Sage Advice – An Herb for Hot Flashes

Sage plant

Medicinally-speaking,”common sage” is anything but! Having worked with a number of menopausal or peri-menopausal women in my clinical practice, hot flashes and night sweats are among the most uncomfortable symptoms these women are dealing with.  A quick Google search for “herb for hot flashes” generally yields discussions about hormone modulators such as black cohosh, vitex … Read more

Elderberry Syrup: Herb for flu season

Elderberry syrup and berries

Not surprisingly in the year of a global pandemic, there is recent increased interest elderberry syrup for flu season (and any infectious disease).  In fact, recently a friend inquired about where she might find a reputable source of elderberries as she intended to make her own syrup.  Her inquiry inspired me to write about  elderberries, … Read more

It’s spring, time to prepare the medicinal herb garden!

Welcome Spring!  You’ve been dreaming all winter about starting a medicinal herb garden, but now that the ground has thawed you realize you have no idea where to begin.  Fear not, and read on for a simple medicinal herb garden plan that incorporates a pharmacy of herbs for self-care that are easy to grow in … Read more

Herbal Activities at Home

herbal activity - pressed violet tincture

Being an introvert by nature who also loves to garden, staying home is natural for me this time of year.  Still, I know this is a challenging time for many.  As such, I’d like to offer the following fun herbal activities at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Start an Herb Garden At the onset of … Read more

Happy, Herby New Year 2020!

Green Haven Herbs in pots

Is it January 2020 already?  For me it seems like the holiday season just flew by this year!  But that could be largely due to the fact that I was on an extended business trip from the Saturday after Thanksgiving all the way to Christmas Eve morning.  I arrived at 4AM that morning, thanks to … Read more

Herbal Aphrodisiacs? Yes, they are a real thing!

Statue of Aphrodite

The word ‘aphrodisiac‘ comes from the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, whose name also meant ‘sexual pleasure’.  Therefore, an aphrodisiac is something that arouses sexual desire.  It could be a substance such as a chemical (drug), but it could also be a sensory stimulant – visual (watching an … Read more

Violet jelly

violets in jar

Every year around this time my lawn becomes awash in violets.  To some, these lovely little plants are weeds – the bane of a homeowner’s pristine-lawn-loving existence.  To me, they’re an opportunity to behold nature’s beauty – and to make violet jelly! As an herbalist, I need to share that the sweet violet (Viola odorata) … Read more

Musings on the history of herbal medicine

Polish herb book

Recently I was asked by a fellow Master Gardener for some suggestions on how to put together an ‘educational and fun’ lecture on the History of Herbal Medicine.  “Wow”, I thought, “that’s a particularly broad topic”.  I started asking her a lot of questions: whose history?  Which culture(s)?  How far back do you want to … Read more

4th of July and Victory Gardens – a classic pair

Home vegetable garden July 4, 2019

The 4th of July always brings back memories of our backyard vegetable garden when I was growing up.  It was a goal to harvest our first zucchini by (or before!) this date in western Pennsylvania. This July 4th, I am reminded of one of my very first blog posts on the Maryland Extension’s now-retired Grow … Read more

Defeating the Squash Vine Borer – FINALLY!

Zucchini plants

Every spring, after a long, cold, dark winter has washed away any memories of the prior growing season’s trials, I awaken hopeful (and naïve?).  Despite my husband’s warnings, and probably my better judgement, I persist in planting zucchini in my garden.  Sure, I know that zucchini has the unfortunate reputation as being overgrown – there’s … Read more