Wedding Herbs

My younger brother finally tied the knot so to speak and got married. For his wedding I put together an assortment of herbs as an 'Herbal Blessing'. Sometimes these herb mixes can be used instead of rice to toss at the couple with wishes of good luck. They don't have the problems that rice has with expanding in a bird's stomach and they don't have the problems of causing weeds like seeds do. They can also be placed in a bowl for guests to scoop out some to put into small organza bags. However, the place where my brother's wedding was did not allow anything loose like this so they put the herbs in organza bags before the wedding and set them in the reception area for guests to take.

Each herb has a specific meaning. Although flowers and herbs have probably always had meanings, they were popularized during Victorian times when polite people would never openly talk about their feelings but would rather send their messages (especially those that dealt with love) in the form of flowers. Even though we tend to speak quite freely now, using herbs to send a message adds a nice touch.


Here are the herbs and their meanings that I included in this combination:
Rose for Love
Lavender for Devotion
Rosemary for Remembrance
Larkspur for Joy
Sage for Virtue
Chamomile for Patience
Thyme for Strength

An Herb A-Fair

I can't believe summer is nearing an end, but this is my favorite time with the harvest abundant. I've just returned from my brothers wedding and next week I will post about the Wedding Herbs I made for them. This post is just to let you know that there will be an Herb A-Fair at the Gardens at Spring Creek in Ft. Collins this Sunday, August 8 from 12:00-5:00 pm. I will be giving a presentation on skin care herbs at 2:00 and also selling some of my products there. This will include my two new products: an all natural bug spray (NoSkeetos) and a botanical face cream packed with antioxidants for antiaging effects (Springtide). This is the first annual herb fair for the Gardens and I hope you can make it out.

Calendula - herb of the year

The Calendula plant (Calendula officinalis), specifically its flowers, is best known for its use in skin care. Pot marigold as it is often called has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Its ability to promote epithelial cell growth and healing of the skin has been well documented in both animal and human studies. Calendula also has purported immunostimulating activity that contributes to its wound healing ability. It is the flowers of calendula that contain these healing properties.

Calendula is useful for minor abrasions but also for leg ulcers, radiation burns, and surgical wounds. It can also be used internally for wounds such as stomach ulcers.

Calendula for skin care is primarily used as an oil infusion. Oil infusions are easy to make and can be done simply by putting a handful of dried calendula flowers in a jar and completely covering those flowers with an oil of your choice. I use olive oil for its anti-inflammatory properties or rice bran oil for its high content of phytoestrogens. Once the infused oil is made and the herbs are filtered out with cheesecloth, beeswax can be added to form a more solid product that is used as a balm for damaged skin. This infused oil can also be added to hand and body lotions, bath oils, salt scrubs or even soap for its healing properties. The high vitamin A content of this oil is also a plus for epithelial cell health.

Calendula is an excellent choice for for a hand balm for gardeners and can also be combined with healing herbs like plantain or comfrey. I make a balm that I call knuckle balm that is perfect for working hands on gardeners or mechanics. It soothes dry cracked hands that work hard. You can order this balm from my website or by email.

Colorado Cupboard

Colorado Cupboard is a unique gift shop in Longmont, Colorado where I sell some of my products. Located at 2001 North Main Street it is far enough north that it is convenient for travelers on highway 66 on their way to Rocky Mountain National Park. At the Colorado Cupboard you can find food items including reheatable meals, jewelry, art and gift baskets. All the products at the Colorado Cupboard are locally made so offer a uniquely Colorado experience. I sell skin care products there including lotions, balms, soaps and bath salts as well as flavored black teas, culinary herbs (Herbs de St. Vrain) and dream pillows. You can also find my newly developed natural mosquito repellant there, NoSkeeto! Owner Dayna Nixon can also make you a gift basket with any combination of locally made items. Their website is: http://www.thecoloradocupboard.com. Do stop by if you are local or visiting Colorado and support the local economy.

The Unlikely Lavender Queen Review

I was very excited about reviewing Jeannie Ralston's book "The Unlikely Lavender Queen" for no other reason than that it dealt with the subject of lavender. I soon found however, that this book is much more than Jeannie's memoir of her lavender farm, it is a book about life, change and acceptance.

As a high profile New York writer and editor, Jeannie Ralston was not excited about moving to Texas after marrying photographer Robb Kendrick. She lived for her trips back to New York. She soon found that Texas was not the only surprise Robb had for her. There was the second move to acreage in more rural Texas and the remodeling involved in their new house. As if that weren’t enough, after a visit to Provence to photograph lavender Robb was inspired to see if lavender would grow in Texas. With him being out of town often for jobs, Jeannie soon found that she was responsible for the lavender and decided to jump in with both feet. Through her skillful writing and storytelling we learn how she became not just comfortable in her new environment but also learned to love it. Could it have been the lavender that changed her?

Jeannie and Robb soon found the lavender business to be too overwhelming with their family life. In 2006, after being in business for 5 years, they sold Hill Country Lavender to their assistant, Tasha Brieger. They are now taking on new adventures in Mexico.

Roses Roses

Roses are blooming and nothing could be prettier. I have several large rose bushes shown here on my property line. I have no idea what they are but they are slightly aromatic with beautiful buds on them. I also have several somewhat aromatic roses in front of my house. Their color is a beautiful pinkish red. I am cutting flowers and buds from both of these roses to dry for later use. Because I am interested in distilling roses I just bought several roses that I am told are very aromatic. One is the Kasinlik rose that is grown in Bulgaria for oil. Another is a David Austin Golden Celebration. This one and a Mr. Lincoln I planted right off of my deck so that I can enjoy the aroma with my morning coffee or evening dinner. A fourth one I bought unfortunately the clerk at the nusery pulled out the tag so I don't remember what it is. I resisted the pressure at the nursery to buy their super duper organic fertilizer. I'll fertilize these roses with manure from my chickens instead. Using what we have on the farm is important to me.

With these four highly aromatic roses I am hoping for enough blossoms for distilling next summer. Until then I will be collecting petals and buds for crafts. Last year I strung small rose buds on a string that I draped over a table lamp so the heat from the light released the aroma of the roses. This year I will dry petals for potpouri. Dried rose petals add a nice flavor to black tea. You can also make a strong tea from the petals to use to wipe the face clean at night. Rose can be very hydrating for the skin. Two things I've not done with roses is make wreaths or rose beads. These are crafts I might try during the winter months when I am longing for the aroma of roses. Until then I will enjoy cutting and drying fresh roses!

Skin Care from your Kitchen and Herb Garden

I'll be teaching a class this Monday night, June 23 at the Gardens on Spring Creek. This is a new botanical gardens in Ft. Collins encompassing 18 acres. We will discuss various herbs that are used for skin care such as calendula, plantain, lavender, chamomile, rose, fennel and lemon balm. Students should bring a washcloth as we will go through a 5-step process of skin care including cleaning, facial steam, facial mask, astringent or toner, and moisturizing. If you live in Northern Colorado you might want to sign up for this class.
For more information go to: http://fcgov.com/horticulture/.

Preserving Chives

Have you ever tried to dry chives for culinary use? Well I have and they taste alot like paper when they are dried. I guess they have to be freeze dried to preserve the flavor. What I do now is to cut the fresh chives with a scissors into small pieces and put those into a sandwich bag for the freezer. Kept this way the flavor will be preserved and you can use them all winter (if your bag is big enough). Be daring and toss some chive flowers in there too. Keep them in the door of your freezer so they are handy as you prepare meals.

Plantago (Plantain) in the Garden

I’ve never done much with plantain because I didn’t have a lot of it in my yard. After moving here though I have found it growing prolifically throughout disturbed soil. There are two varieties of this herb that is sometimes called rib grass. Plantago major has roundish leaves that lie close to the ground while Plantago lanceolata has narrow leaves that stand upright. We have the lanceolata variety here which I find much easier to harvest. Plantain has many benefits. It is great for cuts and insect bites gotten outside where it is easy to pick a leaf and wrap it around the injury as a dressing. For this reason it has been called ‘nature’s band-aid’. An added benefit is that it stops bleeding and is anti-inflammatory. It is also good as a tea for lung problems such as bronchitis. Seeds of this plant can also be used as a mild laxative as would psyllium be used. It has also been used as a diuretic and for diarrhea. Its use as an antitoxin is less common. It is not native to North America and the Native Americans would refer to it as “white man’s footprint” knowing that Europeans had been there with seed. I’ve been picking and drying this herb a lot lately and plan to use more of it over the coming year, probably adding it to my ‘Knuckle Balm”.

Raptors at Our Farm

We have seen quite a few raptors here at our farm including owls, hawks and bald eagles and I wanted to share some of the pictures with you. Although its quite exciting to see these great predators, I do worry about my small animals; cat, dog and chickens. We’ve seen this great horned owl in a tree by our house several times. According to Wikipedia the great horned owl is the only owl known to have killed a human. Many cultures have a special place for owls in their storytelling. I’m told in both Native American and Irish cultures the great horned owl was considered a messenger of death or at least ill well but also associated with the medicine men/women. Other stories say that the great horned owl is associated with the soul of the dead. Perhaps it is one of my parents or my sister looking out for me. Owls in general are said to give energy, wisdom and bravery.

The barn owl we found in our driveway. It could not move its legs and so we put it in this cage and my son drove it to the owl rescue group. Unfortunately we do not know what became of it afterward. Other raptors we have seen include falcons and the red tailed hawk. We have also been visited by a blue heron.

Under The Sun

Tina Sams never fails to amaze me. I have mentioned before about her magazine "The Essential Herbal"; now she has compiled articles from the first 5 years of publication and put them into a book entitled "Under the Sun, the First Five Years". The book is organized into chapters on gardening, in the kitchen, just weeds, herbal first aid, the stillroom, traditions, the herbs and herb business. You will find articles about soapmaking and cooking, drinking and crafting and lots of just naturalist experiences. The magazine has been a dream of Tina’s for some time. Writers contribute their time and skills because herbs are their passion. I only recently joined Tina in her venture and am glad I did. Reading the articles in this book is like listening to old friends discuss their lives and their passions. It is a sizable book of 220 pages so it will take some time to read. I would highly recommend going to Tina’s website and ordering your copy (http://www.essentialherbal.com).

Mother's Day Tussie Mussie

I miss my Mom. She died two years ago. When she was alive I remember giving her a tussie mussie one year for Mothers Day. This year I will walk my garden (and look in my dried collection) to see what plants I have to pay tribute to her on this Mothers Day.

Basil for the unconditional love she gave me and my siblings.
Rosemary for remembering her and the lessons she taught me.
Sage for her endless wisdom and to represent my grief.
Scented geranium for our happy times together.
Lavender for her devotion to her family.
Thyme for her strength and courage in raising 8 children.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's!