I wait and I wait. And I patiently wait, until out of thin air, the little brown paperbag-like sheathes slough off the tips of the branches and float away.... revealing the new little spruce needles that are the most beauteous little tender chartreuse new born tips of deliciousness. Seriously. They're like little slightly sour lemony chewy gumballs. Not as astringent and definitely more palatable than the more aged needles. I'm not certain I can even describe it correctly. It has a piney/balsamic character with a sweet almost fruity lemony woodsy-like under tone. They some how remind me of the little yellow sour grass flower forest, (Oxalis I think they were) those clover blossoms that grew all over the side yard and I would pluck them by the handfuls and chomp and suck the sour juices from their stems. Kinda like that but not as sweet and juicy. And I guess not so puckery. Well, they have a wild, sour-wood flavor all of their own.

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My boys kept me super warm last night with their perfectly running fevers and kept me up with their irritating coughs. So I'm off to give hugs and make soups, and syrups, and herbal pastilles and sleepy teas and probably some kinda cookies, maybe big soft ginger molasses cookies....because you've gotta have lots of herbaly goodness and hugs and kisses and cookies when this kinda madness goes down.

Herbal medicine is the medicine of the people, and plant medicines are not only simple, but safe, effective, and pretty much free. Our ancestors used plant medicines, and our neighbors around the world use plant medicines, and you can use plant medicines for healing just the same. It's super easy and super fun and I even let my littles help sometimes.

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I've always liked to make my own Valentine love letters....all handwritten and colored with leaves and sticks and twigs and rocks and plant dyed spots, or whipping up my own chocolatey and sticky and sweet confections, and irresistible luscious liqueurs....but this year, I'm stringing wild jewels too. A little something special for my girls. They're easy enough to be a children's project but I'm keeping this one a secret because I'm making these ones for my Valentine girls. I will say though, that my fingertips didn't go without the occasional needle poke so some children my need help with this one.

Personally, I'm not one for store bought jewelry like gold rings or trinket laden necklaces. I have a lustful eye and a heart for the treasures gifted and hidden amongst Nature. I do love sea jewels and shells and seed pods and gems and stones and twigs and precious metals and such and I , especially like to find these treasures myself and make my own jewelery with wild jewels.

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"One may live without bread, not without roses."

The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant, and typically is red or orangeish, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form in spring, and ripen in late summer through autumn.  And me, I like to get them while I can, and eat them up!

Rose hips are a very rich source of Vitamin C and are free for the picking. Three average hips have as much Vitamin C as a medium-sized orange so they are definitely a good fruit to incorporate into the diet. The food value is found in their skin and their taste is similar to that of an apple. If you plan on harvesting, pick only the ripe berries that are vivid red and slightly soft. They have a much better flavor if picked after the first frost…preferably late August through October. You can harvest them from your garden, but they’re more plentiful from old-time shrub varieties such as rugosas and wild rose bushes. To collect your own, and to encourage your roses to develop them, don’t trim the blossoms and leave them to naturally fade and fall. Or you can buy dried cut and sifted rose hips ready to use.

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I'm thrilled to finally be adding some new herbals to the website that I spent all Spring, Summer and Fall growing, loving, tickling, singing too, harvesting and now are ready to be shared! 

Even though I had to leave behind my ever so loved food and medicine garden in California, I was able to harvest a little bit from almost everything before setting off on this new journey. And now, as I cozy up for the Winter I'm busy planning out my new garden space where there is sure to be an abundance of herbals in the years to come.

So here's a peek at some of the newly added herbal goodies below: garlic mullein flower oil, fire cider and a few new tinctures here on local harvest as well as my website.... natural medicines made with love from me and my gardens.

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Mallow is one of the earliest cited plants in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance")

Know your weeds: Look down, because Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) probably grows around you. The flowers, leaves, young shoots and roots are edible, either raw or cooked and are very nutritious. The seeds alone contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat.

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Marrubrium vulgaris is one of the first non-native herbs I learned when I was working as field biologist for Cal State Stanislas to protect native species. I knew the plant as a cough remedy and a candy, but didn't have much experience recognizing the plant back then. In college as a horticulture student we studied landscaping plants rather than "wild" plants; which is truly where my heart was. But none the less, I learned a lot.

Its Latin name is thought to have come from the Romans who named it after an ancient town, but it may also have derived from the Hebrew marrob, meaning bitter herb, as it is still eaten during Passover. But the name horehound is thought to have derived from "Horus", the Egyptian god of sky and light. The Romans and other ancient civilizations relied on horehound to treat numerous ailments, including whooping cough, tuberculosis, jaundice, menstrual cramps, and constipation. The herb is an effective immune booster and is quite nutritious, containing vitamins A, B, C and E, essential fatty acids, iron, potassium and marrubin (an expectorant).

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For those who have learned to respect its sting and recognize its amazing herbal attributes, stinging nettle truly is one of our most delicious, nutritious and medicinal foods. Even though this plant can offer a crash course in plant identification, as well as contact dermatitis, painful tiny blisters, and possible burning like sensations, (OUCH!) get to know it, nettle has so much to offer.

Besides being very high in iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and D; it is nutritive, astringent, diuretic, tonic, and antihistamine. Nettle is particularly effective in treating allergic rhinitis, relieving nearly all the symptoms of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and runny nose. This herb can be taken in the form of tincture, capsule or as I prefer in tea; two or three times daily throughout hay fever season. Some herbalist recommend nettle for dogs that suffer seasonal allergies as well.

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