Soap Class by The Twisted Sisters

Sign up to learn to make cold processed soap here. Click on the "shop for products" button, and then follow the "classes" link to order.
During the last week of October you will receive all materials required for a 2 pound batch of soap.
Inside, you'll find a DVD showing exactly how we make soap, how we store it, and a glimpse into how a mid-sized farm-based wholesale soap company operates.
You will also have full instructions, recipes.
During the first week of November, we will have a Yahoo group to discuss any problems or questions that come up.
We will also offer sources for the ingredients so that you can continue making soap!
Join us for this fun class and
Shipping is not included in the cost.
Inside US orders only.

mystery nut and first fall outing

On this past Sunday, Molly and I continued the quest for the perfect college. We went to look at Kutztown which is a mere hour and a half away. The campus is really breathtaking, and I decided that *I* would very much like to go there. Several people that I know through herbs claim Kutztown as their alma mater, and the work they do in preserving the PA Dutch heritage is substantial as well.
Right away I began noticing the plantings, landscaping, and diverse varieties used. There were hundreds of species located on the grounds! You can imagine how exciting that was for me! We rounded a corner and found a greenhouse. Along side the greenhouse was a sort of abandoned (?) wild place full of tomato plants, beans, corn, and squash. I loved it. Really, inside I was thinking and trying to telepathically send to Molly, "go here! this is awesome!". We'll see.
This plant forms a hedge near the building with the greenhouse. The hedge was slightly higher than 6' and wound up to the next building. The leaves remind me of chesnut leaves, but the nut/fruit (about 2" in diameter) is shaped differently. The outer coating is very much like the black walnut, but black walnuts don't have that drooping shape away from the stem. I'm mystified. Anyone know what it is? Make an old woman happy and write in.As we set off for home, we intentionally got lost on one of the country roads surrounding the college, first checking out the festival grounds where the folk festival is held, and the heritage homestead (I forget what it is called at the moment) with the one room schoolhouse, house, barn, etc. Within a mile of the school, we found ourselves on a winding 1.5 lane blacktop road with a wide and shallow creek running next to the road. It followed us for miles, taunting us with nowhere to pull over. Finally we found a place.
As we drove along, the canopy overhead showed us that autumn is indeed on the way. Yellow leaves danced across the road ahead of us, corn fields are dry and skeletal, and most fields have been mowed, tilled, or in some way tucked in for winter. As we rounded a curve, I caught a glimpse of my old friends, the wild turkeys, out of the corner of my eye. They had a third, but she scurried into the brush. Camera shy, you know. I am very superstitious about wild turkeys. Can't help it. If you know me or have been reading along, you probably know that wild turkeys (really wild, not the ones we have here, apparently - lol) seem to show up just before a big change of some kind comes up. Usually it is something wonderful. The first time it was to tell me Molly was on the way. The next time I saw them was on the way to look at our shop with a realtor. Later, a momma and baby turkey told me it was time to get the heck out of Virginia, and a couple of years later I saw one a few days before meeting the man who has been in my life for the last 6 years. There weren't any other turkey sightings. That was it. So now I just have to wait and see!

Aren't they beautiful?

7 or 8 pounds ago...

.... I got a surprise in the mail. Yep, that's right. In the mail!
I'm still catching up with things that I meant to blog.
It was more than a month ago. I was feeling a little down, and Laura & Robbie leapt to give me a nudge towards the lighter side of life.

The chocolates have now disappeared and I can start in on salads and fruit, etc to try to remove them from my well padded bod.
In the yard, the moonflowers were in full gear. Every afternoon I would see this:

As the darkness fell, the scent of the open flowers was startlingly beautiful, but fleeting. You catch just a whiff, and then if you try to get more, it is hard to find again.
Now they are gone and the seed pods are forming.

There - caught up!

Something else we'd never done before

...would be a wholesale tradeshow.
We've always talked about doing something, but avoided it because it seemed a little out of our league.
It felt a bit like kismet to be invited to participate in a smallish tradeshow that caters to "our" crowd, in a venue we never even knew existed!
So for 2 days we talked about my sister's products and her wholesale policies and specials. It was really a lot of fun and not nearly as exhausting as retail sales (isn't that always the case when discussing wholesale vs. retail?).
Here is the display we put together. It is simple and utilitarian. We didn't want to spend a lot of money when we didn't know what we were getting into, and although it looks a little sparse in this photo, it worked very well at the show. We handed out tons of samples and got some nice new wholesale accounts. The orders are nearly all filled, packed, and ready to ship! Bottom line? We can do wholesale tradeshows :-).
Another cool thing about attending any show is the people you meet. On one side of us was Mark Highland of

Organic Mechanic Soil. Mark was a very pleasant neighbor, but more than that he was interesting to talk to. He is very passionate about what he does, in fact he is quite possibly the only person I've ever heard say, "I've always loved compost."
Beyond that, he filled me in on the problem of worms changing the soil composition of the old forests in MN, and I listened to him explaining his product to customers. He's an impressive guy who walks the walk - even bringing his own mug along for the beverages provided by our hosts. I'm hoping that he'll provide the readers of The Essential Herbal with an article on composting this spring!

A visiting herbalist

It is always a special day when we get a visit from a friend from far away. This summer has been full, with lots of good friends coming into the area for all of the cool stuff we have going on - and then stopping to visit us! Karen Mallinger of AllGoodeGifts.com does a yearly vacation with her sisters. The women are flung all across the country (Michigan, Florida, and Ohio!), and so they take turns choosing a destination and then spend a week together. This year was Lisa's year, and she chose Gettysburg.
I was teasing Karen about her on-line picture, and now I think this shot should be her public shot - don't you? Saucy and adventurous - that's Karen. Karen's sister Stephanie is just as hilarious as Karen. These two would be seriously scary on a trip across country. Lisa is more quiet, and seems to just be amused, taking it all in. Anyhow, here is Steph after buying a bunch of Maryanne's lampworked jewelry. Lisa is behind her chuckling, while Steph explains each piece she purchased, and why. Next we wandered down into the woods to see if we could compare notes on some woodland plants. We are from such different areas that things like common names, varieties, etc., can be interesting to compare. We found a log full of these beauties. My brother-in-law id'd them yesterday, and other than being pretty, they are not edible, nor medicinal. I'll probably dry them anyway, and use them in my wild wanderings potpourri. That is just my big honking jar of stuff I find while out. Usually there is some attachment - a place, the people I was walking with - and the jar is filled with so many walks and memories.
We went over to the Tilted Kilt for lunch. Having friends in from afar is a GREAT excuse to go back. I think this was probably the last chance we'll get this year to have lunch on the deck, so we took advantage of it, even though it was a mite cool. Karen, Maryanne, and Lisa chat below.
Next, we hopped over to Cloverleaf Herb Farm (see blog on blogroll>>>). Kathy Musser came out to chat and we looked over her goodies and did some sniffing and heavy duty browsing. We even found a book that I'd recommended to Steph earlier right there on the shelf (next to Under the Sun, of course).

Off they went into the sunset. The next day, the Cyclorama in Gettysburg was set to open and Lisa is a major fan of pretty much any place a cannon has ever been.

the Autumn Dandelions are in the lawn

I was looking out at the overgrown lawn today, and noticed that there were at least 25 or 30 dandelions blooming in the grass! The fall roots have spent the full summer gathering energy and nutrition, and some of them will send out flowers. Get out your shovels, it's time to harvest the root veggies and herbs (is there a difference?).

We have a guest blogger today, offering this article on Dandelion. Thank you, Kelly!

Digging Deep into the Dandelion Root

There’s a wide range of herbal supplements, each of which acts as a natural aid to health. The dandelion is one such herb; available at hardly any cost and offering tremendous health benefits, this common garden weed holds a wealth of medicinal goodness in its roots and leaves, some of which are listed below:
· The leaves have strong diuretic properties and are sometimes better than allopathic drugs in treating kidney infections because they are a rich source of potassium as opposed to the latter which cause the mineral to be lost from the body.
· The roots help in purifying the blood and removing toxins from the liver (by increasing bile production) and the kidneys.
· It has mild laxative properties and helps relieve constipation.
· It aids in the process of digestion and boosts appetite.
· It is good for the complexion and helps prevent dry skin conditions and the occurrence of black spots.
· It is rich in potassium, iron and other vitamins that help in the treatment of anemia.
· It helps in relieving menstrual cramps and painful muscle spasms and offers relief from menopausal symptoms.
· The herb helps in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.
· It is rich in boron, calcium and silicon and so protects women from osteoporosis and rheumatism by boosting the production of estrogen.
· It helps weight reduction by regulating blood sugar and improving fat metabolism.
· It is rich in sodium and so helps balance the electrolytes and neutralize acids in the blood.
· The sap from the stem and root of the herb contains astringent properties and helps in the treatment of warts, blisters, corns and acne.
· It helps lower cholesterol and uric acid levels in the body.
· It’s a good substitute for coffee as it contains a similar taste but none of the harmful caffeine content.
A few words of caution while using the dandelion root:
· Avoid ingestion if you suffer from gallstones.
· It may increase acidity levels, so avoid if you are prone to ulcers.
· Avoid if you are allergic to plants like chamomile and yarrow.
· Consult your physician if you’re using antibiotics and/or other drugs that reduce blood sugar levels or act as diuretics.
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of nursing schools online. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

Mount Joy Farmers Market - 3 more weeks

There aren't many weeks left for this season, but each week the bounty surprises me. Each week there is something new and exciting. This week J&J Growers brought in chestnuts from his own trees! They were a huge bargain, at only $3/quart. Grocery stores charge by the pound - usually something like 4 or 5 bucks, and a quart was way over a pound. They'll be roasting soon. You may notice in the picture below, a lone sweet potato off in the corner. There were two. I ate one for dinner. In fact, I took this picture while it was cooking. Figured it was best to hurry before everything disappeared.
Sam Nolt had this gorgeous green pumpkin (gourd?). On my screen the color comes through true. It looks like a cross between sage and jade green. I rarely want stuff to sit around and look pretty, but this color was just too incredible to pass up. Here's hoping that the seeds will grow next year. Sam always has nice stuff. Today I noticed he had peaches and concord grapes along with corn, tomatoes, beans, and other late summer crops.

My sister's jewelry is always a temptation to shoppers, and really... is it any wonder? Look at those beads! She does fairly well at market with her jewelry. It is a bit of a shame that market doesn't run closer to the holidays, because I think she'd clean up. Just to clarify, she creates each of the beads herself, using a torch and glass rods. They are then fired in a kiln (there are proper terms for these things, but just between us, we'll use the layman's terms, OK?). After she makes the main beads, she matches them up with findings and small finishing beads to create finished pieces of jewelry. Her latest "thing" is glass teapots that are about 1" in diameter, and they are pendants. Funky!
Our new neighbors at the market this year are Steve and Mary Prescott from Prescott's Patch. They are farming organically without the certification. To me, knowing the farmer and seeing how they feel about their produce is more important than the certification. Last week Mary told me this was Steve's mission in life - to grow these heirloom fruits and vegetables, and to do it in a sustainable way. Sometimes you can just tell about people, ya know? They have an easy way about them, and the customers just love them. Ask them about a variety, and chances are they can tell you how to cook it, what it goes well with, and maybe even a favorite recipe.

Their display is colorful and inviting, and every week I wind up trying something. Last year Kharren did that with her incredible variety of veggies, and I miss her. It's good to have someone here challenging my taste buds again. See those variegated eggplants? They actually taste a little creamier than the all-purple ones. Really! Every time a customer takes a bunch of basil, my sister and I sigh as the aroma reaches our booth, and the red raspberries seem to be every one's favorite. In case you read this, Mary, go ahead and try that new variety of sweet potato! It isn't too sweet. You might like it.
Then we have Bill and Lil from Grandma's Goodies. Most mornings we have to start off with a Rice Krispie Treat, and lately she's been bringing coffee. Those pumpkin whoopie pies are KILLER! Not too sweet, perfectly spiced (yes as a matter of fact, I AM a pumpkin bread aficionado)... oh, they're good all right. They make some mean pies (I'm partial to Shoo-fly), and today I brought home a carrot cake for the girls to eat when they get home from working at the renaissance faire tonight.
Of course we always have plenty of soap. We've got scrubs, salt bars, sniffing jars, lotion bars, lavender wands, books, magazines and all kinds of herbie stuff. But here's the soap.

All of this is works smoothly under the direction of Stacy Rutherford from Main Street Mount Joy. She makes it work. Everyone has a good time and comes out ahead. It can't be easy. I know that personally, at 7:15 in the morning, having had scarcely half of my minimum daily requirement of java, I have been a pain in the behind on more than one day. I know. Hard to believe - lol.

Anyway, be sure to stop down in the the next few weeks. October 11 is our last day, and after that it's internet or Frog Hollow Tree Farm for your Christmas Tree.

Elderberry tincture time

Yesterday I picked the last of the elderberries off the bush in the back yard. They are so beautiful that it is difficult to take them from the umbel. Currently, they are spread out on the counter of the island... deep dark pearls, perfect and round, heavy with juice and medicine.
I have often written about how important we feel it is to have plenty of elderberry in the house for the winter. At this point, it would be just about unthinkable not to. Just yesterday we stopped at an Amish roadside stand for something, and although I'm well stocked, I checked their supply of elderberry jelly. Now that is one instance where a spoon full of sugar really does help the medicine go down.
A few weeks ago a friend of mine who is very experienced with herbs (although not so much medicinally) asked me to explain how to make a tincture (aka extract) and it made me realize that lots of people might want to know. This method works for just about any herb you'd want to tincture. For home use, I don't worry too much about percentages and such. Some herbs require a higher amount of alcohol or more water to better extract the properties. We just plunk the herb in the alcohol and so far, we've been very happy with the results.
One of the benefits of making a tincture with alcohol (others can be made with vinegar or glycerine & water) is that it is preserved for years and a 1/2 teaspoon or so in a swallow of juice is an efficient way to take a dose that is quickly absorbed. If you prefer not to make your own, you can find it here.

So to begin....
Gather ripe elderberries. Around here that means that one must also turn over the umbels and flick off the stinkbugs that live among the berries.


Roll the berries off the tiny stems. This requires a gentle touch. I've tried a wide toothed comb, but that results in a lot of stem attached to the berries. Now it seems that sitting on the deck as the sun goes down is the perfect way to strip the berries. John Gallagher of LearningHerbs.com suggests freezing the umbels prior to stripping to make it easier, but I haven't tried it myself. The berries in the picture below are much darker than they appear here. The flash, I think...
Choose a jar that will hold the berries that you've cleaned, and pour in the berries. We save jars during the year to make our tinctures in the fall and spring. If you like, you can muddle the berries at this point so that the juice will more easily release into the the menstruum (alcohol) when it is added.


Cover the berries with alcohol. What kind of alcohol? This preparation is to be taken internally, so that means the alcohol must be something that can also be for internal use. Most herbies use vodka, but not all. Brandy is used, whiskey, and sometimes whatever is in the house. I've been known to grab gin or rum if the herb was ready and that was all that was available. It is more about the alcohol, and the ability to preserve. If grain alcohol is used (not available in my state), add some water to the mix because most herbs need some water in order to extract well. Half and half is a good blend. Personally I use the cheap vodka because chances are I will go through a couple of gallons in the fall. This doesn't mean that I'll actually use all of that tinctured vodka over the winter, but I will have lots to share with my family and friends as the cold and flu season goes on. Elderberry - I make at least a quart! Holy Basil - that's another quart or more. And then there is Echinacea, Chamomile, Passion Flower, and Vitex. I could go on and on - but you get my drift. There are varying opinions on how long to allow tinctures to sit. Some people tell you to shake it daily, as well. So, I'll tell you my method, and you can come up with your own.
I put my jars in a out-of-the-way corner of the kitchen during this season to keep an eye on them. It is dimly lit in the corner. As things wind down, I'll be sure they are all well labeled and then as the frost hits, the jars will all go in the cupboard above the corner counter. I don't strain them, nor shake them. They are done until we need them. At that point we will strain them off and use them.
This year, if you haven't tried making a tincture before, just do one. You'll be successful, of that I am certain, and if you'd like to purchase them instead, visit our web shop.

If you've enjoyed this instruction, consider a subscription to The Essential Herbal Magazine, where we discuss the simple, pleasant ways we can incorporate herbs into our lives everyday.

A blast from the past

The title isn't really appropriate. Laura Daniel isn't really from the past because we communicate daily. The computer and especially IM's are an incredible means to stay in touch, and we have done so for many years now.
My sister and I met Laura and her beau Robbie at the renaissance faire in '93 or '94. They moved on to the Big Apple within a couple of years, but our friendship endured and they even hosted us during many trips to the wholesale shows while we had a shop to stock. In fact, we started attending shows like "the boutique show" at Javitz just so we could spend a weekend AND buy some cool clothes for the shop.

As the years pass, we find it harder and harder to snatch a pair of days to visit with one another. Her career is taking off, and she can scarcely fit all of her rehearsals, performances, and work into her days - much less a trip out of town.... (photo lifted from NYTimes, and credit goes to Dick Larson, photographer) Remember the name Laura Daniel, folks. If you saw her here first, remember that too - lol. She's flying, and you will soon see and hear her everywhere stage, movies, tv, music recordings, voice-overs... she is incredible!so it was a great surprise to hear that Robbie would be spending a week in a nearby town on business, and Laura would be able to zip over here during the day while she spent some time with him.

We had a great time. First some hugs, then (of course) down into the woods.
Later we went in to downtown Mount Joy for a bite to eat. Molly couldn't get off school that day because of a field trip, but fortunately she got back in time for a hug.

The food at the restaurant (the Tilted Kilt, on Main Street in Mount Joy) was really scrumptious, and the day was glorious, forcing us to choose the open deck along the street for our table. I must apologize to Toby Myers, proprietor of The Tilted Kilt. It's been over a week since we've been there and I can't remember what everyone ate. All I can say is that we ALL enjoyed the meal thoroughly and the dessert that we shared was delicious!

If you are in the vicinity of The Tilted Kilt, stop by and have a bite. Everything from Tartan Fries *YUM!!!* to Scotch Eggs, to Roasted Pepper soup that nephew Rob suggests should be eaten daily. I haven't had any of the alcoholic beverages, but it appears that the libations include a prodigious number of brews.

Very reasonable, not your everyday burgers, but not too different - if you know what I mean. Great pairings of different flavors, textures and tastes, that are just unusual enough to be a wonderful treat.

bloggerama - coming up!

There's been a lot going on around here, and I've been capturing it all on film but neglecting to transfer it to the blog!

Just to get caught up, it looks like a little bit of blog a day for the next week ought to do it. Hopefully it won't be obnoxious, but there are some really cool things that will be lost to the mists of time, and more coming up real soon. So....

Completely out of order, we'll begin with the past few days. I found myself away - just a couple hours north of home. Outside, was a wonderful little wooded area and we wandered around for a bit before dinner the first evening and wound up spending time there every time we went out. The growth was very "short", barely up to my ankles, and much of it was asters, ragweed, and baby sassafras trees, along with other things I didn't recognize. One bush looked like very small ragged wild blueberry bushes. Tasting a berry, it was quite bitter. Another bush had marble sized round green berries, and I couldn't compare it to anything. I don't believe I tasted that one.

But lower, closer to the ground we found some glossy leaves that bugged me. They looked like something familiar... that way that plants I've studied in field guides over the years do, when they've never actually turned up during any outtings. In other words, those I've yet to find.

Oh! Then there were berries! I reached down and crushed a leaf to sniff...Wintergreen! Ah!!! A Bazillion plants scattered over a few acres! And me without my camera. The berries taste just like wintergreen candy, but not quite as sweet. We dug a few plants, and I brought them home with the intent of getting a patch going here. I wish that I'd picked a lot of the leaves and saved them for tea, but it's not that far to return...

In that little woods, there were trees covered with chrysalises and sort of mud-pack combs. There were huge rock formations and incredible mats of mosses. There were bushes of a rhododendron appearing plant ready to bloom which I now suspect was Labrador tea, and so many really interesting plants. It is amazing to me that traveling 100 or 150 miles can make such a huge difference in the flora. Even the trees were different, with an abundance of birches and beeches compared to our oaks and maples. There were oaks, but different varieties than I am accustomed to. In any case, I want very much to return in the spring to see what emerges from that woods. It was so beautiful, and so full of life.

Not having a camera OR a field guide, I wanted to pinch off a piece of this plant to identify. Does anyone have any idea what it is? This pic is about lifesize. The leaves are about 2" long and then get smaller toward the top, or near the flower bud.As I pinched, the whole thing came up, and the roots are underground runners that were buried lightly under decayed leaves. I hope it survives, as it will be planted out first thing in the morning.

What a great getaway! Walking in the woods was just the icing on the cake - but yummy wintergreen icing :-).

A little bit out there...that was refreshing!

Yesterday was one of those gorgeous days that make you want...no, make that need ... to get outside. Sunny sky, a breeze, temperatures that aren't like a blast furnace, and the vegetation at the very brink of toppling into fall made it an incredible adventure.

A few days earlier, Maryanne found herself at our bayberry source and picked about a quart. We figured we could go pick some more because we use it in the holiday bayberry soap that we only make at this time of year. In the same general direction is a park where I'll be setting up for a book signing next Saturday afternoon, and had offered to include a weedwalk. Always good to check that stuff out first ;-) . And I'm glad we did, because we may need to revise the plan a bit since it is more of a landscaped area than I thought - and WAY too much poison ivy back on the paths to be going off the path.

As we headed out the driveway, I looked at my sister and it struck me that it had been at least a year since we'd done anything together that we didn't *need* to do for some reason or another. Yesterday was just a fun ramble. Sure, both of our destinations were necessary, but not like our usual (lately) somewhat driven pace. Taking care of a desperately ill person is hard all the way around, but now he's quite a bit better. So we had a day.

As we left the park we noticed a stand of small trees that the birds were just fluttering around. They were having such a ball that the trees seemed almost to be in motion themselves. We pulled over to check it out and found 2 varieties of Silkie Dogwood with the most beautifully shaded blue berries.

Almost at the end of the drive we found these Winterberries. It took my sister and her husband quite a while to identify with field guides and computer because these just aren't that commonly used around here in landscaping - and don't occur too much as natives.

Next we went to the bayberry "secret site". Heh heh. Ours aren't quite producing yet, so for now our source is a secret location. We each filled a quart freezer bag. We boiled off a lot of the wax last night and will probably do the rest today. It will most likely result in less than a pound. Not a lot, but so worth it. I'll add a pic of the wax later.
As we sat looking through the fieldguides, I found a picture of hazelnut pods and exclaimed how cool they were. Yeah, yeah... I hear you asking, "what the heck was she doing in the nut tree section of the field guide when she was supposed to be looking at berries?" and I'll just say that this is all supposed to be FUN!
So it was pretty funny when Bob said, "I have 50 of those trees - just babies - out in the little nursery outside and today I SAW those things today. Come on, I'll show you."Life here can be so good.

Almost September! Harvest! Quick!!!

This morning I feel determined to write *something*. One of my best friends (since Jr. High!) wrote last night and wondered if everything was alright since the there was nothing new on the blog for so long. Way to kick my butt, Patty :-).
This time of year gets so hectic. Besides all the things that go on inside the house, like getting the kid off for her first day as a senior today - sob! - the things going on outside are driving me to distraction. Suddenly I realize that if it isn't gathered and preserved now, it will be gone until sometime next year. Things like plantain and jewelweed are used for products that are needed before they are big enough to use next spring. The elderberries are are turning just about dark enough to pick --- when the birds eat them. We have a constant battle going on. If I pick them just at dusk, they will have had a whole day to deepen, and it seems that the birds feed in the morning.
All of the sudden, everything is ripe or just about to go to seed or drop seeds.
The garden is pathetic, but occasionally I go out and kick a clod of dirt and mutter to myself.

Right now I'm looking out the window at the roving band of banty chickens on the hillside. It is a good 100 - 150 yards away, but there is a optical illusion caused by the way the hills and valleys make things appear. The chickens are on the next rise over, so they appear closer. Anyhow, there are several generations of these cute little fowl. My sister calls them the kids, the teenagers, and the grown up. There is also a gang of babies, but they don't go up on the hill yet.
They wander among the rows of trees, and it is a funny sight. First thing this morning Molly and I were standing at the window watching and laughing. The funniest part is that the guineas have decided that they want to be chickens too. The pale guinea doesn't want to hang around the gray one anymore. They were 2 peas in a pod for years. But the pale one thinks she's a chicken and the poor gray one stands in my yard plaintively calling for her friend who pretends to be deaf to her call.

Below is a picture I took a couple of weeks ago of some of the tobacco in a farm field in the other end of the county. Tobacco seems to be coming back as a crop here. Locally, the tobacco grown is for cigar wrappers. As kids we tried it a time or two (I believe we used notebook paper - gag) and believe me, it is different. But the farmers "top" it when the blossoms begin to appear.
After seeing the price that tobacco absolute is going for, perhaps I should talk to one of these guys and ask them to save the flowers for me. Wouldn't THAT be fun to distill!?!

signs of the impending change of seasons

A day or so ago, on a walk it became obvious that autumn is breathing down summer's back. It seems a little early, being just the beginning of August, but these are just little glimmers among all the brilliant flowers and summer growth that is much more noticeable.
Along one row of trees, I've been noticing a couple of them are covered with cones. Way too many to be desirable for a Christmas tree I'd think. A few among the ornaments look pretty cool, but this is just ... well... odd! They probably draw a lot of energy from the plant. Isn't that absurd?Just to give you some idea of scale, this tree is about 7 feet tall, and the cones are anywhere from 3 to 4 inches long. I never noticed that this particular type of cones are sheathed (the green coating) and they open from the bottom. It's easier to see on the photo below. The one on the top right reminds me of a cicada or a butterfly chrysalis. Most open to resemble something like a bell shape until the sheath is completely gone.
Here we have a tiny pin-oak growing up through the branches of a fir tree. Of all the oaks, the leaves of the pin oak are the most appealing to me, and the young pinkish red leaves are almost difficult to resist picking. No explanation, just an observation. Besides, isn't this where Pinocchio came from?

Next I found a group of poke berries that give a very clear view of what they look like in the various stages. In particular, notice the magenta stems and the way they resemble Cinderella's pumpking right up until they turn black/purple, at which time they lose the scalloping and become smooth as old tires.
Last is a blown-up flower spike of sour dock. This is 3 to 4 times larger than the actual spike to show some detail of the flowers. Generally the flowers are so small that they are inconspicuous. The color dries to a deep red or maroon - sometimes other colors too - like greens, pinks, and rusts. They can be gathered to create a gorgeous wreath!
There are many other interesting things growing out there that give no inkling of the coming winter, but there is always a reminder, always the quiet tick tocking telling us that the world keeps moving. Everything keeps changing.

See? This hummingbird sage is just killing me with the stunning colors it produces. The leaves are a deep chartreuse. One of my favorite summer plants, simply because it is so pretty.

The Essential Herbal ~ September/October 2008

The next issue is in the mail, and it is such a great fall issue! We have articles on various herb crafts - from making tinctures to harvest soaps, several great recipes, gardening information, book reviews, and enough projects and ideas to make us almost look forward to the waning sun. Take a look at the table of contents below! TABLE OF CONTENTS

Crossword Puzzle - A little botanical nomenclature.

Field Notes from the Editor

Suburban Herbie, Obsessive Gardening - Geri Burgert

Dia de los Muertos - Betsy May

List Article - Winter Preparations

Simple Tincture Making at Home - Sarah Campbell

Down on the Farm, Seed Saving - Michele Brown and Pat Stewart

Book Review Unlikely Lavender Queen - Cindy Jones

Colours of Autumn, Mrs. S.J. Head

Book Review, The Priestess of the Forest - Sarah Campbell

SouthRidge Treasures, Horseradish - Mary Ellen Wilcox

Tealight Tutorial - Abbie Sewell

The Soap Pot, Harvest Soap - Alicia Grosso

Louisiana Lagniappe, Mushroom & Eggplant Pie - Sarah Liberta

Never Enough Thyme, Sunchokes - Susanna Reppert

Rebooting Your Brain - Susan Evans

Stuffed Shirts - Sue-Ryn Burns

The Twisted Sisters Tour~4 Days, 3 Cities! - Tina Sams

We're back - and planning some winter tea

The ocean was beautiful, and the temps along the coast quite a bit cooler than our inland weather. It was so nice to go away and not be hauling the still or giving talks on various topics - just being away with my sweetie :-).
We got home to find that our blog was locked up. Fortunately Blogger figured out the problem quickly so that we can go on posting!
Last night Molly and I cleared the garden of weeds (again!). It has been a while, and it showed. Still, we have the best conversations while we are each working on a row, just talking companionably. I realized while we were out there that it is time to start working on the Winter Tea. This is a project that gives us pleasure all year long. The planting, planning, and gathering is a big part of the fun. Learning new plants and testing them out for flavor, making sure to find certain wild plants during the season, and finding surprises and volunteers is all part of the process.
As the season progresses, we'll gather and dry smallish amounts of many different herbs/weeds. They will all be mixed together into a large "batch" from which we will take portions to brew up pots of flavorful, healthful tea during the cold months.
Anyone can do it, and every potful comes out just a little differently than the last.
Some choices that we will be drying and mixing:
Echinacea, all parts of the plant
Dandelion root
Chicory root
Rosemary
Chamomile
Mints - Apple, Chocolate, Peppermint, Meadow Mint, Mountain Mint
Bee Balm
Thyme
Elderberries
Raspberry Leaf and Fruit
Basils - Purple, Cinnamon, Holy
Stevia
Blueberries
Comfrey (yes, we choose to use it in tea...don't tell anyone)
Red Clover
Sassafras
Vitex Berries
Nettle
Oat Seeds
Lavender
Fennel Seeds
Hyssop Flowers
Catnip
Rosa Rugosa petals and hips
As you can see, the list goes on and on. There are many more that we'll add, and some - like Nettle, Chickweed, Violet Leaves and Flowers, and St. John's Wort - that were gathered earlier in the year for this purpose. We'll add a few things that don't grow here... like Cinnamon Chips, Star Anise, and perhaps a few Cloves. Bits of Vanilla Bean and Cardamom Seeds are delicious too. Each person will choose to add or delete different ingredients, depending on what they like and what grows nearby.

You can use this same process to gather Bathing Herbs for the coming winter. Adding some Oatmeal and Sea Salt will help the skin stay hydrated and smooth in the cold weather.

The Sept/Oct issue will be delivered tomorrow or the next day, so today is a good day to get the decks cleared before we start the rigorous process of labeling, sorting, and sacking the mailing. I'll be out wandering in the woods and fields!