Monthly Archives: August 2016

Lack of attention and rain on the land

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I am finally home for a while after being away for most of July.  I do love traveling, but ever since I started traveling in April, I have missed more than my share of significant events on the land. Sure, you can’t be around for every blossom but this year was incomparable. As with all things, life carried on without me but my lack of presence on the land was quite apparent. Even though, I regularly declare that I am not a farmer/gardener but a forager; if truth be told I am actually the caretaker or perhaps steward of the land. I watch, observe and support when needed.  During my absence many of my beloved plants carried on, bloomed while others did not fair as well. The Finger Lakes, in particular Trumansburg had almost no rainfall since May, especially during my absence and it has taken a noticeable toll on the land.

As I walked the land, it clearly evolved differently than in other years. Some of my favorites were sparse while others flourished. I wonder how each factor: scarcity of rain, lack of mowing and my absence may have played a part in it all. Besides not mowing, I wasn’t there to deadhead and remove all the dried out parts, which were in great supply. Regardless the land was obviously stressed and employing various coping mechanisms.

Calendula

Calendula

Echinachea

Echinachea

Beebalm

Bee Balm

My little medicinal garden had radically changed since I left on July 2nd.  The Calendula (Calendula officinalis) started to take over the garden like usual and luckily provided a nice ground cover keeping some moisture in the soil. Nevertheless, without my attention by deadheading and some rain, the Calendula became very tall, thin and noticeably frail. This allowed the Echinacea (Echinacea, spp.)  to thrive along with the Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) creating a nice balance between the three.

Last fall I experimented with harvesting Echinacea’s roots while leaving the crown intact and replanting it. The crown is the part of the root system that separates the branches of roots from where the stem emerges. I left about an inch and half and replanted it immediately. I am thrilled to say that it really worked even under these stressful conditions. The Echinacea came back and is now thriving. I had always believed that I needed to say goodbye to the plants when I harvested their roots. Thank goodness, I was mistaken.

Although, there are plants surviving and some even thriving, sadly others barely had the strength to fully bloom. Some didn’t develop any blossoms; requiring too much energy so perhaps they are saving it up for next year.  I have always tried to harvest herbs during periods of abundance and thankfully have enough in my apothecary to share throughout the coming year without harvesting this year. Unfortunately, I did miss some of my favorites or could only find a very limited number of vibrant fresh blossoms as many had already gone to seed. That is just one of the challenges involved when working in concert with Mother Nature.

What changes have you noticed on your land this year? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

 

 

 

Boneset knocks out colds and flu clear out of the park– harvest now and be prepared

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Boneset by our pond

Boneset by our pond

Even though today is one of those perfect summer days, 70s with a couple of clouds decorating the sky and a slight breeze, I’m already preparing for flu and cold season. Right now, is the perfect time to harvest Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), which is another herb that showed up on our land just when we needed it. The winter after we arrived, it seemed like no one got terribly sick during the cold and flu season but some secondary symptoms seemed to linger, like a cough. I had just started to explore the properties of Boneset and witnessed it magically knock out lingering symptoms.

It’s a rather cool looking plant. The stem appears to puncture the leaves – that’s where its Latin name comes from: perfoliatum. The leaves are alternating with its hairy, hollow stems that grow to about 5 feet tall. It has a dense white cluster of flowers on top in late summer. It is best to harvest when the flowers are just beginning to open, like right now. Boneset likes wet areas, around the edges of swamps and stream just like the edge of our pond.

You might think from its name that its primary medicinal quality is healing broken bones, but it isn’t. Native American Indians used it to fight flu and fevers. When they tried to describe the terrible pain that was felt in the bones and the muscles from the fever of influenza, they called it “break bone fever;” the type of fever that makes you feel like your bones were breaking. So over time the name “break bone fever” was modified to “Boneset.”

I tend to be rather proactive and work hard to strengthen my immune system during cold and flu season but ever so often a nasty virus makes its way into my system; no fear, boneset is here. It stimulates the body’s immune response. It speeds up the healing from infections while supporting a rapid recovery from upper respiratory infections such as a lingering coughs. Taken in small doses it often gives relief very quickly. It reduces fever and clears up mucous build-up in the lungs. It gently empties any toxins that may be stored in the colon. It relaxes the joints and eases the terrible pain which often accompanies the flu. It is no doubt powerful stuff and should only be taken in small doses and only when needed. In large amounts, Boneset can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, so don’t over do it. Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad.

When Mathew saw me harvesting boneset, he screamed, “No, I hate Boneset, it tastes horrible!” He is right, it is very bitter which does help stimulate digestion but doesn’t taste good. Although, some people make boneset tea, I make it into a tincture. When I give it to Mathew, I sneak the tincture into sweet cider. He doesn’t like it but can’t deny that it does chase any cold virus out of his body.

So if you live by any Boneset, don’t delay, make some tincture or dry some now. Be prepared for the up coming flu and cold season. Hopefully, you will never have to use it.

When you collect any herbs, please keep in mind:

  • Be sure you have made a definite identification, so use a field guide.
  • Harvest it in a respectful way, leave some, please do not overharvest, make sure there will be a healthy crop for the future.
  • Harvest away from traffic and areas where chemicals have not been sprayed or animals relieve themselves.
  • If you are unsure, it is best to move on and not harvest in that area.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.