Blackbird's Backyard Pharmacy

Aromatic Beads Made From Dried Herbs

I am amazed at the ideas I find online sometimes. This is such a simple and easy project to do with older children. Just be aware that beads can be a choking hazard and that these ones should not be teethed on either. Depending on your ingredients they may break or crumble over time or with lots of use. I do not recommend sealing them but you can add more essential oils if the scent starts to fade.

Dried Herb Beads

Start with 1/2 cup of dried herbs, use a coffee grinder to reduce them to a powder of about 1/4 cup. Place in a large bowl.

Add 2 TBSP of bentonite clay.

Add 3-4 TBSP of flour

Starting with 1 TBSP of warm water add it to your dry ingredients a tablespoon at a time ,kneading it into the mixture until you have a workable dough. Almost the consistency of homemade play dough.

Add 5-15 drops of essential oil (very optional)

Add food coloring (optional, I actually used a lot of liquid water color to get a dark purple).

Knead into the dough until well mixed. You can add flour or water if not right. You don’t want it to be crumbly or sticky.

Dampen your hands, Pick up a bit of gum ball/large marble size dough and roll into a smooth ball. Push it onto a metal or bamboo skewer. Metal works better especially if you grease it a bit. Repeat the process, beads should not touch. You can rest the ends of your skewer on a narrow cookie sheet so that beads do not deform as they dry. Excess clay can be formed into shapes for a center bead. Rotate the beads and let dry 24 hours. Remove the beads from skewer and let dry completely.

I glued my center bead to the two adjoining beads to make it more stable.

Ideas for dried plants to use-rose , bergamot, citrus peel, chamomile, sage, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, lemon balm, peppermint, lavender and thyme. I felt the lavender and thyme really worked well together for lots of reasons.

Does anyone remember reading about the Black Plague-people would put sweet smelling herbs on their body to keep away “bad vapors”. My daughter loves holding her necklace close to her face and inhaling its scent. As a mother I can only hope it affords her some kind of protection at this time. If anything the lavender works as aromatherapy to calm her.

Lavendula is in the mint family (square stems). Its long history includes the use against all kinds of microbes, including flu like viruses. It is thought to be a good antiseptic for washing surfaces and dressing wounds. It can be used as both a nervine and sedative, good for stress, anxiety, and depression. I enjoy it in my Earl Grey Tea as it settles the digestion. In plague times it was burned in sick rooms to slow the spread of disease.

Thymus has been used against all manner of fungi, parasites, bacteria, and small critters. It is thought to strengthen the immune system and support the lungs by warming them and helping to remove phlegm . Very helpful for stopping a dry hacking cough. Herbalists use it to clear infection and help with tissue repair. A great addition to the bath when one has a sore muscles, a cold, a fever or the flu. I like using it as a tea, in a throat gargle at the first sign of illness, or in chicken soup as a nourishing food when someone is recovering.

I wish you health this week and for those still to come.

What are you doing to protect and support yourself or family members?

The Herb Fairies Have Arrived

There are two things that I have been resisting for way too long. Buying the Herb Fairies series of books and formally apprenticing my girls in herbal medicine. I started studying herbal medicine when I was twelve years old. I am glad that I did not really start our formal studies any sooner as the girls were not truly ready until now. The interest and skill sets were just not all there until recently. We also did not have the opportunity, time, and motivation to work together on this until a pandemic forced us out of our homeschool comfort zone. The girls have enjoyed studying about the herbs, writing in their journals, and doing all these fun projects with mom. I have enjoyed the extra help and inspiration. The Herb Fairies series of books can be purchased individually from Amazon. OR If you go to their website the books are part of a package deal that includes the full series, color pages, recipes, projects, support, and other on-line resources. A better deal but more than what we needed. The books work really well when also used with the board game Wildcraft, which is made by the same folks.

The stories are sweet, well thought out, diverse, and geared toward young kids. A bit repetitive and formulaic, but there are only 13. The herbs featured are common and well known. Each book is packed with a lot of very easy to remember information concerning the identification and uses of each herb. The kids like them and they have become the highlight of our day. We read them together as a family even though my daughters are 10 and 12. It takes at least 1/2 hour to read a full book and they may not hold the attention of children younger that 6. My kids have a background in basic botany, nature studies, scientific illustration, and plant medicine which allows them to appreciate and quickly absorb/remember what the series has to offer. Combined with other resources we have a really good curriculum to last us for the next six months.

Because all fairies deserve a lovely home

The advantage of homeschooling two girls close in age is that they grow up slowly and are in the position be together most of the day. At times like these I am thankful they still do imaginary play on occasion. It serves as “therapy”. I hear them process all kinds of anxieties and events in the dialogues between them. After we started the Herb Fairies series, I got requests to dig out all the little fairies, houses, stones, and shells from past years so that they could make communities in the yard. I also pulled together the above craft project from things I had stored in the basement. When our studies spill over into other areas of life I know the kids are learning a lot and that the subject is very meaningful to them.

What new things have you decided to learn about during this unusual time?

Spring Green’s Tea For Grounding

This morning I woke up very anxious. I proceeded to spill an entire bag of dried thyme on the floor, tip a cup of tea over on the counter, and slice open my finger when I opened a drawer-all before breakfast. I went outside to harvest ingredients for a tincture and realized that I was not grounded nor in the present moment. I sought support from my herbal allies and they were there. Dandelion-for minerals, liver support, reducing infection, and letting go of fear. Violet-for grief, vitamins, purifying the blood and clearing heat from the lungs. Catnip-for fever, relieving stress, and supporting the digestive system, Lemon Balm for calming the nervous system and fighting viruses. Some dried rosehips, orange peel or zinger tea bags for added Vitamin C. Spring is the perfect time to find these plants and others in many gardens. You may have to look hard to find them and get your hands dirty. They feel pretty amazing as support, fresh out of the ground and washed very well before being used in a salad or infusion.

I made a lovely cup of sun tea, read books to my kids, and was able to finish up my afternoon projects calmly without incident. These may be the hardest times my family ever experiences. Every day is one of chaos, the unexpected, anxiety, and the unknown. As I wandered the garden enjoying the sun, warmth, and sounds of birds I was grateful. We are all healthy, there is the gift of time for games, walks, and new experiences. I have a backyard pharmacy when on-line and local retailers are out of stock and unable to meet needs. I am reminded of my passion and goal-to support others to grow their own healing herbs and food.

What are you doing right now to stay busy, healthy, and home right now?

Staying Busy With More Tinctures

It used to take me so much time to extract my tinctures but my new press really speeds up the process. I am not sure if it does a better job than my hands but it sure is easier with less wear and tear on my wrists. Our family is now practicing self isolation to slow the spread of the virus. Everything is closed, the recitals canceled, and every child in the area will be homeschooled for awhile. I find it very hard not to feel stressed and distracted by all the chaos. I have to be mindful to not let the emotions and energies of other people influence how I feel. Projects are a good way to stay productive, focused, and positive. I was able to finish several tinctures today. Usually I am so busy. I honestly thought I would never get to them until summer. There is something about the repetitive steps, emerald green liquid, and contact with the plants that I find very soothing. I have always loved making tinctures more than any other type of botanical product.

Historically

Echinacea-is powerful against an infection when taken at the onset of symptoms.

Violet-supports the lungs and is my favorite remedy for grief.

Valerian-is a sedative that has been used to support people undergoing stressful and traumatic situations.

Hops-clears the heat and toxins that are released when the immune system is working hard against an infection.

Angelica-supports the liver, spleen, and stomach to do their job. It strengthens the lungs. When all of our organs are working well we are better able to avoid illnesses that are circulating in the community.

I am always surprised by all the healing uses just one plant has. I learn something new every time I do research. I feel thankful for and confident in the backyard pharmacy.

Dried ginger root and orange peels

Created a bay leaf sticky rice

Made a facial toner

How are you trying to stay busy and focused right now?

A Time to Plant (and die)

I can’t believe that it is already March and that spring is less that two weeks away. There has been a lot of bad news posted on-line lately. Not to mention fear, panic, and chaos that is only going to get worse. It is too easy to get distracted by it and for valuable time and energy to get wasted. I think it is important to cherish and enjoy each moment with my girls. I still wonder at the beauty, peace, and change happening in my own backyard. Thank goodness the weather is so warm and inviting. I am trying to spend as much time as possible outside. This week I cleaned out the garden beds, ordered seeds, moved compost and put in my peas. The hoop house is almost ready to go and I can start planting by the moon. The soil for the new beds will arrive in time for the Solstice. It really is my favorite time of year for so many reasons.

I also ordered some bulk dried herbs on-line for the first time. I am not in the position to have trees with bark or perennials with roots to harvest in my backyard pharmacy. I thought it would be more cost effective than going to my local herb store, which has gotten quite costly . What I bought still seemed overpriced compared to what I got and wild crafted in years past. Not really sustainable in the long run. Which means my vision of community based healthcare in the form of lots of backyard pharmacies is still so important and what I need to focus on. I need to adjust my formulas to be 90% plant material from my garden. I need to buy several greenhouses so that I can sell starts to friends. Even more garden beds need to be added so that I can increase my yields and then products. I want healthcare to be easy to access and affordable.

I get so excited when my perennials come back from their winter rest. I trust that it is going to happen. I feel a sense of amazement and gratitude when it does. So far Lady’s Mantle, Catnip, Oregano, Angelica, Lemon Balm, Horehound, Motherwort, Yarrow, and Feverfew have blessed me with their appearance. Lavender and Rue never slept, they are tough old gals. With more space I hope to add Red Clove, Plantain, and Chickweed to the yard. Again I will try to get Hyssop, California Poppy and Clary Sage to establish, prosper, and overwinter. I could use more Echinacea, Mullein, and Mint. I hate to harvest whole plants for their roots but it sure would be nice to have some spare Marshmallow and Elecampane for that.

I feel the need to contrast birth with death. Today on our walk to eat brunch at a community restaurant-we passed a neighbor whom I have never met. He is 90 years old but looks 70. He was loading a dumpster with garden tools, yard decorations, etc.-all in mint condition. I asked if I could have some ceramic mushrooms ( I am a big fan of moss and fungi) that I spied in the pile of “trash”. He went on to tell me about the recent death of his wife, the future sale of the house, his unwanted relocation into assisted living, and his resignation to his own death within the next year. I won’t continue to write about philosophy and spirituality but I will end by saying …..When I got home I looked at my own yard, my own house of things, my husband and children. I realized one day our stuff, memories, lives, and bodies will be gone and forgotten. What is truly important? How do I want to use up the next minute I am graced with? Then there was the teaspoon that did a 90 degree turn on my saucer at the restaurant when nobody (that I could see) was touching it.

Dried Orange Peel

Tinctured hydrangea root

Planted echinacea

Started from seed-rue, basil, thyme, St. John’s wort, hyssop, elecampane, and angelica

Finished a vitex tincture (from my very own bush)

Been reading the Herb Fairies series to the kids

How are you trying to stay engaged with the outside world and be positive right now?