Healing Herbals Community

Twitter link corrected

2009-04-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

thanks to my sis in law for letting me know it was wrong

A Day of Spring Foraging

2009-04-11T11:25:00.011-05:00

OK, I decide to go foraging and what does the weather do? Decide to be about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the forecast I looked at the previous evening said it would be {Note to self, check weather BEFORE leaving the house in the am !!} Luckily, I did layer somewhat, but did not have waterproof boots on, duh? It had rained 1/2 inch where we were going !! So I had wet, cold feet all day, even though my friend withstood me keep putting the floor heater on high!! Thank you, my dear. But I was glad to get home, strip off the wet shoes, socks and jeans and put on dry clothing, thank you very much !!

But it was a wonderful day. We drove about an hour east and south of our homes in Tulsa, and found old houses to scrounge around (brought home a chicken feeder, some screens for drying on and a few other things), and some beautiful areas, that were new to us. We have been foraging together for the last 3 years, and we go back to places that have been successful, and keep looking for new places. Oh, don't get me wrong, we do some foraging within 20 miles of the town (keeping clear of those plants that we feel are contaminated with pollution, industry, etc); but today was our first look for the elusive Morel mushrooms. I foraged them as a kid in Idaho, and have ate some that others had found in OK, but had never really hunted myself.

We started the day, by heading up to where we had found the chanterelles last year, to see what was going on there. There had been a little clearing of the land, but we did not see anything that would make us think there would not be chanterelles popping up in June !

From there we went back to the old houses before mentioned.

This is where J stepped out of the truck, walked a few feet and at the foot of a tree was a beautiful, yellow morel, boy were we excited, but did not find any more. From reading all the information and the posts from other 'shroom hunters, the middle of next week, after the rain and some warmer temps, should be prime morel season.

It was fun to look around and even more fun to hear J scream when 1)a wild cat and she almost collided and 2) a turkey vulture came flapping out of the house she was checking out !

There was some beautiful old metal fencing around the house, with scalloped edges on top that I would have loved to have, but the saplings and weeds and all, was grown into the fence, so getting it out would have been a major thing.

Except for a few plantain leaves we had not really foraged anything yet, we were beginning to wonder if it was just still too cold .

But we wondered down another road we had not previously traveled and low and behold, we found spring time splendor and heaven !! How would I dare call it heaven? Numerous, clear, cold running streams, unfenced, or otherwise blocked land and plants !! OH my !!

We found wild ginger !!! Lots of wild ginger ! And watercress, beautiful, spicy, yummy !!

that is a dogwood bloom in front of the watercress

Then we found some flowering plants that we dug a few of, to bring home to identify.

We had what we thought was flax, but brought it home and id'ed it as a blue eyed grass, which is actually an iris; beautiful violet spiderwort; yellow blossomed winter crest, a probable st john's wort, but I will not know for sure, unless it will bloom for me and another small plant with white to violet flowers and a leaf that looks like a little paw print (3 lobes, rounded)

We will be going back for more ginger and watercress. And now is the perfect time to talk about ethical wild foraging or wildcrafting.

First, where you go: must be open land, do not cross fences without permission, and you cannot usually forage in city or national parks without permission, in fact you can go to jail for digging some plants or removing other things like mushrooms, because it upsets the habitat.

2) never harvest within 100 feet of a busy road. On dirt roads, the biggest problem you will run into, is how dirty anything within those feet will be.

3) never harvest in a known contaminated place, ok this may take some research. You do not want to harvest downstream of a plant that is spewing nasties into the land or water. And believe me, if they are producing something nasty (even animal type butchering places) then you will have contaminates in the area

4) this is a really important, and biggy for all us to be aware of. YOU NEVER HARVEST everything in one area !!! This means there will be no reproduction for the next year, and that someone else may not get to enjoy what you did. Also, be thankful for what you have found and be respectful of the area. Do not leave your trash, or campfires or even more footsteps than is necessary. You might even bring a gift to that piece of land, cornmeal (food) is considered a gift of life and respect. But as long as you are respectful and thankful, the land will bless you and others.

5) research and know what plants are protected and/or endangered. Never harvest them !

There were many other plants in this area that we could not identify because of size and non blooming, it will be so much fun to watch as the year goes by, to see what is actually there.

What a week !!

2009-04-11T10:55:00.010-05:00

Last Friday around 7 pm, my oldest daughter called and told me how sick she was, 100 temp and head throbbing. She, along with her three young children, live about 2 hours from us, in Missouri. She was wanting mommy, and since I couldn't just run over, I told her all the things to do to hopefully get her to feeling better. She says she is out of my elderberry syrup, so this is one thing we will have to work around. I also told her, that if she needed me, I would drive down on Sat (and avoiding telling her that little sister had prom Sat, knowing this would mean oldest would say she did not need mom !) Anyway, oldest boyfriend took care of her Friday night and escorted to help with T ball practice on Sat morning. She called to say her ex had the 2 oldest girls, so she was going to take a nap. I sighed a simple thank you prayer and continued my day.

Oh what was my day? I was handing out plants to friends and students that had requested them, then assisting my 15 yr old to dress for homeschool prom. This was wild and hectic, especially during the last hour, because of her concerns that everything had to be just right ! Normal behavior, I think?? We then delivered her first to dinner, then picked her up and took her to the 2nd location for the dance, ah the life of parent of a non driving teen!!

So, during the back and forth with daughters, I managed dinner and a quiet evening at home with hubby.

Sunday morning I call oldest to check on her, and she is still feeling terrible, and needing some help. So we pack up (15 yr old and I, hubby must work next day) and head to MO .

We spent the next 2 1/2 days taking care of oldest daughter and kids. All 3 kids had throat and ear infections, the oldest, probably a sinus infection. I handed out lots of elderberry flu meds, tylenol and hugs !!

We came home on Tuesday evening, and I spent a couple of days recovering and playing in the garden.

Pics, top to bottom

Brooklyn, 6; Reannon 4; Nathan 2; Britt 15 (self portrait)

Twitter and Facebook

2009-03-25T21:51:00.004-05:00

Just a reminder that I am on both, and update, usually daily.
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/home.php?ref=home

Twitter
http://twitter.com/healingherbals

Spring, I think and teenage driving

2009-03-24T20:51:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the first week of Spring, I think ??? Why the uncertainty? Cause the good people at the National Weather Service are telling us to expect snow on Friday and Sat !! Woot ! At least they aren't predicting below freezing temps, like they are going to get, just a little west of us. But we did get some rain last night !! yeah ! I went out today to pull some weeds and dig up some grass and Wow, the difference a little rain makes is amazing ! The clover I planted around the elderberries and the yard has popped up, plus I see tiny other bits of green in all my garden beds, this makes me very happy.
I worked in the yard, I planted my dwarf pear tree, and moved some gravel that was around the pool (that is no longer there) and put it around the door to my shed. I once again over did. How do I know, cause my muscles feel like putty and now that I have taken a shower, I don't even have the energy to get up and fix something to eat, but I must ! Fibromyalgia can be such a pain, literally and emotionally ! There is no, take it easy today, cause then I can work tomorrow, you learn that when you have the strength and feel like working, you take advantage of it, because you may have a bad week following. And no, it does not make a difference, believe me, I have tried ! But the research also supports it. So that is just the way it is

I promised to tell you about doing the OK Food Coop delivery, well that will wait a day or two, because I forgot to take my camera, so I bought a disposable, took it in to be developed and forgot to have it put on disc, but some pics are coming. Plus, my experience with pulling the trailer, OOPS !

I took my 15 year old out on Sunday for her first official "unofficial" driving lesson. She can't get her permit till she is 15 1/2, so I took her to a large, mostly empty parking lot and began her instructions. She listened to me, was very calm and the lesson went well. She told her daddy that he could not teach her to drive, because he would not have the patience. And I do ?? Has she met me?? LOL No, it did really go well.

My friend and webmistress and I are revamping the website, so you will be seeing a new look soon. But if you order anything now, mention this blog and receive a 10% discount on your order
http://www.healingherbals.org/
As far as future events, I plan on being at the Sand Springs Herbal Affair on April 18th, come to see me and my friends at the Peppermint Dragon, who are graciously sharing their booth with me, they have great starter plants !

Herb Butters

2009-03-18T12:51:00.003-05:00

Written by my good friend and web mistress herballyinspired@gmail.com

Herbal Buttery Goodness

Most people by now have started preparing their gardens for the year. Some may be still in the planning stages, some may be prepping beds or cleaning up containers and calcuating how much soil and mulch to purchase and some may even be planting things like potaoes or cool season lettuces.
It's especially exciting to see those first shoots break through the dirt, or those first few leaves unfurl! When you start making plans for your herbal part of your garden, don't forget to add Herb Butters to your list of "Must Do"!
Herbal butters are easy, inexpensive and yes, even freezable. You can plan a variety for different occassions throughout the year. Just open up your freezer and pull out an herb butter especially flavored for your special family Thanksgiving that you planned today! Making herb butters is also something that the kids can certainly help with. Rather than chopping fresh herbs with a sharp knife, get out the kitchen shears and let your young ones have a blast. Just think of the look on your child's face when his or her herb butter is served with that special dinner!
Herb butters are wonderful on a wide variety of foods. You can add pizzazz and flavor to everything from your traditional veggies (corn, green beans, broccoli) to a nice grilled steak. Serve your steak with a small pad or knob of a nice herbal butter melting on top and watch your guests eyes lite up in anticipation. Use a melon baller to make little round servings of butter and freeze them. Can you imagine the elegance of serving slices of a nice crusty, warm bread with tiny balls of herb butter slowly soaking green goodness into every bite? Herb butters add flair, and even a bit of fancy while they contribute fresh flavors straight from your garden to nearly any dish you chose. Not to mention, that the herbs give the butter a flavor boost so you use less, saving you a few calories and few pennies!

Herb Butter Recipes

Basic recipe:
1/2 cup (or 1 stick) of butter, softened to room temperature. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides often. This will take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. If you lose track of time and beat the butter longer (up to 10 minutes) you will end up with a very light, fluffy butter that may even be more desirable as it can be more spreadable. (If you want to lower the fat, beat in a small amount of skim milk at appx 1 TBSP per 1 stick or 1/2 cup of butter). Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your fresh herb choice (basil, thyme, oregano, etc. or a combination of herbs), finely chopped and mix well.

You can refrigerate until hardened just enough to shape. A few freezing shape ideas might be:
A.Roll into wax paper, drop into a freezer bag/storage container and freeze.
B.Scoop into balls with a melon baller, freeze on a small cookie sheet covered in plastic wrap. When fully frozen place in a freezer bag/storage container for freezer storage.
C. Put in tiny molds or use small cookie cutters to form your shapes, and freeze as the ball shapes above.
Experiment with your own butter shape ideas!

If not freezing, refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Overnight is even better!

Here are some herb butter suggestions:

Basil Butter
Thyme Butter
Oregano Butter
Tuscan Sun Butter (Basil, Oregano and Lemon Zest or Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Lemon Zest combined)
Cilantro Butter
Mexicali Butter (Cilantro and Oregano, or Cilantro, Oregano and Parsley combined, add a little Lime Zest for extra zing!)
Elegant Fish Butter (Dill, Chives and Parsley combined)
Sage Butter
Steak Oo-La-La Butter (Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Zest, a pinch of paprika and a pinch of freshly, finely ground pepper)

Hungry yet?

Green and flowers

2009-03-15T12:10:00.006-05:00

Blueberries must have acidic soil, so I planted my 4 plants between my 2 juniper trees and then used branches to make my "wreaths" around the plants. (below)
Yarrow sprouts, I planted both white (native) and colored yarrows, last year and they did not make many plants, but a lot more seeds have sprouted this year, I hope I get both white and colors ! (side)

One of my 2nd year mulleins. These were started from seeds I picked up at the original Cherokee stomp grounds, which are no longer at that location, due to the land being privately owned, so these are sacred to me, as will be any offspringMy first peach blossoms, most of my fruit trees are only budded right now, due to me moving them 2 weeks ago, but that is a good thing, considering the freezing temps we had this last week

The 1st violet of spring

Echinacea poking their heads up.

These are red for hope (the hope of spring)

I planted these the way they are, petunias and dianthus.

I have green sprouts showing up everywhere, which makes me VERY happy, then there are the blooms, flowers have popped up and out everywhere in the last week ! First there is only 1 tree I truly do not like, but I can't help it, they stink and the trees do not have a purpose, other than landscaping "pretty", anyway, that tree would be the Bradberry pears, and they are thick everywhere locally ! And of course I am way allergic to them, so I spent 2 days, having great difficulty with breathing, cause of them. Oh well, one of the only downs of spring !

The best part of spring, is how happy all the new life makes me ! Here in OK, we only had about 3 months of true winter weather, but I was just so ready for the renewal of life and time to garden again.

Anyway, here are some picks I took this week, hope they bring you a little of the joy I receive from them ! And for even more pics, check out my facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php

Grow where you are planted

2009-03-11T11:33:00.006-05:00

I saw a church sign just the other day, with this old but true saying "Grow where you are planted". I have come to realize the truth in this, for me. 8 years ago, we bought this house, because of location, it was only 2 miles from the school our daughter was attending, in the school district we had chosen, if she was going to public school; right off the expressways, making it easy for my husband to go to work, and in a nice, quiet neighborhood oh and the house is huge, because our nucleus family at that time was large (my father in law and 2 teen age kids, along with our youngest daughter). The size of our close family has changed, father in law has passed, both teenagers are now grown (and I have grandchildren) and along the way, I fell in love with the idea of living more "out in the country". Hubby is ok with that idea, because his retirement job he has been working towards, would require us to live within the county and that county is further east than Tulsa is, so we would be looking at moving. But, I have come to realize the dream is just that at this point in my life, because 1)Daughter still has at least 2 years of high school, then college that will be done here in town 2) My health will not allow me to work a large acreage and 3) My only close family is my brother and family, who currently live only a few miles from me, which makes it easy to visit, and I am not willing to give that up.

So, I am attempting to grow where I have been planted. How do I choose to do this?

Well, the first thing is that my business is not location centered, I can do it anywhere, but would like to stay in OK, so that I can continue as a producer for the OK Food Coop. The second is I am making improvements in my home; at first, those improvements where more directed at selling appeal, but now I have changed my to making improvements that will work better for my family and are pleasing to us. Third, I continue to plant and grow my gardens, including putting in a full orchard. Fourth, I know all my close neighbors by site, and my close neighbors (sides and across the street) by talking with them, but later in the spring, or early summer, I am going to have a get together of some kind, and invite all of them, just so that we can speak more, and feel more security with knowing others will look out for us and each other.

As I said, I am busy planting, so I am going to go out and do a little today, even though it is cooler than the last week has been, but all the early garden plants need to be in NOW, so I must finish !
The winners of the last 2 weeks contest are Tumbleweed and Kathi. I will contact you later today for addresses.
One further note, because of the exposure to dirt, sun and wind, my hands and arms become extremely dry and cracked. I combat it with my Healing Salve. I spread it liberally on, right before bedtime and it heals and moisturizes at the same time
http://www.healingherbals.org/Ouch.htm

Free Gifts, Gardening and Coop

2009-02-21T10:55:00.003-06:00

Catch up time, lol !! I am sending the gifts from OWOH contest out, and sadly we had no visitors or a winner for this weeks free gift!! Each Friday, there will be a drawing for a free gift !! Next Friday, February 27, 2009 the drawing will be for a 2 oz jar of arnica salve, just what you need for all those boo boo's !
I am sitting here, Sat morning, reflecting on what I was able to accomplish yesterday and what I am not doing outside today, for it is 36 degrees, with a windchill of 25 at 11 am ! The sun is falsely shining beautifully, but I have no desire to be out there !
I laid out and marked the placing of my blueberry bushes and fruit trees ( I am going to move all the ones that are spread over the yard, into one area for an orchard). I laid out the straw to plant potatoes in and cut the potatoes to dry, for planting, probably tomorrow. I planted onion starts and seeds of California poppy, lettuce, spinach, cress, parsley and peas. I planted the peas in with my valerian plants, since both will have to be staked. I also move the mother feverfew plant and find what I am sure is some volunteers, replanted them in a more secure spot and will know when they flower. I planted both orange and a few red poppies, both in the front and back yards, they like to sprout during the cold, so they should have no problem right now, lol.
Oh and I wanted to mention that this week was coop delivery, so I got (with daugther's help) the order together and delivered to the pick up site. Kind of a small amount of orders this month, but that is to be expected, when I had to take a few months off. Thank the Creator for some loyal customers!

OWOH winnners !!

2009-02-13T14:34:00.003-06:00

The winners of the prizes for the OWOH event are . . . . . .
carylsrealm@yahoo.com
and
FunkyFairyShoppe@gmail.com

Congratulations, I am notifiying these ladies that they will receive an exclusive, Healing Herbals
"Herbal First Aid Kit".
Thank you to each person who stopped by and visited and I am sorry I did not visit more of you. I have been in much pain from an arthritis flare, so have been unable to be on the computer.
Continue to visit us, on a regular basis, for I will be selecting someone to receive a free gift each week, from those who have made comments on my blog.
So, comment on this message and you are entered for the next gift giveaway, next Friday, Feb 20th. The gift will be a Cold and Allergy Relief combo, which will include 2 oz of Cold Spray and 1 oz of Cold Balm; see
http://www.healingherbals.org/Seasonal.htm

May each of you have a loving Valentine's Day !!
Pam
www.healingherbals.org

One World - One Heart

2009-01-27T23:38:00.015-06:00

I am participating in the One World-One Heart's 3rd Annual event, with bloggers from around the world. Rather than me trying to explain it all to you, I'll share an excerpt from Lisa, the creator of One World-One Heart:

Enter for your chance to win a free gift, by leaving a comment on this blog, before February 12, 2009. You do not have to be a participant in the giveaway to enter for a chance to win a free gift. But please do leave an easy way to be contacted.

On Feb 11th, 2 email addresses will be drawn, to receive an Herbal First Aid Kit from Healing Herbals http://www.healingherbals.org/Ouch.htm and the winners will be posted on Feb 12th. So be sure to include the email address that you can be contacted at, when you leave a comment.

Thank you for visiting with me, and I hope you enjoy your time here.

Pam
http://www.healingherbals.org/

Tulsa ice storm and feeding the wildlife

2009-01-27T16:31:00.006-06:00

Day 2 of the major ice storm in January 09. Thank the Creator we still have power but that could change at any time, so we are as prepared as we can be, without having a generator, which I find hard to spend the money on, for a few days use each year. We have a gas fireplace, which I can also burn wood in, if necessary.

I always have extra food and supplies, flashlights with batteries, candles, and lots of warm blankets ! Last year, during the ice storm, Don had to work, Britt stayed with a friend who had power and I kept the house as warm as I could. I closed off the doors I could into the living room, kept the fire burning and was comfortable.

The schools are closed today and tomorrow, so as long as we have power, Britt will play on the computer, watch TV or just chill, and since I found out this morning at the doctor's that she has bronchitis again, for the 2nd time since Oct, this down time is a good thing for her. More on Britt later.

Back to the ice . . . I feed the birds, squirrels, rabbits and whatever other wildlife that comes to my yard (to the dismay of my neighbors, at times, lol). Today, I fed 3 times, because each time I looked outside, the birds were just thick, and I know with the cold, they need extra food and water. And today, I truly saw the circle of life . . . I heard what I thought was one of the jays that feed here, but when I went to look, I saw a beautiful red tail hawk, who had just brought down one of my doves that stay near the house. This may sound harsh, but the hawks have to eat too, and I have been supplying a virtual buffet to feed from. I expect, with this weather continuing, he will be back tomorrow for seconds.

First picture is yesterday afternoon, with birds eating in front yard, the second picture is the bush by the front door this afternoon and then there is the pic of my visiting hawk

Grateful for those in my life

2009-01-23T15:53:00.008-06:00

Who make it possible for me to do the work I do as an herbalist. Oh, you thought I did it all by myself ? No, thank the Creator, I do not have to. In truth, if I was left to having to get everything done, I would be unable to do so. So, I want the world to know how thankful I am to have these people in my life.
My husband, who daily works without complaint and is there for me. My beautiful daughter, who is my joy in life, through all the trials and triumphs. My friend Nece, who is my business bouncing board, my website mistress, she who strengthens me with loving words.
My friend Jenny, who is always available to talk about gardening, or to jump in the truck and go foraging, or just to hang with, and talk to. Molly who is helping organize and clean and fill containers, etc, etc. My nephew, Benjamin who has helped me do so much yard and gardening details, he is my strong arms, he who gets to unload compost and spread it. My loving brother, who is always ready to go to coffee with me and helps keep sanity in my life !
And for my students ( and most are friends, too) who keep me on my toes, always having to study to keep one step ahead of them. And many of them will be apprenticing in the months to come, which will help both them and me :).
Oh, and to my 4 legged baby, who keeps reminding me, I must enjoy today for tomorrow will come soon enough.
I love you all
Pam

Albert Schweitzer:
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Gardening Jan 09

2009-01-18T13:00:00.008-06:00

Gardening has begun in earnest around here. Over the last couple months, during the times it was warm enough, and I felt good enough, I was doing more yard cleaning and bed building. Yesterday I went to get a load of my favorite pecan mulch and was very disappointed. I have been buying this compost for over 2 years, because with the pecans hulls, mixed in, the soil is lighter and makes a great potting soil, plus the extra nutrition from the pecans themselves.

Due to the terrible freeze we had last winter, there was not much of a pecan harvest, thus no leftovers for making mulch. I am very sad ! But the good news is, the compost that Tiner's did have was so hot in the center, that you could not touch it !! Which means it is very active and my gardens will love it ! So the front yard is newly composted and ready for the spring. Pic is from my driveway, looking east, and yes, it is sloped.

Speaking of pecan, I also picked up my new floor for the main part of my house, beautiful pecan laminate. I am going to have the walls painted, then find someone to install the floor for me. I got enough flooring to cover my office, the great room, the front and downstairs bedroom's hallways. Hopefully, my house will be looking good for the spring classes that will be held in my "great" room.

It is another warm day in the 50's, so I have started watering and need to get out to it.

Catching up

2008-12-05T14:45:00.002-06:00

Since my last post in June, my life has been a roller coaster ! I found out I was truly anemic in August and went through treatment, my husband has had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, my daughter fell and both exacerbated an old soccer knee injury and added new injury to her elbow, so we did physical therapy 2x week for 4 months; Gardening and yard work continued and I got some foraging, and canning done. Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are in the middle of what most Americans consider the holiday season. What I did not do during this time, was deliver products through the OK Food Coop, but will be up and delivering again in Jan 2009.
More notes and pics on the last few months will be added in the next week, so I hope you will come back and follow the goings on, of this herbalist

Pam

Great Foraging Surprise

2008-06-28T18:42:00.009-05:00

On Tuesday morning, a friend and I took a road trip to Cherokee county (near Tahlequah) to pick up fresh blueberries from the farm. The one good thing about all the rain Oklahoma has received this year (over 35 inches), is it is June and everything is still green and beautiful, so the drive was wonderful.
Then the unexpected happened . . . We pulled over on the side of this back country road to pick a few wild flowers to dry and what did we find ? A gourmet delight ! A bounty of wild chanterelle mushrooms !! We brought home over 2 1/2 lbs. I shared some with friends and family and dried some for later. I am hoping to get to go back to the country, to look for more. We also foraged some bergamot and mullein on the way home.

Confused Weather and gardening

2008-02-05T09:46:00.000-06:00

There is no global warming, there is no global warning, there is no global warming, this mantra kept going through my head yesterday, while I was gardening outside with the temp a balmy 81, breaking a record set, I think they said, in 1962. Kind of hard to stick your head in the sand and ignore what is going on with our Mother (Earth), when Oklahoma is having temps like this and Colorado, is having so much snowfall, there is no where to put the snow they are clearing from roads and sidewalks, etc. Are we going to sit back and just let our environment go to heck or are we going to start begin concerned about the issues that our world is facing? To mention a few, dna altered and contaminated food, coming from outside the U.S., fossil fuels and energy use, the control by the government of what animals we own and food we eat. . . . and the list goes on. Anyway, I will get off this soapbox, but we need to wake up and get involved in making our world a better place to live and the best place to start is in your own community, research "Buy fresh, buy local" and and see some ideas of where to start.

On to my urban homesteading efforts. I am trying to make some huge changes in my yard this spring. Let me start by telling you, what I already have already done, and then I will take you forward.

We live on a standard, city lot, and we have a neighborhood association (better know as the neighborhood ass.) When we moved into the house (7 years ago), we had a dog, so he went into the backyard, along with the above ground pool and patio, that the person who wanted to put it in, has never taken care of it. Anyway, with that said, I planned to start herb gardening in my front yard. But I was still working part time, so I only planted a couple things, usually in pots.

Then a couple of years ago, I decided I was going to really garden, and the only thing the ass. has said, is, "no vegetables out front". Ok, no problem, the corn will go in the back yard, lol.

I started with putting a pond liner in the ground, and fill it with good soil and compost and surrounded it with more dirt to plant in and basically, a rock enclosure. I call this area my mother garden, a lot of plants have started here.

Then I brought in a load of river dirt and planted the front yard with wild plants and herbs. I now have beautiful blue salvia, wild strawberries, flax, plantain, wild onions and so much more growing. Then there is my elderberry hedge, lobelia, echinacea, primrose, lemon balm, lemon verbana, horehound, catnip and the list goes on.

I also planted a native plum, next to my mother garden. Then, this last year, I added a dwarf peach and apple, along the driveway, and two 4x4 raised beds in the backyard (we lost our dog, someone intentionally opened the gate!), whew are you as tired as I am hearing all this ???? I only work in short periods at a time, so I have to do a little at a time, but thank goodness it adds up !

So, now we are up to this winter . . . . I have a family pulling out the deck, in exchange for the lumber, and another family is helping me clear the overgrown bushes and trees in the backyard, so that there will be more space for garden beds.

Brief time out here, I want to share the music I am listening to you with you. I just discovered this artist at a local metaphysical fair over the weekend and I love her music, it is a blend of country/folk and she is a true storyteller, with most all the songs written by her family, who is also her backup band. Her name is Shawna Russell http://www.shawnarussell.com/. My favorites are "The Only One" and "Goddess".

Now, back to yard work and gardening. over the next few months months I am going to share with you some before and after pics of my yards and gardens, so you can travel this awesome with me. On Sat, we started clearing and trimming the back yard, this is one of my 2 compost boxes I picked up from a Craig's list ad, they are like brand new, and sell for $90 each, and I got the both for $5o. Great deal, huh? The 2nd pic is some of the bushes we are clearing, with my 2 big red junipers.

Ya know, if landscapers had to live in the houses they designed, there wouldn't be some of the disasters like these are ! I kept trying to figure out why the bushes are migrating south, instead of up, well, it seems they are actually a vine, anyplace where the limbs make contact with the ground, roots grow and the race is on !! Anyway, I love my wild birds that visit, but they are going to have to make do with a little less jungle, thank you very much !

So, the clearing began on a Sat, with the sounds of the men working on dissassembling the deck in the background.

I took advantage of the warm weather yesterday, and the signs be right for planting and planted a salad garden. This is the northwest corner of my house and the kitchen window. I planted Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, transplanted garlic chives, and the rest is varied greens, spinach and lettuce. I hope the rain (much needed and loved) today doesn't wash them into one pile.

It is time for me to get back with my herbal class, I am writing schedules for my new apprentices, so I will leave you with this shot of the sunset last night. Enjoy the beauty around you.

(NOTE: I am having trouble with putting the pics where I want them, sorry!)

Newsletter Vol 1 No. 1

2008-01-02T00:55:00.000-06:00

Herbal Community Newsletter Vol 1 No 1
January 2008
A New Breath of Life

Welcome to January, a time when many of us think about discarding old habits and beginning afresh, with new ideas, new habits, & in many cases, new lives.
Why do we do this, what makes us strive for “out with the old and in with new”?
Winter Solstice is now behind us, the longest night of the year is over. But true winter is upon us, that time of dark days and long nights, the time of dreaming and storytelling. So, wrap yourself in a warm blanke t, by a fire that whispers of things bright and dancing, and let me tell you a winter story.

January, is the Month of Cold, the month of the North, the month of staying at home. Thus during the calm and quiet, you listen and hear drumming and soft songs in the night and wait, the flute now joins in, with notes of brightness, of hope. In the distance you hear the mournful sigh of those that know that with the cold comes death, which is merely a different step of life. For with death comes a cleansing, and a chance for a new breath of life, which must happen along a good medicine path. After cleansing, it is a time to focus on calmness and the relieving of tension, on preventing illness instead of treating.

As an elder said “ It is a time to go on the mountain, either in person or in your mind. There is a peace, a calm state, as you experience freedom. It is a time to give thanks to the Great One for this day, a special day to be alive, to hear the birds sing, to watch how life becomes busy about survival, and it is about learning and sharing. You have to be free of thoughts that interfere, to be able to learn the Medicine” (thanks to J.T. Garrett, The Cherokee Herbal)

The Medicine of the North is about the circle of life, how we connect to the stars, and the greater Universal Circle, and it is about the freedom to do so. The systems we need to focus on at this time are about breathe, the respiratory system, the nervous system, as well any other influences that would now interfere with our balance and breathing. Prayers should include breathing exercises, along with the use of medicine formulas.

During this time of cold, most of our herbal use will be in the dried or tinctured forms.
When herbs are picked and processed at their peak, in the correct manner, they retain their energy and medicine.
When talking of prevention of winter illnesses (colds, flu, bronchitis, etc), I believe the first line of defense should be some form of elderberry. If you don’t already have a supply at hand, now is the time to get it. Elder (sambucus Canadensis and sambucus Nigra) are native to Oklahoma. Elder is a large shrub / small tree that has white blooms and small dark purple to black berries, both are useful medicine. The flower treats fever and chills, while the berries treat headaches, and mucous congestion in the lungs and bronchial system. Both parts of the plants are a strong anti-viral, meaning they attack the flu bug, and help to alleviate it.

When thinking of herbal teas, the most common to come to mind, would probably be one that contains some kind of mint. Mints can be used alone, are in combination with other herbs, both for its flavor and its medicinal actions. There are many mints, that can either be foraged ( wild bergamot, monarda fistulosa, ), grown in home gardens or bought at your local health food store. Mints generally help with nausea, and fevers, headaches and possibly, congestion.

Mullein (verbascum thapsus) is also called Indian tobacco by the Cherokee. It grows wild in Oklahoma, but you can also grow it in your home garden. The leaf or flower tea is used to treat colds, bronchitis and asthma. It is also known as a mild sedative and anti-inflammatory. An oil infusion can be used to treat ear-aches.

Thyme (thymus vulgaris) has traditionally been used to treat coughs, it is an anti-tussive, which relieves coughing, while also being an antispasmodic, an expectorant and an antiseptic. It is also antibacterial and antiviral.

Another, similar plant, although not a traditional medicine of the North, has now become a standard item in my medicine. Wild oregano (Origanum campactum), is a must have for treating wide range of ailments, and may in fact be key to fighting biological toxins. One study showed that wild oregano completely inhibited the growth of 25 germs, including, stapholococcus aureas, Eschirichia coli and Psuedomonos aeruginosa. It contains over 50 different antibacterial compounds and only requires a dilution of 1 part wild oregano to 4000 parts water, to decomtaminate the water. (London Times, May 2001)

Wild Cherry Tree (prunus serotina), the bark of the wild black cherry, is best known as an ingredient in cough remedies. It is considered a tonic to loosen phlegm in the chest and as an astringent for the mucous membranes. It is also a mild sedative.

Willow tree (salix alba), is used to reduce fevers, as well as being an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. The Cherokee used it in a formula to reduce congestions by using as a hot tea or burning the leaves in a “sweat” It has been commercially synthesized into acetylsalicylic acid and is commercially sold as aspirin.

In closing our talk about Medicine of the North, I have to mention the medicines used as smudge and sweats for cleansing. The most common herb thought of when speaking of smudge, has to be sage. There are many different types of sage, the ones being used as smudges, generally have a higher oil content, making them more aromatic, like desert sage or white sage. By itself, or in combination with other herbs such as cedar, lavender, etc, sage smudges can be use to clear your space of the old, stale air and invite in a breath of the cleansing, alive air we have spoken of.

When speaking of “sweats” what most often comes to mind is the “sweat lodge” pictures. But what I want to talk about is how to replicate the cleansing and healing of a sweat in our own homes.
The Eastern Red Cedar tree (juniper virginiana) is also called red juniper. The berries, leaves and twigs can be boiled together, then used as an inhalant for treating respiratory complaints. (boil your combination, pour in a large bowl or bucket, lean head over bucket, covering head with a towel, and inhale the fumes). Pine bark and needles can also be used in this way, and is considered sacred medicine for “wind and healing of the spirit.”

This is in no way a conclusive listing of all the medicines that are considered North medicines, it is just a short list, to hopefully help you get started in the new year, healthy of mind, body, and spirit.

** Happenings at Healing Herbals **
I am beginning the new year, planning more garden beds, more classes and may even come up with a new product or two !!!

We are winding down the first beginning Herbal Community Class, with studying gardens and foraging in the coming months.

A new beginning class will be forming soon, I anticipate it to be about March, before we are ready for that. But the good news is, one of you is receiving a free, all expense paid, class. The name will be at the end of the newsletter.
I am looking at festivals, and which I want to attend, along with farmer’s markets and am always working with the Oklahoma Food Coop.

There are a couple of big projects that are being worked on and will be announced in the coming months, so keep your eye out for them. I plan on the newsletter being bi-monthly, but will also be posting a calendar of upcoming events and will post any other newsbits, I think you would like to know.

Thanks for reading !!

Pam Ferry, herbalist & retired RN
Healing Herbals

AND THE LUCKY WINNER IS: lj2ari@yahoo.com

2007-11-06T09:02:00.000-06:00

Nov 1, was a beautiful fall day for a road trip. I had set up a field trip for my herb class to Muskogee, to see the the labyrinths and gardens at Moonshadow Herb Farm. We arrived in the late afternoon, to turn into the driveway under the pecan trees, Sharon, our hostess had warned me there was much renovation going on and it was apparent as soon as we arrived, we could see stacks of pecan wood under the trees. As we drove up to the area to park, the greenhouses were on our left, 1 large and 1 small greenhouse and straight in front of us, we could see part of the gardens, and the first thing my eyes settled on, was a large pineapple sage in bloom. I love sages, of all kinds, the pineapple being one of my favorites ! As our group tumbled out of the cars (there were only 7 of us, some having to cancel), Sharon was there to greet us. She began our tour with some information about her labyrinths, her words
"I have two 7-turn Cretan pattern labyrinths: The largest one is the meadow or prairie labyrinth that is 50 ft. diameter. The smaller 26 ft diameter laby is near the house by a well. They are not corn mazes with puzzle-like paths (that are popular this time of year). They are labyrinths with grass paths & bricks that mark the 'walls' ~ you walk to the center & back out again. They are sacred circles". And she gave us a brief history of labrynths in general, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth.

After she had shown us the labys, she gave us some free time, so that we all could walk at our own leasure. I chose to walk the hilltop laby because it was in the sun, and I felt like that was what I really needed at that time. Some walked both, some one or the other. But, I have to tell, you can feel the energy and intent in this place.
When everyone had enough time to walk the labyrinths, we all gathered back at the front of the herb gardens. Sharon gave us a walk through of her beds, talking about each plant as she walked. Those plants that were still full and some blooming were absolutely beautiful !! Sharon says she uses horse poo for fertilizer and it seems to be working for her ! Besides the sage we saw lovely comfrey, mints galore, mexican sage (a type of tarragon), a variety of St John's wort, that I need to get the name of, and many others. She also grows sweetgrass, and gave me some hints to growin it successfully, which I truly appreciated !! Our generous hostess served us spiced tea and cookies and as we sipped, we started planning our spring trip to see Sharon and her gardens. But because she does not have a store front, but sells mainly at the spring festivals, we may have to catch her at one of those !
Sharon welcomes anyone to share her labyrinths, as long as it is done in a spiritual way. So, if you are in the area, and feel the need to walk, let her know and be sure to look for Moonshadow Herb Farm at next spring's herb festivals in OK.
You can contact Sharon at moonshads@aol.com

An Herbal Community Class 1

2007-09-12T01:58:00.002-05:00

An Herbal Community
-Syllabus:
September, $20
Hardbound notebook with 1st month’s lessonAn introduction to herb use, the history of herbology, the most commonly used herbs and how to use them and the future of natural medicine.
October, $30
How to use herbs in your daily life. Designing your own Herbal Medicine Chest) Box of supplies (will include containers, oils, herbs, beeswax, etc. everything needed to make the class projects, unless noted)b) Infused Oilsc) Tinctures (alcohol and vinegar)d) Hands on class, location and time TBA
November, $30
Salve making. Fun with herbs, making giftsa) Salvesb) Box of supplies for gift making (sea salt, containers, herbs, etc)c) Bath saltsd) TeasDecember, $20Essential oils and aromatherapy Jan/Feb, Jan $20, Feb $20
Planning and growing your family herb garden, including companion planting, container planting, natural insecticides, etca) Box of supplies (seeds, garden type things)b) Planting those plants that you will use mostc) How to work with your available planting spaceb) Beauty as well as functionality
March/AprilMarch $20, April $20
Foraging. Suppliers list for home use, (Half of cost goes to our guest herbalist, for the CD and teaching the outdoor portion of this class)a) CDb) Keeping a notebook, of what you find, when you find it, etcc) Field trip
*Shipment Information*
Class shipments (pages and supply boxes, etc) will ONLY be sent in the order and timeframe mentioned in the Syllabus. You should receive your shipment by mail no later than the third THURSDAY of the month.
*Payment Information*
Total Cost is $180 (includes shipping costs) BONUS!! If you choose to pay the whole cost of the class at one time, you will receive FREE one 1/2 oz bottle of orange essential oil and one 1/2 ounce bottle of peppermint essential oil!
SPECIAL NOTE : If you only want to take one class, and pay for that class, you will only be receiving the information and supplies for THAT MONTH's class. You may also set up a payment plan for the ENTIRE course by e-mail us via the link above.
If paying by mail, payment must be received before the class shipment will be sent out
www.healingherbals.org

2007-08-23T23:40:00.001-05:00

I got up this morning, and checked my email, before getting products together for the market. And low and hehold, guess what was in my inbox?? A proposed contract with aforementioned retailer. My first thought, hmmmmmm, by email? And my second, I don't have time for this right. And I really didn't have, going through something like a legal contract takes concentration and more than a few moments over a cup of coffee. Wait, I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet, definitely the time to put off reading till later. So, I printed it off, and stuck into my notebook, to at least glance at while at market. I did have the time, thanks to the help of dear nephew, who was with me. So, my thoughts? Let's just say, I am going to take the weekend before I respond at all. I need to think about this and talk it over with some trusted friends.
How was market? HOT and WINDY !! I couldn't even put my tent up, the wind was blowing so hard. So we sat out in the sun, for 4 hours. And of course, with these conditions, we didn't have much traffic, but at least I showed a presence again. That's all for right now
Thanks for the welcomes, I appreciate it.

New Blogger

2007-08-23T01:30:00.001-05:00

My sweet sister in law says that she has told everyone in blogland about me tonight, so I have to do a new post and keep it up a little better , I will try. Things have been so hectic, it does not seem like it has been 10 days since I started blogging. Daughter is getting herself up, with her alarm and the help of the girl next door, who calls every morning and they talk till time to catch the bus, then they get on the bus together and go to school. They are in the same grade (8th) and at the same school, but I don't think they have any classes together. How is public school going for her? Well, it was going really well, till yesterday. She met another girl, who came from homeschooling this year, there was a new boy in the picture and the only real hump was that she did not like her drama class, said the teacher wanted to do arts and crafts ???? So, she was thinking of transferring out of that class, till she got to school yesterday morning and found out they were moving all her classes because the drama teacher was needed at another school. So boy is dd upset now !! Only 1 class remains the same, which means she lost her class with her new ex-homeschooling friend and the class with the new boy. I feel sorry for her, cause I know it stinks, but I can't get it all changed for her either. So are the joys of public schooling.

Now, on to what I am up to... . . . . . . . The first of the summer, I received a phone call from a reporter doing background work for an article about ways to fight mosquitos and other biting bugs. Well, I wrote him a detailed message about what I have created to fight them, and he called the next day, following up with me. He told me when the article would be out and I thought, cool, I will get this little blurb mentioning my business, no big deal, right? Wrong !! This guy surprised the heck out of me by writing a full page column about the mosquitos problems in our area, and 3/4 of the story was about me and my business, Healing Herbals and my NO Bugs Allowed products!! I picked up the paper, as I was on the way to drop off products for the OK Food Coop and I was so shocked, I could barely drive the other block to the drop off site !!!! I could not believe it, but I was thrilled !!!!!!!!! And the phone started ringing off the hook, when I got home, the orders were stacking up and the fun began Why wouldn't this be the highlight of my year, a dream come true? My business was finally getting some recognition, just what every business owner wants right? Right, UNLESS . . . . . . You tell a group of online herbie and body care type people about it and you get this response . . . . . . . OH, do you know that all bug related (pesticide) type products have to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, hereby referred to be the loving acronym, the EPA ? No, I did not know that, but my products only contain essential oils and as natural as possible carrier components (like a premade lotion base and a spray consisting of witch hazel, along with the essential oils), so surely, the EPA wouldn't govern these products? Right ?? Wrong again, and I was directed to a business that was heavily fined because they were selling, are you ready for this? Castor oil products !!!! yep, some really dangerous stuff there !! But the business paid their fine, then hired the lawyers to have some of these, shall we say over-extreme?, laws changed. Thanks to their work, today, I can still sell a product that I believe in and has been proven effective, although the road here has been a trying one. For a month and a half, I sold everything anyone ordered and gloried in the sales, never claiming that the products "ward off bugs" or "is an insecticide", instead just letting the research into the effectiveness of catnip and the other essential oils do the talking for themselves. Then I got an offer from a big natural health retailer, and I decided I better get serious and find out what the rules and regs really are, for myself, and see if I could continue to sell my products. I put selling the products on hold for 2 months, knowing that it might kill my business, but also knowing, (after talking to a lawyer friend), that I could not afford not to produce my NO Bugs Allowed products legally. Now, after many sleepless nights, hours perusing the EPA sites of regulations and possibly loosing the large wholesale account I was praying for, I have my products made to the standards required. This is the blurb I am now allowed to use "Healing Herbals represents that the NO Bugs Allowed products qualifies for exemption from registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act." Now you get to ask, why an exemption? My products qualify for an exemption, because all the ingredients used in making them, are considered to be minumum risk ingredients, (which, by the way, even the inert, or not used to kill bugs, ingredients, have to qualify for), mostly because they are either plant based, food quality or both. So, I am making the lotion by hand, and the new spray only contains water, glycerin and the essential oils, nothing else (certainly not the evil witch hazel that is not on the aprroved list) So ultimately, I hope they are better products, even if a lot of sweat and tears have gone into them !!! For now, there is the NO Bugs Allowed Lotion, Spray and soon to come, a solid lotion bar and liquid soap. Oh and one other change that is kind of a biggy, but I think I have the solution. I can no longer add jewelweed for protection/and/or treatment of poison ivy/oak, because it is not yet on the approved list. But what I will be doing, is bottling the jewelweed tincture (jewelweed and organic vinegar), in small bottles, that the customer can add to the products themselves (except for the solid bar). And I will be offering a jewelweed spray by itself. The lotion and spray is on the website, altho the new ingredient list is not yet posted. I have to get my web mistress on to that tomorrow. Now, it is time for bed, cause I have market tomorrow, and things to do before I go. Good night, and I will post pictures after I get things labeled tomorrow.

2007-08-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am starting a real blog, versus what I have been doing on myspace. That is too time consuming and hard to keep up with. It will take me some time to get set up here, the way I want it, but till then, I will at least post a thought, here and there.
This week is coop week, and I am working on my own recipe for cream & lotion. The first small batch I made, smelled and felt wonderful, but was thinner than I wanted it, so back to the cauldron I go !! My husband calls me a mad scientist, but that couldn't be me >> I will post tomorrow, whether or not I blow up my kitchen !
Right now, it is time to wind down and go to bed, lots to do this week.. . . . . . . . . .
My child goes to public for the first time, ever, and she is 13. She attended private school through the 3rd grade, and since then I homeschooled her, in a very unschooling way. I feel she has learned a lot, and she does too and I am not keen on giving up the time we have together, but all things must change ! So we begin a new journey, although I am apprehensive for her, because of the change in lifestyle (did you know there is a 6 am ???), I am also glad that she is joyfully looking forward to new things. So, here we go, wish us luck !!!