Ginkgo Fall leaves

Quiet and bare of all leaves, Ginkgo has stood in my garden all winter. A young tree of just a few years it stands about 6-7 ft tall with a lovely silver bark. At this point I am unsure whether it is a male or female, since the male and female flowers and fruits are borne on separate trees. I may never know as it will bloom in about 20years. These trees can grow to be 100 feet or so.  There are a number of lovely Ginkgo trees in downtown Santa Cruz, Ca and some of them are very grand and regal in appearance.

Gingko originates from China where it is regarded as a sacred tree and is found growing around temples. It is thought to be the oldest surviving tree on the planet going back some 200 million years. It is the only specie in the genus Gingko biloba and has not changed in appearance over all these years. Quite remarkable. The leaves are especially unique in appearance. They are fan shaped; the name bi-loba refers to the 2 lobes that make up the leaf. In spring these green leaves will start to appear and in the late fall they will change to a beautiful gold and drift gently to the earth. It is in fall that the leaves are harvested for medicinal purposes and provide treatment for a variety of symptoms.

Western herbalism has not used Ginkgo medicinally until recently and it is now one of the top – selling herbs in the U.S.A and in Europe: about $1 billion in sales annually. So, what is the excitement about this herb? Well, one of the great things about Ginkgo is that it is a potent antioxidant, which helps to prevent and reverse cell damage that could be behind heart disease, strokes and many cancers. That is a very simple explanation!

The other reason is that Ginkgo interferes with the action of a substance called the platelet activation factor (PAF) that is involved with asthma attacks, organ graft rejection and blood clots, which are involved with heart attacks and strokes.

Ginkgo plays a remarkable role on the blood flow going to the brain. Due to aging, the blood flow to the brain can decline, resulting in less nutrients and oxygen getting to those essential brain cells. This can slow down reaction time, impair: memory, concentration and problem solving. Studies and research have shown that Ginkgo improves the blood flow through the brain lessoning these symptoms. Ginkgo also slows down the mental deterioration found in people with Alzheimer’s Disease and multi-infarct dementia (MID). In some cases it can also improve cognitive abilities. Ginkgo slows these conditions and causes very few if any side effects. As a result of animal and human trials it has also been shown that Ginkgo improves the memory. A variety of testing was done on elderly and middle aged people as well as on a group of women in their twenties and all showed a significant improvement in memory and reaction time.     (Are you impressed yet?). The third leading cause of death in the U.S.A is “strokes” and in Europe Ginkgo is widely prescribed to support recovery from strokes. Blood flowing through the heart can also be improved with the help of Ginkgo and, as it contains anti-oxidants it can help prevent heart disease. Blood clots can trigger heart attacks and Ginkgo can also help prevent this.

It appears that in many conditions where there is a problem with blood flow resulting from narrowing of the arteries, Ginkgo can be significantly helpful. Conditions like Intermittent Claudication, Impotence, Cochlear Deafness, Tinnitus, Vertigo and Macular Degeneration can benefit from these fan shaped yellow leaves that grow on the ancient tree called Ginkgo. The medicinal compounds in Ginkgo leaves occur in concentrations too dilute for teas or tinctures to provide much benefit. Commercial preparations would be preferable.

So if you come across a Ginkgo tree be sure to take a few minutes to just say hi and ….. thank – you.

A mature ginkgo tree

Valarian Flower

I cannot be impartial with this herb. It is one of my favorite perennial herbs in the garden. During spring and summer it develops a lush rosette of leaves and then it sends up several graceful willowy stems ending with a mass of small, white-pinkish, colored flowers. These stems can be 5-6 ft tall and sometimes bend down, swooping close to the ground. I have one growing by the front gate and as soon as I enter I immediately get a whiff of its  sweet, musty energy. I have observed that not everyone is partial to Valerian’s smell, at this point I hold myself in the minority.

 Since planting my first Valerian 3 years ago, I have noticed how easily this plant can disperse its seeds and I am finding Valerian growing in many parts of my garden enjoying the sun or partial shade and thriving in rich moist soil. It comes with a long list of names such as: All-heal, English Valerian, Belgian Valerian, Common Valerian, German Valerian, Wild Valerian, Fragrant Valerian, Vandal Root and so indicating its origin from Europe and Northern Asia. The most appropriate name for this plant is phu (pronounced pooh), the dried roots of  Valerian, which happens to be the medicinal part of this plant, has an odor that many people have acquainted with dirty socks.

I have not yet had the pleasure to smell this since I have not yet unearthed Valerian. It is during the fall months, when all the aerial shoots have dried and the energy has receded to the roots, that one can dig up the roots of a second season Valerian. So I anticipate removing the fibrous roots and leaving the rhizome. After washing off the roots, I will slice and let it air dry in a warm part of the house. It can then be made into a tincture or  a tea.

Derived from the Latin word “valere” which means, “to be well” it has been used as a sedative and relaxant at least since the Roman times. Its smell is not unpleasant to everyone, it was appreciated as a perfume in the 16^th Century and the essential oil is a perfumery ingredient to this day. Cats and rats love the root, driving cats into frenzy or into ecstasy.  Rat exterminators believed it made a fool proof bait for their traps. Did the Pied Piper carry a bit of Valerian in his pocket?

Valarian Leaves in the foreground

Valerian encourages sleep and improves the quality of the sleep. It also helps to lower blood pressure. In fact while sitting with the plant, I got immensely sleepy and found myself lying flat on my back with Valerian bobbing over me. It works well on the nervous system reducing mental over activity and nervous excitability, helping people who find it hard to “switch off”. It is beneficial for almost all stress related conditions and in general has a calming effect on the mind. Valerian does have its drawbacks, it can take 2-3 weeks for the sedative effects to be noticed and it should not be taken with alcohol, when pregnant or breastfeeding.  There are no morning “hangovers” and very few side effects although if used excessively or in large doses it can cause headaches; giddiness and nausea in some sensitive people Valerian may be used as an expectorant to help relieve tickling and nervous coughs.

 Valerian reminds me of a never-ending dream. There are many times in life when there are crisis, traumas, troubled times and anxiety. She likes to soften the edges, ease the blow, catch you before you fall, smooth your way into soft slumber.

Comfrey flowers

Comfrey, where are you in the winter months of the year when the light recedes and the darkness grows? Looking on the surface of this land I see very little evidence of you but I know the medicine you hold is very strong in your thick, dark roots that travel deep into the rich earth. I will see you in the spring when your young, green leaves unfold and you reveal yourself again.

The word Comfrey means, “grow together” and its botanical name Symphytum means, “to heal”. One of the most powerfully, widely used plants that have come to us through the ages from about 400B.C. Today there is a lot of controversy about using this plant internally. It is banned in Canada and still “undecided” in the U.S.A.  I would just like to honor this incredible herb by sharing some of its amazing uses and remind you that this plant has been used throughout the ages, originating in Europe and Asia and traveling to us by way of the English Immigrants.

 It is a plant that enjoys rich, moist soils and sun. It is a hardy perennial and can tolerate some shade. Due to its intensive root system it is best planted in areas where it can travel a bit, preferably at the back of an herb garden. I tried to remove it from an area of my garden, digging up the roots and using them in a salve. I must have left a little piece of root behind because .. It came back. The leaves are long; lance shaped and very hairy and the little purple, cream-colored flowers hang in small, sweet, clusters.

I think Comfrey’s main reputation lies in the remarkable way it heals bones. Another name for it is knitbone. It is rich in allantoin, a cell proliferant that stimulates the growth of connective tissue and cartilage. It is also great for torn cartilage, swellings and bruises. The roots are very mucilaginous which enables this herb to have a soothing effect on stomach ulcers. It coats the stomach wall neutralizing the stomach acids and repairs the wall with its cell – regenerating properties. The root is used to make a strong decoction to treat cases of internal hemorrhage whether from bleeding stomachs, lungs, bowels or piles. Comfrey’s leaves and roots contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium and cobalt. It is high in thiamin, riboflavin and contains vitamin C & E.  It also has proteins and has been used as fodder for dairy and beef cattle throughout the Pacific Northwest with no ill effect. The leaves make a nourishing and delicious food. Externally one can use the leaves and roots as a poultice for unbroken skin wounds and swellings. It can also help with tendonitis and sprained ankles. Used with Yarrow it works well as a poultice for hemorrhoids and tightens varicosities. Comfrey oil or salve can soften boils, acne and scars.

Due to the controversy surrounding this herb many herbalists have taken the stance that it is fine to use externally and to use limited amounts internally for short periods of time. Personally I harvest this wonderful herb to use in my salves and I don’t think comfrey is in any way “upset” by its current unstable reputation. It has been around for so long and used by so many people through the centuries that it will continue to put down roots wherever it goes.

                   

         June is actually the month to see this plant in bloom and it is at this time that I go on my annual pilgrimage to harvest this plant. However this year I am traveling and encountering St John’s Wort in July as we drive along these highways in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.  My eyes are darting this way and that and delighting in seeing my old friend proudly displaying its clusters of golden star-shaped flowers on erect stems that grow up to three feet high.

This is another one of those plants that were brought over by colonists from Europe and since then has become naturalized. It grows most abundantly in our west coast states especially in Northern California and Southern Oregon. It is also known as Klamath Weed.

St John’s Wort grows well in sunny locations enjoying heat and dryness, putting out extensive runners that make it a difficult plant to contain. On holding up a leaf to the light one can see little “pores” which are oil glands. The yellow petals have little black dots on their perimeter that also contain these oil glands. On crushing the flower buds a purplish – reddish dye coats your skin. This red oil “hypericin” is associated with the blood of St John the Baptist and his beheading. It is in full flower on St John’s day:  June 24th, which also coincides with the beginning of summer and the midsummer rituals. It is an herb that was associated with the power to drive away ghosts and witches and to give protection from thunder and lightning.

 St John’s Wort has been in use for the past 2500 years. It was used as a nerve pain and was a popular household remedy for preventing mood disorders. About 50 years ago a German doctor began using it for clinical depression. This herb has been extensively researched and has quite the reputation for treating mild and moderate depression. It is also good for treating mood swings associated with depression, menopause and P.M.S, mild anxiety, insomnia when it is coupled with mood swings and depression, bedwetting and night terrors in children. 

 The way I enjoy St John’s Wort is to have it as part of my first aid kit. I harvest the flowers and infuse the fresh flowers in olive oil for a month. After straining it, the oil should be a vivid red. I keep it as oil or use it in a skin salve. The oil is great for: first degree and mild to moderate 2^nd degree burns, skin abrasions, bruises, reducing pain and inflammation and nerve pain. The oil can be used as a massage oil to help with sprains and strained ligaments, tendons and muscles. It is one the most medicinal and potent healing herbs I know and I simply cannot do without it. One can also take it internally for ulcers. One of the few side effects of this herb is a sensitivity to light. So be careful if you are taking this internally and you are fair and have sensitive skin. It can be also be toxic to cows and sheep so in some areas it has been considered a pest.

 A great perennial herb! One worth having in a garden in a defined area!

Lemon Balm also known as Balm mint (it does belong to the family of mints, Labiatae), Bee Balm, Blue Balm, Cure all, Honey Plant, Melissa, Sweet Balm. All these names hint at some of its properties. The bees love this fragrant plant even though its blue-white or pale yellow flowers are small and grow in clusters in summer. Balm and bees have been linked since ancient times. Melissa comes from the Greek for ‘Honey Bee” and supposedly Lemon Balm has the same healing and tonic properties as honey and royal jelly. The ancient Greeks placed sprigs of Balm in beehives to attract a swarm. 

Lemon Balm is a perennial and produces upright stems growing to a 3-foot bush. It is very easy to grow from seed. It prefers some partial shade; a well-drained soil and it will die back in winter. The time to harvest its leaves is before flowering. There is nothing like a fresh cup of Lemon Balm tea made from your garden. 

Originally grown in the Orient, Arab traders introduced this herb to Spain. Still popular in Europe it is now grown in parts of the United States. The ancients thought of this herb as the elixir of Life with amazing powers of longevity. Throughout history it was used as a “cure all” for everything.

Today it is still used to treat a variety of physical conditions. Lemon Balm promotes sweating and menstruation. It is also recommended to treat headaches, flatulence and in particular stress and hypertension, as it is very calming and soothing. In Germany, Balm is used widely as a tranquilizer and sedative. It also helps with bronchitis and some forms of asthma. By relaxing the smooth muscle tissue of the digestive tract it aids with digestion problems. Use the crushed leaves as a poultice for sores and insect bites. Balm can also help fight mumps, herpes and other viruses. 

 A truly powerful herb, yet at the same time subtle, gentle and so giving of itself. The fragrance of this plant alone is uplifting and cheerful causing “the mind and heart to be merry”

This little flower has 5 petals arranged in a way to reveal the inner pistil and stamens welcoming the very first butterflies of the year. This perennial plant does not rely just on the butterflies for the reproduction of its species, it also grows a horizontal stem. This creeper anchors the plant at its nodes and creates a beautiful ground cover of heart shaped leaves. It enjoys partial shade and moist, rich earth.

This plant is native to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa and everywhere else in the world it has been introduced. It is easy to propagate from runners. The best time to do this is early spring and you can leave 4-5 inches between plants. In my garden it is not displaying aggressive tendencies and it appears easy to manage as a ground cover.

The medicinal and culinary uses of Sweet Violet were greatly thought of in the Classical world. In old recipe books dating from the 16 to the 19 century one could find this recipe: “Violet leaves at the entrance of Spring, fried brownish and eaten with orange and lemon juice and sugar is one of the most agreeable of all herbaceous dishes”.

The flowers and leaves can be harvested in spring and the roots in fall. The leaves can be added to salads and soups providing nourishment in the form of minerals and vitamins especially Vit C. Use the flowers in salads or press them in books preserving their delicate beauty. They can also be made into syrup to heal sore throats. Sweet Violet leaf tea can be used for treating chest colds, coughs and congestion. It acts as an expectorant in the lungs bringing up hot, yellow mucus while helping to cool dry throats and to shrink swollen glands. The leaves can be munched and made into a “spit poultice” and applied directly onto boils, burns and hot wounds. It has a wonderful cooling effect and alleviates pain. One can use it in the same manner after a dental visit, applying it to the gums to reduce inflammation. Frequent applications of this to canker sores could make them disappear. Sweet Violet leaf tea helps to alleviate headaches as well as reducing premenstrual breast tenderness. It can reduce the soreness of fibrocystic breasts and gently dissolve over time breast cysts and tumors benign and malignant. The tealeaves can be applied directly to the breasts for the same purpose. The flowers and leaves are used in British herbal medicine to treat breast and stomach cancer. Sweet Violet has this wonderful gentle ability to dissolve hardness and to soothe and comfort over time. 

In the heat of summer we must remember to keep the growing Sweet Violets moist and shady so that we can look again for the flowers in the cold, dormant times of the year.

“The sweet fragrance of youth – it abides with us always in our hearts.”

                                        (A message from Sweet Violet)

I have several Mullein in my medicinal herb garden. She is an old friend that stands watch, resilient on the hottest of days and a comforting plant to have around. Super easy to grow and transplant too, she is not fussy and needs very little to keep her happy. Just give her lots of sun.

Probably everyone has seen Mullein. It grows alongside highways, near dry riverbeds and in numerous scrubby, hot areas in the United States. Mullein is a stately, pretty plant that becomes very tall in its second year of growth, when it sends up a 4-8 ft spike covered in little yellow flowers. In its first year it produces a rosette of large velvety leaves that are soft and covered in fine white hairs. In fact the whole plant is covered with these hairs, including the flowers. This is a great plant adaptation for the gardener who forgets to water as these hairs help to reduce water loss.

Mullein is a magical herb of antiquity and has a long history going back to the ancient days of Europe from where it originated. The great respect and love that was given to this plant is inferred from the 30 or so names it was accorded. Dried Mullein stalks were dipped in tallow and burned by Christians to frighten away witches hence the name St Peter’s Staff, Jacob’s Staff. On the other hand Mullein had a reputation for being a favorite plant of witches. In England Mullein torches were burned in their rituals. Hag Taper, Witches Taper, High Taper are other Mullein names. Dried leaves were rolled and used as wicks for oil lamps and candles, hence the name Candlewick Plant. The early American settlers brought Mullein with them and over time it escaped from their gardens and spread. Many American tribes smoked the dried leaves to relieve coughing. The Navajos called it ‘Big Tobacco”

Today we still continue to use this helpful medicinal herb. The yellow flowers can be infused in olive oil for about 2 weeks, strained and the oil used to treat ear infections. The leaves can be used in a tea to treat bronchial lung problems. The dried stalks gathered in the fall can be combined with other dried plants to make a great indoor decoration.

How Borage obtained its name isn’t quite clear. The Welsh called it Llanwenlys meaning “Herb Of Gladness”. The ancient Celts called it “barrach” or “man of courage”. Today it is still associated with courage by herbalists. It is a very cheerful plant to have and it is not surprising to know that it was prescribed 400 years ago for melancholy.

Native to the Mediterranean region from Spain to Turkey it has become naturalized in most of Europe and many other parts of the world. It loves the sun and does not appear to be fussy about the soil. Growing near a patch of strawberries will help to stimulate the growth of each other and planted near tomatoes Borage will help to control tomato worm. It is definitely a beneficial plant to have in a garden but it does self – seed very easily.

The leaves and stem are rough and hairy yet quite edible in small quantities. Cutting open the stem reveals a hollow moist tube that smells and tastes like cucumber. The young leaves can be chopped finely in salads, yogurt, soft cheese and sandwiches. The flowers are edible and look incredible in salads and drinks and decorative on cakes.

The leaves used as a tea, will stimulate the circulation and soothe the throat. Due to the mucilage content it makes a mild expectorant and has been prescribed for many years to ease bronchial infections. Poultices of the leaves are helpful when applied to sore and inflamed skin. The flowers encourage sweating and the leaves are diuretic. The seed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fats (GLA) and is superior in this respect to Evening Primrose Oil.  Borage seed oil is used to treat premenstrual complaints, rheumatic problems, eczema and other chronic skin conditions. Due to the presence of toxic alkaloids in Borage it might be wise not to eat or drink too much Borage but this does not apply to the Borage seed oil.
It has a high content of calcium, potassium and mineral salts which research has suggested works on the adrenal glands where “courage” begins. This is the essence of Borage.