Tag: flowers

Goldenrod
Our honeybees and wild pollinators are so happy to see the emergence of goldenrod in the late summer. It signals the end of the summer dearth for bees and other pollinators. Believe it or not, once the spring flowers have dried up and before fall flowers bloom, pollinators can experience a scarcity of fresh nectar.

But goldenrod is more than just a welcome source of nectar for pollinators, it is also a powerful medicinal herb for us.

If you see this abundant flush of little yellow flowers in rows, cut the plant at ground level and hang the leaves and flowers to dry. Not to be mistaken for ragweed, which has similar buds but lacks the bright golden color. The leaves are different, too. Goldenrod has single leaves while ragweed has dissected leaves. It’s important to know the difference because ragweed has wind-blown pollen that causes allergies while goldenrod has sticky pollen which makes it a pollinator favorite (and one that soothes the respiratory system, while the other irritates it).

Fresh or dried herbs can be steeped in an infusion (tea) for treating the flu. Herbal tradition recommends a goldenrod infusion for reducing hay fever, excessive phlegm, runny nose, irritant cough, inflamed nasal membranes, thick yellow secretions, and sinus pain. Goldenrod is an aromatic, stimulant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and diaphoretic (promotes sweating).

Gargle the goldenrod tea to soothe a sore throat.

The infusion of goldenrod also strengthens the stomach, pacifies colic, and is a carminative solution to flatulence. Because it is an effective urinary antiseptic and diuretic, Hulda Clark included it in the first edition of her Kidney Cleanse recipe to help dissolve bladder stones and calcifications

Goldenrod Infusion:

Put 1 tsp goldenrod leaves and flowers in an unbleached teabag and soak in 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes and sip when warm. You may sweeten to taste with raw honey, but it tastes fragrant and mild without it.

Pour the warm tea through a cheesecloth to filter out any herb particles and use as an antifungal douche to treat yeast infection.

Rich in saponins and tannins, and bursting with bioflavanoids which strengthen the veins, goldenrod can reduce blood pressure, varicose veins, and fragile capillaries.

Goldenrod Infused Oil:

Fill a mason jar 1/4 to halfway with goldenrod flowers and leaves. Pour sunflower oil to the top of the jar. Cover and set in a cool dark place for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain.

To make a salve, set a glass container in a pot of water (or a double boiler) over medium low heat. Melt 1/4 part beeswax. Add 1 part Goldenrod Infused Oil after the beeswax is completely melted. Pour the warm salve into a container and allow to cool. Apply Goldenrod Salve on legs or any part of the body with swollen veins.

Sources:
- The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs by Penelope Ody
- Mother Nature’s Herbal by Judy Griffin, Ph.D.
- Indian Herbalogy of North America: The Definitive Guide to Native Medicinal Plants and Their Uses by Alma R. Hutchens
August 26, 2020
I am a small part of the big picture.
Bees are magical. They pollinate plants and are responsible for many of the foods we eat. Without bees, there would be widespread famine.

Bees also make a magical potion called honey. Honey is medicinal and lasts forever. It has recently been touted as the “new” cure for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is laughable considering the medicinal use of honey was documented as far back as in ancient Sumerian clay tablets.

Bees are in danger. All over the world bees are dying. Pesticides and the loss of adequate habitat devoted to bees are killing bee colonies. Governments are not acting fast enough to make the changes necessary to save them.

We, you and I, need to do something about it. It’s really easy to provide a honey bee haven. All bees need is pesticide-free food, shelter and water. Your garden, balcony or front porch will do.
1. Stop using pesticides in your garden. Explore organic ways to control pests such as ladybugs.
2. Plant flowers bees would love throughout the year, especially in the late summer and fall.
3. Set up a clean source of water, like a shallow fountain or rainwater collection system. Bees don’t need much.
4. Leave some ground undisturbed with dead branches for wild bees to find shelter in.
These are the recommendations made by Honey Bee Haven. It’s a small contribution that can make a big difference.
April 26, 2015
Cosplay Ears

We made a movie! My husband, daughter and I have been making a short movie series since summer last year. My daughter calls it Time Brats. It’s a sci-fi fantasy musical, and she invites her cousins, classmates, and in this latest one, the 4th episode, her 2nd grade teacher, to be part of it. It’s a lot of fun, and keeps me and my husband busy making props and costumes before the shoot, and editing and soundtracking after it. Here’s the video. We had so much fun making it. I hope you like it.

But that’s not really what this blog post is about. I want to show you how to sew the Chipmunks’ Ears out of scrap fabric we had at home. It’s easy!

Materials:
paper for making a pattern
brown fabric (we used fleece)
bright colored furry fabric (we had violet at home)
plastic headband close to the wearer’s hair color
sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, thimble, whatever it takes for you to work on a sewing project

Start by cutting out a pattern. It’s really simple, just a straight line at the bottom and a half circle above. It can be as big or small as you want the ears to be. I imagine making it small would be a lot more difficult, unless you have really tiny fingers, so make it a decent size, maybe half an 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper.

When it’s time to cut out the fabric, make sure your fur goes in the direction away from the straight line. I’m not sure I’m describing it accurately so just take a look at the picture above to see what I mean. Cut out 2 sets for 2 ears.

Put the fabrics together, right sides facing each other, wrong sides on the outside. Tuck the fur in so we don’t sew it and we get more fuzz for fun. Then sew the half-circle around. Don’t worry if you have to make little pleats just to make the two pieces of fabric fit. Just make sure you keep the ends of the straight line bottom together.

Turn it inside out. See the pleats I did when I sewed the half circle? It looks pretty cool.

Fold the straight sides in, and sew together.

Now here’s the tricky part. To get those ears on the headband, you’ll need to hand-sew it on. Fold the ears in half, fur on the inside and set it up straight side in line with the headband, curved side sticking outward like, oh yeah, ears! Hand-sew the ears together to hold on to the headband. You could knock yourself out and sew the whole straight side together, but I just sewed the part close to the fold, and then the ends.

To really secure the ears to the headband, get into the furry part and sew it together close to the headband. I just did the middle of the ear and it stayed put well enough for two 8-year-olds to wear all day and shake their heads around in.

Rock those ears, girls!

May 21, 2013
Happy Mothers Day!

I got lavender plants for Mothers Day this year.

They are absolutely beautiful and smells heavenly.

Have a beautiful day!

May 12, 2013
Garden Update

My Shade Garden is coming along nicely. Most of it, at least. I planted early spring plants such as peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli, lettuce, radishes and beets on February 16 and 17.

Remember those Sugar Snap Peas I got from Botanical Interests that I planted a while back? Here they are now!

Aren’t they happy?

The radishes are perking up adorably as well. Here’s one. I love its red stems and heart-shaped leaves.

I can’t wait to see these underground beauties.

The lettuce, broccoli, spinach and beets have also sprouted, but I’ll wait a little bit until they’re bigger before I take pictures.

Someone has been messing around in my garden. I don’t know if it’s a bird or a little mammal, but I really need to figure out a way to keep my plants from getting eaten. I have both a cat and a dog, and the neighbors’ cats come over to play too. You’d think we’d keep the rodents and birds in check, but I still see a lot of gopher holes throughout the lawn.

I was thinking of maybe building some kind of Arduino-powered robot-scarecrow to create a motion-detecting alarm to scare off little creatures. Still tossing around some ideas. Maybe something as simple as solar-powered or wind-powered kinetic sculptures would be sufficient.

As for the Little Marvel Shelling Peas I had leftover from last year, I wrote about refrigerating them before putting them in the ground. I think I read about it somewhere in an old copy of The Old Farmers Almanac. Well, my peas took a very long time to emerge. The Sugar Snaps were way further along before I saw even just a peep of the peas. I finally saw some of them this weekend.

What else have I got to report? Remember the rose bushes I pruned and fed banana peels? They are growing so big and beautiful. Here’s Security, the Rose Bush with the killer thorns by my daughter’s window.

The Olive tree is sprouting shoots at its base.

I think I may take cuttings this summer and see if we can grow more of this Olive tree that is so rich in symbolism.

March 10, 2013
Garden Plan

As soon as my seeds arrived from Botanical Interests, I sorted them out in order of when they need to be planted. I also included seeds I bought last year, and seeds we’ve been saving all year. I came up with a rough garden plan. It went through several revisions once we started working and sowing in the garden. It’s important to keep track of what was planted where so that next year we can mix it up and make sure each plant gets to know a whole new part of the garden. Keeps the soil healthy and happy.

Shade Garden

First in are all the seeds that love cold weather and would grow with at least 3 hours of sun a day. I picked a spot behind the house. It’s the only shady place on the whole property, and it’s close to a faucet and garden hose. While tilling the soil, we found old rusty nails and parts of rusty tools, an indication that at some point in the distant past, someone had a garden there too.

Advantages of growing these plants in the shade: I don’t have to water as much. The shade keeps the plant bed moist for a longer period of time. The leaves don’t get torched by the sun, especially important to leafy green vegetables such as spinach and lettuce.

What I planted in my Shade Garden: peas, sugar snap peas, spinach, lettuce, radish, beets and broccoli. We’re expecting harvest starting mid-March through the rest of spring.

Herb Garden

Next up are cool season herbs. These herbs like full sun to partial shade, so I’m planning on sowing them in front of the house, which faces south, but is given partial shade by large evergreens. We have raised beds surrounding the house and a couple of small ones in front.

Going in the Early Spring Herb Garden: parsley, cilantro, sage, chamomile, lavender, calendula.

Adding to the Herb Garden after Spring has sprung: thyme, oregano, basil.

Sun Garden

After last chance of Spring frost is over, we’ll be starting the Sun Garden: basil, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes (basil and tomatoes are best companion planting buddies), corn, carrots, cucumber, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, sweet peppers, red bell pepper, watermelon, cantaloupe, and sunflowers.

Pumpkin patch: My daughter is a Halloween baby, so we want our pumpkin patch to be a big celebration. Three different kinds of pumpkins: Jack O’Lantern pumpkins for carving, sugar pie pumpkins for yummy treats and Jack Be Little pumpkins for decorating.

Fruit Trees

I save all seeds from fruit we eat. I’m planning on sprouting these seeds and growing them in pots until they’re big enough to transplant into soil. It could take years, but I have to start sometime. Apricot, different kinds of apples, lemon, cherries, tangerine, plums, pear, pine.

We also have grown trees that are sprouting babies at their roots. Olive and various other evergreens. I wonder if I could grow them from cuttings.

I don’t know if I’ll get to everything. I certainly have a full plate. I’ll be updating these garden plans as we go along. This is going to be an amazing year!

February 21, 2013
Botanical Interests

I got my seeds from Botanical Interests! They came in this pretty box which fits nicely in my mailbox.

A while back I was thinking about seeds and the recent defeat of Proposition 37 here in California. Without mandatory labeling of GMO seeds and food, I will have to assume something is genetically modified, unless they voluntarily state otherwise. The Non-GMO Project is an awesome guide to finding non-GMO products. The Cornucopia Seeds I bought at my local OSH last fall were marked “Not treated or genetically modified” right on the packet. Mike at Urban Organic Gardener wrote about Sources for Buying Non-GMO seeds. The comments thread is really really interesting. One of the commenters posted a list of seed companies owned or supplied by Monsanto. They could be selling organic or non-gmo seeds and still be making money for the Evil Empire. Well, I was glad to know that the seeds I got last fall have nothing to do with Monsanto. And this winter I bought my seeds from Botanical Interests, which sells non-GMO organic and heirloom seeds. They are not on the list of seed villains. And they have these lovely illustrations on the packets. That goes a long way with me.

I bought so many seeds! I admit I got a little carried away. For less than the price of one trip to the grocery store, I just bought my family’s vegetables all year. I also received a complimentary packet of Lettuce.

With these non-gmo organic seeds, and our own gardens that we’ll tend using organic gardening practices, we will be eating better than we ever have. I imagine just-picked sugar snap peas crunching in my mouth, not having soggy or dried out vegetables in the refrigerator, everything eaten just after snipping it off the plant. Does that sound like heaven to you?

February 20, 2013
Aromatherapy for Seduction

Angelica is a warm and musky, herbaceous scent that is very grounding. Avoid use in pregnancy.

Black Pepper is a hot and spicy piquant scent that warms and stimulates. It should be used sparingly because it is easily overpowering. It may also irritate sensitive skin.

Cardamom is a warm, sweet and spicy scent with a hint of eucalyptus. It is stimulating and head-clearing, but should be used sparingly because it is easily overpowering.

Cedar Wood is an ancient camphor. It is a sweet soothing antidepressant with a woody undertone. It was said to have been used in the Egyptian embalming process. Avoid use in pregnancy. May irritate skin in high concentrations.

Cinnamon is a warm and spicy stimulant. Grown in the Far East, East Indies and China, it is one of the oldest spices known – used by the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and even mentioned in the Old Testament. It could irritate sensitive skin if used in baths and massage oils. Use in very low concentrations.

Clary Sage is an uplifting relaxant. It smells sweetly herbaceous and floral. Used by the ancient Egyptians to cure women of infertility, these dried leaves were considered sacred in those days. The Chinese have also used it medicinally for centuries. Use sparingly, and should be avoided by pregnant women and anyone who suffers from epilepsy.

Cloves are a warm and stimulating sweet-spicy-bitter scent. It is easily overpowering so use sparingly.

Coriander is a sweet and spicy, slightly musky scent. It is a warm, uplifting stimulant that effects light-heartedness.

Ginger is a warm, peppery and spicy stimulant.

Jasmine is my personal favorite. I have jasmine vines growing on the north and south fences around my home. It is warm with musky undertones. Aside from being an antidepressant, it is also known as the fragrance of sacred love. It is an ancient favorite of the Arabs, Indians and Chinese. It was introduced from Persia to Europe in the sixteenth century.

Neroli is a soothing and uplifting antidepressant. It has a sweet floral scent with bitter undertones. Neroli is better known as the orange blossom, white blossoms of the bitter orange tree which originated in China, but also grows in Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, the United States, Italy and southern France. In 1680, Anna Maria Orsini, Princess of Nerola, was said to have brought the fragrance to fashion among the Italian aristocracy.

Nutmeg is a warm and spicy stimulant. Use sparingly because it is easily overpowering.

Patchouli is a rich and earthy relaxant. It is warm and stimulating, one of India’s most favorite perfumes. The oil is extracted from the dried and fermented leaves of the small patchouli shrub.

Rosemary is a sharp and fresh stimulant. This small shrub, at most three feet high, with gray-green leaves and pale blue-white flowers, was first favored by the Egyptians. Before long, though, its popularity grew with the Greeks and Romans, who believed it symbolized love and death. Use in low concentration, as excessive doses may bring about epileptic convulsions. Do not use if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure.

Roses have long been the valentine flowers of choice. Cleopatra was said to have carpeted her bedroom in rose petals to aid her seduction of Mark Antony. In Roman times, it was used in garlands, baths, and often in ostentatious public displays. Although it is a sweet and mellow antidepressant, it has a tendency to be heady. It is not advisable to use it as a bath or massage oil when you are pregnant.

Sandalwood is an ancient sensual scent that soothes. It is warm, woody, soft, and sweet. It is an antidepressant that mellows with age. The evergreen sandalwood tree grows to a height of up to 30 feet in China, Indonesia, and East India. It is from the roughly chipped and powdered wood that the fragrant balsamic oils are derived. Many temples in India were built with this wood.

Vetiver is an ancient rich and earthy scent. It is warm and soothing.

Ylang Ylang is another personal favorite. It is intensely sweet, like jasmine. An antidepressant, with a tendency to get heady. It is a tropical tree native to Indonesia and the Philippines. The ylang-ylang tree reaches a height of 60 feet and produces yellow flowers that used to be mixed with coconut oil to perfume and condition the body and hair.

February 14, 2004