Happy Spring to you from our Harriet Herbery Headquarters!
To celebrate the season of Spring we have sent off The Apothecary Box filled with goodies.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the frogs are croaking and so many plants are waiting to grow to bring you great medicine in your garden!
To celebrate the amazing work from Save The Bees Australia, we have partnered with them this season to bring you organic Borage seeds. Borago Officinalis is one of the kindest plants for bees. The nectar regenerates every few minutes making them a haven for our bee friends. Every borage seed you plant will contribute to saving the planet! And you can read more about this beautiful medicine below to see how it can help you too!
Botanical Name: Borago officinalis L.
Other Common Names: Starflower
Habitat: Borage thrives in a calcareous and nutrient-rich soil.
Description: Borago officinalis is an annual plant of the Boraginaceae family (the borage or forget-me-not family). It self seeds so well that it is often considered a perennial.
The plant is covered with stiff coarse hairs which can be quite prickl, and it can grow up to 90 cm high .
The large star-shaped flowers are in sparse clusters. They have five petals that are purple at first but then turn blue.
Culinary Uses:
My daughter and I love picking the flowers and putting them into ice cube trays. Grab your favourite glass and enjoy your water with flower cubes! They look spectacular!
Medicinal Uses:
The leaves, flowers and the oil extracted from the seeds are used in herbal medicine. The leaves and flowers are usually used fresh. If you are drying the herb, use it within a year as it will lose its medicinal effects quite easily after that.
Borage oil is said to assist in regulating the hormonal system, lowering blood pressure and cholesteral levels. Borage is great for the immune system and may help to prevent allergies, premenstrual problems and prostate disorders.
The herb has been used traditionally as an herbal remedy to treat cystitis, urinary tract infections, kidney inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, catarrh, pneumonia, tuberculosis and gastritis.
Externally, borage is traditionally used to assist itchy inflamed skin, rashes, arthritis, gout and some wounds.
Cautions & Contraindications:
Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. People suffering from epilepsy, schizophrenia or those taking the drug Phenothiazine are cautioned not to take Borage.
Some plants of the Boraginaceae family may cause inflammation and skin dermatitis so be careful when harvesting and drying the plant.
Yarrow & Helichrysum Herbal Cream
Yarrow is one of my favourite herbs especially with children! Traditionally, yarrow is used for rashes, itchy skin and other skin issues. You can use it in many other ways too but for this cream - this is why it's included.
The exquisite and precious Helichrysum Italicum oil is also added to this cream. It smells beautiful and is another of my favourite plants for the skin. It is traditionally used topically as a powerful anti inflammatory. This combination of plants in this herbal cream make it perfect to use after you've been busy in the garden planting all your new seeds!
African Orange (Sweet) - Citrus Aurentium
Botanical Name: Citrus sinensis
What a joyous oil this African Orange is. And it's certified organic! Sweet orange is one oil that should be in everyone's home. It's friendly around children and is uplifting and bright.
- Perfumery Note: Top
- Aroma: Intense and tangy - a great citrus aroma
- Blends well with: florals, citrus, clary sage, vetiver, ruh khus, peppermint, lavender, vanilla, sandalwood, and spices such as black pepper, clove and cinnamon.
Sweet orange essential oil can be applied topically, as a compress, in the bath, through direct inhalation, or through your diffuser. Because of its potential phototoxic effects, it should always be diluted and topical applications should be avoided prior to sunlight exposure.
Sweet Orange Essential Oil Recipes
- Diffuser Blend: 4 drops sweet orange oil, 3 drops black pepper oil, 2 drops, neroli oil, 4 drops vanilla oil
- Cleansing: Add a few drops to a 30ml spray bottle of distilled water or orange blossom hydrosol and use as a nice cleansing room spray
Sweet orange oil, along with grapefruit oil, contains the highest percentage of limonene, a natural compound, which has been studied for its chemopreventive effects to support cancer treatment. A study led by Mei University in Japan found that using orange oil reduced the dosage necessary for patients suffering with depression.
The main chemical constituents of Orange Oil are: Limonene, Monoterpene Hydrocarbons (β- Myrcene and α-Pinene), Alcohols (Citronellol, Geraniol, and Linalool), and Aldehydes (Neral).
Sweet orange is an stimulant, digestive, detoxicant, anti-inflammatory, analgestic, sedative, antiseptic, expectorant, bronchodilator, antifungal, antiviral, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, antioxidant and anti-anxiety.
White Grapefruit - Citrus Paradisi
Blends well with: other citrus, clary sage, florals, lavender.
Grapefruit essential oil can be applied topically, as a compress, in the bath, through direct inhalation, or through your diffuser. Because of its potential phototoxic effects, it should always be diluted and topical applications should be avoided prior to sunlight exposure.
Grapefruit Essential Oil Recipes
- Diffuser Blend: 6 drops grapefruit, 4 drops sweet orange oil, 2 drops lavender, 1 drop spearmint - enjoy the zest of awakening! This is a lovely refreshing blend.
- Cleansing: Blend with the sweet orange oil and distilled water to clean benchtops and toilets.
As above, grapefruit and sweet orange oils contain the highest percentage of limonene, a natural compound, which has been studied for its chemopreventive effects to support cancer treatment. A study led by Mei University in Japan found that using orange oil reduced the dosage necessary for patients suffering with depression.
Grapefruit is a diuretic, disinfectant, stimulant, antidepressant, antiseptic, lymphatic, and tonic substance.
Ascendance Synergy Blend
I had an old witchy friend of mine over recently and we were chatting away as I was making this blend. I wanted something that was calm and relaxing yet sprang into action for the Spring Season.
We were smelling all the chakra blends and talking about each chakra and how they resonated so well but we both felt this new synergy blend Ascendance seems to lift all the energy and all the chakras up.
Enjoy this from inhaling from the bottle or diffusing. I hope it cheers and clears for the Spring Season!
This blend contains Lavender, Frankincense, Marjoram, Lemon and Roman Chamomile. This is now a part of the staple Harriet Herbery Synergy Blends and you will be able to purchase it again in the future. I hope you love it!
Honey Myrtle Hydrosol
