Tools for Natural Living

Communicating with the unspoken language of flowers is known as floriography, an art that has been practiced for thousands of years throughout the globe. The practice reached its peak in Europe during the Victorian era, when messages deemed inappropriate to speak alou...

This colorful blend features our favorite summer flowers and looks as beautiful as it smells. Display the mixture in decorative bowls or baskets, or use to fill dream pillows and linen and closet sachets.

Ingredients

1 cup dried chamomile flowers

1 cup dried lavender flow...

In the U.S., more than 175 species of ‘skeeters take to the sky each night in search of a blood meal, while ticks the size of a poppy seed assault their victims from the ground up. You’re on the menu because you emit carbon dioxide and other chemical signals – just lik...

Smudging is a traditional Native American practice that is used to create sacred space and to spiritually cleanse objects, people and places. It involves directing the smoke of a burning smudge stick, which is constructed of one or more herbs, while invoking a blessing...

Basil is one of the best loved and most commonly cultivated herbs of summer. She lends sweet, spicy aroma and flavor to marinades, vinegars, herbal butters, teas, cocktails and even ice cream. And when a sun-kissed tomato meets up with a few sprigs of fresh basil – mag...

Plantain is a perennial “weed” original to Eurasia and now naturalized throughout most of the world. It was introduced to North America by early European settlers. The plant prolifically adapted to its new home with such ease that Native Americans referred to it as “wh...

Gather dandelion flowers on a sunny morning after the dew has dried. Inspect them carefully for tiny ants while still outdoors (if you find any, tap the flower to get them scurry out ), then rinse in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. You’ll need about 3 cups of...

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an annual and sometimes biennial herb in the mustard family that was introduced to North America in the mid-19th century from Europe, where the plant has been used for food and medicine for centuries.  Also known as Penny Hedge, J...

Herbal Pet Care

Warm weather is here at last! Unfortunately, although spring rain and sunshine brings joyful flowers, the greening elements also bring fleas and ticks. A quick look at the ingredient list of most conventional flea and tick products should give you pause...

Herbs for Shade

Does your garden get more shade than sunshine? Don’t let it stop you from growing some of your favorite culinary and medicinal herbs. Here are 18 common botanicals that thrive in the shade.

Most herbs prefer full sun and even some shade-tolerant plants en...