in the Apothecary

Apothecary - a word not used often these days and one that is not easy to say. It refers to a person who makes and sells medicines. In the middle ages Apothecaries also delivered babies and practiced surgery and dentistry. The apothecaries were the forerunners of pharmacists and chemists.

The apothecary table with the tradition small drawers

An apothecary garden was where medicines were grown, in the form of herbs. During the middle ages most large households had a kitchen garden, for vegetables, and an apothecary garden for the herbs that were to be used in medicines and toiletries. The house keepers of the wealthy, and farmers wives, were skilled in making everything from soap to cures for gout and diarrhoea.  

Large apothecary gardens were created in monasteries and tended by the monks who also acted as apothecaries for the local area. Medicines were prepared and stored in a special room - also known as the apothecary.

Medicinal plants were the only medicine, and drinking infusions or potions, rubbing on salve or piling on a poultice was the way to treat most ailments. The cures offered by what we now call conventional medicine, are often chemical imitations of these old remedies.

In an apothecary garden each plant was known and valued for its curative properties.  Plants were collected from other areas and countries to be studied. Raised garden beds were often used and I was excited when my husband agreed made some for me, as well as terracing other areas of our garden.  It's so much easier to care for the plants when you don't have to bend double or crawl around on the ground with them.

Below are some herbs commonly found in apothecary gardens. All these plants are available today and can be found in many gardens where those who understand them make use of their powers.  Of course many of these cures are traditional and have not been proved by science, which didn't stop apothecaries in the middle ages because they had nothing else, but these days health and safety issues mean that warnings should be given.  Information of how to grow and to use herbs is available online.  I don't add links because new information is constantly being up loaded, adding to the choice of many good websites.

These aloes have been very useful this week.

Aloe Vera:  An easy growing succulent, Aloe Vera does well in the ground or in pots. It is antiseptic and can be used for skin irritations; burns, cuts, grazes and other sores.  This week I used several leaves from this plant, scraping out the gel to treat a wound on my arm where I'd had a skin cancer removed. I was amazed at how well it actually worked - swelling and inflammation gone over night, skin healing up.

The soft gel inside the leaf can be eaten or applied straight to a wound. Cut a leaf close to the bottom of the plant, slice off the sharp sides and cut and peel one side back to reveal the gel inside. This can be applied directly from the plant. Aloe Vera is also used for digestive problems - if you are eating it you can use a teaspoon to scrape the gel away from the leaf skin but do not eat the lining of the skin as it tastes horrible.

My potted Bay trees behind comfrey plants

Bay:  Usually grown as a seasoning bay is an attractive ornamental shrub, or if allowed to grow wildly, a huge tree.  It can be use as decorative topiary, pruned into different shapes. The leaves are very fragrant, especially when dried, and can be broken into hot dishes such as soup and stew. It is used with fish and in homemade tomato sauce and is a necessary component of the French bouquet garni.  The leaf itself is bitter and not really edible and as it does not soften in cooking it is removed before eating.
  

Bay leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamins A, B and C, folic acid and the minerals copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese. They also contain essential phytochemicals and volatile oils. Bay can improve the skin,  remove free radicals and boost the immune system; strengthen eyesight and maintain mucus membranes.  The potassium is important for cell and body fluids, blood pressure and heart rate. 

As a traditional medicinal plant Bay has been used to treat earaches and rheumatism and is used as an insect repellent - though some people find it irritates the skin.  I am very impressed by what I've learned about Bay.

Comfrey:  This is my favourite herb.  Comfrey is a perennial herb that aids healing, though it should not be used on open wounds. It is anti-inflammatory and can be applied to sprains and strains, broken bones and bruises, either by making a quick poultice of crushed leaves and your usual moisturiser or hand cream and applied it straight onto the skin, or by heating chopped leaves in good quality olive oil for half an hour and, when cool, using that for massage. You can also add bees wax to the hot comfrey oil to make a salve.  

Echinacea: This useful and beautiful plant loves the sun and is very forgiving of drought. It comes from North America and was a traditional herbal remedy of the Great Plains Indian tribes.  As an anti-inflammatory it has been used to speed up recovery from the common cold and flu, for urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, herpes, septicaemia, gum disease, tonsillitis, strep infections, typhoid, malaria and diphtheria. It can boost the immune system when taken internally and reduce the effects of upper respiratory infections. Other uses include chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, acid indigestion, dizziness and, applied to the skin, boils, abscesses, skin wounds, ulcers, burns, eczema, psoriasis, herpes, bee stings and haemorrhoids.  That is a great long list.  Echinacea is available as a dried herb, as a liquid and in capsule form. The fresh leaves, flowers and stems can be made into an infusion (tea) for drinking.

There are warnings for Echinacea - it should not be taken indefinitely, so if you are treating yourself long term it's a good idea to take it for two weeks and then have a week off.  Also some people could be allergic to Echinacea, especially those allergic to ragweed, marigolds, or daisies or if you are on medication for an auto-immune disorder.

New season ginger ready for market

Ginger:  An ancient spice from India, it is used in cooking around the world, often paired with garlic and onion or used in sweet dishes.  Ginger grows underground as a fleshy rhizome.   Planted in spring it grows through the summer and dies back in winter, though the root can be left underground for several months until needed, in a well drained area.  Ginger is found in many apothecary gardens for its antiseptic, analgesic, and antispasmodic properties. It stimulates the heart and settles the stomach. It can be used for colds, flu and muscle spasms, rheumatism, arthritis, migraine, sore throat, cholera, anorexia and to improve circulation and reduce fat deposits and many of these uses are supported by science.

Ginger is also a blood thinner and should be used with care by people on blood thinning medication.

Lemon Balm:  Most of us know this herb as a garnish for drinks and desserts. The fresh leaves can be added to fruit salad, garden salad, fruit punch, sorbet, marinades and sauces for fish and chicken, and combined with butter and pepper to serve with corn and broccoli. Mix it into apple crumble or with honey into a cheesecake.  Lemon Balm is from the mint family, it is antiviral and can be combined with other medicinal herbs. As an infusion it helps to cool the fever from colds or flu, it acts as a relaxant, relieves anxiety, soothes nervous indigestion and headaches. But, a warning here, Lemon Balm stimulates the thyroid so people on thyroid medication should avoid it.

Mint: We all know mint as a flavouring for cold drinks, hot tea and mint sauces as well as sweets and in toothpaste. There is a wide variety of mints and most are also prized for their nutritive and medicinal qualities. Members of the mint family include basil, bee balm, catnip, horehound, horsemint, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, peppermint rosemary, sage, savoury, spearmint, thyme, and there are  many others.

Traditional mint

While they all have their own medicinal properties most mints share the qualities of being analgesic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, digestive, repellent and stimulant.  They are usually found in herbal remedies that treat  headache, migraine, fever, sore throat and sinus and chest congestion.

You can add mint to your bath or the rinse water clean shiny hair. Externally mints can repel mosquitoes and ease the heat and itchiness from bites, stings, rashes, hives, eczema, some fungal infections and other minor wounds. 

As an infusion (hot tea) mint can help ease the symptoms of indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, flatulence, cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, and nausea.  If the common mint does not help try using spearmint, lavender or basil instead. The milder spearmint is also more suitable for children.  Peppermint contains a higher percentage of volatile oils and is considered a strong medicinal herb. 

Mint tea is made by steeping 2 - 4 teaspoons of chopped fresh leaves in 1 cup of just-boiled water for ten to fifteen minutes.  A strong decoction is often the best choice for external uses.

Calendula plant in flower - great for skin problems

I have other medicinal herbs in my apothecary garden including Bergamot, Chives, Calendula, Gotu Kola, Herb Robert, Nasturtium, Parsley, Rocket, Rosemary, Stevia and Yukka.  

I plan to add Dandelion and Liquorice eventually.  It's all a work in progress as I learn about each new plant.

I find the act of tending the herbs, gently plucking away damaged leaves, pulling weeds, mulching and watering has a very calming effect and I like to spend at least an hour in the garden most days and consult my herb books regularly to help my understanding.

One of my wonderful raised gardens

using GINGER

Like many people my early life experience with ginger was limited to ginger snap biscuits (yum) and crystallised ginger (yuk).  I didn't know how ginger grew or what it looked like.  Apparently I wasn't alone in this lack of knowledge because now that I know something about ginger other people expect me to answer all their questions.  My hubby has always had a heart for farming and had done bits and pieces over the years.  Twenty two years ago we moved to a house in a sub-tropical forest which was next to a ginger farm. The first thing I noticed was the lovely smell, a peppery lemon scent that drifted on the air while they were harvesting ginger.  Our two boys worked on the ginger harvest as their first jobs.  It was only for a week or so at a time and they enjoyed doing man's work outdoors, coming home for lunch with mud encrusted feet and legs and knowing how well they did when they were paid by the bucket at the end of each day.  We got to know what ginger looked like then and I began to use it in stir fries.

Harvesting ginger

A few years later we wanted to do some farming and decided to go into organics. While the land was in conversion we grew a variety of herbs, including parsley, basil, rosemary, garlic and also shallots. And various vegetables and flowers were tried at different times - I loved the sunflowers.  It was hard work, learning as you go and we soon found the packing and transport was the most difficult side of the business.  By this time our neighbour had retired and was no longer growing ginger.  We were looking for something a bit easier to ship to the city and the idea of organic ginger came about.  So, WE became organic ginger farmers.  It's the 'Royal Wee'  Big R says, as I don't do any actual hands-on farming.  So I don't plough or plant or weed or fertilize. I don't dig or pull up or wash or trim the rhizome but it's still a 'we' because I label boxes, help with packing, do the necessary paperwork, phone calls, emails, bill paying etc and that adds up to a normal little we.

Ginger growing in our paddock

Ginger is native to Asia and used in many Asian and Arabic dishes and also has uses as a medicinal herb.  It's often described as pungent, (strong/sharp taste) but that varies from one type of ginger to another.  It goes well into sweet or savoury dishes. Use it fresh, dried, cooked, raw or sugary - crystallised ginger is ginger boiled in sugar and then rolled in sugar crystals.  Ginger can also be preserved or pickled in vinegar - a little like ginger sauerkraut.

Small piece of new season ginger with flags

To grow - Ginger grows underground like a root, but is called a rhizome.   Several leafy stems, or flags, grow above the ground to the height of about a metre.  Planted in spring it takes around six months to mature and then you can pull up the early harvest ginger, which has a light, sweet flavour.  About three months later the green flags, begin to yellow and wilt. The rhizome stops growing but it can be left underground for a few more months.  Ginger picked at this stage is late harvest ginger. To pick the ginger you loosen the soil and pull up the rhizome. The flags can be snapped off and then it should be washed and the little stringy roots trimmed away.  When peeled the flesh is creamy coloured, fibrous and moist.  The early harvest ginger has a pinkish flush and is light in flavour.  Late harvest ginger is thicker skinned and deeper in flavour. 

To buy - when shopping for ginger, choose a rhizome that is firm and smells fresh. You don't want it if it's been sitting around for a while, feels rubbery or has black squishy spots.

To store - everyone asks me how to store ginger.  I've heard that it's good to store it in a plastic bag in the fridge but I've found that makes it soft and soggy.  I've also heard people say they freeze ginger to make it easier to grate, but I have not had any success with that.  I leave it on the bench or in the fruit bowl and it's fine for about ten days, depending on how old it was in the first place.  If you need to cover it use a brown paper bag. The best idea is to only buy what you need and use it within a few days.

To cut - first chop the ginger into easy to handle pieces and peel off the skin. It can be a little hard to hold being wet and small, like a piece of carrot.  I use a knife and slice it into discs.  I find these are easy to hold in one hand while I peel around the edge.   Then it can be chopped into chunks or thin strips.  I've heard people talk about grating ginger but I find that difficult because it is so fibrous.  I once bought a bamboo ginger grater that was not successful for me as it didn't grate the ginger and then it went moldy in our sub tropical summer. A food processor could be better than a grater as it would save the juice.  Only peel what you are using as it won't keep without it's skin.  I suppose that's why you can also buy powdered ginger and preserved ginger.

Slice, peel, chop - and into the pot

To cook - add ginger slices or strips to stir-fries, curries, soups or stews or drop into the water when cooking rice.  Some say that it's best to add ginger at the end of the cooking as the flavour can fade with stewing.  I love pumpkin soup with ginger added and I use it with olive oil to marinate chicken pieces and lamb steaks.

Many recipes are available for baking cakes, bread and biscuits with ginger, though most sweet recipes use powdered ginger (some people find too much powdered ginger causes bloating).  Recipes can be found on line for ginger jams, chutneys and sauces too.

To serve raw - chop finely or grate (if you have a better grater than I have) and sprinkle over salads and sandwiches, or over hot meat and vegetables. I have sometimes used the vegetable peeler to make very thin slices.

To drink - Apart from the popular ginger ale, ginger beer and ginger wine you can make ginger tea.  Drop one or two teaspoons of finely chopped fresh ginger into a mug, and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for five minutes, stir and drink as tea, either hot or cold.  You can add honey if you want a sweet drink.  Or, you could drop a disc of ginger into your cup of black tea, instead of lemon. Much better in black tea though as milk coats the ginger and the flavour is sealed in.

For medicine - My herb books say that ginger contains potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6 and copper.  It is traditionally used to calm digestive troubles, motion sickness, morning sickness and dizziness. It can also help with symptoms of colds and flu - hot ginger tea can be comforting. Crushed ginger can be used in a poultice for arthritis.

There is a warning for ginger use, which also applies to garlic.  Ginger, especially in large doses, can interfere with medications that slow blood clotting as ginger is a blood thinner and can interact with that medication. Anyone on medication for heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure should be careful so check with the doctor, pharmacist or naturopath if you plan to have ginger on a regular basis. 

Using fresh ginger once or even twice a week should be fine for most people.  I have Asian friends who say they comfortably use ginger and garlic in their family meals every day.

OIL PULLING for your TEETH

Isn't it interesting how something will suddenly come into fashion and then, just as suddenly, fade away and you wonder what that was all about? Then something else, that is tried and true, gets bumped out of your life by a new gadget.

Oil pulling is having a revival this year. Either you've never heard of it or you do it.  I've been practicing oil pulling for about two years - not every day now but at least once a week as it fits into my routine. I mentioned it to my dentist once but he'd never heard of it. 'I can't see that it would hurt you,' he said, a little doubtfully.  So, oil pulling has to do with teeth - with cleaning the teeth, and the mouth and it works. 

Oil pulling is a traditional Indian folk remedy - thousands of years old, older than toothbrushes and toothpaste - and it involves swishing oil around the mouth, pulling and pushing it over and between the teeth gently, to remove the bad bacteria, to reduce plaque, to prevent inflamed gums (gingivitis) and reduce bad breath (halitosis). All this is good news for our mouths.

The best oils to use are light in flavour, sesame and sunflower are good. One day I was out of sesame oil (my favourite) and took a gulp of the delicious organic olive oil I cook with everyday and erk... too strong, too thick, gave me a sore throat and I coughed it all out.

Sesame oil

Coconut oil is gaining popularity for many uses - to soften skin and hair, to relieve itches and insect bites, to prevent dementia, to cook very tasty eggs and to cook lots of other yummy food. In fact it tastes so good you wonder how it can possibly be good for you. 

Cold pressed coconut oil

So, I tried coconut oil to clean my teeth. I found that it is not quite as effective as olive oil. Coconut oil is lighter in texture and does not foam the same way as olive oil and there is a temptation to swallow it. In fact I swallowed most of what I had in my mouth before I realised. As the idea is to spit out the used oil this is not good.  When I had finished my mouth did not feel as clean so I brushed with a tooth brush and water. My teeth felt good but the coconut oil had not cleaned the rest of my mouth as well as olive oil. This is possibly because the coconut oil becomes watery and does form an oily foam.  I'm sure this might suit some people so try it, but also try another oil so you can compare. 
If the coconut oil is in solid form you just hold it in your mouth, gently chewing, until it liquefies.

The procedure:

First thing in the morning, before rinsing your mouth or drinking or eating anything - take one or two teaspoons of light oil, hold it in your mouth and slowly begin swishing it around your teeth, pulling it between your teeth, over the tongue, inside the lips and cheeks. It's just a gentle motion to keep the oil moving in and out of every nook and cranny, like a mouth wash. The oil will pick up and hold any impurities.

Swish for 15 - 20 minutes - have a shower or choose your clothes for the day, make the bed or go for a short walk. The action of the mouth will be exercising your jaw and cheek muscles too. The idea is to swish until the oil has mixed with saliva to become a white frothy mixture with a yellow stain.

Spit it all out. Do not swallow. I was advised by a wise old Indian to not spit it onto the ground where it will soak get into the soil, or an animal could find it, because it is contaminated - so spit into a wad of toilet paper and flush away.

Rinse your mouth with water, swish and spit again. You can brush with a toothbrush, but no tooth paste, water alone is enough. 

You'll find you not only have squeaky clean teeth, but also a clean tongue and mouth.  And that is oil pulling.

Now you may start your day.

I wonder if my dentist went home and tried it. 

Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. 

Count your life by smiles and not the tears that roll.

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There is a comments facility below for your comments or encouragement - but it's not like facebook, there is a process to keep the spammers and hackers out.  

Click comment, 

type in the box and then 

select from the drop down menu for your identity (anonymous is fine if you aren't on google) and then click publish - but that's not the end .....

you will be asked to 
retype some numbers and letters into another little box, it's not the easiest thing to do, but if you get it wrong you get a second turn.... like a game.  

Once you've done it you'll find it easier the next time, 
and I will reply to your message so it's worth it....   (big toothy smiley face)

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using the herb COMFREY

I've been in love with the herb comfrey for about 40 years but have not had it growing for half of that time.  We moved around at bit over the years and I haven't had a suitable place to plant it - but now, at last there is a garden and plenty of space to grow this incredible herb.  Comfrey likes to settle in for a long stay, in fact there is an understanding among herb growers that  - you plant comfrey knowing it will still be growing there long after you have gone.

Hairy comfrey leaf, freshly washed

Comfrey sends tap roots 3 metres down into the subsoil (about 10 feet) to find the yummy nutrients that make it the wonderful herb it is,  so a mature plant would be almost impossible to move, or remove. Comfrey is grown from root cuttings and any broken piece of root is a potential plant - you can cut away part of the root without destroying the rest. The author Jackie French tells of accidently ploughing over some comfrey plants, cutting them into small pieces, and she ended up with a paddock full of comfrey. A lucky accident I'd say.

Some leaves are eaten before I can pick them

The comfrey leaf is surprisingly hairy, thick, and sometimes bitter to taste. Flowers can be purple, pink or white and I'm delighted to discover this week that mine are purple.  The harvesting advice I've read is to harvest while in flower but others suggest waiting until the plant is over 60cms high (2 ft) but I pull leaves off whenever I want them.  I often have to race the insects though - they know it's an amazing plant.

So, what is it good for?

Comfrey plant a few months oldSo, what is it good for?  

Comfrey has been used as a healing herb forever - recorded use goes back to 400BC.  Originally from Europe comfrey was used by the ancient Greeks and then European settlers discovered the Native Americans also made good use of the herb. There is a wealth of information available in books and on the net. I've been reading about comfrey for many years, but these days I read and re-read Isabel Shipards book  - How can I use HERBS in my daily life?  One reason is she lives locally, so what grows at her place should grow at mine - the other reason is she provides so much information you feel full. But I do also look into YouTube to watch people making salve, ointments, fertilizer and doing other interesting things with comfrey.

TO USE ON THE OUTSIDE: The leaf and the root can be used as a poultice, a tincture, ointment or just the raw leaf (chopped with a little oil or hand cream to hold in place) as an external application for the healing of;  boils, bruises, burns, coughs and colds, cramps, eczema, inflammation, insect bites, fractures, gout, joint pain, rheumatism, skin ailments, sprains, strains, swelling and more.

Comfrey is also a softener for skin and hair. Make fresh comfrey 'tea' from a few chopped leaves, (bring to the boil in water, stew until water is green, cool, strain) and pour it over your head as a final rinse for soft and shiny hair. Make this fresh each time. You can also add a stronger comfrey 'tea', from fresh leaf or powdered root, to your bath water.  You'll find different ideas about making comfrey 'tea' on the internet.

With such wonderful healing properties comfrey is good for the skin and a comfrey oil can be used as body lotion and as massage oil for tired, sore feet. Rub it on your legs after your shower to deal with all those little cuts and scratches you get and to help with varicose veins and aching joints. Many different recipes for making the oil and ointments, are to be found on the internet.

A WARNING: Do not apply comfrey to deep open wounds or if infection is present as it's healing powers can work so well that surface healing may begin before the underlying wound has healed properly and skin healing over an infected wound is not good. It's better for a deep wound to heal slowly from the inside out.

Comfrey salve or ointment - comfrey infused olive oil
added to melted beeswax.

TO USE ON THE INSIDE:  Comfrey has also been used as a tea to drink, nibbled straight from the plant or as a food with the leaf eaten raw in salads or cooked in stews and soup to;  relieve allergies, anemia, asthma, bladder problems, bronchitis, coughs and colds, digestive problems, fatigue, fever, gallbladder problems, hay fever, psoriasis, respiratory and lung ailments, sinusitis, and more.

BUT I MUST ADD THIS DISCLAIMER: Do not eat or drink tea from any plant you have not fully studied and identified properly. Please consult with your local alternative herbal care specialist before using herbs you are not familiar with. In some areas internal consumption of comfrey is not encouraged, for a variety of reasons.

IN THE GARDEN:  I must make it clear that I am not a gardener. I sometimes say I am an organic farmer, but in reality my husband is the organic farmer and while we chat about the work and make farm decisions together, for me it is theory.  I don't dig dirt or pull weeds. The actual work I do is paying accounts, keeping the books, labeling boxes and making phone calls.  My interest in herbs is for food, health and treating ailments.

In the kitchen garden comfrey is a wonderful fertilizer, especially for tomatoes. I have a bucket of, what is also called 'tea' waiting to be used as fertaliser - a half cup full added to five litres of water, sprayed around the veggies makes them very happy and healthy. I might experiment with some of our ginger plants one day.

Comfrey fertaliser ‘tea’ - I pick the leaves and let them dry out for a day or two
before putting into a tightly covered bucket, just covered with water. This is
two months old and almost ready. Add half a cup full to five litres of water and
water your vegetables.

The leaves also make a rich mulch. When I find dead leaves around a plant I leave them to mulch the parent plant and find they are quickly absorbed into the surrounding soil. Comfrey leaves and stems can be used to accelerate the action of your compost heap. Many websites offer advice on how to make the fertilizer tea and how to use it in compost.

I have heard that when fed to cows comfrey aids milk production and gives longer living, healthier cows, but I've not had any experience with that. I've also heard that horses will eat it but I imagine if it was used regularly you'd need a huge amount of leaves and you'd have to have a comfrey farm. I know chooks like it, but don't seem to seek it out like caterpillars do. A few days ago R spotted a wallaby in the comfrey garden, but I can't say it was comfrey that brought it so close to the house.

Our beloved dog, Rufous, is 12 years old and while he has survived cancer in the past, he now has several more tumours growing on his body and something wrong with his digestive system. The vet doesn't know any more about his stomach problem than we do. We have decided not to put him through the trauma of more surgery to remove misc growths at his age, as he has had more anesthetics than most humans.  I am giving him comfrey in his food and also rubbing it on, and if it does not fight the cancer I hope it will at least give him some quality of life for the time he has left.

Rufous under the frangipani

Last July I bought 5 comfrey roots to grow. I kept them in self watering pots until they had decent leaves, before planting in the garden under my frangipani trees.  I'm not sure if this is the best place for them as they do not get a huge amount of direct sunlight, but they will have the sun for the winter months. The insect damage is the worst problem, as they eat more of the herb than I pick. I do know what type of comfrey these plants are and where they came from.
Then in October I was given an exciting birthday present in the form of a plastic bag of woody bits and dirt, which I recognised as a comfrey root! What an amazing gift!  I had been speaking to an interesting lady at a school fete, and we got onto comfrey, which this lady had growing in her garden. I told her how I'd used a comfrey poultice when I cracked the bone in my elbow. (I made the poultice with leaves from my mother-in-law's comfrey plant, which is twenty years old and a lot stronger than my little babies). A week later that ladies daughter sprained her ankle, so she dug up her own comfrey root to make a poultice and also sent me a clump of twisted root as well. Some of this root I used to in oil and the rest, seven pieces, I planted in my home made pots. Two pieces failed to root, possibly it was the wrong section of wood. As our weather has been extremely wet I've been protecting them and they are not in the garden yet - I'm still looking for the right spot, but that is a job I'll be doing this week.  I plan to put them on the other side of the garden to my first five plants because I do not know their history and I'm not sure if it's the same type of comfrey.  I'll be taking my own advice above and waiting to have it properly identified.

Baby plants waiting for a permanent home

After an eight month wait I'm very excited to find that one of my original five comfrey plants has flowered. This little one, below, was left as a sort of control plant, mainly because it was hard for me to reach. I've already used leaves from the other four plants to make oil infusions, tinctures and ointment, and I'm looking forward to experimenting more with comfrey recipes as all my plants mature.

Purple flower on a full grown plant

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.

using OILS AT HOME

I'm happy to say I've enjoyed a very busy life. I've always had plenty of interests and hobbies, work I enjoyed and self improvement study. And there was house work, organising the family, health issues, friends, extended family and associated problems plus the children with all their interests including pets, homework, sport and other activities.  So, along the way I've had to decide that some things did not fit into whatever space I had left. Understanding how a car works was one thing I did not have room for and physical exercise was another.  One person cannot do everything.

Kambucha tea

I've always had an interest in health and natural remedies.  For years I talked to people and read what I could on naturopathy and herbal medicines, then using what I had learnt, diagnose and treat my family and myself (naughty girl). I did start some naturopathic study once but life got in the way. I am not a person to take things at face value though. I like to know what I am getting into so if something was recommended I would investigate ... things such as bark therapy (not for me), acupuncture (not for me), fasting (maybe occasionally), kambucha tea (eerrkk) reiki massage (seems a bit airy-fairy), aromatherapy (expensive and vague area), homeopathy (I don't understand it) and chiropractic (first experience was a bad one) were some areas I touched and then put aside.  Until recently. My wonderful physio therapist found a different job and I was desperate to find one who could treat the ongoing problems with my damaged neck and shoulder and ended up at the chiropractor.  It seems chiropractic has come a long way in the past 25 years and my shoulder and neck are being treated very well - as long as I take breaks from the computer.

However, I digress - and that's not like me at all!  Lets wind back to aromatherapy.  I don't know what I thought it was but I ignored it because I just didn't have the time. Then my sister emailed me about success she was having with some 'new' oils she was using for chronic bronchitis, so I read about it and found that using essential oils can be called aromatherapy - .  It never occurred to me that I already practiced a type of this therapy, many of us do when we massage Vicks Vapour rub or eucalyptus into chests and make menthol packs for colds and flu or burn scented candles. That's basically what it is.    

Avoiding the airy-fairy feel-good attachments to many alternative remedies, this area of alternative medicine uses essential oils distilled from herbs and flowers to improve personal comfort and health and to heal - just like my mother and grandmother did. My mother used eucalyptus or Vicks, rubbed onto the chest for infections like bronchitis, or spots of the oil on the pillow case for sinusitis. She massaged it into our feet and put us to bed in cotton socks for colds and flu. I always loved her honey and lemon juice sipped from a spoon, in the middle of the night, for a sore throat or the misery of a cold (but that, apparently, is naturopathy). As I suffered chronic sinusitis I learnt, at the age of eight, how to prepare an inhalation and everyone understood that a menthol lozenge would to 'ease the throat and clear the head'.

The essence of the oil is absorbed through the skin or inhaled - but let's keep it away from eyes and sensitive areas.  The brain is stimulated and muscles relax so you can rest or sleep. Blocked sinus passages can be cleared and mucous membranes strengthened. But beware, commercial oils can be very concentrated and some are poisonous so care is needed when handling them.  And, if you are allergic to any food or herbs, you could be allergic to the oils too. 

Lavender

Oils can be antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial, such as Tea Tree.  Brochures available at health food shops list a wide variety of oils available and what to use them for.  I look down the list and always want to buy the lot, but I've learnt the hard way, they are expensive - some over $30 a bottle, and they have use by dates. You could use very little of some oils and end up throwing the bottle away. Apparently it's much cheaper to make your own oils and there are instructions about that here - 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oils

As the oils are very concentrated they are usually mixed with a 'carrier' oil before applying to the skin in massage.  Carrier oils are made from nuts and seeds which can cause allergies in sensitive people so the use of these essential oils must be tailored to the person being treated. You can substitute a light tasting/smelling olive oil for the expensive carrier oils. And if it's all too messy and too fussy, just use a blob of plain, low fragrance, hand cream in your palm, add one or two drops of the oil and mix together before applying to feet, chest, back etc.

I have never used oils with babies, in my family, apart from a little eucalyptus somewhere in the room, so I'm not sure what oils can be used with little ones - maybe consult a professional first. When one of my children needed it I used a steamer in the room, without oil. When I say children I mean from about age two and up. And take care they don't rub oils into their eyes.

So, oils can be used three ways.

Topical application - the oil is applied directly to the skin by massage or soaking in a foot bath or a whole body bath.

Aerial diffusion - the oil evaporates into the air disinfecting the room and treating the patient.  This can be done through a commercial diffuser, or in an oil burner. A hot scented heat pack, usually lavender, can bring comfort too.

Direct inhalation - the oil is inhaled to treat respiratory infection or decongestion. Boiled water is poured into a bowl and a few drops of the oil added. The patient holds their face over the bowl breathing in the steam, and the oil.  When I was young my grandmother insisted I have a towel over my head to avoid wasting the steam, but it is stifling inside that hot 'tent' for child and could possibly lead to burns, so I never do that now. You could make a larger tented area with a sheet if needed. Oils in the bath can be inhaled too but the bath needs a really good clean out afterwards and I got sick of scrubbing away greasy eucalyptus tide marks. In fact all oils are inhaled to a degree, from massage or spots on clothing or candles.

Some useful oils to have on hand would be,

Eucalyptus  - This is the first bottle I reach for when I I have a cold or flu. It clears blocked airways and. I feel, can help to prevent the infection spreading from head to chest. Eucalyptus does not need a carrier oil before applying to the skin for adults, but maybe you should dilute it with young children. And we all know eucalyptus comes from Australia.

Lavender  -   I've found to be an aid to relaxation.  Massaged into neck and temples it can give relief from some headaches. It is also used as an antiseptic and pain reliever for minor cuts, burns and insect bites. It can be used in massage for muscle pain or in chest rubs. Some people add Lavender oil to a hair rinse to treat head lice. It is a traditional 'old lady' perfume, used in soap and talc.  Lavender originated in Europe and now grows widely across the world.

Sandalwood - I love the smell of sandalwood and use it as a comforting chest rub or foot rub.  I find it helps me sleep when I'm not feeling well. Sandalwood originates in India and is used in cosmetics and as a perfume.

Tea tree - I use it for its disinfectant and antiseptic properties - very handy for insect bites and apparently it can be used as a mouth wash.  During WWII Australian soldiers carried Tea Tree oil in their first aid kits. It's a little strong to be a perfume but you do get used to it.

Cloves - I use the oil in damp weather to discourage mould. The bottle I have is extremely concentrated and a stray drop can be smelled on the skin all day, and I don't like the smell.  Apparently is it a topical analgesic, or painkiller and I know it was traditionally used for toothache. My grandmother didn't use oil, she would just put a whole clove in her mouth and bite down!  It can also help with nausea but I'm not sure how.  Apparently cloves are native to Indonesia and can be used as a tea.  I'll have to look into that as I'm becoming in interested in teas lately.

Citronella - This oil is a great insect repellent. Used in soap, candles and incense to repel insects it is sometimes called the mosquito plant.  It grows in pots and is handy to have in outdoor living areas.  Apparently it is also good to calm barking dogs. I think they put it into those spray collars, but I've never used one.

And that's the news on good oils.