#spiraea herbs

Spiraea Herbal Clinic – An Office Tour

Projects make me feel great. At the end of a hard day’s work I feel zero guilt about kicking back, relaxing and enjoying the outcome of the day’s labour. And the office overhaul we did today was HARD work, but I’m so happy with how things turned out. So happy that I wanted to share my office with you. This is where all the herbal magic happens!   As a side note to those who follow my Beating the…

Cinnamon and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

One of my husbands favourite parts about Halloween is the beautiful bounty of roasted pumpkin seeds! Last year our experiment turned out a little chewier than we would have liked. Determined to get it right this year we tried out a recipe from Super Healthy Kids. You can find their blog here but I will also post the recipe below.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

Just 1/4 of a cup of pumpkin…

Canning Pickled Green Beans – Recipe

I’ve been canning for a few years. I love the idea of being able to enjoy Ontario grown food in the middle of the winter. There is nothing quite like Ontario peaches in the middle of a long, dark and cold winter.  Now this does go without saying; if you are not from Ontario you can use your own local fruits and veggies!

  The canning method I use is called water bath.  It is easy to do,…

My Herbal Bookshelf: Part 2

This is the second half of my herbal library. To read about the books in the first half, check My Herbal Library: A-G.

Medical Herbalism – David Hoffmann

This book was required for the pharmacology portion of my course.  Medical Herbalism is dense and is not for the layman.  A certain level of pharmacological as well as herbal medicine knowledge is necessary just to get through the first few pages.  I imagine I will be using this book for many years to come!

The New Holistic Herbal – David Hoffmann

This was a required textbook for one of my courses at Living Earth School of Herbalism.  Just as my course was organized, Hoffmann explores each major system of the body and their ailments.  He also provides information on holistic health in general as well as preparation methods.  This book is worth it just for the listing of over 200 herbs itself!

Earl Mindell’s Herb Bible – Earl Mindell

One of the first herb books I ever got my hands on (I think I found it at a garage sale).  I’ve had it since I took the Chartered Herbalists course at Dominion Herbal College years ago.  Earl Mindell’s book provides information on 100 of the most popular medicinal plants. The knowledge is basic, but it’s still a great little book.

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide – Lawrence Newcomb

I never go out into the field without this field guide.  It has a fantastic identification system that is almost foolproof.  What it lacks in photographs, it makes up for in ease of use and variety of species. A must have for any wild-harvester.

The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices – Aviva Jill Romm

After going one of Aviva Romm’s two-day seminars, I knew I would love her books. Considered to be one of the most helpful pregnancy books on the market, The Natural Pregnancy Book makes you feel like you have a midwife and herbalist at your side.  While her ideas may seem extreme for some, Aviva provides women with points of view seldom discussed in medical fields.  Every person considering having a child and every herbalist wanting to work with pregnant woman needs to have this book.

The Encyclopedia of Bach Flower Therapy – Mechthild Scheffer

If you are interested in the Bach Flower Therapy system, this book is fantastic! Although this was another required textbook for my course, I had purchased it years ago, long before I needed it for school.  Scheffer’s knowledge on the subject is vast and personal as she has been a practicing Bach Flower Therapist for many years.  She discusses all 38 Bach Flower remedies as well as the system of healing itself.

The Way of Herbs – Michael Tierra

This book is new to my collection so I haven’t had much time to look through it.  One of the reasons I purchased it is because of the rave reviews I heard from other herbalists.  I look forward to reading it.

The Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise – Susan Weed

This book is witty, wise and refreshing, in writing style and content.  Weed’s focus on building relationships with plants is of particular interest to me, as I believe your medicine is only as good as your relationship to the plant that provides it. Healing Wise provides knowledge about three traditional ways of healing, including the wise woman tradition.

Aromatherapy: A Guide for Home Use – Christine Westwood

Another required book for my Complementary Herbal Therapeutics Course, this book is invaluable if you are interested in using essential oils.  Westwood provides information about the therapeutic properties for both physical and emotional ailments, as well as safe administration methods.

Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World/Old World Medicinal Plants – Matthew Wood

Both of these books are wonderful, complete and thorough, adding depth and a vast amount of wisdom to any herbal library.  His information has been invaluable in the writings of papers and researching herbs that are local to my area.  Although I understand the need to separate the material into two books, sometimes I have to look in both indices to find the herb I am looking for.

The Book of Herbal Wisdom – Matthew Wood

My Herbal Bookshelf

Taking a suggestion from some fellow herbal bloggers, I’ve decided to write about the books I have in my herbal library.  While I believe that a deep connection with the plants around you can teach you almost everything you need to know about their medicine, a few good herbal books can’t hurt!  They certainly come in handy when you are researching herbs that are not widely used (which is the case with a large portion of my material medica from school). 

The books listed here are what I currently have in my library.  They are in alphabetical order by author and not in order of preference or relevance.  I do hope to write reviews about some of these books one day, but for today I’m just going to share the titles, authors and a brief insight about the book.

Prescription for Herbal Healing – Phyllis A. Balch

Although this wasn’t my first herbal book, it was pretty close to it.  It has some basic information on a large variety of popular herbs as well as treatments for many of the well-known chronic and acute conditions herbalists may face.  The depth of knowledge isn’t fantastic, but it’s a great book for anyone starting out.

New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses – Deni Bown

I love this book! While it was not required for my course, it came highly recommended by my teacher.  Bown provides the reader with lots of horticultural information on medicinal plants, including detailed plant descriptions, habitat information and medicinal properties.  It also has lots of great pictures!

The Complete Book of Herbs – Lesley Bremness

I received this book as a gift and I must admit I don’t use is very often.  The medicinal knowledge is a little basic, however it does contain information about growing your own herbs, which could come in handy if you are a gardener or plan to be.

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine – Andrew Chevallier

A new book to my shelf that came highly recommended by many herbalists.  I’ve used it as a resource for St. Johns Wort so far and I was impressed with both the quantity and quality of information.  I can’t wait to use it more!

Culpepper’s Complete Herbal – Nicholas Culpepper

A classic and necessity for any herbalist.  This book plays a vital role in the history of herbal medicine as Culpepper was one of the first to translate herbal documents from Latin.

Magical Herbalism – Scott Cunningham

If you are interested in the magical aspects of herbalism, then this book is a must have.  Cunningham presents a complete system of magical herbalism, making it easy to incorporate into your herbal practice – if you choose.

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs – Scott Cunningham

A companion book to Magical Herbalism, Cunningham provides further magical details on a vast variety of plants and herbs.  Strangely I had this book for years before acquiring Magical Herbalism.  

The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers in Ontario – Richard Dickinson et. al.

All of the ROM’s (Royal Ontario Museum) field guides are beautiful and informative.  I don’t find the identification guide as useful as other field guides, but the ROM far surpasses all books on accurate habitat information for many of the local species I use.  Plus the photos are lovely.

Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth Medicine – Timothy R. Dooley

A required textbook for my Complementary Herbal Therapeutics course.  A great mix of history and philosophy, Dooley makes the concept of homeopathic medicine easy to understand and enjoyable to read.  This book is designed to be an introduction to the concept of homeopathy and doesn’t contain any information or therapeutic properties on specific remedies.  

Guide to Natural Living: Natural Ways to Health, Relaxation and Vitality – Mark Evans

This was a Christmas gift I received years ago. While I rarely turn to this book for herbal information, it is an excellent resource for information on homeopathic remedies, massage techniques and other natural remedies including supplements, exercise and hydrotherapy.  Organized by systems of the body and then ailments, it’s easy to find what you are looking for.

Peterson: A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America – Steven Foster et. al.

I usually bring this field guide with me when I’m harvesting along with Newcomb’s.  I find the colour photographs in this book extremely helpful in the field, when confirming an idenficiation.

A Modern Herbal (Vol I and II) – Mrs. M. Grieve

One of the best things about moving is being able to explore the area around you.  Whenever my husband and I move, finding new hiking spots is always a high priority (ranked right up there with finding local farmers' markets).  Yesterday we took a trip to a local conservation are in Whitby, Lynde Shores.

        History of Lynde Shores

  Established in 1972, Lynde Shores has 272 hectares of land and is well-known for its wildlife viewing opportunities.  Mostly consisting of rivers, marshes and other wetlands, Lynde Shores is the perfect habitat for nesting birds. Together Lynde Shores and the adjacent Cranberry Marsh provide migrating birds with an excellent stopover location.

Because Lynde Shore and Cranberry Marsh are two of the few remaining coastal wetlands in this area of Ontario they are considered to be "provincially significant" and are part of a long-term study being conducted by Durham Region Coastal Wetland Monitoring Project. For more information about the project please visit this site.

Hiking and Walking Trails

Lynde Shores has a number of trails (most of them looping) that allow you to get a closer look at the amazing variety of wildlife that this wetland has to offer.  Looking for something a bit longer, my husband and I took the LaVays Trail which is approximately 2.2 km in length.  The paths are well maintained and are generally friendly to young children and even wheelchairs.  While the hike itself is not challenging, most people come to Lynde Shores for the wildlife viewing possibilities!  The shorter loop trail is known as Birdfeeder Trail and is appropriately named. This trail is filled with a vast variety of birds as well as other wildlife including squirrels, chipmunks and frogs.

No Doggies

Lynde Shores and Cranberry Marsh are highly sensitive areas and it is because of this fact that the conservation area has a strict "no dogs" policy.  I feel that breaking this particular rule is just not an option.  Lynde Shores has so many animals that rely on this area for nesting and food gathering that the introduction of any dogs could be potentially devastating.

Feeding the Birds - Good or Bad?

Upon arriving at the location there was a very official looking sign stating all of the rules and regulations for the conservation area.  One of the paragraphs was of significant note:

"Do not feed the wildlife.  Feeding may cause animals to become aggressive in their search for food and may harm young children and each other.  Feeding also discourages winter migration and a diet of inappropriate food causes poor nutrition and possible infections." 

While this rule was clearly stated, every single person (except my husband and I) were ignoring these posting.  There were probably about 9 cars in the parking lots and its occupants came with everything from white bread to peanuts in tow.  Due to this feeding behaviour I found the animals, especially the squirrels, to be very aggressive.  At one point there was a squirrel following us and perching to jump onto our shoulders.  Further down the trail we realised why the squirrel was doing this when we saw fellow hikers with bird seed on their shoulders.

We also noticed aggressive behaviour from the birds when we ventured out onto the boardwalk.  As soon as we were spotted by some geese the entire marsh was alive with bird calls and sounds.  They were sending the message that humans (and potentially) food had arrived.  Less than two minutes after arriving the boardwalk was surrounded by ducks, geese and storks all looking for an afternoon meal.  Eventually it got to the a point that we felt uncomfortable and were unsure what the birds were going to do so we decided to  leave.

Overall our experience at Lynde Shores was a pleasurable one, but the aggressive nature of the animals definitely left an impression.  So much so, that we called the Conservation Authority to let them know how aggressive the wildlife was getting.  We were also concerned that the birds here would opt for staying at the marsh over the winter instead of migrating.

So if you are going to visit Lynde Shores bring your camera and binoculars, but leave your birdseed at home!

Additional Information

A lack of days off and funds have put the veggie boxes/backyard garden project on hold for a bit. Still feeling the itch to get outside and play with dirt, I decided (very spontaneously) to attempt a flower bed at the front of my house.  Having little to no knowledge or experience I just dove right in.  Here is how everything turned out!

Here you have the "before" picture.  It seems the previous tenants weren't into gardening because both the front and backyards are blank canvases.

As you can see I opted for a curved shaped border as opposed to something straight across. All I had was my little harvesting shovel, but it did the trick.

After I decided on the shape of my garden border I started to dig up the grass and loosen the soil.  I didn't get more than 6 inches deep before my shovel hit something hard.  This is only about 1/4 of the bricks that I found buried at the front of my house. I have been told that it's not uncommon for builders to bury any leftover bricks, but these don't match the bricks on my house! I stopped digging and pulling up bricks once I hit the 2 feet deep point.

Not one to waste anything I decided to use the bricks to create a nice border on my new garden!

I didn't have much in the way of plants for my garden.  Everything I planted was either herbs I had in pots (Mugwort, Valerian and Lavender) or housewarming gifts from my family (ornamental kale and some mums... I think).

HERBAL INFORMATION – Echinacea

  Family: Asteraceae

Latin names: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida

Common names: Common purple coneflower, Black Sampson

Parts Used:  Root

Constituents: Caffeic acid esters including echinacoside and cichoric acid; alkylamides, mostly unsaturated isobutyl amides (including dodeca-2,4,8,10-tetraenoic acid); polysaccharides (including echinacin B); polyacetylenes; essential oil 1

  Description

Echinacea is one of the few medicinal plants that is commonly known by its Latin name.  The name Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos, which means “hedgehog”, referring to the prickly scales of the flowers’ centre cone.  Thanks to archaeological evidence, we know that Native Americans may have been using purple coneflower for more than 400 years thinking of it as a “cure-all” herb.

While popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, Echinacea’s use declined in North America after the introduction of antibiotics.  Its current availability as a herbal medicine can be attributed is a German herbal company called Madaus which began importing the seeds for cultivation in 1939.  Madaus was also one of the first companies to fund research into the species purpurea.

A perennial flowering plant, Purple coneflower can grow up to 1.2 metres tall at maturity.  It’s flowering period is largely determined by the climate the plant is found in, ranging from late May to early July.  Echinacea is hermaphroditic, meaning it has both male and female organs on each flower.  As shown in many photos of this herb, it is pollinated by butterflies and bees.

Although Echinacea does not grow in the wild in Ontario, it can be grown in this climate and is often found as a showy flower in gardens.  It’s native habitats consist of dry open woods, prairies and barren areas, making it common to the temperate regions of the eastern United States. 

  Therapeutic Properties

Anesthetic (local), antiallergenic, anticatarrhal, anti-inflammatory (local, systemic), antimicrobial (bacterial, viral), antineoplastic, antioxidant, antirheumatic, antitoxic, antiulcerogenic, appetite stimulant, depurative, diaphoretic, febrifuge, immune stimulant, lymphatic, sialagogue, PVD (peripheral vasodilator), vulnerary

  Medicinal Uses

Detoxification

Strong focus on the lymphatic system

Effects will be felt in the skin, muscles and joints

Helpful in cleansing the upper respiratory tract

Lymphatic system

Poor drainage, swollen lymph nodes, edema

Inflammatory conditions of the lymphatic system (incl. chronic conditions)

Congestion in the lymphatic system (incl. lymph nodes)

Immune system/Infections

Effective against both bacterial and viral infections

Will help shorten the duration of a cold/flu

Can be used for topical infections (ie. boils, cuts, bites, scrapes, wounds)

Use as a mouthwash/gargle to treat gingivitis and sore throats

Apply direct to tooth/gum area for toothaches

Traditionally used to treat poisonings

Snake bites, septicaemia, insect bites and other types of poisonings

Upper Respiratory Tract

Especially useful for infections of the upper respiratory tract

Laryngitis, tonsillitis, the common cold and nasal/sinus conditions

Blood and Circulation

Improves circulation to peripheral areas of the body (hands, feet, etc.)

Use in treating impurities of the blood

Boils, carbuncles, gangrene, septicaemia

Cancer treatment

Supportive antineoplastic

Contraindications

There is no known toxicity associated with this plant

It should not be used during pregnancy and lactation due to it depurative properties.

Due to its immune stimulating properties, it should not be used in combination with immunosuppressant medications.

There are no dosage restrictions with Echinacea.

Magical Properties

Powers: Strengthening spells

Magical Uses:

Echinacea was used by Native Americans as an offering to spirits to ensure and strengthen spells.

References:

Class Notes – Living Earth School

Culpeper’s Complete Herbal – Nicholas Culpeper

Dominion Herbal College – Chartered Herbalist Course Book 2

Earthwise Herbal – Matthew Wood

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs – Scott Cunningham

Herb Bible – Earl Mindell

Holistic Herbal – David Hoffman

Medical Herbalism – Davicd Hoffman1