| What could be easier than growing an herb garden | | | | poisoning) and externally (relieving bug bites, burns, |
| with no effort? Of course, you'll have to harvest | | | | sprains, and sore eyes). The leaves, flowers, and |
| your weeds, but you would do that anyhow: it's | | | | bark (especially) of the native Hohere (Hoheria |
| called weeding.Spring is an especially fertile time for | | | | populnea) are used in exactly the same way by Maori |
| harvesting your weeds - roots and all - and turning | | | | herbalists.Plantain, also called ribwort, pig's ear, and the |
| them into medicines. Here then are some tips on how | | | | bandaid plant is a common weed of lawns, |
| to find, harvest, prepare, and use a baker's dozen | | | | driveways, parks, and playgrounds. Identify it by the |
| (13) of common weeds that probably already grow | | | | five parallel veins running the length of each leaf. You |
| around you.To make your medicines you'll need glass | | | | may find broad leaf plantain (Plantago major) with |
| jars of various sizes with tight-fitting lids. And at least | | | | wide leaves, or narrow leaf plantain (Plantago |
| a pint each of apple cider vinegar (pasteurized), | | | | lanceolata) with lance-thin leaves. Either can be used |
| vodka (100 proof is best, but 80 proof will do), and | | | | to make a healing poultice or a soothing oil widely |
| pure olive oil (not extra virgin) or good quality animal | | | | regarded as one of the best wound healers around. |
| fat such as lanolin, lard, or belly fat from a lamb or | | | | Not only does plantain increase the speed of healing, |
| kid. You will also want a knife, a cutting board, and | | | | it also relieves pain, stops bleeding, draws out foreign |
| some rags to mop up spills.In general, you will fill a jar | | | | matter, stops itching, prevents and stops allergic |
| (of any size) with coarsely-chopped fresh, but dry, | | | | reactions from bee stings, kills bacteria, and reduces |
| plant material. (Do not wash any part of the plant | | | | swelling.Try a poultice or a generous application of |
| except roots, if you are using them, and be sure to | | | | plantain oil or ointment (made by thickening the oil |
| dry those well with a towel before putting them in | | | | with beeswax) on sprains, cuts, insect bites, rashes, |
| your jar.) Then you will fill the jar with your | | | | chafed skin, boils, bruises, chapped and cracked lips, |
| menstruum, that is the vinegar, the oil, or the alcohol. | | | | rough or sore hands, baby's diaper area, and burns.To |
| Label well and allow to stand at room temperature, | | | | make a fresh plantain poultice: Pick a leaf, chew it |
| out of the sunlight for at least six weeks before | | | | well and put it on the boo-boo. "Like magic" the pain, |
| decanting and using. (See my book Healing Wise for | | | | itching, and swelling disappear, fast! (Yes, you can dry |
| more specific information on making preparations.)A | | | | plantain leaves and carry them in your first aid kit. |
| field guide is helpful for positively identifying your | | | | Chew like you would fresh leaves.)To make plantain |
| weeds. The one I like best is: A Guide to the | | | | ointment: Pick large fresh plantain leaves. Chop |
| Identification of New Zealand Common Weeds in | | | | coarsely. Fill a clean, dry, glass jar with the chopped |
| Colour, complied by E. A. Upritchard. (Available from | | | | leaves. Pour pure olive oil into the leaves, poking |
| the New Zealand Weed And Pest Control Society, | | | | about with a chopstick until the jar is completely full |
| P.O. Box 1654, Palmerston North) This book even | | | | of oil and all air bubbles are released. Cap well. Place |
| shows you how the weeds look when they are | | | | jar in a small bowl to collect any overflow. Wait six |
| emerging.Ready? OK! Let's go outside and see what | | | | weeks. Then strain oil out of the plant material, |
| we can find.Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) | | | | squeezing well. Measure the oil. Heat it gently, adding |
| is an annual in the mustard family. Cut the top half of | | | | one tablespoon of grated beeswax for every liquid |
| the plant when it has formed its little heart-shaped | | | | ounce of oil. Pour into jars and allow to cool.St. Joan's |
| "purses" (seed pods) and make a tincture (with | | | | John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) This beautiful |
| alcohol), which you can use to stop bleeding. | | | | perennial wildflower may be hated by sheep farmers |
| Midwives and women who bleed heavily during their | | | | but herbalists adore it. The flowering tops are |
| period praise its prompt effectiveness. Gypsies claim | | | | harvested after they begin to bloom (traditionally on |
| it works on the stomach and lungs as well. A dose is | | | | Solstice, June 21) and prepared with alcohol, and with |
| 1 dropperful (1ml); which may be repeated up to four | | | | oil, to make two of the most useful remedies in my |
| times a day.Cleavers (Gallium aparine) is a persistent, | | | | first aid kit. Tincture of St. Joan's wort not only lends |
| sticky plant which grows profusely in abandoned lots | | | | one a sunny disposition, it reliably relieves muscle |
| and the edges of cultivated land. The entire plant is | | | | aches, is a powerful anti-viral, and is my first-choice |
| used to strengthen lymphatic activity. I cut the top | | | | treatment for those with shingles, sciatica, backpain, |
| two-thirds of each plant while it is in flower (or | | | | neuralgia, and headaches including migraines. The usual |
| setting seeds) and use alcohol to make a tincture | | | | dose is 1 dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as needed. |
| which relieves tender, swollen breasts, PMS | | | | In extreme pain from a muscle spasm in my thigh, I |
| symptoms, and allergic reactions. A dose is 15-25 | | | | used a dropperful every twenty minutes for two |
| drops (.5 - 1 ml); repeated as needed.Chickweed | | | | hours, or until the pain totally subsided. St. Joan's |
| (Stellaria media) has many uses, including delicious | | | | wort oil stops cold sores in their tracks and can even |
| salad greens. I cut the entire top of the plant and eat | | | | relieve genital herpes symptoms. I use it as a |
| it or use alcohol to make a tincture, which dissolves | | | | sunscreen. Contrary to popular belief, St. Joan's wort |
| cysts, tonifies the thyroid, and aids in weight loss. A | | | | does not cause sun sensitivity; it prevents it. It even |
| dose is a dropperful (1 ml), up to three times a | | | | prevents burns from radiation therapy. Eases sore |
| day.Daisy (Bellis perennis) is a common perennial | | | | muscles, too.Self heal (Prunella vulgaris) This scentless |
| weed of lawns and open areas. Quite different from | | | | perennial mint is one of the great unsung healers of |
| the native daisy (Lagenifera petiolata), the little | | | | the world. The leaves and flowers contain more |
| English daisy is related to feverfew and has similar | | | | antioxidants - which prevent cancer and heart |
| abilities. I use the leaves and flowers to make a | | | | disease, among other healthy traits - than any other |
| tincture (with alcohol) or a medicinal vinegar which | | | | plant tested. And as part of the mint family, self heal |
| relieves headaches, muscle pain, and allergy | | | | is imbued with lots of minerals, especially calcium, |
| symptoms. A dose is a dropperful of the tincture (1 | | | | making it an especially important ally for pregnant, |
| ml), up to twice a day; or a tablespoon of the | | | | nursing, menopausal, and post-menopausal women. I |
| vinegar in the morning.Dandelion (Taraxacum | | | | put self heal leaves in salads in the spring and fall, |
| officinalis) is a persistent perennial of lawns and | | | | make a medicinal vinegar with the flowers during the |
| gardens and one of the best known medicinal herbs | | | | summer, and cook the flowering tops (fresh or dried) |
| in the world. (The native dandelion of New Zealand - | | | | in winter soups.Usnea (Usnea barbata) is that |
| Taraxacum magellanicum - is medicinal too.) Those | | | | many-stranded grey lichen hanging out of the |
| who love a pure green lawn curse the sunny yellow | | | | branches of your apple trees or the Monterey pines |
| flowers of common dandelion. But those who are | | | | planted in the plantation over there or in almost any |
| willing to see beauty anywhere (such as children and | | | | native tree in areas of the South Island Alps, where |
| herbalists) treasure this weed. You can use any part | | | | it is known as angiangi to the Maori. If in doubt of |
| of the dandelion - the root, the leaves, the flowers, | | | | your identification: Pull a strand gently apart with your |
| even the flower stalk - to make a tincture or | | | | hands, looking for a white fiber inside the fuzzy |
| medicinal vinegar which strengthens the liver. A dose | | | | grey-green outer coat. To prepare usnea, harvest at |
| of 10-20 drops of the tincture (.5-1 ml) relieves gas, | | | | any time of the year, being careful not to take too |
| heartburn, and indigestion, as well as promoting | | | | much. Usnea grows slowly. Put your harvest in a |
| healthy bowel movements. A tablespoon of the | | | | cooking pan and just cover it with cold water. Boil for |
| vinegar works well, too. More importantly, taken | | | | about 15-25 minutes, or until the water is orange and |
| before meals, dandelion increases the production of | | | | reduced by at least half. Pour usnea and water into a |
| hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus increasing | | | | jar, filling it to the top with plant material. (Water |
| bio-availability of many nutrients, especially calcium. | | | | should be no more than half of the jar.) Add the |
| The fresh or cooked green leaves are loaded with | | | | highest proof alcohol you can buy. After 6 weeks |
| carotenes, those anti-cancer, anti-heart disease | | | | this tincture is ready to work for you as a superb |
| helpers. And the oil of the flowers is an important | | | | antibacterial, countering infection anywhere in the |
| massage balm for maintaining healthy breasts. | | | | body. A dose is a dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as |
| (There's lots more information on dandelions in | | | | every two hours in acute situations.Yarrow (Achellia |
| Healing Wise.)Dock, also called yellow dock, curly | | | | millefolium) This lovely perennial weed is grown in |
| dock, and broad dock is a perennial plant, which my | | | | many herb gardens for it has a multitude of uses. Cut |
| Native American grandmothers use for "all women's | | | | the flowering tops (use only white-flowering yarrow) |
| problems." The Maori call it paewhenua or runa. It is | | | | and use your alcohol to make a strongly-scented |
| another plant that disagrees with sheep, especially | | | | tincture that you can take internally to prevent colds |
| when the land is overgrazed. I dig the yellow roots | | | | and the flu. (A dose is 10-20 drops, or up to 1 ml). I |
| of Rumex crispus or R. obtusifolius and tincture them | | | | carry a little spray bottle of yarrow tincture with me |
| in alcohol to use as an ally when the immune system | | | | when I'm outside and wet my skin every hour or so. |
| or the liver needs help. A dose is 15-25 drops (.5-1 ml). | | | | A United States Army study showed yarrow tincture |
| I also harvest the leaves and/or seeds throughout | | | | to be more effective than DEET at repelling ticks, |
| the growing season and make a medicinal vinegar, | | | | mosquitoes, and sand flies. You can also make a |
| taken a tablespoon at a time, which is used to | | | | healing ointment with yarrow flower tops and your oil |
| increase blood-levels of iron, reduce menstrual | | | | or fat. Yarrow oil is antibacterial, pain-relieving, and |
| flooding and cramping, and balance hormone levels. If | | | | incredibly helpful in healing all types of wounds.For |
| the chopped roots are soaked in oil for six weeks, | | | | more information on making preparations and on the |
| the resulting ointment is beneficial for keeping the | | | | uses of specific herbs, consult Susun's books: Healing |
| breasts healthy.Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and | | | | Wise, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, |
| Ragwort (Senecio jacobea) are hardy perennials that | | | | Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, and |
| have a reputation for poisoning livestock, like their | | | | Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman |
| cousin tansy. Although not good for sheep, these | | | | Way.Susun Weed |
| two Senecios are some of the world's most ancient | | | | PO Box 64 |
| healing plants, having been found in a grave 60,000 | | | | Woodstock, NY 12498 |
| years old. You can use the flowering tops and leaves | | | | Fax: 1-845-246-8081Vibrant, passionate, and involved, |
| with your alcohol to make a tincture which acts | | | | Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation |
| slowly to tonify the reproductive organs, ease PMS, | | | | for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and |
| and stop severe menstrual pain. A dose is 5-10 drops | | | | writings on health and nutrition. She challenges |
| (.2-.5 ml) per day, used only once a day, but for at | | | | conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, |
| least 3 months. (A larger dose is used to speed up | | | | and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal |
| labor.)Mallows (Malva neglecta, M. parviflora, M. | | | | medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and |
| sylvestres) grow well in neglected gardens and are | | | | enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often |
| surprisingly deep-rooted. The flowers, leaves, stalks, | | | | profoundly provocative.Susun is one of America's |
| seeds, and roots are rich in sticky mucilage which is | | | | best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural |
| best extracted by soaking the fresh plant in cold | | | | approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling |
| water overnight or longer or by making a medicinal | | | | books are recommended by expert herbalists and |
| vinegar. The starch is extraordinarily soothing | | | | well-known physicians and are used and cherished by |
| internally (easing sore throats, upset tummies, heart | | | | millions of women around the world. |
| burn, irritable bowel, colic, constipation, and food | | | | |