loving the life botanic
Throughout history, dried herbs have been used to make incense, smudges, and herbal smoking blends. After all, there’s something fascinating about the alchemy of herbs and smoke. Part of it is visual. We can see the plants undergo a violent physical change to become smoke…
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne is a valuable addition to any herbal home library. It’s especially useful for home herbalists interested in taking their DIY home apothecary skills to the next level. What’s Inside The Modern Herbal Dispensatory Did you…
How many herbs to choose for an herbal formula is a common question for home herbalists. Read on for some things to consider as you create your next herbal blend. Probably the biggest problem with creating herbal formulations is the temptation to use too many…
Have you ever thought about building an herbal first aid kit, but weren’t sure where to begin? An everyday carry herbal first aid kit can be a great place to start! My perspective on preparedness comes from living in rural areas combined with my love…
So You Want to Start a Home Apothecary . . . Perhaps you’ve seen dreamy pictures of home apothecaries come up on your Instagram or Pinterest accounts. Charming glass jars full of gorgeous petals, roots, and leaves; handsome mortars and pestles; tall stacks of herbal…
Although you don’t need a lot of tools to start making herbal extracts and teas, it does help to have a few quality things like glass canning jars, a good kettle, and a sturdy coffee grinder. I’ve been studying herbalism in a focused way since…
Have you ever tried making golden milk with fresh tulsi and fresh ginger? The results will absolutely blow you away. It’s a delicious change of pace from the usual golden milk, and the turmeric and tulsi team up perfectly as a power couple to support…
One of my favorite adaptogenic herbs is tulsi. and I’m so excited to introduce my new e-book, Tulsi for the Garden, Kitchen, and Home Apothecary. Tulsi is one of my favorite home grown herbs. It’s so easy to start from seed, grows quickly, and has…
Using loose-leaf herbs is an economical way to make healthy herbal teas. You can often buy a few ounces of, say, chamomile for the same price as a box of chamomile tea sachets- and the same holds true with most herbs. Once you have collected…
Welcome to Modern Alchemy Mondays! We will be exploring herbs and herbal preparations in this mainstay weekly feature. Today, I’m going to walk you through one of my favorite summer projects: making a heavenly herbal glycerin (aka glycerite) from albizia flowers. Albizia, or mimosa, flowers…