Honey - Lemon & Ginger Tea

- A very soothing tea for the throat or as a warming up tea.
Ingredients
2 Lemons
4tbsp chopped ginger
Raw honey

Fill a jar with sliced lemons (organic)
Add approximately 4 tbsp chopped ginger and add the honey.
Add 1 to 3tbsp into a cup hot water
Store in refrigerator for 2 a 3 Months


- Te gebruiken als een verzachtende thee voor de keel of om op te warmen
Ingredienten:
2 citroenen in schijfjes
4soeplepels zeer fijn gesneden gember
Een pot rauwe honing

Vul een pot afwisselend met citroenschijven, honing en de fijn gesneden gember.
Doe 1 tot 3 soeplepels in een tas met heet water.
2 tot 3 maanden houdbaar in de koelkast.

Summer pictures of the garden

Lemon Balm

St Johns Worth

Purple Sage

Sherry Tomatoes

Lady & Prutske

View from my living room  

First aid herbs

Yarrow  Achillea millefolium  ( Ijzerkruid )

Used in animal bites, cold and flu.

Herbalist 7Song has been running his field station for over 20 years, and it's the first time he's invited anyone with a video camera.

http://www.herbfirstaid.com/fe/38368-rainbow-gathering-tour

Native American uses

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium and its North American varieties, was used in traditional Native American herbal medicine by tribes across the continent.  The Navajo considered it to be a "life medicine", chewed it for toothaches, and poured an infusion into ears for earaches. The Miwok in California used the plant as an analgesic and head cold remedy. 

Several tribes of the Plains Indians used common yarrow. The Pawnee used the stalk for pain relief. The Chippewa used the leaves for headaches by inhaling it in a steam. They also chewed the roots and applied the saliva to their appendages as a stimulant. The Cherokee drank a tea of common yarrow to reduce fever and aid in restful sleep. 

Another interesting article on Herbmentor News.

How to Make Cayenne Salve
http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_92.html

What I did the last Months

 Summer round up.

Our summer here in Belgium was dreadful this year,  with little sunshine and lots of rain.Very bad for a little gardener, result...no harvest.
But the herbs grow with all this rain.
I managed to do,

-Elderflower tincture against hay fever
-Thyme tincture against acne
-St john's wort tincture

-Took nice pics of my roses

-Rose elixir
















Take a jar and fill it with rose petals, poor,1/3 raw honey and 2/3 brandy,stirring to remove air bubbles.
Let sit for 3 to 6 weeks, shaking regularly.
You can use it internally in stressful situations. It is a mild nervine, calming without sedating.




-St john's wort oil with almond to use in ointment,
-St john's wort oil with olive oil for my inflamed shoulder,
-and double infused St john's wort oil with olive oil


















-Lemon balm syrup

Instead of Lemon balm, Sage can also be used. 

Or for example,  Sage and Thyme soothes the throat.

Research suggests that Lemon balm promotes a calm and relaxed state of mind, wich is an important part of falling asleep.

All you need is,
Herbs
Cane sugar or other
1 lemon squeezed and filtered
Fill a pot with lemon balm (I use a pot of 2 liters and fill it for three quarters)
Pour boiling water over and let stand about 3 hours with the lid closed.
I use about 800 ml water.
Then filter the liquid,add sugar and cook briefly,then add the filtered lemon.
Let it cook briefly(30 seconds),and pour into bottles immediately.
For about 800 ml of juice, I use 600 g sugar.

To drink, pour about 2 or 3 tablespoons in a cup and cover with boiling water. Or a bit more in a large cup. Keep an opened bottle in the fridge.

St. John's Wort Oil & Catnip

St. John's Wort Oil
Traditionally, St. John’s Wort is harvested on St. John’s Day (June 24). However, harvesting can take place as early as the summer solstice or as late as the end of the month.

This wonderful red oil has been used historically to soothe sunburn and relieve nerve pain relating to repetitive motion injuries, strains and shingles.

Flowers, buds and some leaves are gathered during the flowering season. Leave them rest overnight. Put them in a clean jar and fill with olive oil. Make sure that al parts are covered with oil to avoid mould. Cover the lid of the jar with a muslin, so moisture can evaporates. Leave for 4 till 6 weeks and then strain with cheesecloth or filter it through a coffee filter.
Actually I prefer to work with dried herbs, because they don't cause mold.

Please note that St. John's Wort Infused oil has none of the anti-depressant effect of the herbal extract. The Hypericum, used to treat anxiety and depression does not come through the infusion process.


Catnip

Is harvested at peak potency from my garden. Put leaves and stems in a clean jar and fill with vodka, leave for a minimum of six weeks and strain.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has been used historically as a mild tranquilizer that helps relieve stress and stimulate the appetite. Catnip herb has also been used to treat anxiety, colds, flu, fever, inflammation, and general aches and pains. This cat‚’s fancy has also been shown to be effective as a mosquito and insect repellent.

It is also used with restlessness, nervous irritation, nervous headaches, insomnia, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea.

Caution: Not recommended for use during pregnancy or lactation.

Elderflower liqueur

Take a big bowl - stuffing with elderberry blossoms and 3 sliced lemons - pouring cold water and cover with a plate to keep everything under water - 48 hours later - pour everything through a muslin or filter - take 1L juice and 333gr sugar (I use raw cane sugar) - cook together - let it cool down, then add 500 gr gin and pour into bottles.
Drink ice cold :)

The Herbs I want to use.

Now is the time to start thinking about what I may need both for the coming summer and winter. Which conditions may I need to treat? Which herbs do I need to dry, which oils should I be making, which flower waters, tinctures or vinegars can I make fresh now? What would be good to make just for the fun of it?

Oils
St John's Wort
Thyme
Calendula
Comfrey

Back and shoulder pain:
St John's Wort oil


Tincture
Rosemary

Acne:
Thyme tincture

Stress, Anxiety:
Catnip tincture

Hay fever
Elderflowers
Chamomile
Nettle tincture

Syrup
Stomach ache:
Mint, Chamomile, Lemon balm and Thyme syrup

Sore trouth:
Sage and Thyme syrup

Increase resistance:
Elderberries syrup

Menopauze:
Elderflower and Sage syrup

Cough syrup:
Ribwort syrup


Ointments
Wounds and scratches:
St John's Wort, Thyme and Rosemary ointment

Dry chapped skin
Calendula ointment

Wounds
Comfrey ointment


For the fun
Dandelion syrup
Shampoo & Conditioner
Chive oil for the kitchen

For making the infused oils, I'll dry all the herbs, to avoid mold.
For the tinctures I'll use fresh herbs.