Smudging your house is an ancient practice used to cleanse and purify the space. It’s said to clear out old negative energy and invite in new positive energy.
Smudging is a traditional practice that has been used for centuries and is a popular tool in many spiritual communities today. It is a simple yet powerful way to reset and refresh energy and create a peaceful atmosphere by burning herbs or incense and releasing the smoke that carries away any old negative energy and invites in new, positive energy. Smudging can be used for various purposes, from cleansing your home to healing your body, mind, and spirit. In this blog post, we’ll explore smudging, how it works, why it’s important, and tips on how to smudge correctly.
Join me to learn about smudging and explore the various herbs used for this purpose.
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused, naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice infused into our products. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and as basic and pure as nature. Each bar contains fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more success and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions for themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden,” “A Young Chef's Garden,” or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you learn by journaling about your garden!
Music
A special thank you to Alexander Nakarada for writing and producing this music. I am a Patreon Member and support Alexander creatively.
We would love to hear about your experience trying out any recipes featured on our podcasts! Please follow us on all our social media outlets so you can stay up to date with all the new recipes we feature. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
Cancer has hit my home. I'll share some research I've been doing and the anti-inflammatory diet I created for my husband. What foods am I using, including some medicinal mushrooms, herbs, and recipes I use?
⚖️ Disclaimer: The information presented in this show is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
🛒 🛍 Companies / Products / Books I personally use and recommend: (Affiliates)
~ ~ ~ ~ Books Mentioned During the Show – the recipes in these books I've made for my husband during and after his cancer treatment. I like many of the recipes and recommend these books. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Foods to Fight Cancerood: What to eat to reduce your risk. by Richard Beliveau Ph.D. and Dr. Denis Gingras https://amzn.to/3AApJ9y
The Living Kitchen: Nourishing Whole-Food Recipes For Cancer Treatment and Recovery https://amzn.to/3cCsaAy
Cooking Through Cancer: Treatment to Recovery by Lisa A. Price, ND and Susan Gins, MA, MS, CN https://amzn.to/3B1rjmj
The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for flavor Cancer Treatment and Recovery https://amzn.to/3Tt618l
Show's Sponsor
👩🌾🛁 Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused, naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and as basic and pure as nature. Each bar contains fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful! https://www.farmtobath.com/
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more success and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers. There are suggestions for themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden,” or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season. You'll be amazed at how much you learn by journaling about your garden!https://amzn.to/3QgEwMz
Social Media
Follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried these podcasts' recipe(s).
It’s National Weed Your Garden Week – But hold on, friends! Don’t toss those weeds on the compost pile just yet! There is a lot of good food in them weeds and it's FREE!
I review 7 weeds with fantastic medicinal and nutritional benefits that you can add to a salad, tea, or infusion. In addition, I’ll mention some of my favorite weeding tools.
📰 Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about herbs, promotions, and news we have to share. www.livingandlovinherbs.com/friday
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Tickets for the Glastonbury Historical Society Garden Tour on June 18, 2022, https://www.hsgct.org/
👩🏼 Join us every Sunday at 10 AM EDT for Herb Talk Live! On Youtube, Facebook and Clubhouse.
⚖️ Disclaimer: The information presented in this show is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
🛒 🛍 Companies / Products / Books I personally use and recommend: (Affiliates)
👩🌾🛁 Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful! https://www.farmtobath.com/
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids|
Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
…for centuries, the ocean was seen as a scary place, complete with sea monsters, and how the thinking changed to be the best healing place for many ailments.
Today we're talking about the healing benefits of the ocean in and around it. How simply breathing sea air is great for the lungs and mental health and the healing benefits of salt water on the body.
I also get into the history of why for centuries the ocean was seen as a scary place, complete with sea monsters, and how the thinking changed to be the best healing place for many ailments.
📚 Check out all our books! www.Brendajsullivanbooks.com
🛒 🛍 Companies / Products / Books I personally use and recommend: (Affiliates)
⚖️ Disclaimer: The information presented in this show is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
Valentines Day is days away, do you want to make the most out of it? Join Theresa Valendzas as we talk about herbs and foods that have historically been associated with aphrodisiacs. Do they really work? We talk about the types of aphrodisiac foods, how aphrodisiacs relate to herbalism, health, wellness, and how we can use herbs in recipes for improved health.
Join us as we get into it and have a little ancient herbal medicine. This discussion is for both partnered and single people – we have some great ideas for you as well!
📰 Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about herbs, promotions, and news we have to share.
www.livingandlovinherbs.com/friday
📚 Check out all our books!
www.Brendajsullivanbooks.com
~ ~ ~ N E W R E L E A S E ~ ~ ~
Counting Trees: Counting Book For Toddlers Coloring Book Included (Kids Count Series)
👩🏼👩🦳 Join us every Sunday at 10 AM EDT for Herb Talk Live! On Youtube, Facebook, and Clubhouse with my Co-host Theresa Valendzas, she is a health coach, author, and owner of Altraform. Please check her out and subscribe and like her social media as well. You can find her at https://www.altraform.pro/
⚖️ Disclaimer: The information presented in this show is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
Companies and products / Books I personally use and recommend
(Affiliates)
🌿 Mountain Rose Herbs –
https://livingandlovinherbs.com/Rose
📚🌿 Herbal Academy –
https://livingandlovinherbs.com/HA
Get Theresa's Book!!!
Heart-Centered Wellness Version 1 and 2: with Theresa WV by Theresa Velendzas and Deborah Zafiropoulos (Illustrator) https://amzn.to/3GYIrc1
👩🌾🛁 Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you will learn by journaling about your garden!
Social Media
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
“The American Diet is killing us!” Brenda J. Sullivan – Google images creative commons license (click here to view picture)
Join me and my co-host Theresa Velendzas, Health Coach and owner of Altraform as I review the book by Dr. Jason Fung, The Complete Guide to Fasting, Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting.
What herbs does Dr. Fung list in his book? We review them, and in addition, I recommend a list of herbs he didn't mention that can lower insulin and some of the ways you can take them. This show was recorded live on Clubhouse and YouTube.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this show is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
Dr. Fung's Two Compartment Model explained in his video lecture series – Graphic by Brenda J. Sullivan (click here to view picture)
Dr. Fung's Fasting Model explained in his video lecture series – graphic by Brenda J. Sullivan (click here to view picture)
Herbs That Keep Insulin Low
When fasting, many of these herbs can be used as a tea or herbal infusion (a single herb infused for 24 hours before drinking.) or incorporated into your meal.
Rose
Peppermint
Dead Nettle
Dandelion Root (also lowers blood sugar)
Rosehips (also lowers blood sugar)
Burdock Root (also lowers blood sugar)
Lemon Balm
Hibiscus
Green Tea
Cinnamon
Garlic (added to food)
Oats – (Steel-cut or grouts – not instant or quick-cooking oats)
Bitter Melon (also lowers blood sugar)
Black Tea
Oolong Tea
Artichokes (vegetable and leaves can be used as a tea or infusion)
Turmeric
Gentian
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with Mother) – 1 – 2 tablespoons diluted in 8 – 12 ounces of water before meals or at bedtime)
Videos I Recommend Watching
Dr. Jason Fung: Different Ways to Fast for Weight Loss
There are many different ways to fast. Classic intermittent fasting only allows water. But, for weight loss, there are many different variations of fasting that produce great results. Dr. Jason Fung discusses 8 different ways that you can change up your fasting routine for weight loss.
Dr. Jason Fung’s 6 Part Lecture Series On Obesity – (2013 Lecture Series)
The Obesity Code Lecture (Why do we get Fat?) Part 1
Unlocking the code of why obesity became such a massive epidemic since the 1970s. A scientific exploration with a surprising conclusion of how obesity developed. Practical tips on weight management and good health. Why calorie counting fails for many people. For more see
Hormones in Weight Loss (The Obesity Code Lecture part 2)
Insulin and cortisol are key hormones in weight loss. Our body gains or loses fat based on the hormonal instructions we give it. When insulin is high, we store fat. We discuss why the Atkins diet lost popularity for a time and why it rebounded in new forms. The role of the stress hormone cortisol in weight loss.
Reversing Insulin Resistance (The Obesity Code Lecture part 3)
Exploring the role of insulin resistance and diet. How hormonal obesity theory explains the epidemiology of obesity.
Fructose and Fasting (The Obesity Code Lecture 4)
Why fructose and sugar intake plays such a major role in weight gain and diabetes. Intermittent fasting is a great method of reversing insulin resistance and losing weight.
Diet and Disease (The Obesity Code Lecture part 5)
Exploring the link between diet and disease. How are diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and cancer linked to our diet? Understanding this association leads to fascinating new treatment possibilities.
Reviews primitive cultures who were healthy until westernized with highly refined foods. These cultures ate high fat and carbohydrate diets and had the lowest insulin numbers and were healthy with little disease.
Is eating saturated fat bad for us? Does eating fat cause obesity? Heart disease? Stroke? How did we become so fat phobic? Are vegetable oils healthy? A critical look at the wealth of scientific data suggests that eating fat (total) and saturated fat might actually protect us from disease.
US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health: Vinegar Consumption Increases Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake by the Forearm Muscle in Humans with Type 2 Diabetes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438142/
PubMed.gov: Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16015276/
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How-To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you will learn by journaling about your garden!
Music
A special thank you to Gene Tullio for writing and producing this music. He has given me special permission to use this song for the show.
Gene's music can be downloaded from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. For more information please contact him at dreamshipmusic@gmail.com
Album: The Dreamship| The Forge Of Life| Copyright 2018
Social Media Links
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
google images creative commons – we need clean air
Today's show is about herbs for healthier lungs. If you live in an area that has poor air quality then you'll want to listen and find out how to protect your lungs.
Google Images, creative common – Hartford, CT – worst air quality in the northeastGoogle Images, creative commons – the US isn't the only country with poor air quality. It's a global problem!Google Images, creative commons – Smoke from wildfires out west are causing serious health issues.
Relief On Bad Air Quality Days
Use a good air purifier for the home that uses a type of filter called HEPA (high-efficiency particle air). These filters trap harmful particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites, smoke, and other pollutants floating in the air.
2. Decrease Inflammation – many people that suffer from chronic lung issues may have food allergies or food sensitivities and may not be unaware. The two most common at the top of the list are gluten/wheat and dairy.
Eliminate these foods as much as possible and eat a whole food-rich diet. As we say, eat the rainbow of vegetables, dark leafy greens, berries, wild foods, herbs, spices.
3. Vitamin D decreases inflammation and improves the immune system. Ask your doctor to do a blood test to measure how much Vitamin D is in your body. Women tend to get deficient as we age.
4. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil also decrease inflammation and helps the body repair itself.
5. Medicinal Mushrooms – Reishi, cordyceps, and Chaga have properties that help rebuild and repair damaged lung tissue.
According to Maria Noel Groves, author of Body Into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care (2016, pg. 133).
“All of our medicinal mushrooms have immune-supportive benefits, but reishi and cordyceps strengthen respiratory function and structure. When used regularly, they make you less susceptible to repeat infections like bronchitis and pneumonia, boost oxygen utilization, decrease fatigue, improve red blood cells, and modulate the immune response.
Chaga also seems to aid respiratory health. Some relief may be noted within a few days, but the effects build over a few weeks or months. They are generally safe to take.”
Aromatic Herbs help fight infection and have some antimicrobial effects, enhancing the body's immune response. Aromatics also open the lungs, relieve spasms.
Aromatic herbs are best taken as a warm tea, tincture, food (soup), or infused in honey (for example, fermented garlic and honey) or steam inhalation.
Herbs perfect as a tea or fermented in honey (garlic)
Thyme (steam inhalation)
Pine needles (tea/steam inhalation)
Balsam needles (tea/steam inhalation)
Oregano (tea / steam inhalation / food)
Bee balm (tea)
Hyssop (tea)
Raw garlic – (fermented in honey (for six weeks)/food)
Neti Pot – Irrigating your nasal using a neti pot for sinus relief is recommended.
Understand the difference between an herb that is an Expectorant and a Demulcent. Because depending on your symptoms, you may not need an expectorant but a demulcent or a combination of both.
What specific herbs are best for lung and respiratory support?
Peppermint: Herbs high in aromatic essential oils can help decrease inflammation and open bronchial, which increased lung capacity. Peppermint can also reduce muscle pain and spasms and aids in digestion. Note: if you suffer from reflux or GERD, do not drink peppermint in high doses.
Chamomile: This is an herb that is perfect for children who have sensitivity to smoke from brush fires. It can be made strong, and it also a calming herb. If steeped for a long time, there is a slightly bitter taste perfect for better digestion.
Chamomile tea can be used as an eyewash for raw irritates eyes. Make a cup of tea and allow it to cool. Take the teabag out of your cup and gently place it over your eyes and squeeze a small amount of tea out.
Turmeric is known to be an antioxidant and has compounds that reduce inflammation. This herb can be taken as a tea, tincture, or in dried form and high doses. Turmeric is also known to reduce heart disease and increase brain function.
Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) herbalists use licorice root because of their demulcent properties.
It protects the mucous membranes from excessive particle pollution. Small amounts of licorice root should be added to tea recipes and should be drunk for no more than 10 – 14 days is recommended.
Note: This herb can increase blood pressure, low potassium levels, weakness, paralysis, irregular heart rhythms, and heart attack. People who eat a lot of salt or have heart disease, kidney disease, or high blood pressure are more sensitive to licorice. They can have these problems after eating smaller amounts of licorice.
Marshmallow Root is another wonderful demulcent. It helps to protect those with sensitive mucous membranes. Its also cooling and soothes the entire system, specifically constipation associated with stress.
Lavender is an herb that helps reduce anxiety and stress. Lavender tea should be made strong; the aroma will help relax and aid in breathing capacity.
Echinacea is known for stimulating the immune system, which also reduces inflammation in the body by decreasing the chances of getting sick while under stress. It can be taken as tea, tincture, or capsules.
Reishi Mushroom – this herb is a Super Hero Herb! It's one of the most studied herbs around. It has a long list of healing properties to list here. For our purposes, it boosts the immune system and aids in lung conditions, including asthma and bronchitis. It is an adaptogenic herb and helps reduce the heightened stress response in the body.
Reishi can also be taken long-term in either tincture or capsule form.
Mullein is another herbalist's go-to for lung issues. Mullen is best known for being uses as a lung tonic for either a wet or dry cough. It can be taken as tea, tincture, or capsules.
Lobelia is a bronchial dilator and antispasmodic, which helps with bronchitis, pneumonia, or a general cough. Lobelia can become toxic in the body and cause serious side effects. This herb should not be taken in large doses or for long periods of time. This herb should be taken in small doses in tincture form or tea.
Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum spp.) Another favorite of mine. Holy Basil is an adaptogen that helps reduce the feeling of overwhelm and general stress. This herb can be taken daily as a tea or capsule.
Ashwagandha is another herb I take daily to help with the feeling of overwhelming. This herb is an adaptogen. It comes in a powder and can be sprinkled in drinks such as coffee, milk (e.g., Golden Milk). This herb can also be taken in tincture form or capsules.
Garlic herbal actions are antimicrobial, diaphoretic, hypocholesterolemic, cholagogue, hypotensive, antispasmodic.
If used daily, garlic helps to support the body in various ways that no other herb can match. It has been effective in antimicrobial, acting on bacteria, viruses, and parasites of the alimentary tract. The volatile oils are excreted via the lungs, making garlic helpful in controlling a respiratory infection, such as chronic bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, recurrent colds, and influenza. (Hoffmann 2003)
Garlic can be used as preventive medicine against most infectious conditions, digestive and respiratory systems. In the digestive tract, garlic is thought to support natural bacterial flora development while killing pathogenic organisms. (Hoffmann 2003)
Garlic also has a wide range of effects on cardiovascular health. It can reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels while raising levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). It can act as an effective inhibitor of platelet-activating factor (PAF). (Hoffmann 2003)
I ferment a half jar of finely chopped garlic in local honey for six weeks. If I feel a little stuffy or have a raw sore throat, I'll take a tablespoon of fermented garlic and honey 3 x day or until the symptoms go away.
Raw Honey has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, and research has shown it has many health benefits and medicinal uses. In some hospitals, they use honey to treat burns and wounds.
For sore throats and stuffy noses, honey in a cup of hot water with lemon and ginger can go a long way in relieving those symptoms. Many herbalists (me including) reach for our jar of fermented garlic and honey on the first hint of a sore throat; however, don't give children under one because honey can carry botulism.
Corn Silk (Zea mays) stamen has been used for many centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Native American Medicine.
Corn silk is taken for depression, inflammation of the prostate, inflammation of the unitary system, kidney stones, congestive heart failure, diabetes, fatigue, heart disease, high cholesterol, jaundice, liver health, obesity, to name a few conditions.
Most herbalists add corn silk to their cold and flu remedies for calming inflammation and fatigue when sick. Corn silk can be taken as a tea, capsules, and tincture.
Plantain (Plantago spp.) seed husk is known as an unwanted weed in manicured lawns in my area; plantain has several health benefits such as reducing inflammation and blocks microbial growth in wounds and the body. Many herbalists add plantain to their teas as a supporting herb to their herbal remedies. We can use plantain as a tea, capsule, or tincture.
Irish Moss / Sea Moss (Chondrus crispus) This herb has been around for centuries and is known in Ireland, Scotland, England, and Caribbean Islands such as Jamaica. The algae has been used in skincare products to making paper, curing leather, and cheese.
However, herbalists also use sea moss in their apothecaries for centuries to heal burns, boost the immune system and probiotics, to name a few benefits.
According to WebMD, researchers have been doing studies on whether sea moss can slow or stop the progression of Parkinson's Disease in order adults with some promising results. Other studies have suggested that sea moss can boost the immune system and protect the body from contracting salmonella.
For our purposes for treating the lungs and respiratory system, I would consider this herb a supporting herb in any remedy. It's important to note that a little goes a long way. Sea moss can be taken in capsules, or taking the dried moss rehydrating it in water, and either making it into a gel or in whole to a smoothie, soup, or stew. A small amount can go a long way.
Mallow is a demulcent, and its secondary action is an expectorant which makes it the perfect primary herb in any herbal remedy. Its primary use is for irritated throat, dry cough, and bronchitis. We can use this herb as a green in cooking, tea, tincture.
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you will learn by journaling about your garden!
Music
A special thank you to Gene Tullio for writing and producing this music. He has given me special permission to use this song for the show.
Gene's music can be downloaded from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. For more information please contact him at dreamshipmusic@gmail.com
Album: The Dreamship| The Forge Of Life| Copyright 2018
Social Media Links
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Living and Lovin Herbs Website: https://livingandlovinherbs.com/ Instagram: @livingandlovinherbspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingandlovinherbspodcast/?modal=admin_todo_tour Twitter: @Livingandlovin6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuuHD-5N2tPYDbWwI4wzIJA Thompson Street Farm LLC: https://thompsonstreetfarm.com/ Brenda J. Sullivan Books: https://brendajsullivanbooks.com/
We recorded this show live on Clubhouse and Facebook with my Co-host Theresa Valendzas from Altraform Every Sunday at 10 AM EST we've been hosting a show called Herb Talk. Please come us!
We talk about the ethics of foraging, books I recommend to help identify plants and easy plants to identify if you're a beginner.
Legal Disclaimer
The information presented is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for a diagnosis and/or treatment. All health-related questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.
Dead Nettle Close up – It's a wonderful medicinal Plant! Picture by Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to View Picture)
Medicinal Uses
Dead Nettle has flavonoids, polyphenols compounds, and antioxidant properties, including quercetin which offers a broad range of health benefits, such as boosting the immune system, improving the cardiovascular system and gut microbiome.
This species also has anti-inflammatory properties, relieves pain helps prevent secondary sinus infections in the upper and lower respiratory tract caused by allergies.
Safety
Moderation is key, overuse of this plant can cause diarrhea.
Dosage
Nutritive Infusion:
A general rule for measuring out dried herbs:
1 oz per quart
2 oz per 1/2 gallon
Place the dried herb in a glass jar (be careful not to use a cold jar. It will break), pour just off the boil hot water over the herb and stir well and cover for 24 hours.
Strain the plant matter and put it in the compost. Drink all day long or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tea
One heaping teaspoon of dried herb in one cup off the boil water. Let steep 10 minutes. Strain and drink as often desired.
Tincture
1-2 ml 3x/day (1:5 in 40%)
Food
Smoothies, salads, stir frys, casseroles
Dead Nettle grows in many parts of the world. Check out my Youtube Video – Click Here to View Video
Violets (Viola Tricolor aka Jonny-Jump-Up)- Flowers and leaves are edible even if the plant is past the flowering stage. Picture by Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to View Picture)
The leaves are used in folk medicine for fevers; it's a mild laxative, gargle for sore throats, considered a diuretic, expectorant, mild sedative, blood purifier. Its also been used for asthma, heart palpitations, skin eruptions such as eczema.
According to the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (pg 234), studies on rats have confirmed violets have antioxidants, anthocyanins which helped control skin issues.
Violets make a beautiful addition to any dessert or salad, even if you're not looking for a medicinal benefit.
Feverfew – Tanacetum parthenium – another wonderful wild medicinal plant. Picture by Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to View Picture)
This plant is original to the Balkan Peninsula and escaped cultivation and is now wild in North and South America and most of Europe. Feverfew has an active constituent parthenolide which is a compound used to help control migraines. However, there are other remedies this plant is good for other than preventing migraines. It known to help with arthritis, colds, fevers, cramps, worms, regulates menses.
According to the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (pg 122), studies have proven effective if 1 – 4 leaves are chewed per day, preventing the number and duration of migraine attacks. British studies suggest that Feverfew can prevent 70% of migraines.
Book Recommendations
(Affiliate Links)
Peterson has many different field guides for North America.
Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition (Peterson Field Guides) Paperback – Illustrated, April 8, 2014
Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine Paperback – Illustrated, April 7, 2020, Rosalee De LA Foret and Emily Han
The New Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America: A Field Guide to Edible (and Poisonous) Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mushrooms and Lichens Paperback – October 24, 2019, Merritt Fernald, Alfred Kinsely and Steve Chadde
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
This journal keeps track of basic information every gardener needs to know to improve their gardening skills. Plant location, if started from seed versus purchased and from what source. Fertilizing and watering details and if you like the result etc.
There is also a space for a picture or drawing of your plant. The journal pages are a two-page spread for easy note-taking and review. Also included is a resource list of companies that Thompson Street Farm uses in their micro-green operation and nonprofits that offer programs and education on gardening sustainably. Journaling offers an easy way to become a more efficient and more successful gardener!
Music
A special thank you to Gene Tullio for writing and producing this music. He has given me special permission to use this song for the show.
Gene's music can be downloaded from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. For more information please contact him at dreamshipmusic@gmail.com
Album: The Dreamship| The Forge Of Life| Copyright 2018
Social Media Links:
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Theresa Velendzas – Owner of Altraform LLC – picture used with permission
What is self-care? How as women do we care for ourselves in a healthy way? Have we been fed a lot of baloney about what the perfect life is supposed to look like? Has the media taught us we're not perfect unless we're available 24 hours 7 days a week? Meeting everyone's needs while looking fantastic, great personality, and making piles of money!
These are questions Theresa and I explore during our discussion. I share a lot about my life. What I thought I was supposed to think and do as a young 20-year-old trying to figure things out 3000 miles away from my family. And now, as I edge closer to the big six-O, have I really evolved over the decades? What do I think about life, family, and career now? Do I think we can still have it all? Have I forgotten about caring for myself? What would I tell my 20-year-old self today?
Theresa shares strategies about how we can begin to care for ourselves. She recommends we start small. She demonstrates how I can calm myself periodically throughout the day to re-focus and give myself a mental break. It's a great technique and I've started to do this when I get overwhelmed in the day.
The show is 2 hrs and 20 minutes long. The first part of the show is my update, and it's a long one. I struggled to get this show done. It seemed I had a lot of roadblocks these past 3 1/2 weeks. As I say in the intro – a lot of weird shit happened in my household. But I'm happy to say, we're all ok and I powered through and ta-da! I've finished the show!
If you want to skip all my drama, the interview starts at 31:20 minutes, and I've added our 5-minute meditation to the end of the podcast. That starts at 2:13:35 minutes or click on the bar below and listen to the meditation here on the website.
5- Minute Mediation
5 Minute Meditation led by Theresa Velendzas
Theresa and Brenda during the interview (Click Here to view picture)
Theresa talks about her being “skinny fat” and explains what that is. These are her before, after pictures. (Click Here to view picture) pictures used with permission.
This is the beach in Greece, Theresa's grandmother would come and swim several times a week. picture used with permission. (Click Here to view picture)
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Just ask them to order
Despite all the craziness this past month, I was still able to publish 4 books in our counting books. Paul came up with the name Kids Count Series. I just love everything about that name.
I'm waiting for the fourth book Counting Reindeer to be approved by the distributor. It's taking a few days longer than expected. It should be released by December 14th or 15th.
Click Here to check book out – Amazon affiliate link
Click Here to check book out. Amazon affiliate link
Click Here to check book out. Amazon affiliate link
This book will be released the week of December 14th. Check Amazon Kids Count Series for all our books
Kidde Nighthawk Plug-In AC/DC Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector with Digital Display KN-COPP-3 Click Here Amazon affiliate link
Things have finally calmed down for us. Although, I'm still smelling that distinct smell of exhaust. I've had the mechanic come out for a third time checking our boiler system. I'm told everything is fine.
We tried to figure out where the smell is coming from and so far we can't find the source. There is no other machinery down there other than a treadmill – which gets unplugged so we're scratching our heads on this one.
Paul installed the new carbon monoxide and smoke detectors throughout the house. I purchased the fourth detector mainly for peace of mind. This one has a carbon monoxide reading. I thought it would be good to have so I could check if there was ANY toxic gas in the basement.
Paul and I were impressed with the voice activation units telling us what kind of emergency we were having. Carbon monoxide vs. fire – that was very helpful in our course of action. Although when I saw the black smoke coming from our chimney, I honestly thought we had a fire.
Thankfully our town's volunteer fire department was awesome and quickly confirmed there was no fire. Thank you Glastonbury Fire and paramedic unit for all your help!
The fire captain explained that once these detectors are activated, their battery life may be “spent” and will not activate if we have another emergency. In addition, there is no way to check the remaining battery life. He recommended we replace all the units just to be safe.
We agreed. A small price to pay to save our lives and have peace of mind. Each detector is $46.52 on Amazon. If you buy more than one, you can interconnect them together.
If one goes off, they all go off. Our electrician had installed the original detectors at the critical spots in our house. One at the foot of the stairs in the basement. One at the foot of the stairs on the main floor and one at the top of the stairs on the second floor. It was simple to just swap out the old detectors for the new ones.
As promised, I'm posting links to the type of detectors we have in our home. The battery life is ten years, easy to install, and no expense to have them hardwired.
Kidde P4010DCSCO-W Wire-Free Interconnect Combination CO 10-Year Sealed-in Lithium Battery Smoke Alarm Click Here Amazon affiliate Link
Show Sponsor
Please consider sponsoring this show. Due to COVID, I have not been able to sell as many products to support the administrative costs of the show. Any amount will be appreciated. Click Here
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you will learn by journaling about your garden!
Music
A special thank you to Gene Tullio for writing and producing this music. He has given me special permission to use this song for the show.
Gene's music can be downloaded from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. For more information please contact him at dreamshipmusic@gmail.com
Album: The Dreamship| The Forge Of Life| Copyright 2018
Social Media Links:
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Today's show is all about Lavender; this is a plant I know reasonably well because we grow a lot of it, and I wanted to share with you just how incredible this plant is.
I'll share its history, the difference among the species, growing tips if you're interested in growing a plant or two.
Its exceptional medicinal properties and at the end of this posting, I'll give you some simple recipes to get you started.
Lavender is one of the most versatile plants I’ve ever come across. How many plants do you know of that can do all this?
Culinary – cooking, baking to beverages
Crafting
Medicinal and aromatherapy properties
Bath and Body products
Pet care products
Landscaping because its drought tolerant
Pest control – Which originally how lavender got so popular.
Lavender was used in a variety of ways during the Middle Ages – picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
In the Middle Ages, lavender was used for its insecticidal properties. They would scatter it on the flowers of castles and sickrooms as a disinfectant and deodorize.
In China, it was used as a cure-all using a medicinal oil called “White Flower Oil.”
In wartime, lavender was used as an ingredient in smelling salts and disinfect wounds.
Lavender has a wide range of medicinal uses – Picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
Other Historical Uses Include
It was thought to have aphrodisiac properties and surprise! It's still on the aphrodisiac list today! It's true. I've heard several women whisper how they feel after using my lavender products. ❤️ 🌹
It was used to embalm corpses
Cure animals of lice
Tamed Lyons and tigers
Repelled mosquitoes (and it still does!)
An ingredient for snuff
Flavoring for vinegars, jellies and salads
Medicinally, lavender was used to treat headaches, hysteria, nervous palpations, hoarseness, palsy, toothaches, sore joints, apoplexy, colic, coughs, and rumbling digestive systems.
Lavender Monograph – Picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
Member Of The Mint Family
Lavender is a member of the Mint Family or – Labiatae – a family of flowering plants that are frequently aromatic. The word lavender comes from the Latin verb, lavare, which means “to wash” or “to bathe.”
Large commercial lavender operations are native to the mountainous regions of countries bordering the western half of the Mediterranean region and Europe. But, good news for us, lavender is now grown in all parts of the world.
There are approximately 45 species of lavender with hundreds of various genotypes or what I call cultivators, which now makes it possible to grow this beautiful plant in just about every climate. For simplicity, I'm only going to mention four of the most popular varieties.
Which Lavender I Right For You?
Which Lavender is right for you? That depends on the climate you live in and the soil. Also, depending on where you live in the world, the lavender descriptions change.
So I don’t confuse you, I’m using US descriptions for lavender – if you live across the pond from us here in the US or Australia, you’re lavenders descriptions will differ slightly – know, we’re all talking about the same plants.
So, what’s the difference between English, French, and Spanish lavender?
English Lavender Lavendula Angustifolia Picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
English Lavender
English (or Lavendula Angustifolia) is the most widely cultivated of the lavenders. Its also called “true lavender”. It has many cultivators that have various colors – white, pink, to dark purples and blues.
This variety can be started from seed, while for others, it's better to use cuttings and root them as starter plants.
English Lavender can be grown in colder climates and containers.
English – lavenders are mostly grown for their medicinal and culinary properties.
French Lavender L. Dentata Picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
French Lavender
French Lavender or L. Dentata is also known as “toothed lavender.” It's not as hardy as English – Lavender Angustifolia – it cant tolerate colder climates, unlike other lavender varieties. French does well up to zone 8.
French Lavender has the same flower structure as the English, but it has a longer stems. English tends to be smaller compact plants, and the French can grow 3 feet wide and tall.
The French lavender has the most extended blooming times than the other lavenders and is primarily grown in Spain and warmer regions of the world.
For scent – French – L. Dentata varieties don't compare to the English – Lavender Angustifolia species if you want to grow lavender for the scent stick with the English types.
Spanish Lavender L. Stoechas Picture Google Images (Click Here to view picture)
Spanish Lavender
The next lavender species is Spanish Lavender or L. Stoechas. Things get confusing, depending on where you live. Stoechas is a French Lavender and referred to as such in some parts of the world. But here in the US, we call it Spanish Lavender. Depending on where you live, this lavender may be referred to as L. Stoechas or French Lavender.
Spanish lavender flowers are a little different looking than the English and French. It has lance-shaped leaves at the top of the bud. Think of it as having little bunny ears. They come in different colors, and some have beautiful dark purple flowers that are stunning in one's garden.
Their scent is not as strong as the Lavender Angustifolia or English lavenders. These lavenders are cultivated for their beautiful flowers.
Spanish lavenders grow well in acid soils in hot, dry climates, for example, the Mediterranean. Here in the Northeast, we consider Spanish lavenders as annuals, unlike English and some French cousins, which are grown as perennials.
If you live in the United States Southwest, Spanish Lavender may be the perfect lavender for you.
Lavandin – Grosso variety Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
Lavandin
The fouth lavender species I'll discuss is a hybrid, lavandin. Also known as Lavendula. x-intermedia . This plant is a cross between Lavender Angustifolia (an English Lavender) and lavender Latifolia (a Portuguese Lavender). These plants generally have a longer stem and bloom later than the Angustifolia's or English lavenders.
It's important to note that Lavendula. x-intermedia are sterile plants. Meaning they don't produce seeds for reproduction. So if you want to grow lavender from seed, English, French, and Spanish (with a few exceptions of other species not discussed today) are your only options.
To reproduce Lavendins Lavendula. x-intermedia, they must be propagated. Meaning, growers take small cuttings from a mother plant and root them in some growing medium.
Note on starting plants from seed: Be aware there is a low germination rate for starting English and French lavenders from seed. I recommend you buy starter plants and propagate cuttings.
Hundreds Of Cultivators
There are hundreds of different cultivators in this group that are popular in commercial nursery production. Lavendula. x-intermedia varieties are a favorite commercial plant for essential oil production.
I mostly grow English and Lavendula. x. intermedia because they do well in my area. I have some plants that are over 20 years old. But they are woody and miss shaped from years of heavy snowpacks.
Shopping For Lavender
If you're shopping for lavender plants, it's essential to know the type of plants your local nursery sells.
I’ve found some plant sellers are not as informed with lavender as they should be. Last year a customer came to me at the farmers market with a lovely lavender plant in hand. The vendor told her the plant was an annual, which surprised me. It didn’t look like a French or Spanish Lavender. A quick search of the name of the cultivator on my smartphone told me it was English. It was a Lavender Angustifolia and indeed would do very well in our area.
So when shopping for lavenders, if the plant doesn’t give the Latin species name, google the cultivator’s name on the plant identification tag. You should be able to find out what species a cultivator comes from pretty quickly.
Examples On How To Identify Lavender
When shopping look at the plant tag. If the tag says Lavender ….
Lavender – Grosso – its a Hybrid, Lavandula. x-intermedia. It does well in diverse climates, including colder and wetter zones.
Lavender – Munstead is a Lavandula angustifolia (or English LavenderLavender). It should do well in colder and wetter climates.
Lavender – Madrid Blue is Lavandula Stoechas (or Spanish Lavender). It only does well in hot, dry climates. If you live in a colder wetter climate, stick it in a pot and grow it annually.
Lavender – Linda Ligon is a Lavendula dentate (or French Lavender). It does well in hot, dry climates but can tolerate up to zone 8.
Just remember – there are other lavender species out there. I’m only mentioning the four most common plants in this podcast. See the resource list below for recommended books on Lavender.
Lavender Plugs – First season. Paul in the pouring rain making sure the plugs are doing ok. picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
Growing Lavender
For this section, I’m talking mostly of Lavender Angustifolia (English lavender) and Lavendula. x-intermedia’s (lavandin hybrids.) These lavenders are the most commonly sold and grown commercially globally, with some exceptions, of course. The Spanish Lavender or Stoechas I would plant and care the same way as the English or hybrid plants.
Preparing the ground – Lavender loves dry sandy soil – Picture by Paul F. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
First year lavender plugs. It's the cheapest way to get lavender plants. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
Planting culinary lavender – Provence. We mulch around our plants. It helps with the ph. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)Lavender plug just planted. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here t0 view picture)
Tip 1: Lavender must have full sun – that’s ten or more hours of daylight.
Tip 2: Lavender is a drought-tolerant plant and can thrive in areas where other plants cant. It prefers dry sandy, well-drained soil.
It cannot survive in moist, rich organic soil.
The ground needs to be well aerated.
It does not like to have “wet feet” and are lavenders are susceptible to root rot and other fungal diseases.
Some growers prefer to grow in rocky soil.
Tip 3: It prefers a ph of 6.5 – 7. If your ph is low, add dolomite lime and a little organic compost to level Ithe ph out.
Tip 4: Spacing – How close together should you plant your lavender. If you’re using it as a garden accent, determine which lavender species you are growing. Lavender Angustafolia’s (i.e., English) need about 30 inches of room. These plants tend to be low growing but spread wide.
Lavandins or Lavendula. x-intermedia (the hybrids) grow high and wide. Give them 36 inches between each plant.
Tip 5: To mulch or not to mulch – that is the question? Lavender does not like to be crowded by weeds, or in hotter drier climates watering a will be needed. It will be a personal decision and dependent on your environment and how much upkeep you want to do.
Fresh cut Hidcote Lavender – Thompson Street Farm, South Glastonbury CT. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
We grow some munstead (an English variety) in landscape rock, and they do well—the rest of the munstead's and grosso's we mulched. We have very dry sandy, rocky soil to begin with, so the mulching helps with keeping moisture around the plant when we go weeks without rain.
Lavenders are drought-resistant plants, so we're lucky it rains enough in the northeast; we don't have to worry about irrigation during the year's driest parts.
If you live in a hotter drier climate, putting in irrigation and mulching would probably be a good idea. But for those mid to northern states, where everything is flowering and green, I wouldn't put in irrigation but mulch instead in sandy, rocky soil. The other benefit of mulch is that it helps keep the ph down.
There are other ways to maintain your lavender to keep them high and dry other than mulching.
Raised mounds – and plant on top of the mound. It is done in wetter climates.
Row Plastic – Put down row plastic, then poke a hole in the plastic and plant your lavender. Then grow grass in between the rows and mow when it gets high.
Plant in landscape rock Weed barrier over dirt, then mulch or use landscape rock
Tip 6: Lavenders can be tight woody shrubs and need to be pruned to keep their shape and encourage growth.
Year 1 of planting: remove new flowers and give your plant a good haircut, using good pruning shears. I use a small handheld battery-powered sheers. A link to Amazon will be below in the resource section.
Cutting promotes growth and helps keep the plant the shape you want or need. By year two, your lavender will have doubled in size.
Tip 7: Year 3 and beyond, your lavender will continue to add new growth after pruning – but prune wisely!
Pruning too severely will kill your plant. Never prune old wood unless its dead
Don't prune in cold temperatures – wait until ground temps are above 50 degrees.
Tip 8: Understand the type of lavender you are growing and its size and uses.
English lavenders are smaller growing and from small mounds. They are perfect for edging along walkways.
Tall-growing lavenders such as Lavindins make excellent hedges, and when their flowers reach their tallest, they sway in the wind, similar to tall grasses.
Congratulations! It's your 2nd year, and your lavenders haven't died! Its time to harvest your stems, and you ask yourself NOW WHAT?
Well, that depends on the type of lavender you planted. Hopefully, you did your homework, and you know the kind of plants you have, and it will be easy. Here is a list of lavenders that are perfect for what use.
English Lavenders or Lavendula Augustifolia are generally preferred for culinary purposes because these varieties have a sweeter taste and little camphor flavor. Some lavenders are lighter and sweeter than others, so experiment and grow various them versus just 1 type.
Our large copper still. Today were making hydrosol for Farm to Bath Face Mist. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)Grosso Lavender Hydrosol and Essential Oil floating on top after the first distillation. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
Medicinal Lavender
French Lavenders or Lavendula dentate – are best for making bath and body products, hydrosols, essential oils, sachets, and floral arrangements. These lavenders have high camphor content and are better for their medicinal properties, such as aromatherapy.
Spanish Lavenders or Stoechas – are best for landscaping. They are too bitter for culinary uses and don’t have a strong enough scent for medicinal or for crafts. However, they make any garden or landscape stunning!
And finally…
Lavendula x-intermedia – Grosso. Fresh cut ready to be hung to dry. Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
Lavendula x-intermedia – the hybrid. Not recommended for culinary uses as it has the highest camphor content of all the lavenders. It is too bitter to use.
However, it’s perfect for cosmetics, perfumes, hydrosols, essential oils, and some floral arrangements. I grow this variety for its high essential oil content and ease of drying and de-budding for my bath and body products.
Recap
– We know lavender has been around for hundreds of years.
– We have an idea of where and what types of plants to grow.
– We have an idea of what to do with your lavender after you harvest it.
But the big question that I get the most of why does it make me feel so calm?
I’m glad you asked! Lavender has excellent medicinal properties. So before I get into this information, I need to be clear –
I am not a doctor, The information I’m presenting here is for, and educational purposes only, and in no way am I diagnosing and or treating anything. If you have questions about your health, please see a licensed medical professional in your area.
Picture Brenda J. Sullivan (Click Here to view picture)
For those who want to do a deep dive on herbs, the reference manual I’m using is David Hoffmann’s book, Medicinal Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine.
Lavender’s herbal actions are carminative, antispasmodic, relaxing nervine, antidepressant, rubefacient, emmenagogue, and hypotensive. And, if you don’t know what I mean by “herbal actions” download the document above.
Lavender has been known to relieve headaches related to stress. It may also be useful in clearing depression if used in conjunction with other remedies and promote natural sleep.
Its properties are also known as a gentle nervous system tonic, which may treat states of nervous weakness and exhaustion.
Safety issues: No side effects or drug interactions have been reported when used correctly. But – remember, overuse of anything can have a negative side effect.
For example, water has no side effects, but if you overdrink more than what your body can handle, it will have dire consequences. It’s the same with anything – too much of a good thing can have adverse effects.
In the herbal preparations section, Hoffman states that drinking lavender tea three times a day is beneficial.
However, he discourages anyone from taking lavender essential oil internally. So only use fresh or dried culinary lavender to make your tea. Don’t add any essential oils.
Lavender essential oil should never be ingested or directly used on the skin. It can be added to baths or added to a carrier oil and then rubbed on the skin, but ingested or directly snorted in the nose.
Now that we understand the different ways you can use lavender –
5 drips of lemon essential oil or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
1. Mix the white vinegar and the borax together in a 16 oz bottle.
Fill the bottle three quarters full of hot distilled water.
Shake well until borax is dissolved.
2. Add the liquid castile soap and the essential oils to the solution and shake well. Use as you would any other all-purpose cleaner.
Reference and Books Section
Please note that many of these links are affiliate links and we earn a small commission if these links are used. There is no extra cost to you. The money earned will help support the administrative and web hosting fees charged to keep this podcast on the internet. We thank you for any support you can offer.
Farm to Bath| Our philosophy is to live a locally focused naturally beautiful life, a lifestyle choice that is infused into the products we make. The ingredients are locally grown and/or acquired and are as basic and pure as nature itself. Each bar is full of fragrant aromatics that provide a rich moisturizing lather with no artificial colors or preservatives added – naturally beautiful!
My Garden Journal: A How To Garden Book For Kids| Gardening is a learned skill – everyone has to start somewhere, and a journal provides the best way to improve your gardening skills to ensure more successes and fewer failures.
The intent of this journal is to simultaneously teach basic gardening techniques while providing a place to record your journey with important information about the “how, when, and where” to grow food and flowers.
There are suggestions on themed gardens such as “A Harry Potter Garden”, “A Young Chef's Garden”, or a “Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden” for budding Naturalists and places to either sketch or photograph your plants to remember their appearance for the next growing season.
You'll be amazed at how much you will learn by journaling about your garden!
Music
A special thank you to Gene Tullio for writing and producing this music. He has given me special permission to use this song for the show.
Gene's music can be downloaded from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. For more information please contact him at dreamshipmusic@gmail.com
Album: The Dreamship| The Forge Of Life| Copyright 2018
Social Media Links:
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We would love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
Please follow us on all our social media outlets. We’d love to hear if you tried the recipe(s) from these podcasts.
