As a clinician, lately I have been experiencing an uptick in people requesting herbal support to calm increased anxiety. While every person’s circumstances are different – I recommend consulting with a professional for acute or severe cases – I offer up the following 10 herbs for anxiety that are generally safe when used at normal … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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