Inanna's Spring Herbal Newsletter

Inanna’s
Spring Herbal
Newsletter

April 26, 2007

Spring Special

Until May 30th
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Planting a Medicinal Herb Garden

It’s really spring! Planning your garden now? Are you thinking of including a few herbs in amongst the flowers? Here are a few of my favourite kitchen and healing herbs. I like them fresh from the garden.

Culinary Herbs

Basil: Known to be a mood elevator, as well as a tasty addition to pasta, tomato dishes or pesto. Basil is sacred to both Krishna and Vishnu.

Parsley: Rich in chlorophyll, and a well-known breath freshener, parsley also helps the digestion, and is a diuretic.

Sorrel: A delightful, tangy, lemony flavour, sorrel is great in an omelette, soup or salad. The tea is diuretic. It is said to be cooling, for fevers.

Chives: An appetite stimulant and digestive aid. Leaves and flowers are lovely in a salad and make a great garnish.

Nasturtium: Brilliant in the garden or in salads, Nasturtium leaves or flowers are useful for breaking up lung congestion.

Dandelion: Easy to grow! Why, they practically grow themselves! A few leaves, eaten just before a meal will help with digestion. Both the leaves and the flowers are a great addition to salads. An invaluable diuretic, and a good source of potassium. The juiced root or tea makes a good tonic, the roots are good in a stir-fry. What’s not to love?

Garlic: A powerful antiseptic, used both internally and externally. It helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Used raw, it’s good medicine for colds.

Herbs for Teas

Lemon Balm Also called Melissa, this is an easy to grow perennial, spreads, and provides many a pot of yummy lemon tea, all season. Lemon balm is a soporific, helping to slow and calm us down. Also helpul for digestion, it’s a great tea in the evening.

Lemon Verbena A most delicious and fragrant herb, lemon verbena can also help lower a fever, and is a mild sedative.

Bergamot (Monarda) Also called bee balm, as it does attract bees and butterflies. The leaves give a characteristic ‘Earl Gray’ flavour and fragrance to teas.

Mints: Peppermint is very helpful for digestion. When combined with Elder and Yarrow it’s good first aid for a threatened cold. Its stimulating effect make it a good mid-afternoon refreshment.

Catnip Catnip tea is carminative, that is, it relieves
flatulence. Always good to know. Can ease a headache, and calm a fretful child. (Do not use during pregnancy.)

Yarrow Summer colds don’t stand a chance if you get in the habit of using yarrow and mint tea, whenever illness threatens. Yarrow helps remove toxins through perspiration. If you add a spoonful of Echinacea tincture, so much the better.

Healing/Medicinal Herbs

Feverfew The little daisy-like flowers of feverfew make a nice splash of white in the garden. Chewing a couple of the bitter leaves every day can forestall many a migraine, or help to alleviate migraine once established.

Valerian Its tall stalks of tiny white flowers are best at the back of a garden bed, giving off a sweet fragrance in June and July. I must confess that I don’t use the herb from the garden, since the rhizome is the medicinal part. For those with serious insomnia, though, it might be worth a try, as Valerian is an effective, gentle sedative. The down-side is that the root, once dug up, smells so bad that the Chinese have named it “phoo”.

Echinacea There are many variations of Echinacea now. I like the huge flowers. Again, I’m reluctant to dig up the roots, the healing part, since that would mean the end of that particular plant. Rather, I’m happy to grow the flowers, as a reminder to use the tincture, when it’s needed.

Plantain Another herb that’s easy to find. Who hasn’t struggled to pull up its roots from the lawn? The leaves, though, make a great on-the-spot bandaid. Simply chew a couple of leaves slightly, to release the juice, and place on, or wrap around the wound. This is called a ‘spit poultice’, and is very effective at hastening healing. (The saliva itself is healing too, but that’s another story.)
References:
A Modern Herbal, Maude Grieve, Dover Press, 1931.
Healing Wise, Susun S. Weed, Ash Tree Publishing, 1989
The Herb Book, John Lust, Benedict List Publication, Bantam, 1974.
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Thomas Bartram, Grace Publishers, 1995.

Happy gardening!

From: RealAge.com:
Quick Tea Fix
For a green-tea face refresher, soak a cotton ball in green tea (cooled to room temperature), and swab it over your face. Apply antioxidant-rich moisturizer, place cucumber slices over your eyes, and lie down for 15 minutes. Voila -- you've got an instant skin pick-me-up.

Safety First
But hold on! Before applying green tea to your face, test your skin's sensitivity to it. Dab a small amount behind your ear and wait 24 hours to make sure your skin doesn't react.

Inanna’s Upcoming Market Dates

product demo
Sat. April 28th, 2007
11:30 to 3:00
Nutrition House
Capilano Mall
North Vancouver

Pre-Mothers’ Day Craft Fair

Sunday, April 29th, 2007
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Heritage Hall
Main and 15th
This fair is in aid of West Coast Assistance Teams, a group that teaches troubled teens how to train and care for assistance dogs. It’s a three-way benefit, helping the end-user, the dogs, and the teens, most of all. Lots of artisans in a lovely building, it promises to be great fun. (If you like dogs, check this puppy out)
http://www.westcoastteams.com/

Creative Chaos Craft Show

Fri. June 1st to Sun. June 3rd
Vernon Recreation Centre
Vernon, B.C.

Nelson Park Farmers Market

Saturdays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
June 16
June 30
July 14, 2007
1100 block, Comox St.
Vancouver

Hope to see you soon!

(more dates to come)

Coming Soon!

Watch for the upcoming Launch
Of the
Baby Inanna
Line of baby care products

Thanks to all who suggested names!

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InannaHerbs.com

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