Q&A
Recently, I asked my Instagram community this question:
“If you could ask me just one question, what would it be?”
The following is what came through and I wanted to share it with you all, so here goes!
1) One herb to always have on hand?
2) What’s you all time fave herbal remedy?
3) Prioritizing?
4) What’s your favorite movie?
5) Very basic, beginner ways/plants to begin with to start a medicinal herb garden?
6) Just one!? Do you offer a course?
7) Fave herbal reference book?
8) What’s the one skill you think will be indispensable in the coming years/tribulation?
Please note: not all herbal contraindications are listed. It’s very important to continue to do your own research to make sure that an herb is a good fit for you or your family members.
1. One herb to always have on hand?
Yarrow! Yarrow is one of my favorite 1st aid remedies and one I’ll go to in times of cold & flu. It’s an herb of the blood and lungs especially. If I get a bad cut or scrape that just won’t stop bleeding (and of course, be mindful that when wounds bleed there is a cleansing action, so I don’t stop the blood right away unless it’s really bad), I’ll go out to the garden (if it’s summer) or to my jars (if it’s not) and chew up some leaves or make a quick poultice and place on the wound. Yarrow has a profound ability to clot the blood. It's also helpful for infections, for those post cut wounds that are looking a little weepy or irritated, try a Yarrow infusion soak (after straining out the plant bits). Yarrow is helpful for skin rashes, aches & pains and bruising as well. It’s an internal balancer and can be used for irregular menstruation and menopause symptoms. It’s antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Use as a steam for loosening congestion of the lungs. Yarrow is an abundant wild medicinal that can easily be grown in the garden for more immediate access. Plantain is a close second, but Yarrow dries and stores so much better.
2. What’s you all time fave herbal remedy?
This one was a little challenging to answer, as I have so many favorite plants and it all depends on how you’re wanting to use them! But as I got to thinking, this popped in my head: Mint Tea. I absolutely love the flavor of Mint, it’s a stimulant herb which is safe for just about everyone*. You can use it hot or cold (cold Mint tea could give you the shivers if consumed on a damp cold day, so be aware of the refrigerant/cooling capabilities of this lovely plant. Mint Tea can ease the tummy during times of digestive stress, bloating and diarrhea. It cools and soothes irritated tissue making it a nice wash or soak for the feet or sunburned skin. It can help purify the blood. And last but not least, Mint elevates and energizes the body & spirit. It’s easy to grow and is a perennial in many places. *Please note, that as a stimulant, young kids who are really, really wound up, may not do well with a strong infusion of Mint Tea, add Chamomile or Lemon Balm to your blend, and lower the Mint, if this is the case. Also, women who struggle with multiple miscarriages should avoid high strength infusions of Mint as well. Light tisanes or teas are okay, just don’t make it medicinal strength (i.e. one ounce of herb per quart of water, that’s strong!).
3. Prioritizing?
Prioritizing…now this was just a one-word question, and I didn’t follow up to see ‘exactly’ what she meant by this one…so here’s how I took it. For prioritizing garden work, which can become rather overwhelming during the spring and autumn months, I really like to use Maria Thun’s Biodynamic Calendar. This breaks down plants into 4 categories, Fruit (fire signs), Flower (air signs), Leaf (water signs) and Root (earth signs). This calendar is based on the stars and moon and is helpful because it gives the optimal times to work with certain plants. It also allows you to just focus on certain tasks and plants instead of ALL the seeds and ALL the tasks!
Knowing the weather and being flexible helps me as well. If it’s going to be sunny and I have the day to work in the garden, that’s what I’ll focus on. If it’s rainy, I may be organizing seed packets or cleaning the house. Energy levels, another way for me to prioritize. I’ve definitely noticed certain times during my menstrual cycle when I’m very energetic and others where I am not. So I honor that natural rhythm to the best of my ability.
4. What’s your favorite movie?
This one made me giggle, and actually stumped me for a good bit. I don’t watch much TV at all. The show Alone is a good one on the History channel, but as far as movies go, I find most of them to be…well, just not that good. But, if I had to choose, I would say: Microcosmos. It’s a movie about Nature, and is a delightful blend of music and close-ups of the natural world.
5. Very basic, beginner ways/plants to begin with to start a medicinal herb garden?
This is a VERY broad question that could take, truly, days to answer…so I’ll do my best…The first question, is where are you growing, in pots, in the ground? If growing in pots on a deck or patio, make sure they are large enough to handle the root system of the plants you wish to grow. Don’t crowd your plants in the garden as they’ll be stunted, follow the seeding directions or transplant distances. Use organic fertilizers/inputs. These are far less concentrated so you won’t “burn” your plants, it’s also much better for soil health and the health of our planet and thus ourselves. I like Bio-Live, Dr. Earth, True Organic and Alaska Fish Fertilizer (don’t use this liquid fertilizer in the house, just trust me on this one!).
Know the difference between annuals and perennials. Annuals generally grow one season and don’t regrow from the roots, they can reseed though (like Calendula & Chamomile). Perennials grow 2+ years, sometimes for decades like Delphiniums. A biennial is a plant that grows it’s leaves the first year, and then comes back the second year with a flower; Carrots, Parsley, Mullein are included in this category.
What’s your zone (this is based on temperature and season growing ~ I find the USDA zones to be rather inaccurate, ask your local gardeners too and see what they say). Find out the times of your first and last frost. Watch what blooms when, for instance, when the Apples bloom, what else is happening during that time? Keep a little garden journal handy to make notes in.
Water in the morning or the evening. Plants are more receptive to receiving moisture than if watered during the scorching portion of the day. If you don’t know if you’re watering too much or not enough, stick your fingers in the dirt!! Feel if there is moisture or lack thereof.
This one is huge: OBSERVE. Take the time to simply observe your plants. Do they look happy, are some leaves turning yellow, do you have more leaves than desired flowers. And then: ASK your garden/plants questions! And be open to LISTENING and HEARING their responses. It may not come immediately, maybe your Tomato plant isn’t going to respond with: “I just need some extra potassium!”. But maybe when you’re in the grocery store line, you overhear that banana peels soaked in water can give an excellent boost to your Tomatoes! Oftentimes, when we seek a specific answer to a question, the universe will provide the answer; this comes easier and easier the longer you work with plants.
Grow what you like and are attracted to. Ask: how does this plant make me FEEL? Just start where you are, overthinking leads to stagnation after all! And for me, keeping things interesting is part and parcel of growing a garden so I will often experiment (and sometimes that goes south, like when I saved a ton of pumpkin seeds after checking that the varieties I was growing that year didn’t cross…thing is, those pumpkins cross with other squashes, like zucchini…yeah, that didn’t go as planned!)
Here are some super easy to grow and medicinally broad plants to start with: Calendula, Chamomile, Dill, Mint, Lemon Balm, Thyme, Lavender, Oregano & Sage. Rosemary grown in a pot is really nice too.
6. Just one [question]??!! Do you offer a course?
Weellllll, I’m working on it right now.
A few weeks back I came down with a cold and was just all irritated about it. I had a lot to do with the garden harvest and had just felt a real shift in my house (I’ve been working on creating sanctuary by parting with items, deep cleaning and reevaluating my home). Three days of minimal activity and I ended up feeling ‘behind’. But by day 4 I was feeling much more myself and that evening decided to crack open the new journal I was starting, one that was a gift from a plant friend many years ago, one that I only wanted to start when I had enlightening and positive paragraphs to relay…I’d put a few quotes at the beginning, little ‘words of wisdom’ already, but nothing of a personal nature…and then the Idea came into my mind with a clarity that blew me away. Truly, it felt like a divine transmission, and isn’t that where all good ideas arise from!? Within 20 minutes I had an outline down, then I kept adding notes, ideas; feeling more inspired by the minute. And then this: ‘you need to handwrite this in the morning, by beeswax candlelight’ ~ uuummm, okay? But I did it; waking up at 5am, lighting a candle, and writing. And I’ve been flushing out this guide, this course for the last two weeks…part garden guidance, part herbal medicine making, part food & herb preservation. If this is interesting to you, please stay tuned, I’ll be sending out another email with more information very, very soon.
7. Fave Herbal reference book?
The Boreal Herbal by Beverley Gray. Hands down.
8. What’s the one skill you think will be indispensable in the coming years/tribulation?
The ability to transmute fear. Transmuting fear into something akin to joy and peace and keeping that as active as you can. There is so much propaganda, fear-based-news and other energy sucking events happening, that sometimes you just need to turn off the TV/computer, put down the phone and get your bare feet outside on the ground. Take off the sunglasses and get outdoors with the sunrise and sunset especially. Move your body in ways that bring strength and feel good. Being able to see through the BS is crucial. And it’s also crucial to not let that overtake your emotions, don’t allow outside forces to dictate YOUR energy and feelings. Connect with the things that make you feel GOOD. For me, that’s plants. And from there, I’m a better mother and partner. For you it might be cooking or painting or running…find your Joy. And do more of that.