Growing some Herbs in your Backyard

One of the best parts about growing an herb garden is being able to use the herbs. From the lemon balm leaf in a glass of tea to the sweet basil in a pot of marinara sauce, herbs can add the most wonderful flavors. A perfect example of why you would want an herb garden is this. Imagine a hot summer day when the only thing that can cool you off is a frosty glass of ice cold tea.


Photo: Steve Koo Photography

You can brew the tea, pour it over the ice, add a leaf off the stevia plant and one off the lemon balm plant, and you have a wonderful sweetened glass of lemon iced tea. You must understand something about collecting herbs. You need to do it often to allow the plant to keep growing so well. Once an herb plant has started producing flowers, it will not produce any leaves.

Keeping the plant well pruned can keep it from going to flower. Here are three kinds of herbs which I would like to suggest to growing:

1) Herbaceous
These will die back come winter and grow back in the spring. These herbs do not need to be carefully cut back. You can just chop off what you need and they will continue to grow. It is advisable to at least let one pair of leaves remain. You will definitely do this in the spring to allow the new growth to form. These herbs are also great for container growing, especially the mint varieties.

2) Evergreen
These herbs require you prune them at least once a year. You can do it more often, and hopefully you are cutting for the kitchen, but you must also allow some of the plant to keep growing. You will want to remove any old growth so the new growth can benefit from the sunlight and not be crowded.

3) Annuals
Annual herbs need to be planted every year. You will not be able to winter these herbs unless you take them indoors. Even when you do take the best care of them possible do not be surprised when they start to die off. When you do harvest the herbs from your garden, you will want to gather some for fresh use. This allows the plants to keep producing during the growing season.


Photo: Jen with one n

You will want to harvest for the winter later in the year. When you harvest for the winter months you must make sure you gather all you will need. You will want to make sure before you store the herbs they are dried completely.

Horse Chestnut - From Beautiful Flower to be great Herbal

Horse chestnut supports the vessels of our circulatory system and helps strengthen capillary cells and reduce fluid breakage. The Horse Chestnut is a flowers showy, insect-pollinated, with four or five petals fused into a lobed corolla tube, arranged in a panicle inflorescence. The fruit matures to a capsule 2–5 cm diameter, usually globose with 1-3 seeds per capsule, more than 2 results in seeds being flat on one side. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner trained in the uses of herbal healthcare supplements may be beneficial and coordination of treatment among all health care providers involved may be advantageous. The capsule epidermis has "spines" in some species, other capsules are warty or smooth; capsule splits into three sections to release the seeds.


Photo: Abizeleth

There are 25 different species of Horse-Chestnut native to the temperate northern hemisphere. In North America they are referred to as "Buckeyes" and have 10 native species. Europe and Asia have 15 native species and they are referred to as Horse-Chestnuts, some are also called "white Chestnuts" and "Red Chestnuts". In Britain they are sometimes called "Conker Trees" because of the relation with the game of Conkers.

It is believed to be an excellent antioxidant to prevent wrinkles. They are generally fairly problem-free, though a recently discovered leaf-mining moth Cameraria ohridella is currently causing major problems in much of Europe, causing premature leaf fall which looks very unattractive. The symptoms can be confused with damage caused by the leaf fungus Guignardia aesculi, which is also very common but usually less serious. Common Horse Chestnut is also used as a food plant by the sycamore, another species of moth. It also helps in the treatments of phlebitis, varicosity and hemorrhoids.

The powder is sprinkled over fish-laden still water, to stun fish. The stupefied fish then float to the surface of the water where they can be scooped up and eaten. Allegedly the toxins in the horse chestnuts are not transmitted to the eaters of the fish, if the fish are then gutted and cooked.


Photo: ~Wickerman~

One species very popular in cultivation, the Common Horse-chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum is also often known as just "Horse-chestnut". Linnaeus named the genus Aesculus after the Roman name for an edible acorn. The use of the term "horse" refers to their strength or inedibility, the word "horse" originally meant strong or powerful, and does not here refer to their fitness as fodder for horses, except in folk etymology. The name buckeye derives from the resemblance of the seed to the brown eye of a buck and horse-chestnut from the external resemblance of the seed to a chestnut, but being inedible. The Buckeye blooms in summer and the Horse-chestnut in late spring.

Horse chestnut has also been promoted for relief of swelling or inflammation of joints, tendons, and muscles and hemorrhoids. Horse chestnut has been used orally to improve symptoms of fatigue, pain, nighttime cramping, itching and swelling in the legs.

The use of horse chestnut in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted by current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with a primary health care professional is advisable.


Photo: Planetary Herbals Horse Chestnut, Vein Strength, 705 mg, Tablets, 90 tablets

Additionally, consultation with a practitioner trained in the uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment among all health care providers involved may be advantageous. If you choose to use horse chestnut, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider. Store horse chestnut as directed on the package. In general, horse chestnut should be protected from light, heat, and moisture.

Sources: wikipedia.org, drugs.com, horsechestnut.com

Can Echinacea Prevent 2009 Influenza?

Echinacea is an herb that is extremely effective and holds multiple purposes. There are nine different species of Echinacea but the one most commonly used and referred to is the Echinacea purpurea. Many people take Echinacea everyday to prevent colds, flu, and any other types of infections that might be running rapid at the time as Echinacea has been known for strengthening the immune system. Some people also use Echinacea for the treatment of acne and boils.


Photo: highonhealth.org

The entire Echinacea plant including the roots are dried and made into teas, juices, and tonics. Echinacea stimulates the immune system and it promotes T-cell activation while it increases the activity of the immune system. It helps white blood cells attack germs and these effects may decrease if taken for more than a few weeks. While many swear by the power and strength of Echinacea there is no scientific backing that gives these claims any validity whatsoever.

The Natives used to use Echinacea for many different things including the treatment of poisonous snake bites and insect bites. Back in the 1800’s Echinacea played a very large part of United States medicine and then spread to Germany where they too used it for many medical purposes. It was then used as an antibiotic and continued on until better antibiotics were made available. For years Echinacea sort of lost it’s pizzazz but more recently gained back its popularity.

Many think the reason for that is because there is still no cure for the common cold. There are many various parts of the Echinacea plant that are used to make medicine but most often it is the roots that are of the most value. Echinacea can be administered in many different ways such as in a tablets, capsules, juice, tea, extracts and tinctures. Some are made from the flower in full bloom and others are made from the root itself. Echinacea is also available in a topical solution or cream that many use for creams, lotions, mouthwashes, ointments, skin washes, and toothpastes.


Photo: Diana827

Further it is becoming quite common to add Echinacea to particular cosmetics as an anti aging remedy but that claim has no validity at all as there is no relationship between anti aging and Echinacea. It is an extremely beneficial herb for helping the body rid itself of microbial infections. When combined with other herbs such as Yarrow and Bearberry it is said to work great combating cystitis however Echinacea has yet to be endorsed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness.

Those who use Echinacea for the common cold swear by it and it is recommended that for the most effectiveness you should begin taking Echinacea when you notice the very first symptoms of a cold and then stay on it for three weeks and stop taking it for one week. There are some who would be at risk if they took Echinacea such as people with multiple sclerosis, white blood cell disorders, collagen disorders, HIV/AIDS, autoimmune disorders, or tuberculosis. Heed caution also if you have any plant allergies; take other medications, or herbal remedies.

Children should not take Echinacea, nor should pregnant women or nursing mothers. Also, people who are on steroid medicine including betamethasone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, triamcinolone, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, azathioprine, or other immune system suppressants should avoid the use of Echinacea. Echinacea is generally not recommended for use by people with diseases of the immune system such as HIV, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis. The German government recommends against using Echinacea if you have these conditions. Some researchers believe that Echinacea could actually worsen these immune system problems.

Natural Remedies for stopping toothaches

Toothaches are very excruciating, some of the worst pain you will ever feel in your life. Everyone out there at some point in time, will experience the pain of a toothache. Even though you may have had dental work in the past and follow proper hygiene, toothaches can happen at anytime. Although it can be very painful, there are ways to get relief through natural herbal remedies or pharmaceuticals.


Photo: randomtruth

You should use them in tincture form. If you plan to use herbs, , as the alcohol content will disinfect the area, and help to reduce the inflammation and kill the infection. Once you have the tincture, you should use roughly a teaspoon of it and gently rinse your mouth out. Once you have help it in your mouth a minute or so, you should either swallow it or spit it out.

The best way to deal with toothache is to put out the fire. If you manage to put the fire out, the pain will follow. Even though the pain may go away, the problem will still be there until you go to the dentist and get it treated. Tinctures are natural remedies that use herbs and alcohol to massage the affected area and stop the pain by numbing the nerves of the tooth that is causing you so much pain.

Although the dentist is the preferred way to go, you may have to wait on an appointment, or the toothache may occur on a weekend or a time when the dentist isn’t available. Your best advice is to seek dental care ASAP, as the infection can always return at any given time. If you don’t get problems fixed as soon as you can, they can spread and cause you more problems with your teeth. Cavities will need to be filled, while the rotten or dying teeth will need to be extracted. If caught in time, the dentist can normally save the tooth via root canal.


Photo: Cheyenne Ja'Nice

The most common way to stop the pain of a toothache is by using a pharmaceutical such as Ambesol. With these types of toothache relief products, you simply rub the ointment on the affected area and it will kill the pain. These products work quickly, although they may not be able to help if the infection has spread or has gotten so bad that the tooth is literally dying.

Another way to stop the pain is to use Tylenol or aspirin. If you are going this route, you should use tablets that dissolve. Simply take the tablet and put it in your mouth, then use your tongue to hold it against your tooth. The aspirin or Tylenol will start to dissolve, and work it’s way into your nerve and stop the pain. This is a very effective way to stop the pain, although once the pill dissolves it can leave a terrible taste in your mouth.

The best way to stop the pain is to visit the dentist and have it treated once and for all. Keep in mind that if the problem is an infection, you’ll need to use antibiotics until the infection is gone. Once the infection is gone, the dentist will be able to proceed with treatment. Most toothaches are the result of a cavity, which will need to be filled. Anytime you start to experience a toothache you should get it treated. If you aren’t able to make it to the dentist, simply get some Ambesol or other product that will give you relief from the pain until you can get to the dentist and get the problem taken care of.