Confused Weather and gardening

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 !!!