This blog has certainly been neglected of late, which makes me wonder where time goes. As the routine of each night begins I can hardly believe that another day has gone by so quickly. There must be a black hole somewhere out there in the universe that has the [...]]]>

This blog has certainly been neglected of late, which makes me wonder where time goes. As the routine of each night begins I can hardly believe that another day has gone by so quickly. There must be a black hole somewhere out there in the universe that has the sole purpose of sucking in time.

Of course the more busy we are the more time flies and therein lies the secret to achieving a much more manageable and enjoyable pace of life. Slowing my life down is the process I’m in involved in at the moment and why I have time to write this blog.

Most of us, especially women, tend to take on more than can be realistically achieved. Take my life for example – as you know I’m a medical herbalist and tutor of the online Home Herbalist courses. As if this isn’t enough my husband and I live on almost six acres and we’re building a house. For the last two years he’s been working away and has only been home six days a month so apart from treating patients, teaching the home herbalism courses, and maintaining the website  I’ve had to take over the responsibilities of owner builder while my husband has been away as well as maintain the property. This has been an overwhelming experience, which has left me little time to enjoy the other part of my life – art.

My biggest problem though is the ‘feeling’ I have to get every thing done as quickly as possible – hurrying and rushing! This has now been resolved in a most delightful way thanks to a very understanding husband and our daughters who have given me excellent advice.

What I’ve done to achieve this bliss is to prioritize what I have to do, stop rushing about, make time for those things I enjoy, and stop feeling guilty if I take time out to do a painting, sculpture, walk through the garden or sit quietly in the moonlight.

My first priorities are my herbalism clinic, teaching The Home Herbalist courses, writing this blog and maintaining the website (all things I love to do), the next is building the house and following these are property maintenance and cleaning the car etc. The most important thing though is that I’ve stopped rushing and hurrying to get jobs done and I’m making time for the other things that give me pleasure without feeling guilty. What I can’t get done in a calm and unhurried way today I will do tomorrow.

We can all do this and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life, a life that allows us time to smell the lavender.

This [...]]]> Do you know that Clary Sage essential oil has a particular affinity for the female cycle?  Its scent, said to be the most euphoric of all essential oils, gives it calming and soothing qualities that relieve painful periods, premenstrual tension, and abdominal cramps.  Other female problems it treats are irregular and absent menstruation.

This delightful oil, distilled from the flowers of the European herb, Salvia sclarea, has a sharp, nutty herbal uplifting aroma that makes it very useful for treating the mind and emotions. It promotes communication;  helps with frigidity, depression, and stress-related problems. In fact, it helps to uplift the most despondent person and release depressed thoughts.

It soothes and eases tension in troubled times and is relaxing when faced with apprehension.

In skin care, Clary sage is helpful as an anti-wrinkle application, especially for older skins; promotes cell regeneration, and regulates sebum production providing treatment for premenstrual facial blemishes.

Use this essential oil as a massage blend, a vapourisation, therapeutic bath, diluted for direct application such as rubbing in to the temples to ease headache, and as a facial oil.

Warning: Do not use during pregnancy or combined with alcohol. It may cause drowsiness so do not use before driving. Always follow the directions on the label.

In ancient Egypt beauticians valued this oil for its preserving qualities so it comes as no surprise that it’s still used today for [...]]]> Highly valued since ancient times, Cedarwood essential oil has calming, astringent and drying actions that make it useful for the treatment of  many conditions  and beneficial for skin care.

In ancient Egypt beauticians valued this oil for its preserving qualities so it comes as no surprise that it’s still used today for regenerating and preserving the skin as well as restoring hair.

Derived from two species, Juniperus virginiana and Cedrus atlantica, genuine Cedarwood essenital oil has the aroma of a freshly cut tree that gives  a delightful restful effect of being in a forest. Its relaxing and regenerating properties help to release long-term anxiety and reduce stress.

Conditions this remarkable oil benefits include hair loss when combined with rosemary, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and dandruff as well as  those that affect the respiratory system such as catarrh, bronchitis, mucous congestion, and sinusitis. It’s also an excellent deodorizer, which makes it ideal for foot baths.

Other uses for Cedarwood essential oil include direct application to help oily skin and heal shaving nicks; diluted it can be used to treat pimples and acne as well as part of a blend for skin and facial applications. After washing hair add a couple of drops of the oil to the final rinse water to treat dandruff, seborrhoea and maintain a healthy scalp. For respiratory problems and to calm tension and stress use the oil in a vapouriser, a therapeutic bath or as a steam inhalation.  Its refreshing woody aroma makes it a popular ingredient in men’s toiletries.

Warning: Do not use during pregnancy.

They [...]]]> Some time ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to a morning tea at a pretty lavender farm where there is a shop selling all types of products made from lavender including lavender wine. On the menu at the coffee shop were lavender scones…of course I couldn’t resist them.

They were served with vanilla flavoured cream and the combination was delicious. Lavender flowers provide a delightful delicate flavour in foods if they are used sparingly.

Not long after I tried these scones I tried to find a recipe for them but had no luck so I added lavender flowers to my favourite scone recipe and served the scones nice and  hot with vanilla flavoured cream sweetened with a little icing sugar.

2 cups self raising flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lavender flowers

60g butter

¾ cup milk (approx)

a little extra milk to glaze

Grease a scone tray  and sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add lavender flowers . Rub in butter with fingertips then add sufficient milk to form a light dough. Turn out on to a floured board and knead lightly . Roll out to 1cm thickness and cut into shapes or use a small cutter. Place on tray  and glaze with milk. Bake in a very hot oven (450ºF/230ºC) for 10 minutes or until brown and well risen. Makes approx 21.

Fresh lavender flowers can be used to make lavender vinegar and flavour jams while small amounts of dried or fresh flowers can be combined with savoury herbs to add to stews and soups.

Because of their bitter taste lavender flowers aren’t a good choice for crystallised flowers.

]]> http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/lavender-scones/feed/ 2 http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/comfrey-a-great-healer/ http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/comfrey-a-great-healer/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:38:41 +0000 Belle http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/?p=1231 Many years ago when I first started studying to be a medical herbalist my husband badly injured his little finger at our shop; it was almost cut right through and only had a small amount of flesh still holding it together. He phoned me at home and told me he’d hurt his finger. [...]]]> Many years ago when I first started studying to be a medical herbalist my husband badly injured his little finger at our shop; it was almost cut right through and only had a small amount of flesh still holding it together. He phoned me at home and told me he’d hurt his finger. Not realizing how bad it was I told him to go across the road to the ambulance and I’d drive straight to our shop, which was only a minute or so away.

Back then the ambulance used to dress wounds and attend to minor injuries but they haven’t done that for quite some time now. When I got there the ambulance officer on duty had told my husband it was too bad an injury for him to do anything with it and to go to the hospital. When I realized that it wasn’t just a deep cut but a severed finger I felt terrible; I should have told him to go to the hospital not the ambulance!

I had to mind the shop so my husband drove himself to the hospital where he was admitted straight away and taken into surgery as soon as the surgeon could get there. Refusing to follow my husband’s wishes and amputate the finger, the surgeon pinned the severed half back on to the remaining stump.

Two weeks later my husband had to go for a check-up and have the pin removed. When the surgeon pulled the pin out the finger came apart! So he pushed it back together and sent my husband away telling him to give it another two weeks to heal.

When I was told what happened I suggested we rub the comfrey ointment I had made in to the finger. We did this for the two weeks and when the surgeon pulled the pin out the finger remained intact. He was totally amazed so my husband told him that we had applied comfrey ointment to the finger. At that stage comfrey had been banned for internal and external use in Australia. There was such an uproar over this that the ‘powers-that-be’ eventually allowed us to use the herb externally. Anyway, getting back to the surgeon, he couldn’t get over how well the comfrey ointment had healed the finger and said to my husband, “How were you able to get it?” To which my husband laughingly replied, “Can’t tell you that.”  “Well anyway,” said the surgeon,” just keep using it – it’s a great healer.”

One of comfrey’s common names is Knit Bone and this story certainly adds credence to such a name. If any of you have stories about using comfrey we’d love you to share them with us.

Pet Grass (Dactylis glomerata)

If  you have pets such as dogs, cats, and guinea pigs, you’ve probably noticed them eating this grass in your yard unless of course it’s always maintained and there is no place for weeds or grass to grow long.

Pet Grass (Dactylis glomerata) has been described as [...]]]>

Pet Grass (Dactylis glomerata)

If  you have pets such as dogs, cats, and guinea pigs, you’ve probably noticed them eating this grass in your yard unless of course it’s always maintained and there is no place for weeds or grass to grow long.

Pet Grass (Dactylis glomerata) has been described as pet medicine and is even very good for birds. It contains high levels of vitamins and minerals so it’s a perfect natural supplement for your pets whether they have four legs or wings. It’s a perfect breath freshener for dogs and will assist cats with eliminating fur balls.

Let it grow in your garden or grow it in containers if you live in an apartment or don’t have a garden. Wherever it grows make sure it’s handy for your pets so they can chew on it whenever they need to.

This health-giving grass grows in full or part sun to a height of 30 cm (1ft) and likes well drained soil; water and fertilize regularly.

Thyme, Dogbane, Aloe vera, Soapwort

Once a month when the popular Nanango Markets are held it’s very difficult to find a parking space. People come from a widespread area to purchase all manner of items but one of the most popular stalls is the one selling medicinal herbs and garden [...]]]>

Thyme, Dogbane, Aloe vera, Soapwort

Once a month when the popular Nanango Markets are held it’s very difficult to find a parking space. People come from a widespread area to purchase all manner of items but one of the most popular stalls is the one selling medicinal herbs and garden plants. This stall is usually my first port of call, I just cannot resist buying more herbs and they are usually of very good quality.

This morning I bought Pet Grass for my little elderly feline and eight year old cockatiel; I have written about it in a separate article. I also bought some beautiful quartz crystals to use for making orgonite, which is a project for next week.

Other items of discovery were a couple of books about gardening and herbs (of course), and a beautiful enameled dress ring I bought from an Asian lady who ran after me when I left the stall; she gave me a complimentary CD of Buddhism chants. To receive such an unexpected gift really made my day.

Below are some more photos of the herbs for sale at the markets. Market stalls selling herbs like these give those interested in herbalism the chance to have a very  useful herb garden.

Various Varieties of Basil

Mexican and French Tarragon

Lovage

Lamb's Ears

When my husband and I moved on to our 6 acre property [...]]]> Even before I became a medical herbalist I was interested in wild plants not only for their medicinal properties but also for food. Throughout the years I’ve searched for wild plants wherever I’ve lived or been in my travels.

When my husband and I moved on to our 6 acre property it was very overgrown and the only cleared area had been constantly slashed by the previous owner so there wasn’t much in the way of wild medicinal and culinary plants to be discovered. The area that was overgrown was so thick with dried vegetation and cleared timber embedded in dirt that had been pushed up against the trunks of trees that it wasn’t safe to pick my through it.

It would have been a mammoth task to clean it up and the wildlife such as goannas, lizards, skinks, snakes and birds nests would have all been disturbed if not destroyed in the process so we just left it as it was. However, in January last year a careless neighbour lit a fire on a day of extreme fire weather conditions and needless to say a fire tore through our property only just avoiding our buildings thanks to the prompt response of the wonderful and very efficient rural fire brigade.

The clearing of this area on our  property was taken out of our hands and the only wildlife that we could see was affected was a small skink under a piece of partly charred wood; the skink hadn’t been burnt so  must have died from the smoke and fierce heat. It was a sad sight indeed.

After the Rain

To date I have found green amaranth, pigweed (purslane), dandelion, sida retusa, wild tobacco, and another plant that looks very interesting but is yet to be identified. Edible plants from this list are amaranth, pigweed, and dandelion.

Herbalism isn’t all about healing with herbs, it also involves using herbs in everyday life – for cooking, eating, drinking, cleaning, decorating, and so on. There isn’t a day go by that I don’t use herbs for some reason or another and I get great pleasure from gathering wild herbs.

While they are plentiful I’ve been gathering amaranth leaves, pigweed, and dandelion leaves to make a delicious salad. Wash, rinse and chop them then add chopped tomatoes and red onion. Add sea or celtic salt and allow to sit for a little while to let the juice from the tomatoes and onions soak through the salad. It’s so delicious that it doesn’t need any salad dressing.

Now I must get on and mark more assignments but I will post more wild plants as I find them.

Food and medicine can be found right under our noses in our gardens if we only take the time to identify some weeds.

Recently I had to relocate my vegetable and herb garden to make room to build our house. It was a huge task but thanks [...]]]>

Green Amaranth (A. Viridus)

Food and medicine can be found right under our noses in our gardens if we only take the time to identify some weeds.

Recently I had to relocate my vegetable and herb garden to make room to build our house. It was a huge task but thanks to my husband’s help everything was transplanted beautifully apart from several small rhubarb plants.

They failed to grow but in their place a very healthy crop of green amaranth (A. viridus) sprang up. My husband almost pulled them out because he thought they were weeds. Thankfully he checked with me first (as he has learned to do over the years!).

We may not have all of the rhubarb plants from the original garden but in their place we have a plentiful supply of a green pot herb that is also a medicinal herb.

Other edible amaranths include A. caudatus, a. cruentus, a. lividus, and A. powelli. The young stems of these amaranths can be boiled or steamed as a vegetable and while tender they lack fibre. Green amaranth leaves are an excellent substitute for spinach and can successfully replace it in most dishes. They can also be added to salads, stews, soups, and casseroles. Apart from the plant’s use as a vegetable or pot herb, the clusters of nutty edible seeds are certainly worth eating as a raw snack or added to biscuits to give them a mild flavour and crunch. The seeds can be easily harvested by scraping the ripe (reddish-brown) spikes and boiled in a little water to make a simple but healthy porridge.

As for green amaranth’s medicinal properties, the leaves are emollient and have traditionally been used to treat scorpion sting and snake bite, tumours, and to help rid the body of intestinal worms. Many cultures have different uses for the plant but they are not well documented. However, the leaves can be used as a poultice to treat bruises, boils, and wounds.

Weeds can be a nuisance but those I’ve identified have mostly been beneficial to man and animals and well worth allowing to grow in my garden, which isn’t difficult to do if they are kept in control.

A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden,

and the Amaranth said to her neighbour,

“How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent!

No wonder you are such a universal favourite.”

But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice,

“Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time:

my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.

But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut;

for they are everlasting.”

Aesop’s Fables