Category Archives: Blog

Your daily dose of herbal wisdom

Free 21-Day Daily Detox

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Maia Toll, professor of botanical medicine

Respected herbalist Maia Toll (and one of Karen’s teachers) is offering a free 21-day daily detox.  Each day you will get an email with a super simple suggestion to Detox your Life: body, mind and spirit. Just follow along!

Want to see how easy it will be?

Suggestions will look like this:

This week: add water.

How much?

Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2. That is the number of ounces of water you need per day. Then add a little lemon, or apple cider vinegar, or a pinch of mineral salt to increase your absorption.

This is a great way to start your Spring. But you need to sign up by March 25.

Witch Hazel in Winter

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witch hazel flowers, Hamamelis virginiana

One of witch hazel’s healing properties is the beauty of its mid-winter flowers

Thank goodness for witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. Besides its many healing properties, this shrub has the amazing trait of blooming mid-winter. Here’s a photo from this morning after 11″ of snow fell overnight.

What sign of spring do you most look forward to?

Sept 29 Class: Staying Healthy with the Changing Seasons

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Learn what foods and herbs help keep our immune systems strong for the upcoming fall and winter months. The day will include an explanation of traditional foods and their health benefits, cooking instructions, and a luncheon of all the recipes you will be taking home!

When: Saturday, September 29, 10am – 2pm
Where:122 Whippoorwill Road, Old Lyme, CT 06475 (map)
Cost: $85, including lunch
To register: call Karen at 860-434-4058.

Snoozing Bees

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bumble bee asleep on flower
Not all honeybees go back the hive at night, nor all bumblebees back to their nest. I often find them sleeping on the mints, sunflowers and other plants.  In the morning you can see them waking up with the dew covering them, spreading their wings to dry off, and then continuing on with the work they left off the day before.This bumblebee is snuggled down in a bed of Cosmos pollen.

Sept 19 class: Herbal Sore Throat Remedies

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Sore throats can be painful and stressful. We get many signals when they are on the way. Learn what to pay attention to and how to treat a sore throat at the very first warning. We will discuss remedies for both children and adults. Pre-registration required.

Registration details here.
September 19, 6:30pm – 8:00pm.
122 Whippoorwill Road, Old Lyme, CT
Cost: $25.

August 15th class – The Art of Drying Herbs

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Confused about which herbs can only be used fresh, which to dry and different ways to dry them?   We will discuss traditional and current methods of drying and storing your herbal harvest.  Also, learn how to tell good quality of herbs and their shelf life.

  • When: August 15, Wed, 6:30 – 8 pm
  • Cost: $25
  • Location: 122 Whippoorwill Road, Old Lyme, CT
  • Register by phone at 860-434-4058

August 8th Class – Preparing Medicinal Teas

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Tea is one of the oldest and most basic herbal preparations. Indeed, herbal teas have been used for thousands of years as both a beverage and a medicine.  Learn the difference between Infusions and Decoctions, and how to properly prepare a medicinal tea.

  • When: August 8, Wed, 6:30 – 8 pm
  • Cost: $25
  • Location: 122 Whippoorwill Road, Old Lyme, CT
  • Register by phone at 860-434-4058

Open Garden Day

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Our Open Garden day on June 22nd was a joyous success. Many people toured the gardens while partaking of tasty snacks and herbal tea.  The weather goddess Knut was kind, holding off the rain and thunder until later in the evening. Click any image for a slide show.