Chestnut Herbal School

Medicinal Herbs

Glass jars containing Ashwagandha, Lavender, and Vanilla: The Dreamiest Herbal-Infused Ghee Recipe.
Last updated on September 15th, 2023

Ashwagandha, Lavender, and Vanilla: The Dreamiest Herbal-Infused Ghee Recipe

Preparing herbal-infused ghee recipes is a wonderful way to enjoy herbs and easily incorporate them into your daily rhythm. There are several methods to craft medicinal ghee, but in this recipe, we’ll follow a simple formula: infusing dried herbal powders into hot ghee, followed by cooling and whipping the herbs and ghee together. Beware of herbal-infused ghee recipes that cook the herbs with the butter during the ghee-making process; this method burns the delicate herbs and spices.

A person wearing an apron holds two jars filled with dried herbs, standing in front of a home herbal apothecary cabinet.
Last updated on September 22nd, 2023

10 Best Herbs to Start Your Home Herbal Apothecary

Our apothecary at the Chestnut School is no mere medicine cabinet; it holds the stories and healing signatures of herbs gathered from local wildlands, cross-country travels, and our school gardens. The medicine in its bottles is much more than roots, leaves, and bark. It’s the essence of fields and forests, birdsong and butterfly kisses, babbling streams and fertile dirt, sunshine, and cool afternoon breezes. Are you curious about how to start a home apothecary of your own? We’ve simplified the process by choosing the ten best herbs to start your home herbal apothecary.

Three bin compost system built from reclaimed lumber.
Last updated on September 22nd, 2023

Compost Magic for the Medicinal Herb Garden

Can you believe that you have the ability to turn garbage into beautiful soil? Well, with the help of millions of microorganisms, you can turn your waste into an incredibly useful material. Composting can be a magical art of transforming garbage into black gold. How sweet is that? Being a soil-builder instead of a landfill-contributor is righteous work for the times! Be a Green Magician! Both your herbs and the earth will thank you.

Harvesting chickweed with the haircut method.
Last updated on September 28th, 2023

The Medicine That Grows In-Between: Lamb’s Quarters, Plantain, and Red Clover

Your garden wants to feed you—not just with the cultivated plants you tuck into the soil, but with a profusion of wild greens and herbs that spring up of their own generous accord. These feral guests surpass domestic veggies in nutrition and are often brimming with medicine, which makes them worthy of our attention and care in cultivated spaces.