Gardening for diabetes
Jelina has been having horrendous problems with diabetes lately. Here’s one of the ways we’re trying to cope.
Herbs
Cooking the Saffies with warming herbs
Cooking us some wild forages Saffron Milk Caps.
My new favourite plant
This beauty is Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). It’s a pretty showy edible with medicinal properties. Globe Amaranth is a relative
Our first big-time success for the new year
Even though the heat is on this Summer, we’ve had more success with Ginger, Turmeric and Galangal than we’ve ever
Nettles…. Mmmmmm
Nettles… Fresh picked from our front yard and washed… Just delicious! These go in the dryer. Tomorrow’s lot are for compost tea. It’s much easier to pick the fresh, young nettles than it is to pick and process older ones. All you need to do is wash the dirt off of the roots and they’re ready to go, whether they are to be used in a tincture, dried, composted, fermented or just used as a tea. Get them fresh from wherever you can and you’ll be rewarded with super nutritious greens, a remedy for many ailments, powerful fertilizer and a beautiful tea.
How to make a vinegar for stronger bones
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a herb with some ancient history. I’ll be writing a post about it soon but for now, here’s another use for it – ‘strong bones vinegar’. Mugwort contains a lot of calcium and magnesium, making it useful for strengthening bones and improving muscle function. As the two often go hand in hand, this is a good combination. A bit of caution: some folks are allergic to Mugwort, usually the same ones that have a Ragweed allergy. Mugwort can also affect pregnant women, so be careful here too please. If this is your first time dealing with Mugwort, take precautions. Handle the fresh herb for a little, wait for a while and if you’re not sneezing up a storm and your eyes aren’t red and watery in about an hour, you should be good to go. How to do it: Making herbal vinegars is just too easy! Here’s how to make this one… You need 2 things
I love making Calendula oil and cream. This is the best time of year for making medicines.
ligayagarden herbs healing permaculture via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BovT15CHEGF/
Keeping herbs fresh
Herbs are best fresh, but that’s not always possible. Drying is most folk’s preferred option, having a long history of success in keeping the qualities of the herbs. One simple way I’ve worked out to keep dried herbs fresh is to make a small modification to Moccona coffee jars. Inside of the lid is a plastic seal and the lids themselves are hollow. We can use this space to our advantage. You can easy pop the seal off of the lid with a knife. When it’s off, make a few holes in it, large enough to allow airflow. As many as you want. Now place several silica gel packs in the lid and refit it. Now you can fill the jar with your herb or vegetable and the Silica gel will keep moisture away.
