…roots carry the most medicine rather than their above-ground parts. When planting them, make sure to give plenty of space to be able to dig those roots out in the future without disturbing other plants in the process. I learned this the hard way. The first time I planted echinacea, I had yarrow growing all around it, hugging it close….
…underground roots, popping up some distance from a mother shrub. Fresh elderberry tea is a beautiful dark Byzantium purple beverage—wow! The flowers can be harvested for tea as well, so you get both spring and summer herbal tea gifts from this plant friend. Elder’s happy place is rooted in damp soil, with full sun, or on a soggy, sunny creek…
…leaves, and then releasing the nutrients when they die or shed leaves. They often have deep taproots and act to break up soil, in addition to enriching it. Some accumulators are initial colonizers of disturbed soil, and are especially adept at optimizing their own nutrition in poor soils, even without deep roots. Examples of the best herbal dynamic accumulators include:…
…the stems repeatedly throughout the growing season to increase yields and to keep growth in check. If you have difficulty finding lemongrass starts in your area, you can often obtain pieces of lemongrass stem, with attached roots, from Asian grocers. These can be directly planted in pots or encouraged to root in a glass of water before planting. You can…
…herb gardens at Avena Botanicals, in Maine. 11. The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices: The Ultimate Sourcebook to Herbs, Spices, and Aromatic Seeds by Lesley Bremness and Jill Norman Full of medicinal and culinary herb information—cultivation, medicinal use, crafts, and culinary use, including recipes. Beautiful photos accompanied by identification characteristics. – A 15-year-old ginseng root from the Chestnut…
…and care for them properly. The Right Tool for the Job Many of these are multipurpose gardening tools, but I have given them specific “Division of Labor” categories as you may want to zero in on where you currently need the most support in your garden. Quality tools are not cheap—it really is a waste of time and money to…
…spp.) – the two trees are unrelated and possess different medicinal uses. – Saw off side branches into workable sections. – Most folks think the medicinal part of trees is the bark. But woody botanicals have a diversity of medicinal parts, including flowers, inner bark, fruits, leaves, roots, resin, and root bark. You have to learn which parts are used…
Green-headed Coneflower, Sochan Written and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Rudbeckia laciniata in bloom – I first met this beautiful plant as “Green headed coneflower” while exploring the rivers of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I had learned about using its roots as an immune stimulant, similar to Echinacea roots, from my teacher, Michael Moore. I was camping and felt the…
…but tea is a second best. Herbal/Dietary sources are: leeks, asparagus, and the roots of dandelion, chicory, burdock and Jerusalem artichoke tubers (not to be confused with artichoke hearts or artichoke heads). Roasting roots converts inulin (type of prebiotic) into sugars, and thus roasted root teas are less effective for supporting healthy intestinal flora. The ingestion of fermented foods is…
…much of contemporary North American/European-centric herbalism. Some features include the use of talismans, mojo bags, and other items representing power and magic—often in the pursuit of healing and protection, or, in the case of bad intentions, hexes on enemies. Some of these practices are encompassed by the terms “hoodoo,” “mojo working,” and “rootwork.” The exchange and fusion of knowledge that…
