Farewell to herbs!

We're wrapping up herbs here for awhile.  As you can see, my knowledge and experience is still very limited!  I hope if anything, this encourages to you to get out and try something!  Drink some tea!  Pour your own salve!  Go plant some herb seeds!  If I can, believe me when I say, YOU CAN!!!

Here's just a brief smattering of some of the herbs that I have begun to grow around my house.  The best thing about growing herbs; for the most part, the deer leave them alone so they can actually grow!

(Please don't laugh at my baby herbs!  They are still very young and sensitive.  Give them some time!)

Some herbs were given to me as plants, such as my echinacea.

Echinacea is a powerful infection fighter and is a great natural antibiotic.  It is also excellent for the immune system. Whenever we were sick growing up, out came the echinacea!  It is a contact healer as well (which is why it is used in the healing salve!)  The leaf and the root are used, although the root is the most powerful.  Echinacea should not be taken regularly, only when needed.
 

Yarrow is excellent when used for fevers or the flu.  It also helps to stop bleeding.  (It also is used in the healing salve).

Catnip is wonderful to use with children.  It is often used as a remedy for colic, gas or indigestion. It also helps to sooth the nerves and is helpful for colds or flu.  We use it in our sleepy tea and tincture.

Rosemary isn't only good with meat!  It's also great for your hair! 

Of course there's  peppermint.  It just makes the whole world better!  It helps with digestion, headaches, nerves, fever etc.. Plus it tastes sooooo good!  Beware though! Peppermint is a bit prideful and thinks that because it is so wonderful, it should take over wherever it is planted. Plant it in a pot or somewhere that you don't mind it growing EVERYWHERE!

I started this chamomile from seed.  It helps to calm the nerves, settle the stomach and also with digestion and gas.  It has a pleasant sweet taste. Oh, and you use the flowers of this plant. (This is also used in our sleepy tea and tincture).

The calendula also started from seed.  It is great for all sorts of skin problems as it fights bacteria, fungi, inflammation and viruses. Again the flower is used here. (And again this is used in the healing salve!)

Some herbs you just find everywhere!  Recognize this little guy?  This is plantain, and it can be found just about anywhere you go here in Oregon.  It is also powerful astringent which makes it great for bee stings, bug bites or any wound that you want to draw poison out of.  It of course is used n the healing salve!  But, if you don't have any salve on hand after a surprise bee sting, simply chew up a leaf or two and put your goo on the sting. It doesn't taste that great, but it really helps!

This of course is a very limited list of things you can grow and how they can be used.  Do some research!  There is so much to learn and like I've said all along, it's really fun!

And it's not rocket science!  I'm sorry but I really don't have any "recipes" for you!  The list of ingredients I've given for the teas, tinctures and salves are all I've had to go by.  Experiment!  Figure out what you find to work the best! 

So here's the question;  Anyone interested in a goofy herb giveaway?  Leave a comment if you'd be interested and I'll see what I can gather up!

Thanks for sticking with me!