Monday, June 29, 2015

In the Garden, June 29

So many weeds! And a sun tent set up today.

Beautiful chicory 

Motherwort adorned with bees

See our first zucchini?!

Sunflower hat

Nasturtium flowers

Cilantro, kale, chard, then tomatoes in this row 
Broccoli ready for eating
 

Airing out our tent




Sunday, June 28, 2015

Summer Products

All Purpose Salve:

a natural healing salve that is a chemical free alternative to antibiotic ointments
Works wonders on boo-boos big and small



Jewelweed Salve: 
great for all skin irritations such as bug bites, stinging nettle, ringworm, and even soothes and heals scrapes, cuts, bruises, eczema, and burns




Buzz Off Spray:
natural, safe, chemical-free bug repellent

witch hazel, citronella essential oil , cedarwood essential oil, neem oil, lemon eucalyptus essential oil, rosemary essential oil, & lemongrass essential oil



Cooling Peppermint Poison Ivy Salve:
the perfect cooling, drying, anti-itch salve for poison ivy rashes


Cleavers (Galium aparine)



Galium aparine, with many common names including cleavers, clivers, goosegrass, catchweed, stickyweed, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy, sticky willow, velcro weed, and grip grass, is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae.


Cleaver Recipes:

Cleavers juice – This is said to be the most potent way to consume cleavers. To make it all you need to do is to clean your harvested cleavers, chop it roughly and then squeeze out the juice through a jelly bag or clean tea towel. The recommended dose is 1 teaspoon, 2 – 3 times daily as a tonic.


Cleavers tea – Again, clean your harvested cleavers then chop it. Add 1-2 tsp of this per cup of boiled water.


Cleavers tincture – Harvest the top two thirds of plant when in flower or setting seed. Tincture in 100 proof vodka. (see my posts on making tinctures) Dosage is 0.5ml – 1ml in water a few times daily when called for.


Cleavers Facial Wash - Bring one quart of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 3-1/2 tbsp. of dried cleavers. Cover and steep for 40 min. Wash the face and neck often. Packs consisting of a wash cloth or small terrycloth hand towel soaked in the tea, lightly wrung out and then applied to the entire facial area for up to 10 minutes several times a day should help to tighten up loose skin folds. Gradual results should become evident within 2 weeks. One of the first things to look for is a new kind of life feeling in formerly tired, worn-out skin.

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Cleavers has a folk reputation as a remover of lumps and bumps. So enthusiastic were many claims that there has been some clinical research, in the hope that it could help reduce certain cancerous lumps. However the results were not supportive of the traditional claims.

Cleavers is often used by herbalists for cystitis, swollen glands, swollen breasts, PMS, mild lymphedema, prostatitis and as a diuretic for a general spring clean. Susun weed reports that it can also be helpful in reducing allergic reactions. Due to it’s gentle diuretic cleansing action, Galium aparine often also helps to ease some skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema and gout.