Our Daily Herbal Tea

For a few months now, we have each been drinking two cups of herbal tea a day. At this time, we are buying the herbs that we are using in our tea. We feel like this is a healthy addition to our diet. Here's why.

I start off with:

3 tbsp. dried dandelion root simmered in 2 quarts of water for 20 minutes. I start this time when the water is still cold. This makes a decoction.



The benefits of dandelion root include:

• liver detoxification/tonic
  
• promotes good digestion
• good for indigestion
• good for arthritis
• regular use helps reduce cholesterol
• gentle laxative
• good for psoriasis

After the roots have simmered, I turn off the fire and add:

1 tsp. celery seed & 1 tbsp. meadowsweet, which sits and steeps for 10 minutes. Seeds, leaves and flower parts are used to make an infusion, which is the steeping process. Since the roots of the dandelion are much harder and thicker, they need to simmer to release the desired properties.

The benefits of celery seed include:

• helps reduce high blood pressure
  
• good digestive; reduces muscle spasms in the muscles of the intestinal tract
• purifies the blood
• helps treat arthritis
• has anti-inflammatory properties
• stimulates thyroid & pituitary
• clears uric acid from painful joints
• acts on kidneys & is a mild diuretic

The benefits of meadowsweet include:

• antacid properties
• astringent
  
• anti-inflammatory
• contains salicylates like aspirin
• diuretic 
• calming for overactive digestive system
• helps acid stomach, heartburn, ulcers, hiatus hernia
• helpful for rheumatism & arthritis
• clears sandy deposits in urine

This information has been compiled from several of my herbal books. Not everyone agrees with the effectiveness of herbs upon the body. You will have to do your own research and decide for yourself what is right for you.

Last year we began harvesting and replanting dandelion seed in the herb bed, just for this tea. I know many people see them as the bane of a beautiful lawn. Every time I see them I think of the benefits they are providing our bodies. We will continue to harvest the seeds and spread them all over the herb bed. They are already up and blooming this year, so it won't be long before the seeds are ready. Now I need to learn how to harvest and dry the roots for our tea, as well as start incorporating some of the greens in our diet.

May 2014

I have one meadowsweet plant established (I think, I haven't seen it yet this spring) and need to add many more to provide the amount we are currently using. 

October 2014, over wintered and is coming back out now

Celery seed may be a whole new challenge. I think I will do some more research and see if I can dry the leaves and/or stalks to use in the tea. It would be much easier for us to produce the plants than the seeds. My other research will include celeriac to see if it contains the same beneficial constituents as celery.

The lemon balm is just starting to come out now.

June 2014

We have some other things growing in the herb bed that I will be adding to a tea blend of our own. These ingredients will be chosen for the beneficial characteristics they have, as well as compatibility with other herbs. Lemon balm and peppermint are on the list for now. If I can get a good crop of chamomile and echinacea, I will add them as well. We're trying to cut down on the amount of herbs we buy, because we would rather consume those we can grow and harvest 

Peppermint, May 2014

ourselves. I still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to growing herbs, harvesting them at the appropriate time, dehydrating to retain the most benefit, and usage. This is another dream come true. I have wanted to be able to grow and use herbs for many, many years. Now I am starting down that path, and it's wonderful.

This is just one more way Frank and I are trying to reclaim our bodies from the effects of the chemicals we are bombarded with everyday. I am grateful we still have the peace and freedom to do so. The more I can learn now, the better off we will be if it ever comes down to having to make do with what we know, have and can do. I pray it doesn't reach that point, but it sure looks that way more and more every day. Learn something important this week that will benefit your family should times get hard. It's critical.

Until next time - Fern

New Herbs and Stuff

It appears that this will be the year I get the herb bed really established. I found a new company, Companion Plants, that I really like. They ship a good quality product with reasonable shipping. This means I have added many new plants to my herb bed. This is the beginning of the herb bed I have always dreamed of. I hope in the next few years it will mature and be self-sustaining. We have future plans to increase some of these plants in larger patches in other locations. Here is the tour with a brief description of each.

Comfrey. I had already obtained five new roots, but I added a couple more. Now I have eight established comfrey plants to harvest for animal feed supplement, as well as medicinal uses.

Marshmallow. Tender leaves can be used in spring salads. Roots, flowers, dried or fresh.

Wild yams. Fresh or dried root decoction.

 






Camphor wormwood. Insect repellent and animal wormer. It also doesn't get along with other plants very well, so it needs a corner of it's own.

Bergamot (monarda fistulosa) and Bee Balm (monarda didyma). Leaves and flowers, fresh, cooked or dried for tea. Attracts pollinators.

Anise hyssop. Seeds whole or crushed. Leaves for salad

 

 

Uva ursi. Leaves, berries for infusions.

Butterflyweed. Just because it's pretty. Attracts pollinators.

Angelica. Roots, stems or leaves, dried or fresh.

English lavender. Flowers and leaves for infusions or oils.

Mexican marigold. Leaves, fresh or dried, flowers for dye.

Wild ginger. Roots, dried or fresh.

Ground nuts (apios americana). Tuber, protein, starch, isoflavones

 









The old and new hops now have another permanent home. I had originally put them on the west side of the old shed. When Frank tore it down, I dug up the old plant and put it in a pot on the porch for a while. I ordered two more plants, and now all three are residing on the west side of this shed and doing well. They have been joined by a clematis that needed a new home as well.

Sweet, edible bamboo in it's new location. Some of it died while it was in a pot on the porch during the winter, but it's started sending up new shoots again. This should be a good spot for it to spread and grow.

Our new batch of sun chokes, or Jerusalem artichokes. They are doing very well.

Our old patch of sun chokes are also growing well this year. They need to lose a few weeds and pesky scrub growth, but that will have to wait for another day.

The meadowsweet we planted back in the winter is doing well beside the branch here. I've tried to locate a few companions for this plant, but haven't found any yet. I have some seeds as well, but haven't had the time to start any seedlings lately.

  

Roses. I had some in a pot on the porch for a while, and finally decided where to put them. In the meantime, I found a good sale and ordered more. So far, so good. If they're going to be very picky, they won't make it. Most plants have to be pretty hardy to make it around here. I like to call it loving neglect. I love to have them around, but they have to stand some neglect.

I grow all of these things for specific reasons. If you are interested in any of them, or curious why I grow them, do some research and see what they can be used for. I have spent many hours reading and researching. Some of these plants may never be used for my intended purpose, but they are here if I want them. Using herbs for anything except culinary purposes is frowned upon in many circles. If you choose to use them, research them thoroughly first. Make wise, informed decisions about your own health and the health of your family. Along the way I will share some of the things we are doing, like feeding comfrey to the chickens and goats. The rest is up to you.

There are many different things we can grow that are fairly self-sustaining, even if they are somewhat neglected. We try to find ways to tuck in some plants that will produce in spite of us. They may provide a source of food, nutrients and/or possible medicine if the time comes that they are needed. And besides all that, it makes for another spot of beauty that surrounds us. Learn about and work at whatever needs doing around your place. It is time that is never wasted.

 Until next time - Fern

Planting Meadowsweet and Bamboo

The weather was decent, 60 degrees with a little wind and beautiful sunshine, so I decided to get a few plants in the ground that had been lingering in pots for over a year. I know, that isn't the ideal place, but that is where they had to live for a while.

Meadowsweet, mine does not look like this now

I had bought some Meadowsweet a year or so ago and tried to plant it over by the chicken house. But the next day they discovered this small plant and decided it was tasty. So before it totally disappeared, I dug it up and put it in a pot until I had a better place for it. A few days ago, I was reading more about medicinal herbs and came across the benefits of Meadowsweet again. I had read this before, that is why I bought some to begin with, but it had been a while. Rereading this information gave me the motivation to go out and find it a permanent home. 

My meadowsweet looks like a pot of dirt.

I will probably order another plant to add to the mix and see if I can get a good, permanent planting established so that I can harvest and dry my own supply. In the meantime, I ordered some from Monterey Bay Spice Company. We will be adding this to a celery seed, chamomile tea combination that we have added to our daily medicinal intake. My hope is that I can grow enough for our needs this summer, that way I won't have to depend on another source.



The benefits of Meadowsweet listed in my medicinal herb books include:

• salicylate properties similar to aspirin
• astringent
• anti-inflammatory
  
• diuretic
• antacid and calming for overactive digestive system
• acid stomach, heartburn, ulcers, hiatus hernia
• helpful for rheumatism and arthritis
• clears sandy deposits in urine 

Meadowsweet prefers a moist area with semi shade. This location is on the edge of a small branch that is wet much of the year. It will go dry during a hot dry summer, but is generally fairly wet. I hope it will thrive in this area.

The other plant that has been living in a pot on the porch for too long is a sweet, edible bamboo. I did quite a bit of research on bamboo to find one that produces edible shoots and is hardy in planting zone 7. The one I bought is a sweet shoot bamboo, Phyllostachs Dulcis.

This is a running, spreading type that will have plenty of room here to grow. It will also provide some natural camouflage for this building. Many bamboos cannot tolerate the cold weather here and I was glad to find one that could. 

 
But, I think the really cold weather we have had recently has killed off part of this plant so I want to get it in the ground to see if it can be saved. This is another one of those little chores that was postponed for too long. But the plant seemed to be doing fine on the porch until just recently.



My motivation for investigating edible bamboo was the effort to find some perennial vegetables that I could get started here that could provide some food on a consistent, yearly basis. In this day and age, the types of food that are perennial are not usually part of our diets. Jerusalem artichokes, bamboo and asparagus don't go with many things that we eat regularly. At least, we don't. But we do have all three of these things growing here. And if the time comes that we need to depend upon what we can produce to eat, they will add a few more meals to our table. 

Sun chokes

Both the bamboo and Jerusalem artichokes (which we call sun chokes) in some circles are considered to be nuisance weeds because of their invasive, spreading nature. But I like things rather wild and unkept looking, so they will suit me just fine. Besides that, the more they spread, the more food they provide. The sun chokes are good for people and livestock. The nutritional content includes protein, inulin, potassium, iron, fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper. 

There are so many things we can grow that are beneficial and amazingly productive, even if you baby them with total neglect. Do they taste like potato chips, donuts and ice cream? No. Will they lend a hand to provide excellent nutrition with little to no effort on my part? Yes. The more I learn, the more amazed I am at the tremendous sources of life that are right at our fingertips. Isn't that just great? Learn something new today. Something that makes you smile and increases your ability to provide for your family. 


Until next time - Fern