Rainbow Healing Cottage

28/11/2018

So cool to see what bees 🐝 see

Bee balm, as seen by our pollinators 🐝🦋🐝

Photo by Craig Burrows.

28/11/2018

Herbal dopplegangers // Have you ever had a tough time telling two plants apart? 🌿🤨🌱

When we begin seeking out the medicine that grows around us, many encounter what's known as the "green wall"—a phenomenon in which all plants and trees look alike to our straining eyes. Yet as we peer more closely, the nuances of individual plants start to become as clear as day. In the same way we'd never mistake our friends brown-haired mother for our own, we begin to easily distinguish yarrow from aster, Queen Anne's lace from elderberry.

It's a great gift to journey beyond the wall! But please go prepared with field guides or mentors, and never taste or gather any plant whose i.d. you're not 110% sure about.

If you'd like our experienced mentorship in learning how to identify, gather, and use medicinal herbs from wild places and the garden, join us for our 1,000 Online Herbal Immersion:

🌼 www.chestnutherbs.com/immersion 🌼

Illustration by Isabel Adams, from Wild Flowers of the British Isles.

*Please research any new herb and consult your health care providers for possible drug/herb contraindications and precautions before ingesting. Be sure of your identification before ingesting any plant or mushroom.

22/11/2018

My favorite site

The uplifting, adaptogenic medicine of tulsi (also known as holy basil) is one of our top 10 most reached-for remedies. Tulsi has a special affinity for the respiratory system, and will have you swooning in the garden with her sweet and spicy scent.

Curious about our other favorite garden medicinals? Visit the blog:

http://chestnutherbs.com/the-top-ten-medicinal-herbs-for-the-garden/

(Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae).
Photo © Juliet Blankespoor

*Please research any new herb and consult your health care providers for possible drug/herb contraindications and precautions before ingesting. Be sure of your identification before ingesting any plant or mushroom.

22/11/2018

Love this image

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul."

—Henry Ward Beecher 🌸🌿

Plant art and photo by Mandal'ana's

16/08/2018

Love this website

Echinacea purpurea, in bud. Best known for its immune-stimulating properties, Echinacea dapples our gardens with her photogenic blooms. For a guide to growing Echinacea and Juliet's other favorite herb garden medicinals, visit the blog:

http://blog.chestnutherbs.com/the-top-ten-medicinal-herbs-for-the-garden/top-ten-medicinal-herbs-for-the-garden-echinacea-purpurea

Photo © Juliet Blankespoor

*Please research any new herb and consult your health care providers for possible drug/herb contraindications and precautions before ingesting. Be sure of your identification before ingesting any plant or mushroom.

23/07/2018

Interesting use of Nettle

Meet your new herbal bestie: nettle seed. While stinging nettle leaves are legendary for their nourishing, mineral-rich medicine, the small, potent seeds that ripen after the plant flowers are frequently overlooked. In fact, nettle seeds are adaptogens (promoting clarity + wellbeing, raising energy levels, and reducing stress) and are a deep restorative to the kidneys and adrenals. The seeds are easy to gather: simply shake the tops into a bag and remove any major debris. Spread seeds out in a well-ventilated and shaded place to dry, then store in an air-tight container.

Rebecca Altman shares a recipe for Nettle Seed Salt, a simple and tasty way to welcome this herb to your diet:
http://thornandwonder.com/blog/2013/09/just-add-water

Photo: Rebecca Altman.

23/06/2018

Excellent affirmation for today. ♥

13/06/2018

Good article on smudging

For centuries, smudging has been used by indigenous peoples across the world. Practitioners believed it cleansed both people and places of negative energy and ‘unhealthy vibrations’ (their way of identifying bacteria). Over time, smudging became a ceremonial, daily act of cleansing and purificat...

12/06/2018

Crystals that are beautiful and healing