First Solar Infusion

My first solar infused essential oil of chickweed has been sittin' in the sun since Tuesday morning. That means it will be ready on Meg's birthday! I'm excited for more chickweed oil, especially since the salve I made with Gemini, Triana, and Mel has been working so well on Dana and Rudolfo's mysterious bug bites. Stay tuned for the results!

Mr. Culpepper's Ghost

Dear Mr. Culpepper,

You are an intriguing fellow, exploring the nature of aurum potabile. Edible Gold? The Garden of Eden? Plants and Planets? What secrets do you hold?

Wild Geranium look-alike?

I think I've spotted Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) coming up lately, but I'm not sure. I'm posting an image of what I've been seeing, along with an image of identified wild geranium. One way to check would be to pull one up and see if they are growing out of a rhizome.

The root of wild geranium is commonly known as Cranesbill or spotted geranium, and it is astringent in nature. It works very well on the GI tract--so when you need to tighten and dry tissues in that area, this is where to look. Jim McDonald says this can be used to treat diarrhea after a few days to assist in helping your body be done with this process. Because the tissues weaken in this condition, the astringent can help tighten you back up. In a pinch, the leaves have been used topically to treat bleeding (hemostatic). This works by binding to things, like proteins, and tightening them up. The Iroquois believed that it could be used to counteract a love-charm! I'll keep this in mind for when I start acting a fool.

Resources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVtmlAxUmc4
http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/naturallands/woodlands/ephemerals/wild-geranium.html

Gill-over-the-ground

First came the deadnettle, then the chickweed, then the speedwell, and a short while ago I started noticing gill-over-the-ground, aka Glechoma hedercea. This plant is a mint, commonly referred to as creeping charlie or ground ivy. Emily, Meg and I tasted it out in the garden, and it was the first of all these herbs that Emily liked! It's minty and fresh, and the base of the little purple flowers are sugary sweet.

Gill-over-the-ground can be used as a vitamin C rich tea, eaten in salads, or used as a pot-herb. As a member of the mint family, it is an aromatic and anti-microbial herb. With it's hairy little leaves, it has been used to treat lung conditions and coughs. It is also known to be a blood purifier, act on the kidneys, and be a general tonic. It has been used as an anti-inflammatory and to treat ulcers. I've also read that it was used to clarify and flavor beer before hops. The juice of the plant is diuretic, astringent, and diaphoretic. It has also been used to treat eye irritation. This Culpepper person seems to think the plant is associated with Venus. I'd like to look more into the astrological aspects of plants.

Since this magical sort of stuff really gets me going, I'll also include that I read that ground ivy was used by milkmaids to ward against sorcery. For the first milking of the year, the cows would be adorned with wreaths of ground ivy. What a sight to see! Teas of ground ivy are meant to help the drinker overcome shyness, and if placed on the floors of a home the plant brings serenity and peaceful dreams.

AS A GROUNDCOVER, gill prevents soil erosion and attracts bees and butterflies. Katherine Turcott says in Susun Weed's ezine that if you mow it over, it will release it's aromatic scent, and grow right back.

Gill is sitting on my floor right now. I could sure use some peaceful dreams.

Resources
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/February09/goddess.htm
http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Ground_Ivy.htm

Hello, Veronica.

You crept in at some point among the chickweed, sneaking into my salads, but I was hesitant to eat you since I didn't know who you were. I shall call you Veronica filiformis... or are you Veronica agrestis (field speedwell)? I'll go with Veronica for short. Otherwise known as gypsy weed and psychic root, I can tell we'll get along swimmingly.

Although not a terribly common herb to use medicinally, I read on a blog that the Romans would compliment one another by saying someone had as many good qualities as speedwell, and that the name also indicates a hasty return to health. From that post and tte following comments, I gather that speedwell is cooling and astringent and acts on coughs and skin irritation. It may also be hydrating, alterative, mucus-reducing, and antimicrobial.

The entire plant can be used, and extracts well in water. Extract in oil to use for skin salves and balms. It is slightly bitter, and will definitely be added raw to my salads. Commercial tinctures of speedwell are sold to treat ear infections and sinusitis.


Resources
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_speedwell.htm
http://whisperingearth.co.uk/2010/05/18/speedwell-my-belle-may-blog-party/