Heart of Gaia Gardens and Products 2009

This year, we grew sixty medicinal plants in a hundred pots set in rows around our yard. We also have a bed of Calendula (on the left), which produces bright orange blossoms that are later mixed with jojoba oil to create an oil; sometimes beeswax is added to create an ointment.
























Norm created a Herbarium for me that doubles as a kitchen island. We house 96 jars of dried herbs and 126 bottles of tincture.











Teas: lemony, spicy, minty, anise flavours.














Tinctures and Glycerites: Violet Leaf, California Poppy, Saint John's Wort, and Medicinal Parsley.













Spices: Basil, Chives, Oregan, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme














Flowers: California Poppy, French Lavender, German Chamomile, Nasturtium, Heartsease, Dandelion, Wood Betony, Marshmallow, St. John's Wort, Calendula, Passionflower, and Feverfew

Cycles of life in the garden

About 90% of that which we over-wintered made it through the storms, ice, and snow. This year, we had temperatures well below freezing and did lose a few of our plants. In November, we put the plants under the stairs and covered the side with poly, leaving the stair risers open for ventilation, and in the little greenhouse.

It was so good to see everybody when we took them all out at the beginning of May. Over the last month there has been an explosion of green and colour in our yard.

Laughing Buddha Gardens 2009, featuring 60 varieties of plants:

Culinary and Medicinal: Arugula, Basil, Chives, Parsley, Rosemary, Garden Sage, Spinach, and Thyme

Flowers and Medicinal*: Day Lily, English Daisy*, Hydrangea, Jasmine sambac*, New Zealand Tea Rose*, Pansy, Petunias, Stocks, and Tiger Lily

Medicinal: Ashwagandha, Bergamot, Wood Betony, Bitter Melon, Calendula, California Poppy, Catnip, German Chamomile, Chocolate Mint, Elderberry, English Mint, Eucalyptus, Fennel Seed, Feverfew, Gotu Kola, Heartsease, Herb Robert, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Licorice, Marshmallow, Meadowsweet, Motherwort, Nasturtium, Passionflower, Peppermint, Sacred White Sage, Saint John’s Wort, Schisandra berry, Skullcap, Soapwort, Spearmint, Speedwell, Stevia, Sweet Violet, Sweet Woodruff, Uva Ursi, Verbena, Lemon, Blue Vervain, Wild Indigo, Yarrow, Zhi Mu, and Zuta Levana

All the seed is organic and so is the soil; it is all GWP - grow without pesticides. I just allow nature to take her course. We also have a composter that takes care of kitchen and garden waste and that is added to the soil each year. Every year we are able to collect the seed to grow next year. This is the cycle of life in the garden.

So, we have some seeds, small live plants, dried plant materials to make herbal remedies and pot pourri, teas, tinctures, ointments, oils, and creams for sale at our place. We follow the safe practices act when creating our products.

The herbs are harvested at the right time and at their peak. They look, smell, and taste just like the fresh herbs do so this shows they have not lost any of their potency.

Today at lunch, we enjoyed a lovely salad of spinach, arugula, parsley, basil, and chives. Our tea was a fresh combination of the four mints: Chocolate, English, Peppermint, and Spearmint. Yum. I love my job.

In August, I start my Herbal Training with Rosemary Gladstar. I'm looking forward to delving into yet another wonderful course on herbs by another amazing Herbalist.

I am also giving a course on herbs in August in our Laughing Buddha Gardens. Hope you can join us for some scrumptious food and a real-life learning experinece. See you then.

Love Lyn

100 Best Herbs for your Health & Wellness

Kelly was kind enough to send me this link for her article so I could share it with my readers.

http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/32/100-best-herbs-for-your-health-and-wellness/

Thanks Kelly...

Morning Harvest

6:30 am: I went out to our garden and harvested betony, calendula, California poppy, chamomile, gotu kola, speedwell, skullcap, placing it in my little basket, one stalk, then a flower, another leaf, omming and singing, praying and thanking, feeling the sun on my neck, smelling the sweet scents of the earth, hearing the morning songs of the birds.

Poetry of life.

The bounty escapes onto the counter.















Unique unto itself, it is easy to sort.













Betony








Calendula








California Poppy

Chamomile








Gotu Kola








Heartsease








Peppermint








Skullcap











Speedwell







By 8:00 am, they are on trays and ready to go into the dehydrator.


















It will take eight hours to dry the herbs. Then they will go in their jars.










4:00 pmThese herbs are organically grown. With proper handling, they retain their vitality, effectiveness, taste, aroma, and colour.

Balancing the Imbalances

It is my belief that we become ill due to an imbalance in the body. These imbalances come about through:

1. A diet lacking in the daily intake of nutrients and phyto-nutrients

We need a variety of fresh, live foods and herbs every day. Allow yourself a sweet treat once a week and thoroughly embrace and enjoy it with no guilt.

2. Lack of physical movement

Take yourself out for a walk every day for at least 20-30 minutes. The benefits of this one act are amazing and I hope that, at the end of a month, you’ll be able to tell me all about it. Do one better for yourself and go dancing on a regular basis.

3. Not enough water

We need at least 2 quarts of water daily to nourish our cells and clear out waste products. Tea, coffee, soda, and juice do not do this. Juice is good if it is fresh but don’t count it as part of your water intake, and it is very high in sugar.

4. Not enough rest and sleep

Being able to stretch out and relax is one of the most important blessings to our overall well-being. Retiring at a time that will ensure we get seven to eight hours of sleep each night is a key to healthy living. If an opportunity presents itself to have a nap, take it and enjoy the luxury of being peaceful with your self. It seems so simple but it is vital to your life.

5. Improper breathing

Most people ‘shoulder breathe’ and the breath may make it only to the breast bone; we need to take our breath down into our power centre about an inch below the navel.

6. Limited evacuation of waste matter

Each day we need to sit in the washroom at around the same time and relax each muscle involved in the process of elimination. We can say prayers, read spiritual literature, chant OM, or whatever it takes to relax our bowels and allow free-flow of that energy.

7. Feelings of being disconnected from ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbours, our planet, our Spiritual Being
Make a connection to someone you love every day. Ensure you have a good uplifting or funny story to tell them to make their spirits soar with laughter and joy. You will feel wonderful when you do this – like you are ‘a part of’ the life around you. You will attract great people and keep the friends you already have.

8. Enormous amounts of stress

We live in a 24/7 world and we all feel like we are the most important one and that things cannot get along without us. As well as putting your e-connections to bed by a reasonable hour, so you can watch a good movie, take yourself out of the game one day a week. Do something for your self – shop, lunch with a friend, personal grooming, drive in the country – whatever it is that will nourish you on all four levels of being: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

9. Lack of tools to deal with stress

Take a course in meditation, Reiki, balancing your Chakras. There are lots to choose from, such as: Tai Ch’i, Reflexology, Sound Healing, Crystals, etc…Continue, develop, and/or explore the topic of hobbies. Make a list of those that interest you and begin your research, finding ones that really resonate with you and feed your Inner Child.

10. Irregular clearing and balancing of the energy field

Develop a relationship with an Energy Worker and see that person regularly. It is suggested to go twice a week for two weeks then every two weeks for two times, then once a month for maintenance. This protocol (these six sessions) will generally clear up those daily, bothersome, and chronic situations, and regular sessions will keep your energy system clear and strong.

As individuals, there is a lot we can do for ourselves. When we do for ourselves, we empower our life with hope, gratitude, peace, and joy. We begin to harmonize the dense energies that have been created through unbalanced living.

Life still happens; devastating illness, which had been already set in motion through years of unhealthy choices, may still come to us. By following these simple remedies for healthier living, we will better be able to ‘survive and thrive’ through most of what life has to offer in a serene and grateful manner.

Taking a regular inventory of our wonderful and attractive qualities is a good daily practice, as is doing a ‘gratitude list’ for that which we receive each day and hold dear to our hearts: our family, friends, home, food & water, overcoming a fault, doing something a better way… there is always a lot for which to be grateful.

The Reductionist’s View is too simplistic

Allopathy says:
Physical life is the most important thing to be treated. Hang on, going to extreme measures, far beyond your personal lifespan.
Give the psyche some good drugs so it won’t bother you.
All can be corrected with a good diet and lots of exercise

Alternative says:
Psyche is the most important thing to be treated.
Analyse your thoughts and dreams to see where that is affecting your personality.
A healthy psyche will heal you physically.
Herbs, vitamins, supplements are all you need for a long life.

Energy Practitioner says:
Energy body is the most important thing to be treated.
All dis-ease starts in the aura and works its way into the physical body.
A healthy aura that is regularly cleansed and Chakras that are regularly balanced is all you need to heal on all levels of Be-ing.

The truth may lie with all of these points of view when they are combined into a cohesive whole. No one has all the answers. A balanced approach is required for Holistic healing.

Individuals are a holograph for society and often reflect the ills of that society on a personal level, which results in various neuroses.

Conversely, when we become ‘healed’, at peace, and full of joy, this affects and heals society as we interact with it, one person at a time.

If we have a persistent infection that, left untreated, will compromise body and soul, antibiotics may be a good answer. If our limb has irreparable damage, allopathy will come to the rescue. If cancer is plaguing our body, chemo, surgery, and/or radiation may save our life and give us time to make our contribution to the world.

Herbals help heal on all levels – physically, emotionally, and as we develop an awareness of and gratitude towards the botanicals we join with each day, spiritually. Our energy benefits from the energy of the earth.

Cleansing the aura and balancing the Chakras is preventative to dis-ease in the body. Staying in our own energy, clearing our own side of the street, and respectfully allowing others the same privilege is key to a healthy energy system.

Getting Organized

I have decided on which herbs I would like to use in my practice.
















On Monday, I accepted delivery of eight dozen 500 ml jars with gold lids. I spent most of Tuesday sterilizing them. On Wednesday, I filled them with my herbs and ran off labels for the side.















Then I put them in alphabetical order on the dining room table, put a hand-written label on
the top, and placed them back in the boxes.

Later that night, I made a list of the herbs and created signs for the end of the boxes.

These 96 jars are now stored in a dark location, very handy to just pull out and put a remedy together.