Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Chickweed grows in my parents yard here in Anaconda, Montana. To my parents it is a weed, to me it is medicine. Today I harvested a basket full of this beautiful weed to dry to make infusion and to make a tincture.

On hand, I was able to find 80 proof vodka to make the tincture. I chopped the aerial parts of the herb into a clean jar filling it, yet, leaving about one-inch room, then filled the jar with the vodka. I created a label that includes the following:

CHICKWEED
Stellaria media
8/27/2014
Fresh aerial parts in 40% alcohol from Anaconda backyard
dosage: 30 drops, 2-3 times per day for 2-16 months (per Susan Weed)
Actions: anti-rheumatic, vulnerary, emollient (The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann)

From day-to-day I will greet my tincture, shake it and send it love, I will do this for 6 weeks before it is ready to be strained and used as medicine. It will be kept in the kitchen cabinet.
  • Emollient: applied to skin, to soften, soothe, and protect
  • Vulnerary: applied to skin to aid in healing of wounds and cuts

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Front Yard Harvest

The weather has cheered up once again and I sure am grateful as I am ready to harvest some herbs from my parent's front yard. I was delighted, when I showed up to visit, to see growing in their yard; Yarrow, Peppermint, and Raspberries.

Today, I harvested these plants to dry to later make infusions, teas, or tinctures. It's wonderful that common plants that may be growing in your yard have so much more potential than just beauty or in the case of raspberries, fruit. According to The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann (the only herbal book that I have with me right now) these plants have the following actions.

Yarrow (Achillae millefolium)
  • diaphoretic
  • hypotensive
  • astringent
  • diuretic
  • antiseptic
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
  • carminative
  • anti-spasmodic
  • aromatic
  • diaphoretic
  • anti-emetic
  • nervine
  • antiseptic
  • analgesic
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
  • astringent
  • tonic
  • refrigerant
  • parturient