Harvest has been in full swing as well as making more medicine. New oils and tinctures are still on the counters, and the drying shed is slowly being emptied so that it can become the winter storage shed. We finished harvesting the hawthorn and poke berries and once we had our second frost we started digging those roots. Black Cohosh, Sarsaparilla, Solomon Seal, Biden as well as Poke. Some are drying on screens and in the dehydrator. Others are sitting in alcohol extracting their medicinal properties. And that reminds me! The dehydrator died! Thanks to Carol Hutchins for donating a dehydrator to Greenwood so quickly. It was here the next day. It is working hard and quite well. So now that things are winding down I thought I would sit down and write the August newsletter and make it a fall quarterly this time around. I hope to go back to a monthly newsletter, I know from e-mails and comments made by customers and clients that you enjoy them and look forward to them. I hope you all do. I started this article in August so will continue where I left off.
Red Root—New Jersey Tea —Ceanothus americanus
This plant is part of the buckthorn family. A small deciduous shrub that is native to eastern and central North America. It grows in dry, unshaded soil. The reddish root is covered with a reddish or brownish bark and can get as long as four feet in length. We generally work with and use the root but I have recently been reading that the leaf can also be used. But I have not been able to find out any other information so far. I have never been able to find this plant growing wild in Maine. I did plant some this summer and hope that they will winter over. This is one plant that is in my top repertoire of plant medicines.
Edible Uses: This plant is not considered an edible.
Medicinal Uses: I have been dealing with clients and Lyme Disease for a number of years now. Red Root is one of the herbs that I find the most remarkable when it comes to dealing with the malfunction of the spleen. This plant is a powerful lymphatic and has a direct affinity with that organ. It encourages the body to get rid of catabolic waste buildup and helps to break up tumors and non-fibrous cysts in the body. . It stimulates the lymph and inter-tissue fluid circulation and is effective on tonsil inflammation, sore throats and enlarged lymph nodes. It also appears to improve blood coagulation. It’s astringent properties are helpful in stopping menstrual hemorrhage, nose bleeds and capillary ruptures from coughing and vomiting. Because of this I have found this difficult when treating clients who have Lyme Disease but are also taking anti-coagulant medication, as it can interfere with this drug. One of the co-infections of Lyme is Bartonella, where you will see swollen spleen, liver and lymph nodes. Red Root is important in that it clears dead cellular tissue from the lymph system.
Red Root—New Jersey Tea —Ceanothus americanus
This plant is part of the buckthorn family. A small deciduous shrub that is native to eastern and central North America. It grows in dry, unshaded soil. The reddish root is covered with a reddish or brownish bark and can get as long as four feet in length. We generally work with and use the root but I have recently been reading that the leaf can also be used. But I have not been able to find out any other information so far. I have never been able to find this plant growing wild in Maine. I did plant some this summer and hope that they will winter over. This is one plant that is in my top repertoire of plant medicines.
Edible Uses: This plant is not considered an edible.
Medicinal Uses: I have been dealing with clients and Lyme Disease for a number of years now. Red Root is one of the herbs that I find the most remarkable when it comes to dealing with the malfunction of the spleen. This plant is a powerful lymphatic and has a direct affinity with that organ. It encourages the body to get rid of catabolic waste buildup and helps to break up tumors and non-fibrous cysts in the body. . It stimulates the lymph and inter-tissue fluid circulation and is effective on tonsil inflammation, sore throats and enlarged lymph nodes. It also appears to improve blood coagulation. It’s astringent properties are helpful in stopping menstrual hemorrhage, nose bleeds and capillary ruptures from coughing and vomiting. Because of this I have found this difficult when treating clients who have Lyme Disease but are also taking anti-coagulant medication, as it can interfere with this drug. One of the co-infections of Lyme is Bartonella, where you will see swollen spleen, liver and lymph nodes. Red Root is important in that it clears dead cellular tissue from the lymph system.
My father is one such, client. He was diagnosed with the co-infection of Bartonella. His spleen was swollen with pain and tenderness over the organ. He is on anti-coagulant medication. His doctors told him there was nothing else they could do and sent him to me after the coarse of anti-biotics were completed. So instead of using the recommended dosage of 30 to 90 drops 4 x a day, we have been using the Red Root homeopathically, 5 drops, 2 x a day with good results.
The tenderness was soon eliminated and we were able to discontinue. Though this plant is considered safe and can be used for extended periods of time, because of the medication, I chose to stop the herb. Amazingly this plant can be used in so many other instances other than an astringent for the lymphatics and as a hemostatic. It is an antispasmodic, an expectorant as well as a hypotensive and a sedative. But it is the first lymph-system stimulant and tonic that I reach for when a client needs an anti-inflammatory for the spleen as well as the Liver. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Idea’s: I am excited to report that the children’s program that we tested this summer was a success. I received great feedback from the mothers and I will be tweaking it in a few places but I am happy to say that we will be offering the Junior Herbalist program to children between the ages of 9 to 13 next summer. The program will begin in May and we will meet once a month for four months between 10 am and 2 pm. Cost will be $25 per class to cover material fees and certificates will be presented in August.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
Announcements: Rings Crossing Natural Food Store will be having their Grand Opening on November 27th located in "Always and Forever Florist", 935 Main St. Waterboro, Me. Congratulations Cheryl!! We are all excited and looking forward to this!
The dates and application for the 2010 Apprenticeship Program are now available on-line at www.greenwoodherbals.com.
Classes/Events: See www.greenwoodherbals.com for details.
November 8 - Herbal Spa Day - Bring a dish pan that your feet can fit in, as well as a face cloth and towel. Do not wear makeup. Gardens of Atlantis, Dayton, Me. 1 to 4 pm. Cost: $28. includes all materials. Call 207-929-5088 to register, and directions.
November 14th - 15th - 2nd Annual Osprey Cove Organic Farm Herbal Long Table weekend. Debbie will not be available for appointments or consultations.
November 21 - Herbal Spa Day - Bring a dish pan that your feet can fit in, as well as a face cloth and towel. Do not wear makeup. Biddeford Adult Education 10 am to 2 pm. Call 207-282-3883 to register, directions and cost.
November 26th - Greenwood Herbals will be closed for Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Friday November 27th.
November 29th - Boost Your Immune System - This workshop will be presented at Gardens of Atlantis, in Dayton, Me. We will focus on boosting the immune system in a safe and natural way, with food and herbs. Explore how to use natural therapies and leave with formulas to improve winter health. We will also be making a cough syrup together. 1 PM to 4 PM. Call 207-929-5088 to register. Cost: $25 includes handout and your own bottle of cough syrup.
Rice-Pecan Company Loaf—Julie Clark
Submitted by Jane Kuntz
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup pecan meal
2 cups whole grain crumbs
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups soymilk
½ cup blended tofu
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp basil
1 ½ tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix very well.
Pack firmly into sprayed casserole dish or loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-55 minutes. Serve hot with gravy or sauce of your choice.
* Note, we baked the loaf for half the time, then added some gravy on top of the loaf and continued the rest of the baking time, so as to not let the loaf get dried out on the top.
How fun! I linked to this on last weekend's weekly roundup and am just now getting around to letting you know. (I guess we were busy celebrating Easter!) Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: puma shoes | June 21, 2010 at 12:15 AM
thanks for this bit on ceonothus. it is my first year growing it and I love this plant, so I hope they thrive. i am interested in learning percolation and missed your workshop. i am in western mass. i am an experienced medicine maker, do you think i could get it if we talked over the phone and I bought the tools from you and paid for your time?
let me know what you think about that. Also, we have the Lyme epidemic here too. I and one of my grown daughters have had it this year and mnay clients and friends. Would love to talk/share with you about treatment options you find successful if you are interested.
Bonnie Bloom
Blue Crow Botanicals
Gill, MA
Posted by: Bonnie Bloom | May 01, 2012 at 11:59 AM