BeWell Bohemia Herbs and Things: March 2019

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Talking 'bout potting up the catnip starts

Now is the time I begin to pot-up starts from trays to individual growing containers. Here is a link to a short video where I explain the process and reasons to pot-up starts.

The joy of chamomile, simple and profound

An herbal monograph of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) follows.

BeWell Bohemia Herbs & Things

Herbal Monograph, by Brooke Criswell

German Chamomile - Matricaria recutita

Very few people are not familiar with chamomile, since most cultures have a long standing relationship with chamomile, or, as my husband fondly refers to it, manzanilla.

Chamomile is so gentle and soothing it is known as an excellent tea for children, or to drink daily to help promote quality sleep through relaxation. Ah, darling chamomile. Allow me to spend a few paragraphs discussing this popular, powerful plant.

As the name implies, German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is native to Europe, though naturalized through much of the world as a welcome weed [not invasive] that crops up in disturbed areas such as roadsides, sidewalks, empty lots. The scent is distinctive, so if you are walking along an array populated with stray chamomile, you may be rewarded with its lovely aroma. In addition to the lovely aroma, the small yellow flowers are cheerful and chummy. The beneficial constituents are packed into those cheerful blooms. (More about harvesting and using chamomile blooms later in the monograph.)

“Herbs for Health”, by Stephen Foster reports that a Slovakian chamomile specialist, Ivan Salamon, says, “Chamomile is the most favored and most used medicinal plant in Slovakia. Our folk saying that an individual should always bow when facing a chamomile plant. This respect results from hundreds of years experience with [chamomile].”2

So, you see, loved and revered the world over, regardless of it humble nature. Aplant to soothe the nerves, ease digestion, support restful sleep, promote wound healing, calm inflammation, and ease stress. Grow and befriend this dynamic little plant.

Growing Conditions

Grows as an annual in zones 2 - 8

Member of the Aster (Asteraceae) family

Can grow to 1 to 2 feet in height

Chamomile prefers:

Dry, light, well-drained soil

Not a ‘fussy’ plant
”rich soil produces lusher foliage, but not necessarily more flowers”.3
Chamomile flowers are more prolific and potent in less-rich soil 3

Prefers full sun
Tolerates cool weather
Gets ‘leggy’ in very hot weather

Rosemary Gladstar, in Medicinal Herbs: A Beginners Guide, shares that chamomile is recognized by gardeners as an excellent companion plant that is known to keep neighboring plants, “healthy and disease free.”3

(note to self, visit this website and add more growing information to file) http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277347

Plant size and spacing

Chamomile does well in ground, and can be grown in containers too. Try it in a flowerpot, hanging basket, or window-box.

Parts Used

Flowers

When to Harvest

When the flowers are fully open and fragrant, use fingers to gently rake the open blooms of the flowers into a basket.

Use fresh to steep tea

Or dry spread thinly on mesh trays or baskets out of the sunlight

Place in well ventilated area to avoid mildew or mold

How to Prepare

Chamomile flowers make an excellent tea.

Boil water
Place 2 tsp of fresh chamomile flowers or 1 tsp of dried chamomile leaves per 8 oz water into teapot, press, thermos, or mason jar
Pour boiling water over blooms
Cover (this is very important, for if uncovered the constituents will rise with the steam, and you will have a less flavorful, less potent cup of chamomile tea)
Allow to steep for 10 minutes
Strain and Enjoy!

You can blend chamomile with many other herbs to create delicious tea blends. Try chamomile and ginger root, chamomile and lemon balm, chamomile, peppermint, ginger. The options are many, and open to your taste and creativity.

Chamomile can be made into tasty treats!

Katja Swift of Commonwealth Center of Holistic Herbalism, in Boston MA, has a recipe for Ginger Chamomile Cookies that she has generously allowed me to share here, and you can find the full post on the Commonwealth Herbs Blog.

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix with a fork into a thick, doughy batter.

1 cup almond meal
1 cup shredded coconut
~2/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
Salt

about 2/3 cup chopped candied ginger.
chamomile – pour dried chamomile into a strainer and sift to get the tiny bits. (you can put the not-tiny bits back into the jar for tea! Katja advises)

Katja says, “I ike to candy my own ginger – I get local fresh young ginger rhizomes and chop them, then put them in a mason jar and cover them with honey. in a month or two, candied ginger! (store in the fridge.)”

3. . Mix batter again.

4. Spoon onto baking tray, or roll into a ball and flatten.

5. Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Katja concludes with “They’re delicious, low-carb, gluten and dairy free, and downright good for you!”4

Cautions/Considerations

Chamomile is a very safe plant; however, some people are allergic to chamomile. If you get itchy eyes or ears, a runny nose, a scratchy throat, or other allergy signs, discontinue use of chamomile.

Bibliography

Hartung, Tammi. Growing 101 Herbs That Heal. Storey Books, 2000.
Foster, Stephen. Herbs for Your Health: A Handy Guide for Knowing and Using 50 Common Herbs. Interweave Press, 1996

Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing, 2012

Swift, Katja.”Ginger Chamomile Cookies.” Commonwealth Herbs Blog. Commonwealth Center of Holistic Herbalism. December 9, 2016. https://commonwealthherbs.com/ginger-chamomile-cookies/

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Winter walk, and business steps

Procuring 1st BeWell Bohemia booth registration

Mid-march, and time to procure the premier booth registration in preparation for BeWell Bohemia Herbs' and Things inaugeral event, the 2019 Master Gardener's Association of Tippecanoe County (MGATC) Garden Expo, held each April. The deadline early registration for a vendor booth loos, so I made my way to the Extension Office to complete the paperwork, submit payment. While at the Extension Office, I picked-up the 'avoid these invasive plant species' list the Extension Office provides. I don't want to grow or sell any plants that can negatively impact local habitats. Weeds are one thing, aggressive invaders are quite another.

The preceding couple of days, had been sunny and in the mid-sixiets, so I thought surely some spring ephemerals were emerging, I need to get hiking in the woods to remain connectted with the natural cycles, and say hello to woodland plant friends. On the way home from the Extension office I stopped at Purdue Horticulture Park for a hike. The weather hand turned back for a few final days of winter before the equinox. Overcast skies, stiff winds, and a temperature of below 30 degreesFarenheit made the day feel brisk. I had only moderate layers, so I kept the hike brief. The woods showed minimal sign of spring growth. I did not even find skunk cabbage in the lowlying wet areas. Woods, you may not show it, but I trust you are stirring with the turning of the seasons, and soon shall burst forth with green.

The brittle and pale birch leaves cling atop winter branches, providing a soft whispering rustle soundtrack to my walk. I stop and listen, loving every whisper.

Next I made a close inspection of the soft mosses on the tree trunk. So many shades of green, bright hued and dark. A magical world in miniature. Do tiny faeries luxuriate in its softness of a woodland eve?

I meandered my way along the path out of the woods. Time to head home to a warm cup of herbal tea, and a cozy book, "Herbal Constituents: Foundations in Phytochemistry" by Lisa Ganora, perhaps.