Growing, Foraging, And Using Herbs
I’m passionate about herbs and herbalism. I believe that herbs are god’s gift to us for healing our bodies. We’re told that we must not put our trust into nature’s offerings. And we’ve become removed from the old herbal wisdom. But we need to gain back the knowledge. Herbalism tends to take a holistic approach to healing. It considers the whole body and offers the whole herb for the best way to keep us healthy and to heal. Herbalism is a vast subject, that no human can master in it’s entirety. But we can learn much and share what we know and we really need to know just a few plants well to address many issues. Let’s do that and keep it safe too!
I’m not a doctor and do not give advice on health issues. All content is meant for educational and entertainment purposes and to encourage your interest in herbs and holistic healing!
Herb gardening and preparation Resources
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some of my favorite Herb Resources:
Seeds And Supplies
Survival Garden Herb Seeds
True Leaf Market (Tools and Seeds)
Baker Creek Seeds
Seed Starter Kit
Table mount grow lights
Mountain Rose Herbs
Starwest Herbs
Beeswax pellets
Glycerin
Learn about Herbs and their Health benefits
Understanding Herbalism and Herbal guides
Herbalism is an age-old skill that has been passed down through the generations of all cultures. In less than a century it has all but disappeared in our industrialized countries. I feel this is such important knowledge, which needs to be kept in every family.
Modern medicine is important and offers many valuable services in some situations. But I think we need to take staying healthy more seriously so we don’t need medical intervention in the first place. And in that pursuit, herbs can benefit us in so many ways. Not all herbs are safe and care must be taken to identify the beneficial ones, but in general, when taking whole herbs selectively for healing, side effects are rare and mostly linked to individual sensitivities as goes with any foods.
Herbs are most often gentle allies, especially when taken or extracted in their whole form, and will work in synergy with our own body’s healing abilities. They are quite amazing. I’d love to send you to my turmeric tincture page or to lemon balm salve for great examples of herbal healing benefits.
Herb Gardening
Grow Your own Medicine
It is so satisfying to be able to grow your own herbs and use them to prepare your own tinctures and salves. In fact, when making tinctures, the fresh herb is in most cases far superior to use than the dried herb. Dried herbs loose their water solulable properties, but they can be extracted and preserved when plants are used freshly harvested in a tincture. Plus, growing your own can provide you with clean, organic, unsprayed plant material, harvested at its prime.
And it’s so much cheaper! Even in the first season of growing herbs, you can make a good amount of tinctures from newly planted herbs after they get growing. Some will take a few years, and aren’t as easily available (I have the hardest time sourcing fresh horseradish where I live!). So growing your own has many advantages and another advantage is that most herbs make wonderful companion plants in your garden and food forest. They attract beneficial insects and pollinators, they mine minerals from deep below the soil surface, supply organic matter and mulch, and they can repel undesirable pests and prevent diseases. And if that’s not enough, a lot of herbs are very beautiful too!
Foraging
Find your own medicine in the wild
While growing your own herbs has so many advantages, foraging them in the wild can be very exciting and it is free. There is, of course, the warning of caution. There are many plants that can make you very sick and some are deadly when ingested. So be sure to always positively identify the herbs you are planning to use before you take them home. And you should also have an up to date guide that will point out what plants are protected or rare. Some plants are threatened with extinction and harvesting them is prohibited. With others, you should harvest just a small amount to keep the plant growing strong. Become familiar with these restrictions, respect the plants, and grow your own to protect our natural resources where necessary. Never take all of the plants and leave enough behind for them to regrow.
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in The Freebie Library
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Syrups, Oxymels, Honey Infusions, Vinegars
Start A home apothecary
These concoctions can be so very tasty. They are mostly used for preventing or healing colds and flus and they are often tolerated even by picky kids. A spoonful of garlic honey tastes quite delicious and it’s less harsh than eating a clove of fresh pungent garlic. Yet you get all the benefits and more! Fire cider has got to be one of the most famous vinegars besides the Four Thieves vinegar. These are all easy to make and are a great introduction to herbal preparations.
Herbal Salves and tinctures
Stock your home apothecary
Tinctures are such a convenient and easy way to preserve and use many herbs. They are shelf stable for years and ready to use when you need relief fast. No need to make a tea, decoction or infusion. Just grab a dropper bottle of tincture, take a few drops and get the healing power of herbs to start working for you right away. Salves or oils are shelf stable for 6 months to a year if kept in a cool, dry place. They too are convenient and ready to use when you need them. Make your own easily and keep your apothecary well stocked for when sickness strikes. They’ll be ready and waiting for you!
