herbal wisdom 101
On September 12, 2015, I took part of my first adventure into herbs. A local herb garden was offering classes so I jumped at the chance. I visited the garden on a beautiful Saturday and joined about 5 other herb enthusiasts. I took as many notes as I could while also trying to take in all the sights and smells. You can find out what I learned below!
HOPS (like what they put in beer!)
looks like a little pineapple, opens like a flower
tastes bitter
uses: yellow powder helps with insomnia
could put it into a tea (add honey)
dry it out and put into pillowcase to stay asleep longer
create a tincture using alcohol (this is the method i chose to try)
PECANS
open the pecan and get the black “stuff” out.
uses: black stuff can be used as a stain for wood
LAVENDER (smells so good)
anti-viral, anti-fungal -- basically anti-everything!
put into vinegar to make a cleaning product
ROSEMARY
insect repellent
possibly a conditioner for hair (tingles like tea tree)
BEE BALM
plant to attract bees to garden
SIDE NOTE: Plants in the mint family all have a square stem!
SAGE
put in tea to help with sore throat
looks bumpy
FENNEL
every part is edible (try with apple dish or fish)
eat the seeds to help with farts and digestive health
tastes and smells like licorice (i tried some!)
LEMON BALM
plant it around the porch to keep insects away (citronella)
could use it to create jelly (tasted lemon balm jelly at it was AH-MAZING!)
RUE
expels intestinal worms (for animals)
could be a skin irritant to some
in the past, was chewed to help with with headaches, nervousness, and anxiety
WORMWOOD
can be used to make a tea that INCREASES appetite
SPEARMINT (or any mint really)
used to help with upset stomach
HORSE RADISH
the finer you shred it, the hotter it tastes
good for allergy treatments
opens the sinuses (clears congestion)
OTHER HERBS
dill - yummy
horehound - use in tea to expel mucus
lamb’s ear - super soft (used as toilet paper in the olden days)
fish pepper - similar to habanero
pole beans - black lima beans
OTHER NOTES:
Richmond, VA is Zone 7 climate
Tiger Swallowtail (butterfly) loves fennel
Create a cold frame to start seeds growing then move to field
Yummy drink recipe - 1/2 gallon water, 1 oz sage, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 lime (juice)
At the end of the class we all made a batch of Four Thieves Vinegar. It’s actually been sitting out on my porch in the sun for the last four weeks. I’m bringing it inside today (along with my hops tincture) to put it to use! I’ll post about that later!!!!
I reallyyyyyyy wish i could show you all my amazing sketches that i drew next to each herb lol. I’m sure you’ll be able to google better pictures though!
Until next time -
...herb geek out