HerbsAllAround

07/19/2025

herbal creations..
it's so wonderful that herbs allow you to really personalize a recipe:
I have an herb-friend who has been recovering from liver, gall bladder and pancreatic disease for many years, gradually investigating so many levels of digestive, emotional and spiritual health. I thought to make her a tea blend, but had a sense of her constitution, emotional state and this darned humid hot Summer season. A classic component of many digestive teas might be marshmallow root. But even this gentle herb seemed too heavy somehow, for this person at this time. So I added a bit of corn silk and chickweed instead.

More information with the photos

07/11/2025

I have been wondering for a long time, about the dynamics of growing and using herbs and foods for most of our medicines. Many of the herbs we American herbal product makers use are supplied in bulk amounts by growers in other countries. No doubt if you are such an herb-crafter, you have noted a gradual decrease in availability and increase in price over the years.

Chamomile from Bulgaria, Mullein flower from Greece and Albania. Blue lotus root from Thailand. Triphala and Brahmi from India. So much of our herbal medicines come from other growers in other countries with labor costs much cheaper than what American workers and growers would accept or afford to tolerate.

Habitat loss due to development for construction or mega-farming or cattle grazing. Climate changes making former growing places inhospitable for certain plants. Increased fuel costs of overseas shipping. And now tariffs on many imported goods. And it is difficult in other countries to make a living wage growing medicine plants, just as it is difficult here.

I don't feel inclined to be an "herbal isolationist" though. For one, I don't think the fear and protectionist response is realistic anyway. The blue lotus that you try to grow in an artificially produced environment in say, Louisiana, will probably be expensive to grow and process, and not likely to have the same medicinal or psychoactive effects as its subtropical sister. So I think we herbalists could think more about how to support our growers of things that are uniquely suited to different environments in many countries, and also look at the herbal medicine plants that could be grown and processed on the US continent, that could continue to support small, Indigenous, regional and local medicines and economies.

We talk more about sustainable food supplies and nutritional resources. How about we look at sustainable medicine?

https://www.supplysidesj.com/supplement-regulations/tariffs-on-imported-herbs-threaten-us-wellness-industry-consumer-access?utm_source=ahpa&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ahpa_update

https://www.supplysidesj.com/supplement-regulations/tariffs-on-imported-herbs-threaten-us-wellness-industry-consumer-access?utm_source=ahpa&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ahpa_update

07/07/2025

We had adventures with plants this weekend and this morning! I have been collecting mullein flowers. In just one morning, with one plant, I have had plenty of opportunity to ponder all the things about its medicine, our climate, international wconomic relations and respect for Nature's power and beauty. So.. more about all that later!

07/03/2025

July happenings:

Herb and Craft Table in the shop home yard is July 18 Friday noon til 5. - we will have homemade Root Beer Syrup!
Drop by and chat about any herb and health questions you have

W**d Walk at the Galesville gardens July 27 Sunday - noon til 4 About foraging .. but then what?We will gather and learn was to process and preserve your herbs for your home kitchen medicine cabinet
W21046 Deer Run Lane, Galesville WI
Cost $10 -$20
You will have your foraged plants, and recipes to take home. Sips and snacks will be provided

06/25/2025

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06/24/2025

06/22/2025

Kitchen experiments with green rosehips
The green rosehips were part of just a bit of pruning of the big rangy shrub. They feel a little sticky and aromatic so I wondered if this was due to the presence of oils or oil-soluble compounds..

Descriptions of experiences with the photos

Hope I can provide some practical home medicine-making suggestions for you all

06/22/2025

Last week we harvested everything rose thank you to my helper! The Rosa rugosa has an especially sweet and rich perfume. We noticed that the green rosehips s well as the leaves and fresh stems felt a bit sticky so that led to some kitchen investigations (messes) which I will post about later.

In this warm weather it will be good to make rose water. And an herb-friend suggested infusing rose in glycerine which I am going to do!

More about rose medicine with photos and in following posts

05/29/2025

Trying our best with Spring garden chores, to keep up with customers and making things. This week I strained out tinctures of elderberry, bilberry, willow bark, bloodroot, barberry root, echinacea leaf, mullein leaf. We also collected and dried catnip and raspberry leaf, and have bowls of dandelion leaf and root to thoroughly clean, chop as needed and dry.

I am just one of many regional and local herbalists who are knowledgeably and conscientiously growing, foraging, harvesting and processing herbs for you.

05/29/2025

A way of introducing you to the qualities of the foods and medicines (and everything else) you experience. I am including an article giving more explanation about this topic, from the Ayurvedic perspective...the original "functional medicine"
https://www.easyayurveda.com/2016/06/14/taste-shad-rasa/

So think about things.. what do you think are the qualities and tastes of...a big juicy sloppy hamburger, French fries and milkshake? (Hint, common qualities: heavy and wet). An guesses about the effect on your digestion and metabolism of nutrients?

05/28/2025

Drop by, my herb friends and neighbors! Last craft tent was so much fun! This Friday I am offering free Dosha Evaluations as well

05/09/2025

A beautiful day..
First herbal craft table at our shop home! I don't have proper signs or a few yard sale signs to put on the street corner, I just thought I would start by just getting things going.
We have some things in progress which will be available in two weeks also. Bug spray and No Itches spray are on the table, and the lotion versions will be added. We will also have lilac flower water and lilac syrup, and more of our basic salves and extracts. Hope to have some garden shirts, dresses and aprons done too!
Here at 1729 Kane Street til 5 ish