Beautiful to look at in full bloom, the sunny orange calendula – also known as marigold – has a wealth of herbal uses that are worth learning about. With both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, the fresh petals can be infused…
When I was a child, I didn’t stay indoors much. I used to play with other kids in my neighborhood all day long. Of course, this meant injuries were an almost daily occurrence. But I didn’t care. I was just…
Many of us were brought up to eat eggs reasonably carefully, making sure that we didn’t accidentally eat a piece of shell. In fact, as long as it’s small enough to go down safely, it probably would do more good…
You already know that some weeds are edible. However, if you don't know to tell the difference between the edible ones and those that are unpleasant - or even harmful - to eat, you've probably avoided any experiments with weed…
A tincture is a great way to extract the powerful medicine locked away in plants and preserve it for later use. While teas will spoil within a few days, tinctures will keep at room temperature for months if not years…
Plantain is an amazing plant likely found in your garden. We are not talking about that greenish type of banana but a green plant found in your back yard. People often remove plantain as they find is unattractive, but this…
It’s easy to focus on the major needs when talking about survival. Food, water, fire, and a few other things get a lot of airtime when it comes to discussing what we need. But the reality is, there are a…
When was growing up, my mother and father seemed to have a salve (which we pronounced ‘sav’) for everything. If me and my siblings fell over, a healing salve was applied. If we had a chest infection, my mother would…
Nearly every part of the common dandelion, from its brilliant yellow petals, to its roots have been foraged throughout history for food, drink and medicine. A rich source of beta-carotene, dandelions are also packed with vitamins and minerals including calcium,…
I learned how to prepare medicinal pickled garlic from my grandmother who was always ready to treat us with her self-made remedies. Garlic helps treating sore throats, colds, flu, poor digestion and is a potent antiseptic and antimicrobial agent effective…