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Hyssop – useful but hard to grow |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/30/2006 9:55 AM
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I’m trying to grow Hyssop yet again – the plant looks wonderful (mine has pinky flowers) but I’ve not yet managed to get it to live over a cold winter. I’ll make the most of it in case it goes again – I’ll dry the leaves but also will use some right now for my son’s bad cold. Not only can it be used as a home remedy it can also be used for a flavouring in cooking (though I’ve not tried it yet) and it can be used as a green dye, I believe.
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Making a Marigold Salve (1) Making Marigold oil. |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/27/2006 11:11 AM
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I am planning to make a Marigold Salve, so I have been harvesting the Mariglod petals from the garden after the latest hot spell before the rain spoiled them – but also leaving enough flower heads to give seeds for next year. I have also got some almond oil and ordered beeswax off the internet – you’ll probably have difficulty getting it locally, but its cheaper online, anyway. I will also order some more almond oil as its much cheaper, though you have to buy quite large quantities.
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Old remedies for Colic |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/21/2006 1:08 PM
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The spasmodic stomach pains of colic are usually associated with babies, but adults too can suffer from them. Here are some old Texan baby soothers and a number of 15th 17th and 18th century colic recipes. Some of them have been noted by Samuel Pepys but appears to have utilised a hare’s foot round his neck and took pills of turpentine every morning – but did not know which one was the effective remedy.
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Helping the itch of Eczema with herbal remedies |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/18/2006 12:36 PM
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Eczema runs in my family, my father suffered on and off all his life, I had severe eczema as a child and have recurrent problems every now and then ,and my son has had some series attacks brought on by stress. Recently I developed an itchy patch on my shoulder – this used to be common in winter, and it was finally linked to the chocolates I go for Christmas – the only time I ate it. It could have been chocolate – I’m not so careful about not eating it nowadays, or it could have been another trigger. But I’ve been using the same soother that has always worked for me – Slippery Elm as well as taking Evening Primrose.
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Drying Herbs for Herbal Remedies |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/16/2006 2:52 PM
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I’m using a number of different ways of drying my herbs. After a mega harvest yesterday and this morning I’ve got big piles of different herbs I’ll be using for different things. I’m going to put them into sealing polythene bags – I know glass jars may well be better for the purists, but I’ve not enough room to store a large number of glass jars, especially as my shelves are already full with the summer fruit in kilner jars. My method depends on the amount of herb I need to dry and whether I need to dry it on stalks or can strip the leaves. DON’T wash the herbs and harvest when dry.
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Preparing Herbs for preserving |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/14/2006 1:27 PM
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Many herbs with aromatic leaves and a strong texture, such as Sage, Rosemary and Thyme dry well as they have little moisture content, those with juicier leaves such as comfrey or borage, take longer to dry. Herbs need proper preparation before preserving them, but do try not to either pick them wet or wash before drying as essential oils can be lost. I know its late in the year, but I am harvesting a great deal of marjoram and oregano to make oil, lavender, rosemary, mint, borage, thyme, dandelion root and lemon balm.
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Herbal Bath Salts |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/13/2006 2:53 PM
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Tap water often contains calcium and magnesium which make hard water which can make your skin hard and rough. These bath salts not only soften the water but also help remove body oils and perspiration. These bath salts are not only soothing and relaxing, but are very easy to make. The ingredients are very simple and easy-to-find. You will add your favourite essential oils or herbs to make the perfect bath salts.
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Herbal remedies for constipation |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/6/2006 12:53 PM
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Normal body rhythms do vary from person to person, but, when bowel movements become less frequent than about three per week, health practitioners often view that as constipation. There are drug treatments to deal with constipation, though most are heavy-handed and can be (bad) habit forming but also there are a number of herbal treatments that can help.
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Other ways to manage and avoid indigestion in natural ways |
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Herbal
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By herbalexpert on
8/4/2006 10:56 AM
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There are a number of ways you can manage your eating habits to try to avoid indigestion – precautions for reducing digestive upsets are relatively straightforward. There are also two remedies that have been proved to help the positive digestion of food and help calm an upset stomach – as this seems to be a very common problem modern problem with a society that eats far too much and far too much rich food.
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