Search Results for: foraging

A bowl of blue violet flowers.

Violet Springtime Fairy Vinegar: A Mineral-Rich Spring Tonic

…is rich in soluble fiber and is a traditional lymphatic and respiratory remedy; helping to bolster us through the last weeks of cold-season coughs and colds. You can read more about violet’s medicinal uses here. *Please consult with an experienced herbalist before using herbs for any of these conditions or for cleansing. – Early spring foraging for springtime fairy vinegar…

Snow covered witch hazel branch.

Witch Hazel Wonders: Cultivation and Herbal Uses

…forage any of this herb, you’ll need to seek out trustworthy identification tips. You’ll also need to learn foraging ethics before you harvest any plants from the wild. There are deadly poisonous plants and mushrooms out there, so proper identification is paramount. See our Foraging and Wildcrafting resources on the blog for more guidance. – Witch hazel in bloom. How…

An herbalist sitting at a desk using a laptop computer. Volunteering at herbal conferences is one of 17 free ways to learn about herbalism.

Free Ways to Learn About Herbalism: 17 Resources for Training as an Herbalist

…without, some of my favorite herbal books of all time are available used for just a few dollars online. The Best Herbal Books The Best Herbal Medicine Books for Herbalists Herbal Medicine Books for Advanced & Clinical Herbalists The Best Books on Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs The Best Regional Books for Plant Identification and Foraging Wild Foods and Herbs…

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel’s Medicinal Uses

…Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and chestnutherbs.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Looking for more blog articles about foraging? We’ve stocked up all the resources you need to begin your foraging adventures safely and wisely. Tools, field guides, harvesting ethics, and…

A man harvesting pine resin from a tree that has already been damaged.

Harvest Medicinal Trees in Your Backyard

…planting. For more details on sustainable foraging guidelines, please see our article here. Meet Our Contributors JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. She’s a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over…

Juliet Blankespoor teaching medicinal herb gardening at her farm in NC. Photograph by Emily Nichols.

Becoming An Herbalist: Juliet Blankespoor’s Dance With The Plants

…and nurses who incorporate botanical medicine into their areas of expertise. One of the most common careers our students pursue involves making and selling herbal products in their bioregional apothecaries. If you’re interested in studying with me and an array of gifted instructors, we offer numerous exciting online opportunities to learn herbalism, including the Herbal Medicine Making Course, the Foraging

A felted creature collects violet flowers.

The Many Uses of Violet: A Round-Up of Herbal Resources & Recipes

…the alchemy of wild violet syrup (followed up by making a glass of pale purple violet lemonade). – From the book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender – Violet Botany & Identification When it comes to gathering wild plants, I recommend being 150% sure of your identification before harvesting…

Removing elderberries from the stem.

Medicinal Plants: Growing Healing Herbs for the Home Garden

…be gathered fresh from the garden. You can find the recipe in Dina’s exquisite book, Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook. – Dew-laden sparkling lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). How to Grow + Gather Lemon Balm Lemon balm has been cultivated in medicinal gardens for over 2,000 years. Native to the Mediterranean regions of south-central Europe and…

Harvesting chickweed with the haircut method.

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

…where applicable, and you can refer to this list of our Favorite Foraging Books for field guides and culinary inspiration. – Harvesting chickweed (Stellaria media). – Chickweed (Stellaria media), with its starburst blooms and tender green leaves, is the forager’s poster child. It arrives in the cool, moist days of early spring and is likewise cooling and moistening as a…