stretching from the second floor of the house out to a tall pole, meadows full of the gorgeous workhorses wearing their thick winter coats, the buggy parked at the convenience store, the tidy farms with the extensions built on to the houses to welcome additional generations.
There were so many things I saw, and they can either be noticed and noted or just become part of the unseen scenery that passes by.
So... we have the old mill, in great condition. The willow trees that are budded out in gold was striking. The horse hitched to the buggy, waiting
patiently to be driven home after the shopping trip.
This is what it's like to live around here. There was also the stop into a convenience store for a drink. In the corner were four men sitting at a chrome table, smoking like chimneys. The women working there flirted and joked around with them. The feel of the store was like stepping back about 30+ years.
It was an interesting day.

Snowdrops

What is it about snowdrops? They peek out from the ground at a time when our spirit is so in need of that bit of magic. Is it any wonder that when doing an image search for the flower, I was happily surprised to find many images of snowdrop fairies? I also found that in older versions, Snow White (of the 7 dwarf fame) is known as Snow Drop.
Snow drops are made into many different kinds of jewelry. They are embroidered, quilted, and etchings. This tiny twinkler is obviously a delight for many of us, and bring out our creative sides.
They are out early here because of the very mild winter. Last year, I recall specifically that they weren't out until mid-March. They usually show up along with the crocus, but they are breaking out alone this year.

Last week I turned a corner and was greeted by a yard covered with them. Reaching my sister's house, we lifted some leaves and found that they had poked up through the ground there, too.
Tomorrow we are expecting some snow flurries, but spring is almost here....

The Essential Herbal March/April 2006

The Mar/Apr '06 issue of The Essential Herbal is in the mail and should start reaching subscribers in another week or so. It is so full of spring, and the dreams and hopefulness of the awakening earth that it was a BIG letdown for me when the temperatures took a nosedive this week. However, I did see my first snowdrop in bloom the other day!

So...we have so much good stuff in this issue. To begin with, there is the obligatory crossword puzzle :-). On the back cover, Barbara Poole writes about poke salad, and the lessons her grandmother taught her.

Geri Burgert agreed to become our "Suburban Herbie", and I'm very excited about that. Geri has such a refreshing take on plants, nature, and the world in general.

Susanna Reppert Brill's column - "Never Enough Thyme" talks about the dandelion and gives several tempting options for serving them. Then, regular writer Susan Evans really surprised me with an article on sea vegetables. It was a surprise because I'd been thinking of that very subject for a few days. Mary Ellen Wilcox sent us something on the bitter herbs of Passover, and also an article on Ginger - The Oldest Spice. We got some lovely recipes using Lemon Herbs from Barbara Steele, and some ideas for starting a garden journal from Karen Creel. After a brief discussion of Albizzia on the yahoo list, Maureen Rogers sent us a profile of "The Happiness Herb". Maryanne Schwartz wrote about Spring Cleaning, but without all the chemicals we're used to using. Karen Hegre sent an awesome dip.

Oh! But that's not all! Barbara Will sent information on the *real* patron saint of gardening. There is information on Soap Felting from Tracy Westbury, and a marketing minute from Rachel Johnston. The Yahoo list came up with a fabulous article on the uses of edible flowers, and Dr. Tamara Hartley-Hunt compiled a wonderful listing describing the flavors and colors of many, many flowers. Cindy Jones gives us information on why we need to have our products tested before selling them, and Betty Pillsbury writes of the wisdon of growing sage in the garden.

We also had lots of new (and also our regular) advertisers. This issue will be gracing the shelves of several new shops, along with the books and kits. It's been an interesting year so far!

Snow! Finally!

Over the weekend, the North East was covered with a thick blanket of snow. Storms that bring a foot or more of snow are never "convenient", but this one was as unobtrusive as possible. The timing was perfect for me, because the newest issue of The Essential Herbal needed to be prepared for mailing, so being trapped in the house was exactly what I needed.
It could have been so much worse. Arriving late Saturday and falling into Sunday, there was ample time to clear the roads and vehicles before Monday morning. The magazines were at the post office by noon on Monday! Additionally, the warm ground made removal much easier - although it was the perfectly packable type snow, so it was hard to resist making a fort while shoveling out the car.
As the first storm of the season finally approached, I made sure there was lots of fresh fruit and salad fixin's - along with the mandatory cocoa that Molly has associated with snow since she was old enough to drink it. I also pondered the low grade excitement I felt. Why, I wondered, did it feel so exciting? I work from home, so it wasn't the excitement of staying home from work. I gave up sledding a good decade or so ago, so that wasn't it... and my baby plants are probably going to suffer, so that certainly isn't it. My sweetie is cloistered away working for the next month or so, so it wasn't even the thought of time alone with him.
So I came up with a theory (as I often do, based solely on the wanderings of my mind on that particular day) that storms force us to admit that we are powerless for a little while. Having grown up and lived here most of my life, winters are supposed to include several short periods of time where nature imposes her will, and we submit.
For instance, there was one full week a few years back where nobody went anywhere. That week, I built my website. Couldn't do anything else, so.... Sometimes storms mean reading a book that's been waiting too long, watching sappy movies, or doing something Norman Rockwell with the kid. The storms force us to focus on home or allow us to take on a task we are normally too busy to do.
Either way, it is a part of the rhythm of the year for me. It was exhausting to enjoy the eternally spring-like weather that went on and on this winter! Somewhere in my gut, there was something wrong, and I think I know what it was. Apparently, I've become accustomed to getting these windows of time each winter, where nature lets me off the hook, lets me bail on the whole responsibility thing, allows me to just give up the race for a day or two.
Now I've been refreshed. All is right with the natural world again. It was a beautiful snow!

Sleeping again

This may sound like bragging, but I've always been one to fall asleep before my head hit the pillow. A dear friend of mine is not so lucky, so back in August when I was visiting The Rosemary House I looked for some sort of tincture. Susanna Reppert recommended their "Rosemary's Relaxing Tea". The ingredients are pretty incredible - valerian, passion flower, scullcap, and lady slipper root, to begin with.
The next day, I took the entire ounce of dry herbal tea blend, dumped it into an 8 oz. mayo jar and covered it with vodka. It sat for months, because my friend isn't as comfy with herbs as I am.
So, as life often does, it changed. Working from home means a much (!!!) more flexible schedule. Nights were getting later, and so were mornings. Suddenly, I found myself staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.
I'm embarrassed to admit that it never really dawned on me how miserable it is to go without sleep...and really, I only got a small taste of it. That was enough!
That tincture worked like a dream. After taking it for 3 days, everything is back on track. Whew! Other than the vodka, it was just a few dollars for over 4 ounces.
At the same time, I had quit smoking and am determined to at least maintain my weight. There were other changes I made that contributed to the tincture working so well.

They were:
I set the alarm for 7 a.m. and forced myself to get up and get to work.
Working out 1/2 hour each day really helps.
No more staying awake until there is nothing else on tv. 11:30 it's time for bed.
No night-time food.

February Frolic -BAH Groundhogs!!!

Yesterday we had a good soaking rain in the early morning hours, but by the time the hard copy printer's sample of the next issue was shooting out of the computer, it was just perfect for a walk in the woods. In spite of all the groundhog prognostications, it was still spring here. I would like to mention that all the groundhog boys in this state gave us the thumbs down, however "Patty" - the sole girl, whose location eluded me said that spring is here. Anyhow, I had my boots on, and took along "Rudy the wonder dog" who tried to keep me on the trail - silly dog. The creek was running pretty fast. I stood on the mushy bank and watched the water rush over the fallen logs and rocks in the streambed. There are lots of baby plants poking up. The garlic mustard doesn't seem to have been phased by the cold weather to date. The moss on the bank was sending out tiny "feelers" - maybe it's in bloom? All along the way, that crazy dog was snuffling under the leaves, rushing ahead on the path, and then coming back at full steam to skid to a stop in front of me. He is great company on a woods walk. Much better than the goats we had in VA, who would go along but eat anything one stooped to observe. Much, much better. We also found a little gnome's home. Well, at least the entrance. There is a shelf mushroom over the porch. The mossy sides of the house, and the porch itself are almost hidden by oak leaves and debris from autumn, but it was as clear as a bell to me. Sorry for the run-on paragraph. For some reason, I am unable to get this program to work properly today. Some people might just wait and come back another time when it worked properly, but...Nooooooooo.