Morgan Botanicals

I've always liked to make my own Valentine love letters....all handwritten and colored with leaves and sticks and twigs and rocks and plant dyed spots, or whipping up my own chocolatey and sticky and sweet confections, and irresistible luscious liqueurs....but this year, I'm stringing wild jewels too. A little something special for my girls. They're easy enough to be a children's project but I'm keeping this one a secret because I'm making these ones for my Valentine girls. I will say though, that my fingertips didn't go without the occasional needle poke so some children my need help with this one.

Personally, I'm not one for store bought jewelry like gold rings or trinket laden necklaces. I have a lustful eye and a heart for the treasures gifted and hidden amongst Nature. I do love sea jewels and shells and seed pods and gems and stones and twigs and precious metals and such and I , especially like to find these treasures myself and make my own jewelery with wild jewels.

Nature is amazing in her ability to provide us with nourishing foods, plant medicines, and even wild plant jewels if you look closely enough.  And, if you can't get that close, you can still look on your kitchen counter or in your cubbies or pantries and find plenty of useable jewels for making bracelets, necklaces, hair-clips and such.

For my Valentine necklaces I chose to string juniper berries, clove buds, lycii berries and rose hips, but there are so many other wonderful and easily assessable  jewels that can be used. I like raisins, cardamom pods, orange and lemon peel, dried cranberries or blueberries, cinnamon sticks, cottonwood buds, gourd seeds seed, cones from spruce, currents etc.....I'm sure there are tons of beautiful jewels right outside your doors.

 

 

To make your Valentine Love necklaces or bracelets all you'll need is heavy duty thread, (I used Button and Carpet Thread as I find it holds up better, but you can use fishing line to) a long, thin sewing needle and dried wild jewels. Any hard wild jewels like clove, cut roots, barks, and peels need to be soaked for a bit to soften up. Just place them in a mug and pour boiling water right over the top, cover and allow to cool, then they will be string-able. Some may need to be boiled a tad longer to soften.

 

There's really nothing to it, you'll want to tie a knot in one end or add a clasp or button and thread on your wild jewels singly or in a pattern. I like to just tie them together when it's to my liking so that the amazingness in uninterrupted. If you're making hair-clips you can easily just hot glue your wild jewels on.

**A quick reminder that small objects are not suitable to children of choking age.

 

Here are my completed Wild Jewel Valentine necklaces I made for my girls. From left to right I made a solid juniper (bottom left) solid rose hips (top) and a pattern of cloves, lycii berries and juniper berries (bottom right). I made matching bracelets as well.

 

 Do you think my girls will like them? I hope so!

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, Herbalist

 

Morgan Botanicals is very excited to announce our new Herbal CSA Memberships!

Beginning this year we are offering the opportunity for local and not so local to be a part of our new monthly herbal medicines program. We have created an Herbal CSA Program (or rather CSH-Community Supported Herbalism) for those who would like to subscribe. It begins in June offering homegrown and wildharvested handmade herbals to each subscriber. Each month herbal offerings such as teas, tinctures, syrups, oils, salves, vinegars, jellies and other herbal products will be available.

Our herbal CSA will run for five months which will include June, July, August, September and October. The fee for the entire subscription (once a month pickup or delivery) is $260.00 (large) or $150.00 (small) payable at the time you subscribe. Members will be able to pick up their baskets the first Saturday of each month (delivery option is also available), or your box can be mailed out to you.

Morgan Botanicals Herbal CSA membership is a great way to build your own home supply of herbal medicines, learn more about how to use local and medicinal plants, and explore new ways of taking charge of your own health.

Purchasing a share also helps support the work we do: growing and processing the herbs into herbal medicines that nourish the body and enhance vitality as well as our training programs that teach children about foraging, plant identification, how to grow their own food and medicine garden, health and nutrition and the basics cooking and medicine making. If interested in our Junior Master Gardener classes please send inquiry to Jessica Morgan at herbalist@morganbotanicals.com and we will send you information on this program.

 

There are two separate Herbal CSA Monthly Basket Programs Available:

Large Monthly Basket Herbal CSA Program ~ $260.00

Season runs from June through October and includes five herbals plus an “extra”. Large is suitable for a family of 3-4, or to share among a group of friends.

 

Small Monthly Basket Herbal CSA Program ~ $150.00

Season runs from June through October and includes three herbals plus an “extra”. Small is suitable for an individual or a family just beginning to learn about herbs.

Monthly Baskets can be picked up at Morgan Botanicals on Designated Pick-Up Day or will be shipped (shipping cost is included for those purchasing online).

2012 Pick Up Dates (Saturdays from 3pm-5pm)
June 2nd
July 7th
August 4th

September 1st
October 6th

 

 

How it works….
Each month from June through October members receive a package of herbs prepared as tinctures, loose teas, salves, honeys, vinegars, syrups, etc, and information about how to use them. Once you are signed up, you will receive confirmation via email or phone. We will contact you again via email or phone one week before your share is ready to be picked up or is being shipped.

A typical Large monthly share will include the following:
1 - 2 oz single tea
1 - 2 oz tea blend
1 - 1 oz tincture
1 - 2 oz salve or herbal oil
1 - 1 oz bags of dried seasonal herbs

One additional “Extra” Item will be chosen by Morgan Botanicals and included in your monthly basket based on seasonal availability a may included:

Herb Infused Honey or Jams
Medicinal or Culinary Vinegar
Elixirs or Cough Syrup
Herbal Face Scrubs, Creams or Salts
Fresh or Dried Culinary Herbs & Blends
Smudge Sticks and/or incense
Lavender Dryer Bags/Soap Nuts
Culinary and/or Medicinal Herb Seeds

 

 

We enjoy knowing that members of our Herbal CSA are stocking fresh herbs and herbals into their cabinets, cupboards and pantries, and utilizing them to improve the health and well being of themselves and their families.

 

To sign up or for more information, please contact Jessica at herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

 

You can also find information on our website www.morganbotanicals.com under the dropdown menu "Herbal CSA". I will be accepting Memberships until May 20th so sign up now!

Click here to purchase a Large Herbal CSA

Click here to purchase a Small Herbal CSA

 

Thank you for your support, and Happy 2012!

Jessica Morgan

Morgan Botanicals

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, Herbalist

 

 "One may live without bread, not without roses."

 

The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant, and typically is red or orangeish, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form in spring, and ripen in late summer through autumn.  And me, I like to get them while I can, and eat them up!

 

Rose hips are a very rich source of Vitamin C and are free for the picking. Three average hips have as much Vitamin C as a medium-sized orange so they are definitely a good fruit to incorporate into the diet. The food value is found in their skin and their taste is similar to that of an apple. If you plan on harvesting, pick only the ripe berries that are vivid red and slightly soft. They have a much better flavor if picked after the first frost as well…preferably late August through October. You can harvest them from your garden, but they’re more plentiful from old-time shrub varieties such as rugosas and wild rose bushes. To collect your own, and to encourage your roses to develop them, don’t trim the blossoms and leave them to naturally fade and fall. Or you can buy dried cut and sifted rose hips ready to use.

I use rose hips both fresh and dried to make tea, jelly, jam, halved in salads, sandwich fillings, soups and desserts! But here's one of my favorites that always gets eaten up faster than I can serve it.

 

 

Rose Hip Soup

 

To make this yummy soup all you need is the following:

• 2 cups (1/2 lb.) crushed dried rose hips
  
• 2 quarts of water
• 1/2 cup honey (or to taste) or sugar
  
• 1/2 of a vanilla bean, split and scraped and then tossed in
  
• 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon or orange juice
  
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon potato starch, cornstarch, arrowroot or tapioca granules
• Whipped cream, sour cream or yogurt, optional

 

 

Preparation

In a saucepan bring the water and rose hips to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer covered for about 45 min. Thin down with extra water if needed. You can press the hips through a colander or blend with a food processor (for a thicker consistency). If staining, save the rose hip mush for a sweet bread recipe or compost etc. just don't throw them away.

Pour liquid back into saucepan and add juice, vanilla bean, and honey, bring back to a simmer. Mix the starch or tapioca in enough cold water to moisten it, and stir it in. Cook till the soup thickens slightly and clears.  You can serve this warm or chilled either as an appetizer or a dessert garnished with sour cream, yogurt or whipped cream. You can also add all kinds of yummy toppings such as baked almonds slivers, granola, orange zest, chocolate shavings, cinnamon sprinkles, etc.

To make rose hip pudding instead just increase starch or tapioca to 5-6 tablespoons. After it has thickened pour the pudding into individual dishes or into a serving dish to cool. The flavor is simply delicious and very fruity.

 

In my bowl below I spooned in a dollop of yogurt and topped with orange zest and dark chocolate shavings.Yum!

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, Herbalist

 

"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."  ~Robert Frost
 
What better day to be irresistibly desired than on Valentines day, the day of lovers. The day to express love for each other whether it be giving flowers, poems, offering confectionery or sipping luscious love elixirs. I remember reading something once ...something like: Sometimes we make love with our eyes. Sometimes we make love with our hands. Sometimes we make love with our bodies. But always we make love with our hearts.  I couldn't agree more and what better than to have around a delicious sensual lip smacking love potion to share...to make you more 'touchy feely.'

Chocolate, roses, patchouli, warm baths, sensual oils, love potions and liqueurs are some of my favorite things and I've decided to share one of my favorite recipes with you. You can enjoy this irresistible elixer anytime of the year but it makes an especially lovely gift and love potion to share with your lover. Damiana love elixir with vanilla and rose...because you can never have to much love.
 

Damiana Love Elixir with Vanilla and Rose

You'll need: These are approximate as I don't use standard measures, so give or take.

• 1 ounce damiana leaves (dried)
• 2 cups vodka or brandy (I'm a whiskey kinda girl myself)
• 1 cup honey, preferably raw
• 2 vanilla beans broken in half and split down the middle
• Small handful of rose petals

Some other extras if wish, and some I like: cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cocoa bean, coffee bean, ginger root, ginseng, anise seed.....just experiment. Just  pop a few right into the jar and stir it up. Make it to your tastes and make it fun!

Simply fill your jar with damiana, rose petals and vanilla bean. Then pour in 3/4 the way with your preferred alcohol and then the remainder with the delicious ooey gooey honey. Stir and let mellow for a month or longer. The longer the better! Sip, share, kiss and nibble with a luscious bar of 88% extreme dark chocolate.

 

 

 

Some of my favorite Love Herbs

Anise (Pimpinella anisum) Mediterranean - contains aromatic oil, that has stimulating and digestive properties, spice used in tea and food

Arabian coffee (Coffea arabica) East Africa, Arabia - was a sacred beverage to African sufis. For aphrodisiac results mix in cardamom and honey.

Cacao tree( Theobroma cacao) Central America-mild stimulant, ground beans made into drink or chocolate bar.  Cocoa was considered the "food of gods"; Aztec prostitutes were paid in cocoa. Beans contain theobromine and caffeine, aphrodosiac phenylethylamine. 

Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum) Soitheast Asia - stimulant, especially if added to coffee, essential oil has erotic effect.

Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Southern Asia , evergreen -stimulant, spice used in food, tea or erotic as a massage oil. 

Damiana (Turnera diffusa) America - stimulant, smoked or extract drunk in water or , more effective, alcohol.

Ginger (Zingber officinarum) South Asia - stimulant, rootstock eaten or made into tea. Has hot qualities, brings fire into the body.

Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra) Europe, Asia - sweet tonic, ingested in tea or in powder, use woody root. Especially popular as aphrodisiac among women.  

Wild Rose (Rosa sp.) - erotic stimulant, especially for women, love magic, rose petals used in tea or love potions.

"Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly."  ~Rose Franken

 

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, Herbalist

 

Somebody asked me yesterday what my herbal path was, my story. Here's a smidgin about me (so far anyway) for those who wanna know......

 

I grew up a naturalist, clinging to the arm of my momma and her picnic baskets and canteens of soup and spent many weekends under the pines and vacations in the forests and the deserts, in tents, in canoes, wading rivers, tip tops of mountains, in caves, fishing, gardening, all of it. She paved my love for life and the outdoors probably without even knowing it. I've always had a close relationship with the plants, like building little fairy houses or big ol bonfires, and whistling with grass blades or pelting someone with acorns and rolling down grassy hills or napping under old oaks.... the peace, the fresh air, the quiet, the play, the smells and the simplicity of it all is so healing and over the years I've grown quite attached. Whether it be wild or cultivated, to this day, this is where I go to play or to heal mentally during trying times. I'm continuing to learn that health as a whole is a blend of emotional health, dietary approaches, balance, spirituality and knowing that the body has the ability to heal itself, if we allow it too. I'm a lover of life and I'm all about happiness, and I'm happiest when I'm mingling with the plants.

 

 

I remember being seventeen and being in my high school Ag class. I was weeding through my little strip of veggie garden and my teacher came strolling behind me saying "This isn't a weed, this is food! This is Lamb's Quarters!" And he was popping the trail of plucked plants into his mouth and smiling and munching all happily and his eyes were all twinkly. It was then that something magical happened between me and the plant world. This was the piece that was missing. I realized that there was so much more to the plants, that they had something to teach me. That was seventeen years ago. And today I find myself teaching kids these same things. Funny how life unfolds. Shortly there after, my life long home away from home family, started teaching me about herbal medicines, healing properties of plants, magnet therapy, fermentation..... I started foraging, and cultivating herbs, picking up 'new to me herbs' from the local herb shop, burying my head in the books and making herbal medicines, practicing on myself, my friends and my family. I brewed up herbals for the sneezy and coughing, and the hungover, concocted my own herbal cigarettes, and smeared cayenne on bloody scraped knees and knuckles, found yarrow for fishhook puncture wounds, and read everything I could on herbs and medicine making and plant identification. It was so fun. I've slowly and steadily practiced and incorporated herbs into my everyday life. This was me then.

 

When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter thirteen years ago, I started brewing up my own nutritional herbal pregnancy tea, and drank it through three more babies. I made my own herbal sitz baths and nursing teas, and baby butt salves.  I still blend these to this day and they were the seed and founding products of Morgan Botanicals. I never would have known then that so many women would be enjoying my herbal brews now, but it makes me happy to know they do!

 

I've spent the last ten years pursuing my 'formal' education.  I'm currently an herbalist and environmental horticulture and crop science graduate; a certified CA master gardener and junior master gardener teacher, and still a forager and wild foodie. I've taken Aromatherapy classes, online classes, canning and food classes and get in on any and all webinars I can. Before creating Morgan Botanicals I was a botanical research biologist for the University of California Stanislaus- working to protect endangered CA native plant species, specifically: Beavertail Cactus - (Opuntia basilaris) and Kern mallow - (Eremalche kernensis). I have been a practicing herbalist for seventeen years (self taught and mentored) but have completed a three year course of herbal study under Michael Tierra at the East West School of Herbology. My continuing education includes all aspects of the science and art of Herbalism including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Native American Medicine, Ayurveda, Vitalism and Botany as well as some Clinical Nutrition and Aromatherapy. I have recently relocated from California to Colorado and am attending the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism and preparing to mentor for AHG recognition. My lifelong passion for herbology, holistic nutrition, and gardening have led me to develop Morgan Botanicals where I can share not only my knowledge of plants, but also to help people reconnect with the healing powers of the plant kingdom.

 

Today you're likely to find me roaming the wilderness oohing and awing and botinizing, wildcrafting, twig collecting, tree climbing, plant pressing, plant tickling, brewing and photographing; teaching in my food and medicine garden surrounded by children or crafting herbals in my herb shop.

I offer medicine making workshops, children's classes, plant walks, garden and crop advice as well as private consultations and custom blends.

I live in the beautiful Loveland, CO area with my adventurous, twig and rock collecting worker bee husband and our four children, three of which were born at home accompanied by our midwife.

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, Herbalist

 

  Happy Holidays from Morgan Botanicals!

 

What are you crafting up for the Holidays.......Morgan Botanicals is offering All Loose Herbs at 20% off! Stuff stockings, give your own tea blends or get yourself something special, just for you.

 

Morgan Botanicals carries a variety of herbs and spices. What herbs we don’t grow or ethically wildharvest, we purchase from reputable organic growers. Whether you're looking for a small amount of herbs or just want to get to know one that you're unfamiliar with, you can find many of them here in convenient one ounce bags.

 We use FDA food safe bags, and our labels are from 100% recycled paper.

 

 

This offer is valid only on my website www.morganbotanicals.com

Loose Herbs 20% Off!

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

 

 

 

I'm thrilled to finally be adding some new herbals to the website that I spent all Spring, Summer and Fall growing, loving, tickling, singing too, harvesting and now are ready to be shared! 

 

Even though I had to leave behind my ever so loved food and medicine garden in California, I was able to harvest a little bit from almost everything before setting off on this new journey. And now, as I cozy up for the Winter I'm busy planning out my new garden space where there is sure to be an abundance of herbals in the years to come.

 

So here's a peek at some of the newly added herbal goodies below: garlic mullein flower oil, fire cider and a few new tinctures here on local harvest as well as my website.... natural medicines made with love from me and my gardens. ?

 

Garlic Mullein Flower Oil

Fire Cider Tonic

Artichoke Leaf Tincture

Black Walnut TIncture

Calendula Tincture

California Poppy Tincture 

Dandelion Tincture

Feverfew Tincture

Hops Tincture

Mullein Root Tincture

Nettles Tincture

 

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

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Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

 

It's good to be home! They say one of the most stressful events in ones' life is moving, and I must say those are some very real words.  It's been scary, exciting, nerve-racking, silly, gorgeous...you name it. From California to Colorado. I'm so excited about my new little herb shop though and I'm diving right back into it. This long awaited move and journey of a lifetime is just beginning.

 

As for now, I'm just about to begin my new studies at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism where I plan to expand my herbal knowledge and meet some amazing herbalists along my path. The last couple of years, (since my time at The East West School of Herbology) I have wondered where my journey was going to take me, and here I am. It feels good.

And then there's the land..... I feel inspired and blessed to get to feel out this new land. The plants, the trees, the water, the mountains, all of it. I can't wait to see where the plants take me and my herbal medicines. The abundance of pine and spruce, the garden space waiting for me, the secret land I have yet to find.

But as you can see I'm settling in and here's a little peek into the back half of my new Herby Dungeon as I like to call it.  Morgan Botanicals apothecary/ herb shop/ classroom/ medicine makin love-nest....is slowly coming together. I just need a liitle bit of paint here and there, hanging of the drying racks, a new work station and it will feel complete again.  If you're local, come by and say Hi, I'd love to meet you!

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

Fan me on Facebook - Morgan Botanicals

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

 

 

Big news! Morgan Botanicals is relocating to CO! We are off on a journey of a life time.

Over the next couple weeks we will be packing up and moving onward, leaving behind California and making our way to new land. I will be continuing my herbal education at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism and am filled to the brim with gratitude. I am so very excited and honored to have the chance to study and learn from another group of amazing herbalists. I'll also be starting my clinical training and mentorship for American Herbalist Guild professional recognition.

I will be reopening my shop as quickly as possible and continuing with workshops, classes, plant walks etc. so keep in touch with me on facebook and twitter.

For all my online customers, nothing will effect ordering except my site will be down for a few days and I'll let you know exactly when, my local friends and customers, I hope you continue to support me and I keep shipping dirt cheap! For those in Colorado.... I can't wait to meet you all in person! 

I thank everyone for their well wishes and blessings!

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

Fan me on Facebook - Morgan Botanicals

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

 

Clary sage was once thought to make people immortal and many believed that it could clarify the brain, the eyes and even the “inner eye”, and that those who drank a tea of the leaves and flowers could see the future. Today, clary sage is used as a flavoring in everything from cigarettes and omelets to muscatel wine, but it does have many medicinal properties too. In fact, it has a medicinal pedigree going back to the ancient Greeks, but it's probably not the first herb you think of to treat complaints like hot flashes, indigestion and anxiety.

The young tops of Clary were used in soups and as pot herbs. It gives a new lift to omelets, and was used to flavor jellies. The leaves were chopped into salads. Culpeper recommended a 17th century sage dish where the fresh leaves were first dipped in a batter of flour, eggs and a little milk, fried in butter and served as a side dish. The flowers have an aromatic flavor and make a lovely contrast in salads. All sage flowers are edible after removing all greenery and stems.

The Romans called it sclarea, from claurus, or “clear,” because they used it as an eyewash. The practice of German merchants of adding clary and elder flowers to Rhine wine to make it imitate a good Muscatel was so common that Germans still call the herb Muskateller Salbei and the English know it as Muscatel Sage. Clary sometimes replaced hops in beer to produce an enhanced state of intoxication and exhilaration, although this reportedly was often followed by a severe headache. It was considered a 12 th-century aphrodisiac and still today, the essential oil is said to give you dramatic dreams or make you feel euphoric. Clary Sage has a beautifully herbaceous, sweet, flowery scent. Some people also characterize it as “nutty.” I lke to call it the Clary Sage buzz. It's dreamy, relaxing and intoxicating. Simply one of my favorite smells.

 

Susan Weed says, that like its relative sage, clary tea, the leaf juice in ale or beer, was recommended for many types of women’s problems, including delayed or painful menstruation. It was once used to stop night sweating in tuberculosis patients. An astringent is gargled, douched and poured over skin wounds. It is combined with other herbs for kidney problems. The clary seeds form a thick mucilage when soaked for a few minutes and placed in the eye, helps to removed, small irritating particles. A tea of the leaves is also used as an eyewash. Clary is also used to reduce muscle spasms. It is used today mainly to treat digestive problems such as gas and indigestion. It is also regarded as a tonic, calming herb that helps relieve premenstrual problems. Because of its estrogen-stimulating action, clary sage is most effective when levels of this hormone are low. The plant can therefore be a valuable remedy for complaints associated with menopause, particularly hot flashes.

Clary sage is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial,  astringent, sedative and antidepressant, and may lower blood pressure, aid indigestion and relax both muscles and nerves.

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

Fan me on Facebook - Morgan Botanicals

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

 

Morgan Botanicals - www.morganbotanicals.com

 

 

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

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Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

Over here in my California garden....it's hot. In fact I was just contemplating wringing my clothes out.  But, by the grace of the garden Gods I have everything I need to whip up the best icy cold goodness I can imagine.

So I grabbed this and a little of that, oh and a bit of that too. I have whipped up this quick lemonade recipe and I'm thinking I just have to share it with everyone.

 

 

Anyway, who's not thinking of lemonade right now? I know I am.

 

 

Gardener's Lemonade

1/3 cup raw sugar or honey

1 cup water

6 lemons, washed

3 cups hot water

A couple sprigs of lemon balm leaves

A couple sprigs of  mint leaves

A couple sprigs of  bergamot leaves

Or any herbs you wish to use

Extra tea herbs for garnish

 

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute or until the syrup is clear. Toss in a few lemon balm leaves. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel the rind of two lemons and set aside. Cut all 6 lemons in half.

3. Using electric or cone hand juicer, juice lemons: strain into a large pitcher. Stir in cooled syrup, hot water, lemon balm, mint, bergamot and lemon rind strips. Set in sun or leave on kitchen counter for 1 hour or more. Serve over ice. Garnish with fresh leaves of lemon balm, bergamot, or linden flowers and mint leaves.

 Yummy huh......

 

 

 

Please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

Since antiquity, mankind has used the velvety mullein plant for many purposes. From Roman times, the stem- stripped of the leaves and flowers and dipped in tallow- was carried as a torch in religious processions. Why not make a giant torch eh? Well, they are smoky, stinky, and tend to drip hot flaming bits everywhere ...... Perfect for a cave? Maybe.

Mullein was known in Greek as Flego and Fluma, that is, "to set on fire." According to one writer, "it served as a wick to put into lamps to burn." The leaves were rolled and dried and used as wicks for oil lamps and candles, and made excellent tinder. John Parkinson, a seventeenth-century herbalist, "used the stalks dipped in suet whether to burn at funerals or otherwise, and so likewise the English name High Taper, used in the same manner as a taper or torch."

To me, mullein is an awkwardly beautiful, tall fuzzy plant with sweet smelling yellow flowers and typically blooms from March to November. The flowers are fragrant and taste sweet, and the leaves, even though a bit bitter, are still wonderfully useful. Apart from its medicinal use, I love mullein for its ornamental purpose in the garden; it attracts a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, flies, and butterflies. Mullein is widely available in the wild, and is easily identified by its spike of yellow flowers and huge, sometimes over a foot long, leaves. When you find them - the leaves, flowers, and roots of this plant are edible and easy to dry, and may be used to make your own herbal medicines.

Mullein has long been valued as a superior medicinal herb and the Greek physician-herbalist Dioscorides was one of the first to recommend its use in curing diseases of the lungs, and it remained thus employed for more than 1,800 years. The leaves, root, and the flowers are anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, nervine, and vulnerary. What an amazingly useful plant...right? Well, Mullein leaf is a good respiratory remedy and traditionally used as a tea for treating a wide range of chest complaint including cough. When combined with water, the fiber in mullein produces a slippery substance called mucilage, which coats and soothes the throat and intestines. It combines well with other expectorants such as coltsfoot and thyme. Mullein helps reduce inflammation while stimulating fluid production and thus facilitating expectoration. It is considered a specific in bronchitis where there is a hard cough with soreness. Its anti-inflammatory and demulcent properties indicate its use in inflammation of the trachea and associated conditions.

 

The dried leaves are sometimes smoked to relieve the irritation of the respiratory mucus membranes an will ease the hacking cough of consumption. In our own country, several native American tribes used Mullein to cure chest diseases. Since the plant was not native to America, this usage was probably received by them (no doubt along with the lung ailments it was said to cure) from the early settlers. The Navajos called Mullein "big tobacco." They mixed it with regular tobacco and smoked the combination to relieve coughing spasms. It was also believed that this remedy would cure simple mental diseases, the use of evil language, and the thinking of evil thoughts.

But for me....I like it in tea. I like to steep a couple teaspoons of dried mullein in a cup of hot water for an infusion to treat cough, congestion, or diarrhea. You can drink three cups of hot mullein tea a day until symptoms disappear, or store the tea in the refrigerator.

Please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

“A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world, what difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset.” - Oscar Wilde

I tend to have interest in anything historical and/or herb related and I'm a great fan of herbal liqures, wines, beers, sodas etc. I’ve made beer, I’ve made wine, I’m working on sodas and I’m intrigued by liquors. I’ll probably never make this but non-the-less very interested by the medicinal history. I’m also deeply intrigued by some of our most controversial and self-impoverished artists, writers, poets, musicians, free-thinkers, and the like and find it fascinating that this herbal drink was the "beaverage du jour" or drink of choice among these great thinkers in the mid to late 19th century. It inspired many and appeared in works by Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh, it was drank by the scandalous playwright Oscar Wilde, the eccentric Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the poets Charles Baudelaire and Edgar Allen Poe, and the famous 20th century author Ernest Hemingway, just to mention a few....intriguing right? I’d say so.

In French, the word "absinthe" simply means "wormwood" and was considered a vivifying elixir long before it could be ordered in a cafe. When Madame de Coulanges, one of the leading ladies of the seventeenth-century French court, became ill, she was prescribed a preparation containing wormwood. When it calmed her stomach, she wrote to Madame de Sevigne, " My little absinthe is the remedy for all diseases."

But, well before all of that, Hippocrates was prescribing wormwood elixors for jaundice, rheumatism, anemia, and menstrual pains. Pythagoras recommended wormwood soaked in wine to aid labor in childbirth. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder called it apsinthium in the first century A.D. and noted that it was customary for the champion in chariot races to drink a cup of absinthe leaves soaked in wine to remind him that even glory has its bitter side. He also recommended it as an elixir of youth and as a cure for bad breath.

Over the centuries, however, wormwood elixors moved away from being just bitter medicine to quickly becaming a highly sought after social drink and a global phenomenon, to social poison. Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor living in Switzerland, distilled the wormwood plant in alcohol with anise, hyssop, lemon balm, and other local herbs. By 1905, there were hundreds of distilleries in all corners of France producing absinthe, with over 40 distilleries operating across the Swiss border. It’s  progress from medicine to social poison started with the military. It is said that the demand for absinthe rose dramatically after the Algerian War when the soldiers were given rations of absinthe along with their drinking water as a bacterial deterrent. The soldiers, now hooked on absinthe, began drinking it in peace time France, thus starting the first surge in absinthe popularity, and the popularity of this herbal liqueur lasted just over 100 years before falling into prohibition and then being resurrected again. Now, wormwood, not only an ingredient in absinthe, but is also used for flavouring in some other spirits and wines, including bitters, spice meads, vermouth and pelinkovac. 

 

"Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it." ~Ernest Hemingway

For more history and information:

The Wormwood Society

A non-profit educational and consumer advocacy organization focused on providing current, historically and scientifically accurate information about absinthe, the most maligned and misunderstood drink in history. http://wormwoodsociety.org/

La Fee Verte

The largest absinthe site on the web, very active forum, detailed buyers guide and FAQ.


The Virtual Absinthe Museum

The history and lore of absinthe, virtual museum of absinthe art and antiques, comprehensive absinthe historical FAQ. THE reference site for absinthe research.

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

Fan me on Facebook - Morgan Botanicals

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.

Common names can be a source of confusion. Frequently the same plant has more than one name: butterfly weed, for example. Because it was once used to treat pleurisy, butterfly weed is known by pleurisy root in some areas. Bouncing Bet, a common roadside wildflower brought to America by European settlers, is also known as soapwort: its leaves and rhizomes boiled in water make a lather for laundry and bathing. But, not so fast, other names for bouncing bet are fuller's herb and lady's washbowl...hmmm. Just as confusing as having a plant with more than one common name is having the same name applied to two or more different species. Marigold for example: Calendula and Tagetes share this common name.

To avoid such confusion, scientists use a standardized two-part naming system called binomial nomenclature.The first part of the plant's name gives its genus, the group to which it belongs and which it shares many features. The second part of the plants name tells it species-the particular kind of plant in the genus such as Rosa multiflora is the specific name for the mutliflora (many-flowered) rose. Also, the second (species) part of the name more often than not, describes something specific about the plant. Sometimes it tells the color of a plant's flowers; alba for white, rubrus for red, purpureum for purple. Or it may describe foliage; grandifolia for large leaves, rotundifolia for round leaves, millefoliium for thousand- or many-leaved. Or it may describe some other salient characteristic, erectus for upright, hirsutum for hairy, odorata for fragrant, myrtilloidies for myrtlelike. Some species names describe where a plant is typically found; montana- on the mountain, maritima- by the sea, aquatilis- in the water. And others tell how people have used the plants; edulis for edible, cathartica for cathartic and so on.

But, here's where it gets fun.

Botanical names are easier to pronounce than they may appear to be. With few exceptions, you simply say the word as you would any English word. No matter how many syllables the word has, just say each syllable, one after the other, the way you would if you were asked to pronounce any ordinary word slowly and distinctly. As for the question of which syllables to stress, even botanists may differ- but they always manage to understand one another, nevertheless. In the following examples, the syllables usually stressed are printed in capital letters. If you spend five minutes pronouncing your way through the words that follow, you will begin to get the knack of speaking Botanical Latin. The quasi-phonetic re-spellings after each item give only a rough-and-ready suggested style of pronunciation, helping to solve typical kinds of problems you may encounter in speaking botanical names or hearing them spoken. Note of ch, cn, and cy.

Abies balsamea: AY-beez ball-SAY-mee-ah

Achillea millefolium: ah-KILL-ee-ea- MILL-i-FOH-lee-um

Cheiranthus cheiri: KYE-ran-thus KYE-rye

Cnicus benedictus: NYE-kus ben-i-DIK-tus

Cynoglossum officinale: SY-noh-GLOSS-um off-fiss-i-NAY-lee

Cypripedium calceolus: SIP-ri-PEE-dee-um kal-SEE-oh-luss

Euonymus europaeus: you-OH-nim-us you-roh-PEE-us

Glycyrrhiza lepidota: GLIS-sir-RYE-zah lep-ID-oh-tah

Iris psudacorus: EYE-ris soo-DAY-koh-rus

Ligustrum vulgare: li-GOO-strum vul-GAY-ree

Lycopodium clavatum: lye-koh-POH-dee-um klah-VAY-tum

Lysimachia nummularia: lye-si-MAY-kee-ah NEW-mew-LAY-ree-ah

Medicago sativa: MED-i-KAY-goh sah-TIE-vah

Ruta graveolens: ROO-tah- gray-VEE-oh-lens

Stachys palustris: STACK-is pah-LUSS-tris

Tussilago farfara: tuss-i-LAY-goh FAR-far-ah

One specific name, officinalis (sometimes officinale: off-fiss-i-NAY-lee), deserves a special comment because it is part of the scientific name of so many medicinal plants. It means "of the workshop." The allusion is to apothecaries' shops, and the name signifies that any officinalis plant was once prized by the apothecary, forerunner of today's licensed pharmacist or druggist. Thus balm is Melissa officinalis; the dandelion is Taraxacum officinale; eyebright is Euphrasia officinalis, to give three examples. As you can see, the scientific name is really rather far from being mystifying, but gives us a bit of useful information about the plant, inviting us to learn a bit more.

As always, please email any questions to herbalist@morganbotanicals.com.

Follow me on Twitter - MorganBotanical 

Fan me on Facebook - Morgan Botanicals

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Jessica Morgan, M. H., Morgan Botanicals.

Disclaimer - The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.

Jessica Morgan, M.H.