Yard Remedies and the Southern Dewberry

I absolutely love spring because it ushers in new beginnings.   Fresh and vibrant plants which lay dormant all winter are now poking their little heads up to feel the warm air and greet the sun.  This is about the time of the year when our Southern Dewberries (Rubus trivialis) start to bloom.  The berries won’t come [...]

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Prickly Pear Cactus

A couple of weekends ago I went on a pecan picking expedition in Live Oak Florida with some friends. Out in one of the fields amongst the cows and pecan trees I found quite a number of Opuntia spp. or Prickly Pear as they are commonly known.  Other common names include Devils Tongue, nopales and Indian Fig.  Despite [...]

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You’ve got a friend in….Garlic.

Today there is a bit of a chill in the air and I’m thinking about soups and stews.  One thing I love to put into my soups and stews is Garlic.  What a phenominal herb it is.  Not only does Garlic add a wonderful flavor to hundreds of dishes, but it also has a list of [...]

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Ode to Avena sativa (Oats)

Although I don’t claim to be a poet, I have really been enjoying writing my herbal rhymes. I have written quite a number of them and may eventually compile them for who knows why….Perhaps someone out there may find them fun, interesting, irrelevant, helpful, goofy….something. So, today I’m going to share with you one for [...]

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Ode to Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)

Ode to Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) Lacerations and bruises, bleeding and chills, a fever and fibroids yarrow it heals. Though bitter and pungent, cold and dry this herb will cool and tonify. The tongue it is red and cracked down the middle, the veins they are blue and fast like a fiddle. When you are irritated [...]

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