Awakening the Mushroom Brain – The Shoestring Herbalist
I arrived at the class groggy and disheveled. It had been a long week of work and I was spending all my spare time digging in the garden instead of resting my middle aged bones. I was interested in the class subject but doubted that much was going to penetrate the weary fog that insulated […]
Seed Season: Tips for Safe and Easy Seed Storage
April is the time of year when northern hemisphere gardeners sort through their treasure trove of seeds from last year to figure out which seeds they need to buy to replenish their stock for the gardening season. If you’re a typical gardener, some seeds have a longer shelf life than others. You can store them […]
The Weed Calendar – The Shoestring Herbalist
It’s planting weather here in the Pacific Northwest. The soil temperature is rising. The sun struggles with rain clouds for dominance of the sky. While some people invest in expensive soil thermometers, the Shoestring Herbalist watches the weeds as a planting chart. One indicator of garden preparedness is the arrival of chickweed. Chickweed likes soil […]
The Goldfish Gardener – Shoestring Herbalist
My goldfish are gardeners. They live in a 55 gallon drum that was cut in half and filled with hose water. It has a few overturned pots at the bottom of the barrel to give them somewhere to hide from raccoons at night. It has gravel at the base to provide a nice place to […]
Herbal Aphrodisiacs, Seriously?
The term aphrodisiac is tossed around a great during the loving month of February. Valentine’s Day is the real culprit here. For some herbalists, the month of hearts and flowers means fiddling around with plant chemistry. We at the Practical Herbalist were curious. Can herbs really alter human libido? Most herbs sold as aphrodisiacs fall […]
Rose Hack – Shoestring Herbalist
I come from a long line of rose worshipers. My grandmother had beautiful rose bushes that bloomed in bountiful, well groomed lines. My mother’s rose bushes were fertilized, pruned and sprayed with the kind of care most women of her generation only bestow on poodles. Their roses were proud and pampered. My own roses spend […]
Colic: Herbal First Aid
Colic is the boogeyman of new parents. All caregivers fear it. Colic is not life threatening, but the thought of spending 3 to 6 months with a screaming newborn chills the blood. As a general rule, colic is very easy to detect. The colicky baby screams incessantly, turns red when crying, strains frequently as if […]
The Practical Herbalist®’s Suggested Internet Rescources
The internet offers a lot of information on herbs and homesteading. Some of it is helpful. Some of it’s not. Some of it is just downright weird. We’ve been sifting through the internet to bring you reliable and practical information. This list is subject to change at any time. If you have a suggestion, feel […]
Diaper Rash: Herbal First Aid
Changing diapers is not a favorite part of any parent’s life but a bad case of diaper rash can turn this routine into a nightmare. A red bottom is the first sign of diaper rash. This irritation is the result of sitting too long in urine soaked diapers. It can worsen into open sores which […]
Diaper Rash Salve
Being a baby is hard work. There’s a whole lot of growing and changing in that first couple of years. Having diaper rash makes the journey from birth to childhood a painful one. This formula was designed to treat mild to moderate diaper rash. It’s not intended to be placed on weeping sores or boils. […]
Shower Stall Disinfectant Spray
We take our shower stalls for granted until it’s time to clean them. Then all the soap scum and hard water stains become glaring road maps to a challenging Saturday afternoon with a scrub brush. This work can be avoided by thinking ahead. A regular spritz with a shower spray prevents this mess from adhering […]
Warming the Chickens – The Shoestring Herbalist
The ladies hated December. They hated the snow. They hated the freezing wind. They hated the humidity that got under their feathers. When the temperature dropped below freezing, they boycotted the outside. They just sat in the coop together all fluffed up and sulking. Normally, our winter snow doesn’t hit until January. When I heard […]