WELCOME TO HERB CAMP 2020!
In this first of three weeks of herb camp the theme is “In the Margins”. In the next 7 days, your challenge is to spend 15 minutes a day touching, tasting, smelling, and learning about the herbs in your own environment.
As we are looking at asteraceae family plants you might want to make a new herb friend. The Materia Medica Masterclass inside the membership can help you get to know a new herbal ally in a systematic way.
Understanding your herbal allies will help you grow in confidence in your herbal knowledge and build your herbal intuition faster.
Enroll in the Materia Medica Masterclass here:
Then pop over to the Facebook group and let us know that you did in this thread or leave a comment here. If you’ve already completed the Materia medica Masterclass, tell us in the comments which herbal ally you are getting to know this month.
Note: Click the small arrow on the LEFT to go to the previous day’s Herb Camp Challenge. Click the small arrow on the RIGHT to go to the next day’s Herb Camp Challenge.
My culinary herbs are booming this month, so I am going to look more into the medicinal uses of them. Thyme sounds like a good option.
I chose red clover.
I chose for this month’s herbal ally, Borage or: borago officinalis.
I used to have this herb growing in my garden when I lived in a different state. I loved the beautiful blue flowers on it and the bees seemed to like the plant as well.
The flowers were used in wine and was called the much merry herb.
It is not to be used when pregnant.
Borage has high amounts of potassium, calcium and other minerals which gives it a refreshing quality. The tea stimulates the kidneys and this is most useful in feverish conditions. Borage is also a refrigerant and it cools the body. Using the young leaves in salads and as a strong tea to strengthen the eyes.
Milk flow- Drink a tea of borage leavest to increase the store of milk.
Interesting list of uses in the Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody.
She writes borage can be used for adrenal tonic for stress or to counter the effects of steriod therapy. Can also be used for dry raspy cough and to stimulate milk flow. May be prescribed in the early feverish state of pleurisy or whooping cough. Juice is useful in depression, anxiety or grief . Also makes a soothing lotion for dry itchy skin. Harvest it throughout the growing season.
This is a must for me! I am teaching my daughter a half credit of botany to complete a science credit this year. Her goal is blending tea. This camp and the master classes are my course prep.
That’s awesome!