tiny bloomers

I didn't really know what theme I was going for while taking pictures this morning, but found so many sweet, yet tiny gems that it became the topic.Very often, the smallest of the blossoms are the ones that startle us with their intense color or their amazing structure. Sometimes, they contain strong medicine or powerful scent. No matter what the interest, they carpet the ground outside my back door, and right now they are in their glory!Chives (I deadheaded the whole plant and am being rewarded with a healthy second bloom) dance among the Roman Chamomile and the Thyme. Grosso Lavender reaches for the sun. Deptford Pinks have begun a decent colony right on the other side of the rail fence. They are startlingly bright. I'll have to get a clearer picture of them later.

This grove of Elder was imported from Tennessee, and Michele Brown, who shipped it to me from Possum Creek Herbs a few years ago asked how they were doing the other day. LOOK MOM! In front of the Elder, there is an enormous patch of Mountain Mint. It cracks me up to remember the tiny slip I brought home from Sarah Liberta's in Baton Rouge 2 or 3 years ago. Wow.

This lady bug is resting on some of the blossoms.
Just this year I've realized how closely the Scarlet Pimpernel resembles Chickweed, and how closely they often grow together. On the property here, they are often growing intertwined. Will have to do some research on the Pimpernel!!! NOTE: This plant is edible, and is sometimes called "Poorman's Chickweed". I'm still laughing. How poor do you have to be to have a poorman's version of chickweed?

Wild Heart's Ease grows all over the place here. They are so tiny that I barely noticed them at first. Here they grow amidst the Chocolate Mint.

Beautiful, dainty, and oh! so fragrant, the valerian is still blooming out front. Again, I took all of the blooms earlier for a tincture, so it is re-blooming.
Thyme flowers growing in the shade of a nearby Vitex bush. I can see why the fairies are so fond of these little darlings!

Standing next to the Elder and looking up, it looks like lace doilies against the brilliant blue sky.

That's it for right now. Soon off to Farm at Coventry. I'm noticing there are 482 posts on this blog... wonder what I should do when I hit 500???

Lavender Shortbread - Gluten Free!

There are a couple of lavender workshops coming up tomorrow and the next day for The Essential Herbal, and for the one on Thursday, I really wanted to make some lavender shortbread cookies to munch on while we make some lavender wands.
Who knows? Tomorrow maybe lavender lemonade! Ahem... but I'm getting ahead of myself. My friend Sarah is gluten intolerant, so I set about finding a recipe that would work for everyone.
It didn't take long, either. A few minutes on the internet brought a simple recipe. Today Molly and I went out for the ingredients - rice flour, cornstarch, 10X sugar and butter.
I was excited! Out to the lavender patch to do battle with those bumbly bees. They are having quite a time! I keep hoping that they will flavor some local honey with a touch of lavender. Carefully I trimmed just the purple-est bits of lavender for the most exotic appearance.
I followed the recipe to the t, except I will admit to putting the cookies too close together.
Even so, they had a sandy, ethereal texture. Melt in your mouth and crumble in your fingers. Very unstable, and I really didn't feel they were shortbread-like. Just because you can't eat gluten doesn't mean you should have to pretend that something is like a thing that it is not.
So I thought about it for a while, and realized it needed something to hold it together....egg. I added an egg, and cut down on the butter while adding a wee splash of vanilla. The dry ingredients needed to be bumped up just a smidge to make up for the liquid of the egg. Maybe a medium sized egg wouldn't need that, but I used extra large.

That was what they needed! NOW they are shortbread cookies.
Here's the recipe:

1 C plus 2 heaping T Rice Flour

1/2 C plus 1 heaping T 10X sugar

1/2 C plus 1 heaping T cornstarch

1 extra large egg

1 stick butter (1/2 C)

1 good t chopped lavender flowers

1/2 t vanilla

Blend together the dry ingredients well. Soften the butter, and mix it with the egg and vanilla. Mix everything together and add the flowers. If it is too wet, add rice flour by teaspoons.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Make teaspoon sized balls and place on cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.

Put into a 300 degree oven for about 20 - 25 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

mmmmm.....

For Herb Businesses - A Wee Commercial Break

I apologize to those not conducting an herb business of some sort, but there is some pretty big news here at TEH and we need to get the word out. Just skip this entry if it doesn't interest you - and I promise something interesting later.
Contrary to the financial uncertainty in the US, herbs and their uses are an ever-growing interest for more and more people who want to play a more active role in growing and preparing meals for their families, learning herbal first aid to use at home, and just enjoying what grows in their midst. The Essential Herbal magazine is the perfect place to advertise if these are the people you'd like to reach. Our pages are filled with the very favorite methods, recipes, and remedies of our readers. They are part of the magazine, making it precisely what it is.
With our current issue (Jul/Aug '09) we have gone to a color cover. This enables us to offer a few pages of VERY reasonable color advertising. We will not be cutting the pages up, although we would be very happy to include group ads that are put together by your group.
We have 2/3rds of the outside back cover available, as well as the inside back and front covers. Any of these options are available for $400. No bleed, full pages = 7.5 x 10, while the outside back is 7.5w x 6.25h. You can check out our demographics here: advertising info, although we will soon need to up the number of copies that are printed for each issue, including the issues we already print extras of for inclusion in herbal and soap symposium goodie bags, etc.
And if you are an herb business with zero money left over to advertise, we know that feeling too. In that case, we invite you to submit a recipe, article or craft instruction to the magazine. We'll give you credit and include contact information!

Vote for our market!

Hi - I just voted in the "Love Your Farmers Market" contest sponsored by Care2.com and LocalHarvest.org to help my favorite market, Mount Joy Farmers Market, win a grand prize of $5,000. I care about promoting fresh, local and healthy foods, and I need your help to get enough votes to help Mount Joy Farmers Market win. Please vote here: http://www.care2.com/farmersmarket/10444?refer=19462.09.1245522962.832230.

More June Goodness ~ Lavender, etc.

Standing at the one end of the row of lavender, you can see that we've got a lot of weaving to do! We may have to take some bunches along to the event we're doing on Saturday if this silly cold rain keeps up! I can't ever remember using the heat in the middle of June before, but it is cold and wet and not even above 60 degrees. Anyhow... enough whining. This is the Grosso lavender. The flowers are more of a pale, grayish purple. The scent is in the camphorous range of lavenders, I'd say. Still, lovely. The Munstead lavender out front is a bit ahead of the Grosso. The color is a deeper purple, and the scent is a tad less medicinal. These have short brittle stems, so they aren't that good for weaving. They are a delight to dry for the buds, though.

The first Echinacea flower of the season. I've never noticed that scissored effect at the tips of the petals before, but adore the rusty red center of the flower - even if it will become prickly as time passes. It will lure the beautiful gold finches (distelfinks or thistle finches in Lancaster County) to eat right outside my bedroom windows in the Autumn. With the windows open, I'll hear them sing. The Brown Turkey Fig that I was given last year from the garden at The Rosemary House has returned with vigor! Whew! The funny part is that I kept snipping at the end of the stems that had leaves last year. They seem to still be green/living, but there aren't any leaves. I was becoming fairly certain that it had succumbed to the cold winter. Then, one day I was looking at the hardy Hibiscus that is beside it, and pushed away some of the ground ivy. There were about 4 or 5 fig leaves! It was one of those "gee, I hope the neighbors didn't notice me squealing and jumping around" moments. Yesterday I saw that one of the Pawpaws has a single leaf. I may have killed the other one. It seemed dead and I pulled it out, only to realize that the stem was pliant and alive. It was quickly tucked back into the hole, but we'll have to see what happens. Why do these plants torture me so? It is mid-June, for crying out loud! Saint John's Wort. What can I say? This beauty eluded me for years, finally getting large and robust last year, only to die from something horrendous that began as black stems in the center, and expanded. So, somewhere along the way, I've planted SJW in the front garden and in several locations out back. It has decided it wants to be in all of those places. We have lots this year.

This picture is actually to show off my new banner. Vistaprint.com was running a special, and the banner came for the price of (very expensive) shipping. It's pretty cool, and really easy to tape up to a wall. Our other banners are heavy weight, lovely, but too heavy for this kind of action. Oh and check out all my trophies! LOL. Ok. I lied. We were set up at a high school and THEY had a lot of trophies. Pfft... We did a talk on edible backyard weeds, and took along an edible bouquet, passing out sections of it as we talked about the different plants and flowers. No matter how many times I see fields of wild daylilies, I never get tired of their beauty.

That's all for now, folks. I'm off to make some chili and cornbread to warm us up in this icky weather.

June Goodness :-) Cream of Spring Onion Soup

I was researching some recipes for the little newsletter we do for our local farmers market and came across the following on the King Arthur Flour website. I changed a wee bit of wording, but the ingredients are intact. It looks so good I can't wait to try it! Lately we've been doing a lot with wild edible plants. The chickweed/scape recipe from out last post and the talk it was for... If you're looking for a great wild plant cookbook, we've got it!

Wild Foods for Every Table was put together here at The Essential Herbal and has the favorite recipes from readers all over the country.

Cream of Spring Onion SoupAlthough we’re using onions, mushrooms, and spinach, don’t be bound by the parameters of this particular recipe; use it as a base for whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand, can gather in the woods, or can find at the farmers market!
2T butter
1-1/2 C sliced spring onion, scallions, or ramps,
2 C thinly sliced white onions
3-1/2 C sliced mushrooms (domestic or wild—morels if you can find them)
1/4 C King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 C chicken broth
2 C milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound (3 or 4 C) chopped fresh spinach; if using baby spinach, there’s no need to stem or chop
1/2 C light cream or evaporated milk (optional)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and sauté the spring onions and mushrooms until the onions are transparent and the liquid from the mushrooms has mostly evaporated.Stir in the flour, and cook gently for several minutes. Stir in the chicken broth or water a little at a time. If you keep stirring, it won’t become lumpy. Add the milk and bring to a boil. The liquid will thicken just a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, the chopped fresh spinach and cream or evaporated milk if desired. Bring soup to a simmer and serve immediately so it retains its bright green color.

Chickweed and Garlic Scape Pesto

I'm not sure where, but lately there have been mentions of garlic scapes in the periphery, and it has snagged my attention.
They have shown up at market, and because my sister and I do a 2-page newsletter for the market every other week, that meant looking into recipes for scapes.
As it turns out, we have a wild foods talk and demonstration on Monday, and the plan is to pre-make most of the chickweed pesto, and then demonstrate how to make a smaller amount. Today was the day.
Steve and Mary Prescott from Prescott's Patch had a mess of scapes today, and we did a swap at the end of the day.
The chickweed pesto is finished, and it is so delicious that I will make more tomorrow to freeze. I am officially in love with garlic scapes.
Here's how we did it:

I gathered a huge basket of chickweed and a few leaves of basil and thyme.

First, I processed 6 scapes, about 1/4 cup of walnuts, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese with enough olive oil to work easily.
When that was fairly smooth, I added about a cup or so of chickweed, adding a second cup when that was incorporated. It was much easier to chop the chickweed and the scapes into manageable pieces before putting them into the processor.
After it was well blended, I added a little more oil and processed until it looked like the picture at the top.

It is scrumptious!!!

The Essential Herbal ~ Jul/Aug '09

Is it a new day at The Essential Herbal? It just might be! A clear-cut case of lemonade from lemons has brought about a new printer and a bunch of new printing options. One of the most visible? Color! We aren't certain whether it will be color for every issue yet, but at least some of the time it will be. Hop over to the website and subscribe if you haven't already. This magazine is awesome!
We can also offer some limited (and very reasonable) color advertising options for the back and inside front and back covers.
So anyhow, this cover is from Susan Hess. Taken through her kitchen window, we played with it a little bit to make it look like a water color. Here is the table of contents: Crossword Puzzle - Tools of the Trade, Tina Sams
Field Notes from the Editor
Horehound Cough Drops, Marty Webster
Composting with Worms, Karen Creel
The Global Herbal, Asia - Part Two, Marita A. Orr
Reading Your Weeds, Sue-Ryn Burns
Down on the Farm, Dog Days, Michele Brown and Pat Stewart
Candied Herbs, Kristine Brown
Sun Ripened Summer Splendor, Susan Snoddy
In Love with Lavender, Gale LaScala
Never Enough Thyme, It All Began in a Garden, Susanna Reppert Brill
Wormwood - An Excerpt, Susan Wittig Albert
Catching ZZZZ's, Susan Evans
SouthRidge Treasures, Using the Summer Harvest, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Apprenticing with Rosemary Gladstar - Part 2, Betsy May
The Soap Pot, Soap School, Alicia Grosso
Louisianna Lagniappe, Orange Bay Shortbread, Sarah Liberta
Llagic Acid, Cindy Jones
Backyard Herbal Tea Blends, Tina Sams
Genuine Connection Equals Effortless Marketing, Jenn Givler

Alloway Creek Gardens and Herb Farm

Our most recent outing was this past Saturday - to the Alloway Creek Garden Faire. Barb and Roger Steele have thrown this great party for as many years as we've been doing herb festivals, and it's always been a good time. This year we had to bail on the Friday portion, as it was raining buckets. Below you'll see our full array of goods - jewelry, bath and body, balms, tinctures, teas, soaps, salt spa bars, sniffing jars, soap stones, books, incense, essential oils - we take some of everything. Maryanne is a much photographed person lately! She also hit the front page of the Columbia Register this week at our farmers market. I was in the picture too, but it was only unrecognizable parts of me. Sharon Magee's Herbal Pottery was there. Sharon is not on-line with her stuff, so let me just show you how spectacular her work is! You can request a pricelist at herbalpottery@msn.com - just mention that I sent you :-). I believe she has a brochure she can send out.

One of my favorite flowers is delphinium. Unfortunately, it seems to be a favorite of the long-toothed rodents around here too. I have one out front that continues to attempt to grow, but is nibbled down the minute it appears to be winning. So... I will just have to be content taking a picture here and there of other people's delphs.

I loved the way this opportunistic jewelweed sprang up between the display shelves. Look how lush it is! The last few weeks of rain meant that the gardens had a lot of volunteer surprises in them. Barb and Roger are just mellow enough to realize that it wasn't worth the aggravation, and there were some beautiful scenes.

This is the area that all gardeners have, but we don't usually see... it is where we toss the clippings. Back behind this building there was a delightful motherwort colony, some celandine, a poke, some catnip, beebalm... it was pretty interesting!

Along the roadside, mullein gets to look pretty bedraggled. This specimen growing in the shade was simply beautiful.

We had a good time at the faire, and now it's time to start another week. The next issue should be delivered shortly, and it will be in the mail in a few days. Order between now and the 15th, and we'll throw in a 7th issue for the price of 6!

Making Salves and Balms

This article was co-written by Tina Sams and Maryanne Schwartz and ran in the Jul/Aug '08 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine, where there were several pictures and recipes accompanying these instructions.

MAKING SALVES AND BALMS

One of the most basic ways to use herbs medicinally is in a salve or balm. These preparations are carriers of the herbal properties and enable the user to apply those properties to their skin in an appropriate formulation. We consider a salve to be softer (like Vicks), while a balm is stiffer, like a lip balm, and holds its shape if removed from a container. Many times the terms are used interchangeably.
Both salves and balms are made by combining oil and wax. The amount of wax used determines the hardness of the final product. Less wax equals a softer product, more equals a harder product.
Many different oils can be used. Olive oil is the most common. Jojoba oil might be chosen for its long shelf life. The list goes on and on, with choices like butters (shea, mango, cocoa, etc.), solid oils (coconut, palm, soy), and liquid oils (sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado, etc.), and various blends. Rendered animal fats like emu oil and bear grease are considered to be very healing all by themselves. Keep in mind that anything made from wild animals may not be sold in any way, shape, or form.
Herbs and their healing properties are added to the salves by infusing the oil(s) prior to blending with wax.
There are a lot of different ways to infuse oils. Many people have specific ways that work very well for them, and like old family recipes for that special dish, they are all considered to be the best. Considering that plants come to us with different strengths and potencies based on growing conditions, etc., infusing is something we don’t stress over much, worrying mostly about avoiding things like mold. Infusing fresh herbs can be tricky because fresh herbs contain water. Water in oil can provide a medium for bacteria to grow. Because of that (and because we are time-impaired herbies), we prefer to wilt the herbs well to evaporate some of the moisture and then use low, gentle heat to infuse, the heat removing the rest of the moisture. Some infuse herbs for weeks, months, and even years, but using gentle heat can provide good infusions overnight.
We usually make our salves when the plant is growing and make what we expect to use that year until the next growing season.
Additionally, essential oils can be added to salves/balms with great results.

Some herbs commonly used in salves and balms:
Comfrey
Calendula
St. John’s Wort
Lavender
Plantain
Lemon Balm
Arnica
Chamomile
Balm of Gilead (Poplar buds)

Once the oil(s) has been chosen , infused, and well strained, it is time to warm it with beeswax and create the salve.
For a firm balm, use 1 part wax to 4 parts oil. For a looser slave, cut the wax to 1:6 up to 1:8. If using solids like butters, very little wax is required.
Heat only until wax is melted and blend well to avoid separation. Add any essential oils just before pouring into wide-mouthed jars or tins, blending well prior to pouring.

Prepared in this way, your salves and balms should hold up through the year with no need for refrigeration.

Pining for Pineapple Sage - Recipes Abound

Pining for Pineapple Sage
by Michele Brown and Pat Stewart of Possum Creek Herb Farm
Originally ran in the May/June 07 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine
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“Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?”
13th century quote

Salvia elegans in bloom Salvia is from the Latin “salvere” meaning to save, to cure or be in good health. The French agreed, calling it “tout bonne” or all is well.

History

The majority of historical information refers to sages in general. However, I see no reason that the notoriety shouldn’t run in the “family”. Romans held sage as a sacred ceremonial herb. It was thought to be beneficial for longevity, wisdom and memory. With a long history as a healing herb, it was said to cure snake bites, eye problems, infection, epilepsy, intoxication, memory loss, worms and intestinal problems? And beyond that, it was considered an aphrodisiac!
Did you know? One superstition was that the plant would thrive or wither according to its owner’s fortune.

Identification

Originating from Mexico, pineapple sage is a tender perennial, growing 12-30 inches tall and 2 feet wide.
Leaf: bright green, in pairs, more pointed than other sages; somewhat soft, fleshy and fuzzy, with pronounced veining underneath. Tinge with red as they mature. Bruising the leaves yields a sweet pineapple fragrance.
Flower: tiny, deep-throated, tubular, two-lipped, scarlet/ruby blossoms on slender green stalks in late summer; tangy, citrus-mint flavor. Loved by hummingbirds and bees.
Seed: tiny, dark brown, ovoid.
Stem: Square, turning woody after the 2nd year.

Cultivation

The plant can be propagated by lifting and separating clumps or taking semi-hardwood cuttings in the spring. The cutting should be striped of half its leaves and planted half the length of the cutting into the soil. Replace woody plants every 4-5 years.
Pests include slugs, spider mites, spittle bugs, root rot and wilt. For companion planting, it is said to improve the growth of carrots, marjoram, strawberries and tomatoes.
Because it is a tender perennial, it requires mild winters, wind and sun protection, weekly watering and temperatures above 30oF.
I have been successful wintering over my pineapple sage by heavy mulching at the end of the season (before the first frost).

Harvesting

Avoid harvesting the first year. Leaves and flowers are harvested fresh. Leaves should be harvested prior to blooming. Unlike other herbs, the flavor intensifies as it dries. Because the leaves are somewhat fleshy, it is prone to mold as it dries. Be sure to dry the herb in a warm, dry place with good air circulation.

Put it to Good Use!
Culinary
Nothing smells any better than the sweet, soft pineapple fragrance that this herb imparts. What poor pineapple sage lacks in impressive history, it makes up in culinary delight.
The leaves can be used to flavor teas, chopped for use in chicken and pork dishes, cream cheese, jams, jellies and fruit salad. Leaves should be added at the end of cooking time. They can stand in for regular sage in almost any recipe. The flowers, with their citrus-mint flavor, can be tossed into salads and teas.
Pineapple Sage Tea
(Spring or bottled water is used so as not to overpower the delicate pineapple flavor with any water-related aftertaste)
1 quart spring water
½ cup packed fresh pineapple sage leaves
3 T honey
1 lemon or lime
Bring water just to a boil and pour over the sage leaves. Stir in honey and lemon or lime juice to taste. Steep tea for approximately 20 minutes. Bring to a boil and then strain into mugs.

Pineapple Sage Pound Cake
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ cup honey (light wildflower or sage preferred)
5 eggs
2 T chopped pineapple sage leaves (small, new leaves have the most flavor)
3 T chopped pineapple sage flowers (optional)
1 t grated lemon peel
4 T well-squeezed, chopped pineapple
1 t baking powder
2 cups flour
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in honey. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat one minute after each addition. Beat in sage leaves, flowers and lemon peel. Stir dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture. Fold these together gently until just blended. Pour into 4 mini loaf pans (6”x3”x2”). Bake at 350oF for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Banana Pineapple Sage Smoothie
¾ cup fruit flavored or vanilla non-fat yogurt
1 t honey
1 small banana
1/3 cup skim milk
1 T chopped pineapple sage
½ t ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.


Aromatic/Household
The leaves of pineapple sage may be used in potpourri or sachets. The blossoms are loved by hummingbirds, especially the ruby-throated variety and any other late season stragglers.

Pineapple Sage Face Mask
(for all skin types)
½ cup boiling water
1 T fresh pineapple sage leaves
3 T oatmeal
2 T honey
1 egg white
Pour boiling water over leaves and allow to cool completely. Strain and add oatmeal, honey and egg white. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spread mixture on clean skin and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse well with warm water and pat dry.

Conclusion
Even if it does have to play second fiddle to its other family members, it is in a class by itself in the culinary arena. Just try a sprig in a jar of sun tea. One sip and you’ll be hooked and pining for pineapple sage!

First Aid Travel Kit

The following is from the May/June '08 issue of The Essential Herbal. It was written by Betsy May, one of our regular contributors.

Getting Ready for Summer: Herbal First Aid and Travel Kits

With summer just around the corner, this is the perfect time to take stock of your herbal first aid kit or put one together if you don’t already have one. By putting it together now, you’ll be prepared for those summertime problems such as bug bites, stings, sunburns, cuts and scrapes, and other illnesses that arise during our more active summer lifestyle. As trips are scheduled and vacations are planned, it’s also helpful to have a travel herb kit on hand. It’s fun and empowering to be able to treat your family and friends with herbal remedies and even more exciting to see the look of amazement on their faces when the remedies actually work! (Of course, always exercise discretion when using these suggestions. They are meant for minor injuries only and are not meant to replace professional medical care.)

Items for an Herbal First Aid Kit:
Kloss’s Liniment: (see recipe at end of article) Kloss’s Liniment is a must have for the first aid kit. It kills bacteria, prevents and heals infections, can be used for all types of external problems such as cuts, ringworm, bruises, sprains, burns,sunburn, poison ivy, chicken pox, boils, and more.
Bach’s Rescue Remedy: Bach’s is wonderfully soothing and comforting for any type of trauma or stressful event.
Peppermint essential oil: Inhale peppermint essential oil to ease nausea and car sickness or when rejuvenation is needed.
Lavender essential oil: Lavender essential oil can be inhaled for anxiety and insomnia.
Rosemary Essential oil: A great trick I learned from Jeanne Rose to treat headaches is to apply a few drops of Rosemary essential oil to the temples and massage while sipping ½ glass of water with one drop of Rosemary essential oil in it. It works every time! Rosemary essential oil is also wonderful for sore, aching muscles.
Tea Tree Essential oil: This antiseptic oil can be used to treat cuts and scratches, acne, and fungus.
Yarrow leaves: Yarrow leaves can help stop minor bleeding. Apply to a cut just like a band aid.
Echinacea Tincture: Echinacea is very helpful for warding off and/or shortening the length of colds.
All-Purpose Healing Salve: (see recipe) This great all-purpose salve can be used for itchy scratches, bites and cuts, sores, cold sores, and even hemorrhoids. It speaks volumes for the quiet power of herbs.
Cold Care Capsules: (see recipe) This idea came from Rosemary Gladstar. These capsules are helpful to take when you feel a cold coming on.
Garlic infused olive oil: Garlic oil works wonders for earaches.
Herbal teas: I would suggest having a number of different blends for various illnesses such as respiratory illness, menstrual discomfort, digestive problems, and anxiety/insomnia. You could formulate your own blends or just buy a few boxes. Traditional Medicinal makes a great line of teas for all of these illnesses.

Travel Kit:
During Rosemary Gladstar’s apprentice program we talked a lot about the value of herbal remedies, both at home and while on the road. Penny, one of Rosemary’s assistants for the class, is known among her friends as being a “world traveler” and she shared a lot of great herbal travel tips with us. Unfortunately, since September 11, traveling with herbs and tinctures can raise suspicion, therefore it is best to have everything in one small bag, clearly labeled if made by hand or in the original packaging if brand name. Another thing to keep in mind if you are flying on an airplane is that you can now carry only 3 ounces of liquid in a container due to homeland security rules. One other tip from Penny: if traveling internationally, especially to third world countries, is to take a Steri Kit. A Steri kit is basically your own IV & syringe kit if you need to go to the hospital. In some countries these supplies are not always sterile so having your own is a good precaution to protect against blood born diseases. Again, it is a good idea to have Steri kit that is officially labeled so you aren’t questioned about why you are traveling with syringes! Steri kits are available from many companies on the internet.
Digestive issues can often be a problem when traveling, either due to overindulging on rich foods, too much take out, or if in a foreign country, from bacteria we are not used to here. There are several items to take with you to be prepared for stomach ailments.
Capsulated ginger powder: Ginger capsules are easier to take than trying to make ginger tea and it works the same for nausea.
Bitters: Bitters aid the digestive process and can help if constipation becomes a problem. Penny also shared that she found out her bitters double as an insect repellant! I plan to try that out this summer.
Blackberry Tincture: Blackberry tincture is great for diarrhea.
Smooth Move tea from Traditional Medicinals: I’ve found it is much easier to pack a few tea bags than to take loose herbs and then try to find a way to brew and strain them. This tea works wonders for constipation.
Other items to include are: Alacer’s Emer’Gen-C packets: These little individual serving size packets are powdered vitamins, especially high in Vitamin C. Just add water and you have a fruit flavored drink. They are great for extra energy, when you are feeling run down, or to help fight off colds. I discovered them several years ago in a health food store and was delighted to find that Rosemary Gladstar also recommends them.
Chamomile tea bags: Chamomile tea is an excellent remedy for stressful situations and to help with insomnia that can come from being in a strange place or a different bed.
I would also recommend the following items that were mentioned for the first aid kit:
Kloss’s liniment, Bach’s Rescue Remedy, All-Purpose Healing Salve, Echinacea tincture, and Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, and Tea Tree essential oils.

Recipes

Kloss’s Liniment
2 ounces gum myrrh
1 ounce goldenseal
½ ounce cayenne pepper

Mix herbs and cover with one quart of rubbing alcohol. Let it stand for a week or 10 days, shaking every day. Do not take internally.

Cold Care Capsules
Mix equal parts of goldenseal, echinacea, myrrh powder, and slippery elm bark. Fill “00” size capsules with the herbs. Take two capsules every two hours.

All-Purpose Healing Salve
¼ ounce St. John’s Wort
¼ ounce Comfrey Leaf
¼ ounce Calendula flowers
6 ounces olive oil
2 Tbs beeswax
Peppermint essential oil

Combine the herbs and olive oil & simmer 25 minutes; strain herbs. Add beeswax, stir until melted. Add about 20 drops of Peppermint essential oil. Pour into containers and let cool.


Betsy May is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Yoga Instructor with a love of all things herbal. She can be reached at betsy.may @hotmail.com

Memorial Day

This weekend officially starts summer. I've been reading different laments about how the meaning of Memorial Day has become forgotten, and that it no longer is a day to honor our fallen military heroes. Considering that I am in my 50's, and can remember as a tot going to the cemetary with my grandparents to put peonies on the graves of our ancestors (non-military), I suspect that this date has undergone some transformation of meaning. It seems to me that the date has become more visibly in honor of military sacrifice as time goes by.
My grandparents spoke of this weekend as always being the one that started summer. Deceased relatives were always honored with flowers and decorations, but as it turns out this day started after the Civil War. (More history) It had little to no significance to *my*relatives in a military/national sense - at least in my memory.
The stories I heard as a child reflected how it was unthinkable and disrespectful beyond imagination to neglect the visitation of graves. Families packed a picnic lunch, gathered flowers for decoration (at one point, the day was called Decoration Day), and made the rounds of cemetaries before ending in a park type setting for a picnic and perhaps some games. As my grandparents passed, my mother took on the job of decorating the graves of "her people" on special days. It was always important to have it finished before other relatives got there to decorate other nearby graves, and saw that it hadn't been done yet.

I always tried to imagine my grandmother's family (of which she was the youngest of 17) packing everyone up and traipsing around their part of the world. There were probably parasols and cellulose collars. Certainly the women all wore gloves and hats, and there would have been hats and vests, and/or suspenders on all the men. What a sight that must have been. It is right up there with the image I carry from her stories about how her father would rent a "barge" for them to take out on the Susquehanna river to fish for shad and eels in the summer.
I grew up during the Viet Nam Conflict. Always was and probably always will be a peacenik. That does not mean that I do not honor and thank the men and women who have sacrificed for me and the country I love. That means that I believe we need to find ways to live together without sending our young people to fight and die. To me, patriotism is not synonymous with war, yet I see that being the case so often.

Imagine
John Lennon

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

(painting is Lady Picking Peonies, by William Verplanck Birney)

where did that week go?

This time of year is always incredibly hectic. There are the festivals, market starts up, gardening groups have programs and need speakers, and then there are the plants and gardens. This year I have a child preparing for graduation as well, so there's a ton of stuff happening here. I open my eyes in the morning, swing out of bed, and don't stop until my head hits the pillow 16 or 18 hours later. Only a few more weeks of this pace, thank goodness.
Last week was the Landis Valley Herb Faire. Susanna Reppert and I hatched a scheme over the winter to have speakers there. Susanna did the work and scheduled talks every 1/2 hour in 2 different locations for almost all of the hours of the 2 day festival! She did an amazing job of it and up until about mid-afternoon on the second day, the talks were a huge success. The faire itself winds down a few hours early on Saturday, so it wasn't a surprise. Even so, my last talk (wild food plants) at 3 on Sat. still had 5 or 6 rapt listeners. So Kudos to Susanna for the hard work!
I managed to get a couple of pictures of The Essential Herbal magazine readers. Barb King came right up and introduced herself (I LOVE subscribers who let me know who they are :-), and then Susan Hess and Jen Stradling appeared together. It is really so much fun to see and meet TEH folks. I wasn't quick enough with the camera to capture many of the others who stopped in to visit. This is the view from our side of the booth.
The gardens are coming along too. Our "safe to plant" date is May 15. Last night the news guy said there was a chance of frost, but it looks like that didn't happen here. I got some veggies planted the other day. The perennial plants are starting to really pay off. The blueberries (below) are responding to the fence I built around them and the lack of vermin nibbling off their tender tips. Look at the blossoms! The elderberry is enormous and there are three delicious mints all making their way across the yard - lol. Perennial culinary herbs like thyme, chives (top picture), tarragon, mountain mint, sage, and oregano are enormous, apparently happy to have been well mulched last year.Out front, the bleeding hearts are giving way to some of the more summery flowers. This one below *I think* is called batchelor's buttons. My mom adored it and called it "bluet", but bluets that I know are small dainty four petaled posies that scatter across the lawn like stars.Our famers market has started and we are heading into the 4th week now. We have some regulars sniffing the Yuzu salt spa bars below. So far it has been a blast. We are doing a short (2 page) newsletter every couple of weeks for Main Street Mount Joy, and that means interviewing vendors and customers along with photographing them. It's a lot of fun. Toss in a recipe or two that highlights the ripe produce, and there it is!
J and J Plants from Conestoga is a vendor at our market. They bring some awesome, unusual stuff. This broom came from them last year. I notice he has scarlet this year. The blooms are about triple the size of the typical pale yellow broom. It is gorgeous. See ya soon! We're working on the Jul/Aug issue of the magazine right now. Hang on - it's going to be another great issue with a big surprise right up front.

Self Indulgence as Mothers Day Approaches

A few days ago, my sister and I took my daughter out to purchase the white dress that will serve as her graduation "gown". Her school does not get the gown and mortar board, the girls all wear white dresses. We had a great time, and Molly chattered and laughed. It was good.
Last night I took her for her prom gown. She tried on a bunch of dresses, looking terrific in all of them, grousing about non-existent body issues, and we did more giggling and gabbing. We ran into some of her friends at the second store. They were with their mom (I went to school with her...) shopping for dresses for a wedding. Soon Molly's bff Lisa showed up and the whole gang of us took over the dressing room while the girls modeled their choices. We wound up getting our hair done and giving Lisa a ride home.
I can't stop thinking about my mom now, Ja-Ja to our kids.
Our mom raised 5 kids alone. She didn't get any support, so she started a home business so she could keep the family together. In those days, the most prevalent recommendation was to "farm us out" or give us up to the state. As the late 60's approached, Mom was faced with raising 4 teenagers. The oldest daughter was married and out of the house. It was a hard life for Mom. I'm sure she was lonely and frightened much of the time, and it is hard for me to try and put myself in those shoes.
As time passed, she sold the business and took a 9-5 with the Commonwealth of PA. Her life got easier, and there were things like insurance and days off. We grew up--- or as her friend Mr. Malloy would say, "she drug us up". And so it was. She always told us that she raised her kids, so she wouldn't be babysitting for us. That was while we were young. At a certain point, the youngest of us was heading towards 30 and there weren't any grandbabies. Mom decided that perhaps she'd like some babies around - PLEASE!
Fast forward to Molly's long-awaited birth. I think I was pregnant with her for 6 or 7 years if you count all the trial and error of infertility. Mom went along with me for an ultrasound the day before Molly's birth was induced, and fell in love in that instant. She took care of Molly while Maryanne and I built the herb shop business. She took her everywhere... they'd get their hair done together, go visit Mimi (Mom's mom) and then stop at some posh restaurant (Molly loved candlelight). They'd go shopping or to dance lessons or whatever they felt like doing. She was so kind, loving, and generous with my daughter, saying she deserved to be spoiled. I know in my heart that for Mom, taking care of Molly was an opportunity to get it right and do all the things she'd wished she'd been able to do for us when we were kids.
Mom always told me that she wouldn't be here to see Molly graduate. I would just laugh and tell her she'd be at her wedding. How could there be a world without Mom? Of course she'd be there!
She was right, you know.
Mom died about 4 years ago. Somehow this month has already been more emotional than some that were very close to her death. I think about how proud she would have been. Molly has turned into a wonderful woman, filled with life, creativity, brilliance, personality and wit... all things that Ja-Ja gave to her. As the days march towards graduation and beyond, I won't forget everything she gave to Molly.

And as we approach Mothers Day, I just want to thank my mom one more time.

Speakers Schedule at Landis Valley Herb Faire

I noticed that this hasn't been posted on the website for the faire yet - nor any mention of speakers at all, in fact, so hey... this is better than nothing. Susanna Reppert put this schedule together and we hope some of you will get to hear some of the talks! They are free to those attending the faire. The faire is May 8th and 9th. My sister and I have been vending there for 15 or 16 years now and love to reconnect with vendors and customers.

LECTURE TENT

FRIDAY
NOON What are Heirloom Seeds ? – Heirloom Seed Foundation
1 P.M. Wild Foods – Free, Tasty and Fun by Tina Sams, The Essential Herbal
2 P.M. Herb Gardening Basics – Susanna Reppert, The Rosemary House
3 P.M Barn Stars – A unique look at farming architecture – Fred Will, Sugar Grove Herbs

SATURDAY
11 A.M A Look at the Landis Valley Herb Garden with Sarah Campbell of Herbs of the Labyrinth
NOON Creating a Sustainable Back Yard – Homegrown Edible Landscaping Company.
Natasha Herr and Wilson Alvarez
1 P.M Growing Mushrooms - Brushwood Farm – Diane Wiest
2 P.M Medicinal Herbs you can grow – Maureen Rogers, www.Herbal Net.com
3 P.M Wild Foods – Free, Tasty and Fun - Tina Sams, The Essential Herbal

DEMO TENT

FRIDAY
12:30 The Art of Creating Medicinal Tinctures – Susanna Reppert, The Rosemary House
1:30 Preparing a proper Pot of Tea – Barbara Will, Sugar Grove Herbs
2:30 Salves and Balms you can make yourself – Tina Sams, The Essential Herbal
3:30 Hands on – Make and Take your own culinary Bouquet Garni

SATURDAY
11:30 What are the Ingredients in Soap – Maryanne Schwartz, Torchsong Studio
12:30 Create your own Incense – Tina Sams, The Essential Herbal
1:30 Pot pourri as easy as 1-2-3 – Susanna Reppert, The Rosemary House
2:30 Blending Herbal Tisanes – Barbara Will, Sugar Grove Herbs
3:30 Hands-on - Make and Take your own culinary Bouquet Garni

Violet Syrup, Et Cetera

For many years now, long before The Essential Herbal existed, we've made violet syrup. It isn't for the medicine (although it is mildly expectorant and demulcent, so can be useful in coughs and colds) - unless you consider the incredible luxury of it, or the whimsy, or the pleasure. Yes, now that I think about it, it is very medicinal. This batch was made on the eve of May Day, so it is some of the most special ever.
In any case it was always one of  Molly's favorite things to help with. At three years of age, she could feel pretty important and accomplished. The less stem, the better, and everyone knows little kids just pop off the flower with no stem. Yesterday she wasn't home, but I heard the weed-whacker in the distance and decided it was time to go pick violets.
What follows is the results and the directions. I walked down the path with a bucket, picking all the way. The different colors of blossoms blended together to make a wonderful bouquet, and sticking my schnoz in the bucket, I was able to inhale the fleeting sweet treat that is the scent of the violet flower. Note the blues above. The recent record hot weather seems to have affected the flowers and their color.A quart jar was about 3/4 packed with the flowers when the picking was done. A hamstring muscle was screaming, but don't those flowers look pretty? Meanwhile, about a quart of water was set to boil.

The boiling water is poured over the flowers in the jar. Notice that immediately the water turns a shade of aqua blue? That color deepens to a cobalt blue as time passes. This color is very odd. Violets usually dye the water some shade of pink, lavender, mauve, or purple. This blue is why I think the temperatures have changed the quality of the color. Here we strain the flowers from the water. This water is then set to boil with about 3 cups of sugar. It was 2 cups of the violet tea to 3 cups of sugar. It is allowed to come to a rolling boil. If there is any scum, it should be removed.
A tablespoon of lemon juice changes the pH of the syrup and results in this gorgeous purple color!

Week 10 - Herb Blog Contest

Torchsong Studio will be hosting the 10th and final week of our blog contest.
Maryanne is offering something a little different to close out the contest.
A lead free pewter garden pin with a little glass ladybug charm in the middle and garden tools on either side

.Just comment on this, or any of the other blogs participating for a chance to win one of ten pins to be given away. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A CONTACT email.Remember all of the blogs below are participating, so visit all of them and post to increase your chances of winning.

The Essential Herbal magazine subscriptions (week one)
Garden Chick - fairy cookie kits (week two)
SunRose Aromatics - facial exfoliant and liquid soap (week three)
Herbs from the Labyrinth - tea samplers (week four)
Patti's Potions - lip balms (week five)
PrairieLand Herbs - healing wands (week six)
Aquarian Bath - lip balm and soap (week seven)
The Rosemary House - Bertha Reppert's "Twelve Month Herbal" (week eight)
Nature's Gift - purse-sized inhalers & inhalation blend (week nine)
Torchsong Studio Our final contest - check back on May 8 for the list of winners!

Thanks everyone for participating and for playing! This has been a fun way for us all to learn a little more about how the internet can work for us. It has been interesting for us all!