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Calendula Infused Oil: Kami McBride Method, Sept 2023
This is a fast & easy way to make a pretty much no fail, high potency oil. Get your blender out!
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AI and foraging books
This showed up in a group on Facebook that I am in. Thought it was worth sharing for our protection... Important foraging alert! In the unending dystopian nightmare that is AI, there are now AI generated foraging books that include incredibly unsafe advice including recommending consuming toxic plants. Below is a…
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Birch Oil: Medicinal & Waterproofing
I was watching waterproofing videos, and saw deer/bear/beef tallow & beeswax. Someone mentioned that tallow can go moldy. Someone else mentioned how birch oil could give further waterproofing. So, I went looking for how to make birch oil, because you can make virtually anything, right? It's not a lot different from the…
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A strange & intriguing ad... any ideas about purpose?
I just saw this local ad: "Looking for common garden weeds" which was followed by this: "Need to collect a couple of kilos of chemical free pursulane (Portulaca), Amaranth, and Chenopodium (goosefoot)." I think it would be a bit rude to ask them why they want these and so much of each. Does anyone want to venture a guess…
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Oregon Grape (includes a recipe)
All about Oregon Grape: https://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/oregon-grape/
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Silverweed
I found this plant on the edge of a parking lot a few days ago. I think next time we are in the area, I will dig a plant up & bring it home. I really dont think the business will miss a "weed." All parts are edible, but I still need to find out if it is safe for livestock & how invasive it might be (it spreads by rhizomes).
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Medicinal properties of Spruce & Poplar buds
I am considering using fresh spruce needles in some medicinal blends. Then started to wonder what the medicinal properties are like in the dead winter here in our far north climate. Maybe someone has some experience in this field? Admin edit: Discussion title edited to include further discussion of medicinal poplar buds
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Willow Bark as aspirin
Do you want to make your own aspirin?
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Zaatar (Origanum syriacum) Z8-10
I found this in the Richters catalog today. I thought I'd look up the medicinal end of things because it sounded interesting. It is widely used in the middle east. Richters' variety is from northern Israel where it is used by both Arabs & Jews as a culinary addition to many foods. It is also anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer,…
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Winter Foraging
I have read this before. It is a good reminder that foraging can be done year round, and a good refresher to read over the list. I want to do some plant foraging walks with our small homeschool group in different seasons. We are at the very beginning planning stages for activities right now, but this is certainly one that…
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REAL Marshmallows!
If these are sweet like the other honey marshmallow recipe I have, s'mores should be made with thin dark chocolate bar squares. The contrast is amazing. Done with marshmallow root, as in this recipe, it would be amazing in more than one way!
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Ginger bush (tetradenia riparia)
This is a flowering shrub from Africa in the mint & sage family. It smells of ginger & sage when you touch the leaves. I bought it to see if it might help with migraines or even headaches as it is claimed. It didn't work for me. Supposedly the spring flowers are sought after. I'm not sure if it just as cut flowers or…
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Huito tree, fascinating!
We found this fruit in a "grape" pop. Our oldest daughter had also bought some prepared as a safe & temporary surface tattoo ink. It is mainly found in Peru, but can be found in Mexico too. Every part sounds useful/medicinal and the fruit is reported to be tasty. If only we could grow this here. Haha...it would certainly…
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Medicinal Houseplants
Let's talk medicinal houseplants...name, scientific name if known, light conditions, humidity requirements, size of mature plant, what they are used for, any special tips, etc. Links are certainly welcome to save everyone the trouble of typing out everything. 🙂 I would like to build a list to try to figure out what to…
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Pruning pine candles...medicinal?
I am doing my yearly ritual of trimming my mugo pines' candles. They smell terrific and I wondered if I can save these to use medicinally? If I can, I will not throw them away. Ugh on second thought, I might have to this year as they were just sprayed (high winds & heavy drifting). :( I would still like to know if I could…
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Interesting Article on Nettles
Check out the photo of the stingers. Beautiful in its way. Why you should embrace stinging nettles - BBC Future
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Caragana (caragana aborescens)
I remember baking mud pies and adding "bananas" from these very prickly bushes to my creations when I was young. I have many fond early childhood memories of using these in my prickly kitchen fort. The Canadian Prairies have lots of these shrubs (hardy zones 2-7) that have overrun old homestead properties, if the yardsites…
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All about the vanilla bean
This is written in a country where the orchid is grown. It has information that is new to me. It is a really good article, touching on growth, pollination, medicinal uses & more. And a bit more, including medicinal information. I have found young plants to buy in Canada, but they cost a lot once you figure in shipping…
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Useful Tropical Plants Database: edible, medicinal
While (finally) working on my herb order today, and looking up seeds/plants that are available at Richters, I ran across this database site that focuses on the edible & medicinal uses for tropical plants.
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Passion flower vine as a house plant
I am thinking that this would be a good choice for me to grow indoors. Considering that there are over 500 varieties, which would be the best medicinally? How large do they get? I am asking here, and have many other questions. I will be researching this further & checking for what Richters might have to offer, but also…
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FREE The GMP Series: Nov 8-17, 2021
"The right systems and processes are so important for the success of your herbal business. This is true for any type of herbal business but especially so if you make herbal products. You need to have Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in place so that you can show anyone who asks how you do things exactly what your…
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Pine needle tea
Ashley has a really good article about pines and pine needle tea. I didn't know that the Scandinavians use pine bark flour.
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Uses for activated charcoal
Seems like it would be a good idea to keep some around.
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Hawthorn flowers & leaves & course offered
Rosalee has a video available that covers the medicinal use of hawthorn flowers and leaves. A course is offered as well on this same page. https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/benefits-of-hawthorn-flowers.html My question is, can these be dried/tinctured/preserved on some way and still retain their medicinal qualities for…
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Plants For A Future (PFAF) database
Here you can find all types of edible plants by their parts & much more.
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Dandelion recipes & free class
Amazing amount of info, recipes, and free class sign up at the bottom of page
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Pine tree needle uses?
I had an opportunity to collect some pine needles. I have made them into a tincture but I am not sure what all I can use the tincture for. Any suggestions? T
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Cottonwood trees
What is the best variety of cottonwood tree to have on your property if you want the super sticky resinous buds to harvest for making cottonwood oil?
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fermented elderberries
I found a stash of elderberries a friend sent me. I plan to make this fermented Elderberry Honey recipe. https://www.growforagecookferment.com/fermented-elderberry-honey/
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When There Is No Doctor online training
I recently took advantage of the Grow Network's sale of Doc Jones' When There Is No Doctor video training. It is a great course. I have three more video lessons to watch. My favorite so far is the 2.5 hour Plant Walk video where Doc Jones walks you through his medicinal plant garden. It is helpful to see what the mature…
