Liz Firestone from Crescent Moon Apothecary spoke at the Isle of Palms Garden Club meeting on Oct. 20. Liz is a clinical family herbalist who is passionate about using herbs for the healing properties they have. She gave the following suggestions to the Garden Club members.
Rosemary:
“Rosemary for remembrance.” Can be used as a tea, smudge, bath, tincture, or oil.
Rosemary can be used for poor circulation, arthritis, and to stimulate the brain.
Grows well in full sun and can be found at any local nursery.
Thyme:
Thyme is antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial. Thyme is excellent for coughs, and you can make a cough syrup by combining equal parts tea and raw honey.
The syrup may be stored in the fridge for two days. Thyme may also be used as cleaning agent in your home.
Basil:
Basil helps draw heat from the body. May help with fevers, nasal congestion, headaches, and insomnia. Basil can be used as a tea, in a bath or foot soak, or as a compress. Grows well in our climate when other herbs are dying back in the summer. It is a great addition to salads, and it is used in many cultures for medicinal purposes.
Peppermint:
Very easy to grow and a very useful herb. Peppermint tea may help with gas, bloating, and sluggishness after a meal. The tea may also be used for fevers and colds.
Peppermint will keep ants away and the leaves can be sprinkled in spaces where ants get in or you can use a cotton ball with a few drops of Peppermint essential oil.
Sage:
Sage is known as an astringent herb. It is also antiseptic and antifungal.
Sage tea can used as a gargle for sore throats. It also helps dry up fluids and may be helpful as a foot bath for edema. In excess, it may be too drying so it should not be used for long periods of time.
Plantain:
Fresh or bruised herbs can be used as a compress for bug bites. Plantain can act as a drawing agent for any leftover venom.
How to dry herbs –
A few methods: put out on trays in your kitchen for 3-5 days, hang them to dry and bake them in the oven at the lowest temperature possible. Youdo not want to cook the herbs, just dry them. Dried herbs can last years if stored correctly in a dark place in an airtight container.
Types of Herbal Preparations
Tinctures:
herbs are extracted in alcohol. Tinctures are stronger than tea and are usually packaged in dropper bottles. These are shelf – stable for at least a year.
Teas:
Fresh or dried herbs are steeped in boiling water for 15 minutes and then strained.
General rule for making it is 1 teaspoon of herb per 8 ounces of water.
Herbal Oils:
Herbs are soaked in oils for a period of time and then strained. Extra virgin olive oil is the most shelf stable and all oils should be stored in a dark, cool place. Herbal oils should always be prepared from dried herbs.
Herbal Syrups:
herbal preparations combined with honey.
Herbal Vinegars:
like herbal oils but the herbs are soaked in apple cider vinegar before being strained. Essential Oils: Compounds extracted from plants by mechanical methods or distillation. Very potent, not meant to be swallowed, and should be diluted before applying to skin.
Good Sources for Herbs, Essential Oils and Tinctures
Whole Foods and Eucalyptus Wellness located in Mount Pleasant carry herbal tinctures, flower essences and essential oils. Herbal Passions in West Ashley has a wide variety of looseleaf herbs.
Reference Books:
“The Earthwise Herbal Volume 1” by Matthew Wood and “The Complete Book of Herbs, A practical guide to growing and using herbs” by Lesley Bremnes
For more information, visit cresentmoonapothecary.net.