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Eastern Purple Coneflower or Echinacea

June 14th, 2010 |

Author: peter

Echinacea purpurea

Appearance
This perennial blooming plant is 1.2 m (3’6″) tall and .5 m (18″) broad at maturation. Identifiable through its purple cone-shaped flowers, it is indigenous to eastern North America and is known as the ‘purple coneflower’.

Depending on climate, it starts to bloom in late May to early July. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female organs on each flower. It is pollinated through butterflies and bees.

Usage

Echinacea purpurea may possess antidepressant attributes
Echinacea is commonly believed to stimulate the immune system.
Echinacea has traditionally been utilized to deal with or prevent colds, flu, and other infections.
Less frequently, echinacea has been useful for wounds and skin problems, such as acne or boils.
Echinacea purpurea can be grown as a ornamental plant, and numerous cultivars have been developed for flower quality and plant form.
The above surface elements of the plant and roots of echinacea are used fresh or dried out to make teas, extracts, or preparations for exterior use.
When taken through the mouth, echinacea usually doesn’t result in unwanted side effects. However, some individuals encounter allergic reactions, including rashes and bronchial asthma. In medical trials, gastrointestinal side effects have been most common.

History
A genus of herbaceous flowering plants from the daisy group, Asteraceae. The 9 species it includes are commonly known as purple coneflowers.They are endemic to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in damp to dry prairies and open wooded areas. They have big, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. The generic name hails from the Greek term(echino), or “spiney,” due to the spiney middle disk. Several species are used in herbal medications while some are usually grown because of their showy flowers.

Propagation and Cultivation (Northern hemisphere)
Useful propogation methods include division, root cuttings, and basal cuttings. Cuttings produced from roots that are 7 to 10 mm thick will grow into plants when started at the end of autumn or early winter. Cuttings of basal shoots in the spring may be rooted after treating with powdered rooting hormones.

Seed germination occurs best with daily temperature variances and help to end the seeds dormancy. Clumps of Echinacea purpurea may be divided, or broken into smaller bunches, which is usually carried out in the spring or autumn.

Its normal habitats feature dry open woods, prairies and barrens. Although the plant prefers loamy or sandy, well-drained earth, it is little influenced through the soil’s pH. Needing the sunlight, Echinacea purpurea thrives in either moist or dry earth and can endure drought, once established.

For indoor sowing: Flowers from February to April (for Spring)
Put in containers of damp compost. Sow thinly and cover using a fine layer of compost. Firm lightly and keep moist. Cover using glass, polythene or a propagator lid. Keep at approx. 15-20°C (60-68°F). The seedlings will come in 14-28 days. Remove cover when seedlings appear. When big enough transplant 5cm (2in) apart in trays. Stand outdoors for several days late May in a frostfree period, after that transplant 40cm (16in) apart in desired situation.

For outdoor sowing: Flowers from May to July (for Autumn)
Place the seeds in a prepared seedling bed. Sow very finely in rows of 30cm (12in) apart. Cover up carefully with fine earth. Firm lightly and keep damp. When big enough thin to 10 cm (4in) rows. Then transplant 40cm (16in) apart in blooming position in September to October. Keep moist and eradicate weeds.

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Basic Harvesting, Processing and Preparation Of Medicinal Herbs

May 31st, 2010 |

Author: peter

Drying and Preserving Roots, Herbs, Barks.
General – collect herbs when the weather is good and when there is no dew on them. Dry them in the shade, after which they ought to be protected from exposure to the air by wrapping up inside paper or perhaps keeping in paper pouches, tied up and hung up in a dry spot.

Roots ought to be dug in the spring when the sap is rising if you wish to make extract; or they may be collected in autumn when they have ceased to vegetate. In order to dry for winter use they should be sliced up, dried out and put in a draught-free position.

Barks ought to be stripped when the tree is in full leaf and dried in the shade. The bark from the roots should be gathered in the fall, once the sap has descended.

Flowers and Seeds.
Flowers should be gathered when in full bloom and totally free of the dew and should be kept from exposure to the air. Make sure that seeds have completely matured; dry them in a shady position and store ready for use.

Preparation of Herbs for Medicine. There are various ways of preparing herbs intended for medicine. The best known are:

Infusion
Decoction
Fomentation
Ointment
Plaster
Poultice
Powder
Essence
Tincture

Five of these, Plaster, Poultice, Fomentations, Decoction and Infusion (Referred to as a tea.) are the most popular methods.

Plasters – Bruise the leaves, root, or other part of the plant and position between two sections of cloth, basically as you would a mustard plaster, and apply to the area you want to cover up.

Poultices – Poultices are used to apply warmth (moist heat), to soothe or to draw. Generally a soft substance is used, such as soap and sugar, bread and milk, mustard, etc. Some cause a counter-irritation, a few draw the blood from a congested part and thus alleviate soreness.

Fomentations – Dip linen or heavy towels in the infusion or decoction, wring out and apply locally to the part that you wish to cover.

Decoction – Make the same as for infusion and boil for some time, simply as a person would make coffee.

Infusion or Tea – Usually about one ounce of the herb to a pint of water is used for an infusion. Occasionally cold water is poured over the herb, but the most typical method is to pour boiling water over the herb and let to stand for a brief time, just as a person might make typical tea for the family table. Occasionally a little sugar might end up being included to make the tea more palatable. An infusion or tea ought to be used whilst fresh.

Ointments or Salve – An easy technique to make a salve or ointment is to use about eight portions of vaseline or lard or any like substance and add two parts of the remedy you want to employ. Thus, in the event that you were to make a sulphur salve you would use eight oz . of vaseline and two ounces of sulphur; stir and combine well while hot and when cool you would have a typical sulphur salve or ointment.

Essence – Take about an oz of the essential oil of the herb and dissolve in a pint of alcohol.

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Medicinal Witch Hazel – Witching Wells

April 29th, 2010 |

Author: peter

Hamamelis Virginiana (Hamamelidiaceae)

Description
No description of Witch hazel would be complete without mentioning how the seeds from the American plant, In contrast to those of the European hazel, are ejected with enough force to spray passers-by – this kind of clownish quirk has acquired for it the title of snapping hazelnut.

Witch Hazel is a herb garden plant which grows to a height of 2.5 to 3.5m (9 to 12 ft). The leaves are more intensely veined than those from the European hazel, and when they have fallen in autumn the flowers show up on the naked wood within a month. These particular flowers are lovely small fluffy pods of yellow, which upon examination prove to be bundles of tiny paddle-shaped petals with a rather weak perfume. Seed matures the following summer, the nuts containing two black palatable seeds.

History
The witch hazel belonging to the woods of America’s Atlantic shore offers much in common in aspect with the European hazel – Various theories are bandied about as to why the pioneers called this plant witch hazel. Perhaps the most acceptable is that they used the twigs for water divining in much the same way that they had employed hazel in Europe for centuries – commonly described as ‘witching a well’.

Usage
As an astringent with the ability to stem hemorrhaging, and as a treatment for bruises and lumps was renowned. The Native Americans used the bark as the basis of an infusion which they applied to painful eyes. Today witch hazel still holds sway as a household treatment, as an ointment to soothe sprains and bruises and as an extract that may be acquired through drug stores for use as a skin tonic.

Both leaves and bark possess the astringent qualities for which the plant is renowned. The classic Pond’s Extract depended upon witch hazel for its usefulness as a household panacea utilized in cases of burns and bruises.

Cultivation
The appealing foliage and interesting petals will withstand the severest autumn. Propagation is by cuttings taken in spring. A herb garden plant that makes a successful inclusion in the garden in areas exempt from an early freeze.

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Herb Garden Plants – Pest Control

March 25th, 2010 |

Author: peter

Safe Pest Control Tips

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration for the safety of the herb garden plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with organic gardens, as the main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.

Below are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.

1. Use the physical pest control process.
This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails are found hiding in damp places under rocks and towards the base of those herb garden plants with straplike foliage.

2. Apply biological pest control.
Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. This can be done by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides are also be employed against caterpillars.

3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.
Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for most of the recipes are available in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the safest. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils and tobacco dust.

4. Consider the usage of safer pest control substitutes.
Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:

Against Green Aphids and Mites – Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.
Against Cockroaches – boric acid powder can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help diswcourage these intruders.

Make sure any chemicals you use are targeted specifically at the insects you are targeting.

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Italian Herb Garden – Are you Crazy!

October 14th, 2009 |

Author: peter

An Italian Herb Garden

Elsewhere in these pages I wrote about an Italian herb garden and its primary residents of garlic, oregano, basil, parsley and rosemary. I have now learned that the article was only partly correct and that sometimes no amount of book learning prepares you for the real thing. Read on…….

Recently I sat down to some mid-morning espresso with 2 couples, both Italian and all 4 from different regions in Italy. The subject of a typical Italian herb garden was broached. Well, if you are Italian you will know what I mean when I say that suddenly there were four separate conversations all going staccato and fortissimo.

Special and vociferous mention was given by various parties to sage, thyme, bay, chervil and even horseradish (Leaves and roots) as being essentials in an Italian herb garden. Many more entered the fray but fell in the heat of battle. Some small concessions are suspected but not admitted for this passage of arms. Both tactics and strategy waxed and waned throughout the skirmish.

The most amazing thing was that they all agreed that the basic five above were all essential staples; amazing because from there the opinions varied and got louder until I called a truce.

Married for 38 and 35 years respectively, I thought the day of their marriages being ripped asunder was at hand. Not a chance, as it turned out, they were just having some fun

When things spun down back to normal, the previous status quo was soon resumed and another – and less important - topic was being calmly pursued, I realised that something that I always knew had been reinforced:

Italians are passionate about their food and their regions of origin.
There are many more popular Italian herbs used in the typical Italian herb garden than most non-Italians are aware of.
Don’t think that an altercation between an Italian couple has any real malice.
Italians revel in argument and bring their own breed of passion and energy to the table.

By heck, I love these people. They are both down to earth and earthy. They bring with them the tastes, sounds and smells of Italy to any group, which immediately benefits by elevation through these wonderful influences and nuances. Italian cuisine and the traditional Italian herb garden is safe in these hands. Viva Italia!

And take my word for it – don’t ever try to tell an Italian what he or she should be growing in their Italian herb garden!

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