Using Herbs From A Home Herb Garden

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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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Tags: Decoction, Mustard Plaster, Poultices |

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Showy Iris – Herbs For Sore Eyes

May 19th, 2010 |

Author: peter

Iris pseudacorus (Iridaceae)

Herb Garden Plants – Iris.

Appearance
Iris is really a category of some two hundred and fifty-odd species of flowering plants with flamboyant blooms. Although Iris may not be generally seen as a ‘herb garden plant‘ it nevertheless fits both the definition and spirit of beneficial herbs.

It borrows its label from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide selection of blossom hues found among the numerous varieties. As well as being the scientific title,’ iris’ is also very widely used as a common label; for one thing, it refers to all Iris varieties, though a number of plants called thus fit in better with some other closely connected genera.

Throughout North America, the popular name for irises is ‘flags’. The true yellow flag bears compact, elegant, golden yellow flowers in summer, and it is a fairly widespread plant found in waterway borders and marshy terrain in Great Britain. Flowering stems and sword-like leaves reach a height of 60 to 150 cms (2 to 5 ft) and the plants can form extensive colonies. ln America this plant is known as a blue flag, the blossoms being violet azure and variegated with yellow, and the flower stems attaining 60 to 90 cms (2-3 ft) in height.

The particular name pseudacorus acknowledges its resemblance (when not in flower) to the sweet sedge or sweet flag, Acarus calamus. Nevertheless, the leaves as well as the root base of iris are typically odourless whilst sweet sedge is fragrant.

History
Two or three native European irises have been used in remedies, the best known, the yellow flag iris, is British and ended up being the type taken to America by the early settlers.

Universally known as fleur de luce, fleur de lys or fleur-de-lis, it was the heraldic logo associated with the kings of France and legends abound on that score.

Usage

lris has long been grown in America for its roots which are applied in order to treat bumps and also bruises, and as iridin or irisin with regard to its action on the liver and bowels.
The powdered root is an additive to snuff, and if chopped up may offer a cure for toothache.
Culpeper extolled its use, when distilled, as a treatment for weak and tired eyes and asserted that a salve made from the flowers was beneficial for managing ulcers or even syphilitic sores.
The flowers produce a very good yellow dye and the roots, along with the addition of an iron dye mordant, create a black dye.

Cultivation
Yellow flag can only be grown really successfully as a water plant. ln the ornamental herb garden it needs a marsh-like location where it can accompany watercress, water mints and sweet sedge. Settle the rhizomes straight into the borders of a muddy pool and, if needed, tie some rhizomes collectively in a string or wire basket which can be ballasted to avoid the clumps from sailing off.

The irises tend to be such a large family that growing conditions and garden soil needs vary substantially. Numerous types have adapted to regional conditions when transported afar. I remember visiting a long-deserted farmhouse where the only visible flowers were purple irises growing happily in hard dry soil.

For most typical irises though, position your rhizomes just below the surface of the ground with the roots well spread out below so the rhizome is within reach of the heat of the sun’s rays while the roots beneath tend to be in damp (not soggy) soil.

Work your dirt properly to a depth of 25 to 30 cm. In the event that your soil is heavy, incorporate sand so that wetness drains quickly. Irises will develop in the majority of garden soils.

Be certain to firm the earth snugly about every rhizome when planting. Follow the ordinary good gardening procedure of applying water and settling soil on newly set plants.

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Posted in aesthetics, herb garden plants, medicinal, using herbs from a home herb garden |

Tags: Fleur De Lys, herb garden plants, home herb garden, Iris Pseudacorus, Irisin |

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Home Herb Garden – Meet Sir Kenelm Digby

October 9th, 2009 |

Author: peter

And now for something completely different. But still a herbal connection.

Cavalier, inmate of courts, controversialist, man of science, occultist, privateer, conspirator, lover and wit, all describe Sir Kenelm Digby, born July 11, 1603, elder son of Sir Kenelm Digby. He was barely three years old when his father, the most guileless and the most obstinate of the Gunpowder Plotters, died on the scaffold. Sir Kenelm Digby, however, did not follow in his late and somewhat unlamented father’s footsteps.

The following extract is from a book kept in Edinburgh Castle, The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, which gives us a look into just one of many a story steeped in intrigue, treachery and British tradition. For our purposes, we simply report on one of Sir Digby’s recipes. (Thats the younger Sir Digby) Imagine the extent of his home herb garden.

MY LORD LUMLEY’S PEASE-PORAGE:

Take two quarts of Pease, and put them into an Ordinary quantity of Water, and when they are almost boiled, take out a pint of the Pease whole, and strain all the rest.

A little before you take out the pint of Pease, when they are all boiling together, put in almost an Ounce of Coriander-seed beaten very small, one Onion, some Mint, Parsley, Winter-savoury, Sweet-Marjoram from your home herb garden, all minced very small; when you have strained the Pease, put in the whole Pease and the strained again into the pot, and let them boil again, and a little before you take them up, put in half a pound of Sweet-butter.

You must season them in due time, and in the ordinary proportion with Pepper and Salt. This is a proportion to make about a Gallon of Pease-porage. The quantities are set down by guess. The Coriander-seeds are as much as you can conveniently take in the hollow of your hand. You may put in a great good Onion or two.

A pretty deal of Parsley, and if you will, and the season afford them, you may add what you like of other Porage herbs, such as they use for their Porages in France.

But if you take the savoury herbs dry, you must crumble or beat them to small Powder (as you do the Coriander-seed) and if any part of them be too big to pass through the strainer, after they have given their taste to the quantity, in boiling a sufficient while therein, you put them away with the husks of the Pease.

The Pint of Pease that you reserve whole, is only to show that it is Pease-porage. They must be of the thickness of ordinary Pease-porage. For which these proportions will make about a Gallon.

Now don’t all go rushing about finding ingredients in your own home herb garden and serving the dish at your next dinner party. I wonder how accurately we could reproduce the recipe today. You would probably need to be a psychic and a very good guesser.

But ennit fascinating! Imagine talking like that all the time.

If you want more in the same vein, but with real duplicatable recipes, register for our blogcast – you will get a weekly update of blog posts and access to several really interesting old time herb books including the one featured here – The Closet Of Sir Digby Knight Opened.

Next time a normal article – I promise. Let me know if you enjoyed this please.

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Eat an Avo, Have a Baby? The doctrine of signatures.

October 3rd, 2009 |

Author: peter

The doctrine of signatures has been written about and discussed for centuries. but is less well known than one would think after all this time. Although it is not strictly speaking a herb subject, it does involve many herbs and is very interesting.

The Doctrine Of Signatures (Note Capital Letters) refers to the long held belief from the days of Dioscurides and Galen that a plant, or part of a plant, resembling a component of the human body has the power to heal that body part. There is much evidence of this and it is an incredibly interesting story; the older I get, the more I see legends I scoffed at previously take on substance.

Please pursue your own researches if you are interested, but I would like to give you a few glimpses of the reasoning behind this “Doctrine Of Signatures.” (Drum roll!) When shapes and even colours reminded herb collectors of human body parts they would attempt to use them to heal these parts; thus we have liverwort, bloodroot, toothwort, lungwort and wormwood. neither should we forget hedge woundwort – its dark red flowers have antiseptic qualities

Celery and rhubarb stems resemble bones in appearance: they consist of about 25% sodium, the same as bones and they replenish sodium lost from your bones to your body.

No-one needs to be told where the name kidney beans comes from, but did you know that they are supposed to both heal and assist kidney functioning in humans.

Slice a carrot in half and the radiating rings look like a human eye. And didn’t your mother tell you to eat carrots to see better – even in the dark.

Tomato: four chambers, red colour. Tomatoes are saturated with lycopine – good for the blood and the heart. You’re getting the picture?

The brain looks like nothing as much as a walnut. It even has the wrinkles. Open a walnut and we find a mini brain. cerebrum, cerebellum and two hemispheres.A walnut looks like a little brain. Walnuts develop neuro transmitters for the brain.

Grapes resemble blood cells – modern research holds that grapes are blood food.

Avocados assist functions of the female womb and cervix. No prizes for suggesting what they resemble. Four avo’s a month are said to both buffer cervical cancer and balance out the hormones.

Sweet Potatoes: help balance GI in diabetics. Which is the job of the pancreas it resembles.

There are many more examples.

Modern science however, brands these tales as superstitions; others say there are many valid claims concerning the ability of the doctrine of signatures to have presaged the medicinal properties of many species.

You decide.

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Posted in esoteric, medicinal, using herbs from a home herb garden |

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Herb Garden Plants – Mint

September 27th, 2009 |

Author: peter

Mentha species (Labiatae)

Appearance: Numerous mint species are grown almost everywhere. Wild or cultivated forms all bear various local names. Their tendency to hybridise plus the fact that parochial names and appearance vary according to climate and location leads to some confusion in identification or collation of species information. Scientific analysis of essential oils has largely cleared up the identification and inter-relationship of these popular herbs, but local names both abound and persist. At one stage I grew a dozen different species of various appearance until sanity prevailed.

Spearmint or garden mint enjoys wide usage – it’s narrow pointed leaves, reach 30-90 cms (1-3 ft tall). If left to flower in midsummer, purple spikes appear well above the leaves. Apple mint has large, round, soft leaves and pink spikes growing up to 1 m (3 ft) high. The cream and green variegated form with leaves bordered and overlaid with cream is usually called pineapple mint; a good decorative garden plant retaining its attractive foliage throughout the summer. Ginger mint or scotch mint is another attractively leaved plant, particularly in the variegated form with golden variegation of the pointed leaves and its crisp even appearance and height makes a great herb border.

Usage: Most mints can be used for culinary purposes – one of the biggest – Bowles’s mint – has a reputation as a gourmet’s mint. It is a vigorous grower, easily attaining 1.5 m (5 ft), it’s broad leaves are covered with light coloured down. Peppermint is widely used in culinary and medical applications; there are two varieties (Black and white) which grow to about 1 m (3% ft), the former with black/purple stems – both produce a sharp crisp oil. In the kitchen peppermint can be used to flavour fruit cups, sweets and puddings. tea is made from fresh or dried leaves.

A range of fragrance is provided by the same oil; the small chemical variations between one species and another are affected by season, soil and weather. Mint may be variously described as peppery, lemon flavoured or ginger flavoured.

History: Spearmint, the classic ingredient in Mint Juleps, was recorded as growing in Plymouth, Mass. in the early 1600′s by Elder William Brewster. It appears in Josselyn’s seed list but is absent from the Winthrop seed order placed in 1631. It was available locally and did not need to be imported.

Cultivation: All mints are vigorous growers given the right growing conditions. Most can be picked year round except in areas experiencing heavy frost or snow.

Mint is propagated by planting pieces of the rooted stem — about 5 cms (2 ins) deep in moist loamy soil, at almost any time during the growing season. Apple mint, sometimes called dryland mint in America, will tolerate less moist soil but all mints like sunlight. The plants need to be confined to their allotted space by enclosing their growing space with bricks, tiles or thick plastic strips.

Container growing requires regular watering unless the containers are sunk into the ground. All mints can be grown indoors but have a tendency to becoming leggy when grown like this. The exception is apple mint which can be a very attractive container plant.

A mint bed should be remade and relocated every three or four years to prevent mint rust disease.

Crowns of mint plants can be boxed or potted up in winter and taken to a warm greenhouse to force strong fresh shoots within three to four weeks.