Advice from a tree

Advice from a tree

________________

Stand Tall and proud

Go out on a limb

Remember your roots

Drink plenty of water

Be content with your natural beauty

enjoy the view.                                                                        " Chaga, It's a way of life."

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Chaga is a parasite that grows on birch trees.

It is not a true mushroom, just a mass of mycelium,

it has been used in folk medicine for centuries, most widely written about over the ages in Russia.

Science continues to validate its use, showing immune stimulating properties and its ability to

protects against oxidative stress. It seems it is most famous for its use against a wide range of cancers, cancer of the breast, lip, skin and colon. It is becoming widely known for its ability to increase stamina, tone bones and muscles and even soften your skin.

Chaga can be used as a decoction or as an alcohol extract. The decocted root is tasty and is sometimes called a “coffee substitute”. It often has a slight vanilla taste.

Chaga is a  hardened structure with a very dark crust protecting the inner golden substance. With so many uses and people using it please always harvest responsibly. Chaga takes many years to mature and each Birch tree it grows on.

Every part of a Birch tree contains healing substances and is often applied in folk medicine as well as in official medicine for healing purposes.

These parts are: juice, leaves, buds, wood,and bark.

Chaga mushroom has so  many health benefits

some credit must be shared with its host.

                              

Chaga and Chives

Chives

"Chaga, It's a way of life."

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) is a part of the same  family as onions, scallions and garlic. They grow from small bulbs and have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses. In the Middle Ages, chives were promoted as a cure for melancholy and believed to drive away evil spirits. Chives and chive flowers are high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. They can be easily added to recipes to help restore  nutrients lost in cooking. This herb's  taste come from its  concentration of sulfur compounds and other essential oils, which are also partly responsible for its healing properties.

 A few of the health benefits:

Health Benefits of Chives

Chives have been used to help lower blood pressure and aid digestion. They stimulate  appetite and help to promote good digestion.Chives also  possess some antiseptic properties. They can be used to ease stomach upset, clear a stuffy nose, reduce flatulence and prevent bad breath. They have a mild diuretic effect, as well.

Growing

Chives are a very easy seed to start from seed or a small separation from a friend. They spread easily and harvest even more easily. Chive Vinegar is a very pretty pink color and goes well on salads or in cooked recipes.

Chaga and Chives make a great mushroom gravy.

Chives

Chives

"Chaga, It's a way of life."

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) is a part of the same  family as onions, scallions and garlic. They grow from small bulbs and have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses. In the Middle Ages, chives were promoted as a cure for melancholy and believed to drive away evil spirits. Chives and chive flowers are high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. They can be easily added to recipes to help restore  nutrients lost in cooking. This herb's  taste come from its  concentration of sulfur compounds and other essential oils, which are also partly responsible for its healing properties.

Health Benefits of Chives

Chives have been used to help lower blood pressure and aid digestion. They stimulate  appetite and help to promote good digestion.Chives also  possess some antiseptic properties. They can be used to ease stomach upset, clear a stuffy nose, reduce flatulence and prevent bad breath. They have a mild diuretic effect, as well.

Growing

Chives are a very easy seed to start from seed or a small speration from a friend. They spread easily and harvest even more easily. Chive Vinegar is a very pretty pink color and goes well on salads or in cooked recipes.

Chaga and Chives make a great mushroom gravy.

Honey Bee Herbalists

  

Honey Bee Herbalists
Author Margaret Tucker

Honey Bees (Apis) are the most knowledgeable herbalists I know. They know which herbs offer the best nutrition and health benefits and which ones to ignore. Watching honey bees forage among your herbs can offer insight into which ones you need to gather for your own use. For thousands of years honey bees have been foraging plants to help them survive. Mankind has been studying them as far back as the cave dwellers and learning from them what to try themselves. The herbs used at Carob's Farm are all honey bee plants. The bees gather nectar and pollen and the health benefits each herb offers.
      Some of the plants are more favored than others. (Borago officinalis) AKA Borage, Starflower and Bee plant is one of the favored plants of the Honey Bee and some of us humans love the plant as well. Borago Officinalis offers nectar and pollen to the honey bees which produces a light amber
 honey and is said to improve their ability to make honey. For humans borage is either loved or hated. It is loved for it's bright blue or white flowers and makes some people feel happy just looking at it. Some people hate it because it has prickly hairs that scratch tender skin and spreads easily if not kept deadheaded. Borage has many medicinal qualities that make it a great addition to the herbal medicine cabinet. Borage can be used for conditions such as acne and arthritis. Mix tablespoon of Borage leaves and flowers in a bit of bath salts to use in your next relaxing bath or in a face cream for wrinkles. The flowers, leaves and oil produced from the seeds are used medicinally. The flowers and leaves can be eaten in salads. It has a light cucumber flavor that most people find pleasant.
Borage is also an excellent choice of companion plant for tomatoes, strawberries and several other favorite backyard garden plants. According to ancient herbalists borage is said to “make one merry and ease sorrow”. Perhaps this is why honey bees forage this plant and are able to produce more honey.
 “A merry heart surely aids productivity.” Margaret Tucker