(Note: This was actually written in the spring but it got put off. It's still applicable, though)
I just spent a few hours in my sister's greenhouse. She's still got some tomatoes that she hasn't put out.
The interesting thing there is that the tomatoes were all planted at the same time and in the same way. From the same packages even. But her tomatoes are about three inches tall (or less) and mine are a foot tall and some have blossoms already. Well to be honest, it's the climbing tomato that has blossoms. It's a slow grower so I started it in January--it had better be further along than the others!
I'm not sure what the difference is. Maybe soil, maybe sun. Or that black thumb she keeps complaining about.
Although I'm not certain I really believe in a black thumb. My thumb's black every time I stick it in the dirt.
That was a joke, by the way.
Some people are said to be able to make anything grow, but in reality that's not the case. Some people are just lucky enough to find the group of plants that their particular brand of neglect works for.
Personally I'm in the mid-range. I kill anything that needs a lot of water and care (such as orchids or bamboo) and anything that needs very little water (such as cacti). Oh, and anything that needs to be fertilized regularly. If it can stand being watered once a week and ignored the rest of the time, it grows. I think some people do better with orchids and bamboo because they have the urge to water too much, and others do better with cacti because they forget to water at all.
Then there's the last group, who can't decide. I think this is the group that complains the worst about the black thumb because they'll water every day for a while, then stop, then realize they haven't watered for a month and try to compensate by over-watering and over-fertilizing. Then the watering tapers off (although oh, I forgot, I'll sprinkle some fertilizer, but then forget to water it in) so the plants go through this helpless neglect cycle of drought and plenty and the plants get confused.
There are plants out there that can survive this way, but they're generally not the tropical or semi-tropical greens that we surround ourselves with as indoor plants.
As far as landscape plants, I believe in casual neglect. I plant a lot of different things, and whatever survives I buy more of. Or divide and spread, but again that's a different topic.
I love perenials. :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Ginger
Zingiber Officinale
Family: Zingiberaceae
Ginger is an interesting herb. For the most part it sits in cupboards and people pass right over it. It's just "there," and has no particular use unless you're making gingerbread.
On the other hand, ginger is pretty much considered a panacea, or a cure-all. I won't go into everything it's claimed to do (plus the kitchen sink!), but its general properties seem to be:
As an anti-spasmodic and an intestinal anti-biotic
Used for intestinal worms and other parasites.
General tonic for the reproductive system and the digestive system.
I've used ginger with turmeric as a tea for stomach upset, but be very careful about drug interactions on this one! Because ginger has so MANY chemical compounds, it will react on some level with a lot of pharmaceuticals.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Ginger is an interesting herb. For the most part it sits in cupboards and people pass right over it. It's just "there," and has no particular use unless you're making gingerbread.
On the other hand, ginger is pretty much considered a panacea, or a cure-all. I won't go into everything it's claimed to do (plus the kitchen sink!), but its general properties seem to be:
As an anti-spasmodic and an intestinal anti-biotic
Used for intestinal worms and other parasites.
General tonic for the reproductive system and the digestive system.
I've used ginger with turmeric as a tea for stomach upset, but be very careful about drug interactions on this one! Because ginger has so MANY chemical compounds, it will react on some level with a lot of pharmaceuticals.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
In the Kitchen: The Perfect Food :)
Even when I'm not paying attention (which is usually) I still have to cook. Or rather, I have to eat, which is the end result of cooking.
All of the following are stimulating cullinary herbs. They have a lot of other properties as well (for example, most of them are anti-bacterial or anti-fungal) and together with tomatoes they make spaghetti sauce. Meat optional.
Basil
Rosemary
Marjoram or Oregano
Thyme
Garlic
Pepper
Dice and cook 1 large onion and dice or crush garlic (cook it with the meat if you prefer meat, or add a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of milk for the same taste without the meat)
Cut up three large tomatoes. Add them to the onions.
Add tomato juice if you like it runny rather than chunky.
Add seasonings.
Cook down and serve. I like eating it alone, without noodles. Tomato soup! Or wrap it in a tortilla before it has cooked down with fresh basil leaves and mint.
Use in place of chicken soup for colds, eat it with additional basil, rosemary and oregano when you need to be alert. Add more Rosemary if you have a headache and more garlic if you have high blood pressure. If I use it for medicine, I add the extra seasonings last, after everything else has cooked in.
I like to sneak it in as an "herbal" meal for someone who needs help but won't admit it.
All of the following are stimulating cullinary herbs. They have a lot of other properties as well (for example, most of them are anti-bacterial or anti-fungal) and together with tomatoes they make spaghetti sauce. Meat optional.
Basil
Rosemary
Marjoram or Oregano
Thyme
Garlic
Pepper
Dice and cook 1 large onion and dice or crush garlic (cook it with the meat if you prefer meat, or add a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of milk for the same taste without the meat)
Cut up three large tomatoes. Add them to the onions.
Add tomato juice if you like it runny rather than chunky.
Add seasonings.
Cook down and serve. I like eating it alone, without noodles. Tomato soup! Or wrap it in a tortilla before it has cooked down with fresh basil leaves and mint.
Use in place of chicken soup for colds, eat it with additional basil, rosemary and oregano when you need to be alert. Add more Rosemary if you have a headache and more garlic if you have high blood pressure. If I use it for medicine, I add the extra seasonings last, after everything else has cooked in.
I like to sneak it in as an "herbal" meal for someone who needs help but won't admit it.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Headaches
Headaches are relatively simple. Most people reach for pain killers. I realized early that I didn't like what happened to me when I took pain killers, so I learned other mechanisms for getting rid of that pain.
I learned a number of strategies, but this is the one I use most often. It goes back to the fact that all nerves in the body lead to the brain.
The headache is probably localized on one side or the other. I have learned that for migraines I'm going to use the hand on the same side as the headache and for regular headaches I'm going to use the opposite hand. If the headache is in the center then either both lobes are involved or the headache is in one of the brain pieces that cross the center (such as the occipital lobe).
Walk your fingers firmly across your hand until you find a spot that crunches slightly under your fingers. It may also be very stiff, like a lump under the skin. At first this is going to feel strange, and may be difficult. You'll eventually get to the point where you can find it more easily. I find it more easily on other people, but I have problems finding it on my own hands.
The correct spot may be tender. The more severe the headache, the more likely that the spot you need to massage is going to be extremely tender, so pay attention to that. If it's too tender, massage the whole hand and gradually move in. The spot may also be on the back of the hand or between the bones, but it takes some practice to be able to find these.
Feet work better, but taking my shoes off in public to get rid of a headache is rather awkward.
There may be spots on both hands, but they'll probably be different. You may think the headache is centered on the left side, and massage the right hand (let's just say for argument that you find your spot under the pad of the thumb), then learn that a smaller headache was brewing on the right side. But when you massage the pad of the thumb on the left hand, there's nothing. You might find the "spot" for that hand on the side of one of the fingers. It varies, but over time you can learn where the headaches are most likely to be centered.
This may work for other sorts of pain too, but if you're dealing with back pain (as an example) you're going to have to use the feet because the nerves of the back aren't on the same nerves with the hands. My use of this technique has been primarily on headaches, so I can't say how useful it is for other things.
Note: It's NOT going to work with physical damage. You can't massage a hand to heal a broken arm, for example. You may be able to help the pain (a little) but nerve damage is going to make it problematic.
I learned a number of strategies, but this is the one I use most often. It goes back to the fact that all nerves in the body lead to the brain.
The headache is probably localized on one side or the other. I have learned that for migraines I'm going to use the hand on the same side as the headache and for regular headaches I'm going to use the opposite hand. If the headache is in the center then either both lobes are involved or the headache is in one of the brain pieces that cross the center (such as the occipital lobe).
Walk your fingers firmly across your hand until you find a spot that crunches slightly under your fingers. It may also be very stiff, like a lump under the skin. At first this is going to feel strange, and may be difficult. You'll eventually get to the point where you can find it more easily. I find it more easily on other people, but I have problems finding it on my own hands.
The correct spot may be tender. The more severe the headache, the more likely that the spot you need to massage is going to be extremely tender, so pay attention to that. If it's too tender, massage the whole hand and gradually move in. The spot may also be on the back of the hand or between the bones, but it takes some practice to be able to find these.
Feet work better, but taking my shoes off in public to get rid of a headache is rather awkward.
There may be spots on both hands, but they'll probably be different. You may think the headache is centered on the left side, and massage the right hand (let's just say for argument that you find your spot under the pad of the thumb), then learn that a smaller headache was brewing on the right side. But when you massage the pad of the thumb on the left hand, there's nothing. You might find the "spot" for that hand on the side of one of the fingers. It varies, but over time you can learn where the headaches are most likely to be centered.
This may work for other sorts of pain too, but if you're dealing with back pain (as an example) you're going to have to use the feet because the nerves of the back aren't on the same nerves with the hands. My use of this technique has been primarily on headaches, so I can't say how useful it is for other things.
Note: It's NOT going to work with physical damage. You can't massage a hand to heal a broken arm, for example. You may be able to help the pain (a little) but nerve damage is going to make it problematic.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Back Pain
When our bodies are under stress they react as to any other threat, tightening muscles and pushing us into fight-or-flight mode. Depending on history and genetics that may cause other things, such as muscle pain.
The simplest solution might be to find the source of the stress and eliminate it, but unfortunately eliminating stress from our lives is a lost cause. Mitigating the stress, finding other outlets, would be next, but that has to wait until the immediate symptoms have been taken care of.
Flat on your back, fighting pain with every breath is not the ideal time for starting a new hobby.
Identify the cause of the pain. You might have thrown your back out, but why? Often this kind of injury wouldn't have happened if the muscles weren't already tight from stress.
Second, identify the true source of the pain. Is it physical damage? Is it muscles? Bones? Joints? If the pain comes in waves it might be a simple muscle-spasm problem and taking an anti-spasmodic or muscle relaxant might be the solution to at least get you on your feet. If it's constant, it may be swelling around the nerves and an anti-inflammatory would be your best bet.
There are a number of herbs that work as muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories. Most of them are relatively safe and can be taken in large doses if necessary. This includes most of the mints, but specifically
1 part chamomile
3 parts lemon balm
2 parts catnip
1 part thyme.
Just be careful combining them. When I threw my back out (not the first time, and not the last) I started taking chamomile and thyme on top of an ibuprofen and acetominaphen cocktail and it actually made the muscle spasms worse. Taking the herbs alone was not a problem, it was only when I took them with the pharmaceuticals.
The simplest solution might be to find the source of the stress and eliminate it, but unfortunately eliminating stress from our lives is a lost cause. Mitigating the stress, finding other outlets, would be next, but that has to wait until the immediate symptoms have been taken care of.
Flat on your back, fighting pain with every breath is not the ideal time for starting a new hobby.
Identify the cause of the pain. You might have thrown your back out, but why? Often this kind of injury wouldn't have happened if the muscles weren't already tight from stress.
Second, identify the true source of the pain. Is it physical damage? Is it muscles? Bones? Joints? If the pain comes in waves it might be a simple muscle-spasm problem and taking an anti-spasmodic or muscle relaxant might be the solution to at least get you on your feet. If it's constant, it may be swelling around the nerves and an anti-inflammatory would be your best bet.
There are a number of herbs that work as muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories. Most of them are relatively safe and can be taken in large doses if necessary. This includes most of the mints, but specifically
1 part chamomile
3 parts lemon balm
2 parts catnip
1 part thyme.
Just be careful combining them. When I threw my back out (not the first time, and not the last) I started taking chamomile and thyme on top of an ibuprofen and acetominaphen cocktail and it actually made the muscle spasms worse. Taking the herbs alone was not a problem, it was only when I took them with the pharmaceuticals.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Chronic pain
Most types of pain--muscle spasms, headaches, backaches--are easily handled. Taking a muscle relaxant will take care of most muscle spasms (which includes the majority of backaches). These types of pain relief I'll address another time.
But some people live with chronic pain, to the point that they have difficulty sleeping and rely on either massive doses of pain killers or chemical sleep aids. Or both.
I try not to take anything chemical, or anything that is considered pharmaceutical. I have people in my family who have serious reactions to certain chemicals, and we have a family history of addiction, so I stay away from anything that might lead in that direction.
Pain is a difficult problem with herbal medicines. If it can't be resolved by a simple anti-spasmodic or anti-inflamatory, there just aren't many choices. Most of the choices for true pain relief are dangerous and addictive.
Sometimes the choice is between pain and sleep. Below is a simple sleep aid, but valerian is an addictive anti-depressant. It should not be taken regularly, or for more than a week at a time. It should also not be taken with other anti-depressants.
1 T valerian leaf
1 T catnip
1 T lemon balm
I choose not to use the valerian root. The leaf has the same effect, it's just not as strong and I still have the plant after. Catnip and lemon balm are both relaxation aids.
But some people live with chronic pain, to the point that they have difficulty sleeping and rely on either massive doses of pain killers or chemical sleep aids. Or both.
I try not to take anything chemical, or anything that is considered pharmaceutical. I have people in my family who have serious reactions to certain chemicals, and we have a family history of addiction, so I stay away from anything that might lead in that direction.
Pain is a difficult problem with herbal medicines. If it can't be resolved by a simple anti-spasmodic or anti-inflamatory, there just aren't many choices. Most of the choices for true pain relief are dangerous and addictive.
Sometimes the choice is between pain and sleep. Below is a simple sleep aid, but valerian is an addictive anti-depressant. It should not be taken regularly, or for more than a week at a time. It should also not be taken with other anti-depressants.
1 T valerian leaf
1 T catnip
1 T lemon balm
I choose not to use the valerian root. The leaf has the same effect, it's just not as strong and I still have the plant after. Catnip and lemon balm are both relaxation aids.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Wildcrafting
Wildcrafting is a term used for going out into the wilds (i.e., any land that wasn't deliberately planted) and harvesting wild plants.
While we may consider many of the things that grow on their own weeds, most of these have other uses. Some you can eat. Some make good rope, or shelters, or medicine, or weapons.
Every step that you take into a wild area disturbs the animals and plants that live there. Next time you go hiking, take a look at what's beyond the trail. That thick brush to your left probably hides half a hundred different types of animals. The wild berries you stuff in your mouth would normally feed a number of birds, which would spread the seeds to other places where they could grow.
Look at the crushed grass where someone scrambled away from the trail, at the lizard perishing out there in the sun because his shade is taken by a pair of hiking boots. The deer hovering in the forest above a spring waiting for people to leave so that they can drink.
Wildcrafters take this a step further. They actually go out into that thicket, into the forests, looking for the plants they need, either to sell or to use.
Many plants have been overharvested in our desire for a more "natural" lifestyle. Unethical wildcrafters will go out into a stand of a rare plant and harvest it all, with no care for the next generation, no seeds replanted, no concern for the animals that would normally live in or off of those plants.
A rare find to them means either more money or "I got my share."
Ethical wildcrafters will never take more than they can personally use, they will always replant if seeds are available, they will not take more than can be easily replaced in a season.
Many ethical wildcrafters will leave something else in exchange for what they take. Some present this as a thanks gift to the spirit of the plant, but it's usually something that will help the plant recover, such as planting a seed.
Still, if twenty wildcrafters find the same stand of something rare like goldenseal, and they each take 5% of the stand, by the end there's only a third of the stand left. (No, my numbers are correct--figure it out.*) That stand won't recover in a year. It may never recover. Even if the wildcrafters replant, the territory taken by those plants will not remain empty for long--other species will move in.
One thing that a lot of people are working on is using domesticated stocks rather than wildcrafting, so that the wild plant populations get a chance to recover. Whenever I'm in the plant stores I look for seeds that say "Plant Savers." I can plant these in my yard (many of them are quite decorative) and create a refuge for these endangered species.
The "at risk" list at UnitedPlantSavers includes goldenseal, black cohosh, american ginseng, echinacea and many more.
* For simplicity, let's say that the stand contains 100 plants. The first person to find it takes 5%, or 5 plants. The second person takes 5% (four) of the remaining 95. The third person takes four. The fourth person takes 3, the fifth takes 3, each taking 5% of what is left. After 20 people have taken 5%, the stand is down to about 37 plants.
While we may consider many of the things that grow on their own weeds, most of these have other uses. Some you can eat. Some make good rope, or shelters, or medicine, or weapons.
Every step that you take into a wild area disturbs the animals and plants that live there. Next time you go hiking, take a look at what's beyond the trail. That thick brush to your left probably hides half a hundred different types of animals. The wild berries you stuff in your mouth would normally feed a number of birds, which would spread the seeds to other places where they could grow.
Look at the crushed grass where someone scrambled away from the trail, at the lizard perishing out there in the sun because his shade is taken by a pair of hiking boots. The deer hovering in the forest above a spring waiting for people to leave so that they can drink.
Wildcrafters take this a step further. They actually go out into that thicket, into the forests, looking for the plants they need, either to sell or to use.
Many plants have been overharvested in our desire for a more "natural" lifestyle. Unethical wildcrafters will go out into a stand of a rare plant and harvest it all, with no care for the next generation, no seeds replanted, no concern for the animals that would normally live in or off of those plants.
A rare find to them means either more money or "I got my share."
Ethical wildcrafters will never take more than they can personally use, they will always replant if seeds are available, they will not take more than can be easily replaced in a season.
Many ethical wildcrafters will leave something else in exchange for what they take. Some present this as a thanks gift to the spirit of the plant, but it's usually something that will help the plant recover, such as planting a seed.
Still, if twenty wildcrafters find the same stand of something rare like goldenseal, and they each take 5% of the stand, by the end there's only a third of the stand left. (No, my numbers are correct--figure it out.*) That stand won't recover in a year. It may never recover. Even if the wildcrafters replant, the territory taken by those plants will not remain empty for long--other species will move in.
One thing that a lot of people are working on is using domesticated stocks rather than wildcrafting, so that the wild plant populations get a chance to recover. Whenever I'm in the plant stores I look for seeds that say "Plant Savers." I can plant these in my yard (many of them are quite decorative) and create a refuge for these endangered species.
The "at risk" list at UnitedPlantSavers includes goldenseal, black cohosh, american ginseng, echinacea and many more.
* For simplicity, let's say that the stand contains 100 plants. The first person to find it takes 5%, or 5 plants. The second person takes 5% (four) of the remaining 95. The third person takes four. The fourth person takes 3, the fifth takes 3, each taking 5% of what is left. After 20 people have taken 5%, the stand is down to about 37 plants.
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