August 3, 2017 Sniff, sniff… Just had the most wonderful call with the interns last night. It was our last call as I’m simplifying things to prepare for the birth of this little one. Two of them have worked with me directly at the apothecary. And, one was a friend who became a satellite intern, … Continue reading
Tales from a 3-day Herb Course in Mississippi
I didn’t know who would sign up. But, I knew I would show up no matter what. Before I left Mississippi to move to Tennessee this April (2017), I wanted to leave a heaping package of ‘thank you’ behind. So, I crafted a 3-day herb course for Spring 2017. We met one Sunday each month … Continue reading
A Recap: Foraged Farmacy Intensive
Reposting this from my old website, http://www.sweetgumsprings.com, to this one (as I am about to shut down the other website). I feel really satisfied with the recent intensive, Foraged Farmacy: Crafting Your Own Medicine Chest in Clinton, MS which took place the last weekend of May 2016. This was the third time Jen Stovall and … Continue reading
Fibers That Won’t Choke The World
With the little one on its way…I’ve been obsessing about fabrics, textiles, and yarns. As an herbalist and plant-worker, I’ve always been drawn to natural fibers and plant dyes, but this nesting season has taken it to a whole new level. In addition to this, my increasing awareness of microplastics has deepened my commitment to … Continue reading
Hearty Homemade Crackers
When I moved away from San Francisco in 2009, I was sure to take with me a small binder of recipes my nutritionist friend had given me. She was the one that had exposed me to whole foods, traditional food ways, and the Weston A Price Foundation (which focuses on food, farming, and the healing … Continue reading
Tasty Quinoa Pancakes
I came up with recipe some time ago when I bought food in rather large bulk quantities. At that time in my life, I had purchased a 25 lb bag of quinoa… Needless to say, I figured out ways to be creative and inventive with it. For those of you that have had quinoa before, … Continue reading
A Fascination with Ochres
There are some creeks near my old home-town in Mississippi that I like to visit and walk when I am in the area. One creek in particular has various shades of ochres that I wanted to share with a friend of mine who uses natural pigments for her watercolor paintings and natural pigment workshops. On … Continue reading
Damiana: inner sunshine from our neighbors in the South
Common Name: Damiana Latin name: Turnera diffusa Family: Turneraceae or Passifloraceae (I’ve seen both) Parts used: leaves Tissue or system affinity: Nervous system, Circulatory system Taste: Pungent Energetics: warming, slightly drying Actions: anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, anxiolytic, nervine and metabolic stimulant Uses: A native plant of southern Texas, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, this … Continue reading
Peach: there’s more to it than the fruit!
Common Name: Peach tree Latin name: Prunus persica Family: Rosaceae Parts used: fresh leaves, fully dried leaves (((NOT wilted leaves, which contain higher levels of cyanide))) Tissue or system affinity: digestive system, nervous system Taste: Slightly sweet, aromatic Energetics: cooling & moistening Actions: relaxing nervine, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic Uses: a traditional Southern Folk Medicine herb; … Continue reading
Milky Oats: the herb that soothes and coats
Common Name: Oats Latin name: Avena sativa Family: Poaceae (Grass family) Parts used: fresh milky green seed heads, dried stalk, dried seeds Tissue or system affinity: nervous system, mucous membranes, skin Taste: slightly sweet Energetics: neutral & moistening Actions: nervine, nutritive, mineralizer Uses: Oats are really overlooked as an herb. Milky oats (tincture of the … Continue reading
