The schisandra berry is a delightful, and delicious, addition to an herbalist’s toolkit. Before I describe in detail all the abilities and applications of this herb, I want to share my personal experience of schisandra.
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Goji Berry is one of those little dried fruits that pops up as popular every few years among the herbal and health crowds for a while, then it fades into the background until it’s needed once again. There’s loads of good reasons for that, not the least of which is that Goji Berry is a Yin-Building herb.
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Blueberries and Bilberries come from the same family, the Vaccinium family, making them relatives of other famous berries like the Cranberry, Lingonberry, and Huckleberry. They’re a family that’s spread through out the world, making their homes in virtually all the climates Mother Earth has to offer. So what makes Blueberry specifically special?
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Oats, Avena sativa, are easy to grow, harvest, process and incorporate into a nourished, resilient...
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We humans have had a long history with Avena sativa, or the common oat. We began cultivating this...
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Avena sativa, aka oats, is one of modern herbalism’s darlings for managing stress and exhaustion, recovering from trauma and prolonged illness, and rebuilding pretty much all the body’s systems. Herbal Teachers and practitioners generally divide Oat medicine into two types: Milky Oats or Oatstraw.
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Research has shown that oats represent a sound unbroken link to our herbal lineage. A solid one-third of my herbal library refers to oats as a trophorestorative; soothing, nourishing and nervine. The message is steady and consistent, much like Avena herself: Take peace, take comfort, take strength.
Here are some of the ways I roll with oats, Avena sativa…
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Peony, known as bai shao or chi shao in TCM, is among the more common and famous of Chinese herbs, especially for women in their child-bearing years. Paeonia lactiflora is the one you’ll commonly find in gardens and nurseries. Paeonia officialis or P. Corallina are …
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As a single-herb therapy, chrysanthemums are used both internally and externally. For internal use, make a tea with the flowers, letting them steep 3-4 minutes in boiling water, then drain out the large pieces and drink only the liquid. Chrysanthemum tea is useful for…
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Aster’s place in the herbal garden has been a practical and joyful one, even though most of us have long ago forgotten that Aster carries an important medicine into our midst. This peppy, bright little flower is one of the garden’s best-kept secrets, …
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Many gardeners who live in climates with long, warm, humid summers and cold winters choose to plant C. sinensis in pots. Camellia sinensis can be quite content living in a pot, so long as its neither too large nor too small and you keep the soil well-watered and well-drained. You can have a mini-tea plantation on your back patio…
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Our relationship reaches back long before we humans began writing. Tea has touched the shores of every continent in the world, and managed to stir-up trouble on more than a couple of them. We could spend gallons of ink and not cover Tea’s whole story. Instead, we’ll cover Tea History briefly and dive into the Magic of Tea.
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In China, Tea made from Camellia sinensis is called Cha, and it’s both a medicine and a daily pleasure for most. Cha, no matter which type you take, is considered a generally cool or cold medicine with a generally bitter taste. This, however, is altered by how the leaf is processed.
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While research has focused primarily on Green Tea, more recent studies are beginning to corroborate what ancient Chinese Herbalists have known for years. Teas of all types share many if not all the same health benefits.
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