AUGUST ARTS ALIVE PARTY - You're Invited!!

JOIN US SATURDAY AUGUST 6th FROM 6 TO 9 FOR ART, JAZZ AND DELICIOUS TREATS! 

We're hosting vibrant oils and acrylics by Pat Kanzler, with the old acoustic jazz swing of Canary & The Vamp - "music so old it's new again!"  We'll be serving a chilled Lavender Lemonade Champagne Cocktail, organic fruit and a cheese spread made with the smoky sweet heat of our organic chipotle powder , plus refreshing herbal tea.

Come out and join the fun! 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Julia!!  

 

Sunday October 30th: Plant Walk at Elk Head Trail in Trinidad with Julie Caldwell

(1:30 to 3:30pm, rain or shine)

Join Julie for a casual stroll along Elk Head Trail to meet the vast array of medicinal plants that grow along this gorgeous path. We'll discuss their medicinal properties and explore how each plant contributes to the entire trail eco-system.

 

 

November 5th: Finding Balance: Herbal Allies for Stress and Mental Wellbeing with Kate Maxey (10am to 12:30pm)

In today's world of go-go-go and chronic stressors we all need a little support to maintain a sense of calm. In this class we will discuss the plants that help us to relax the nervous system and tonify the stress response as well as lifestyle changes that support a more balanced way of being. We will also talk about ways in which stress affects not only our mental health but our physical health as well, with special emphasis on the immune system and endocrine system.

 

Kate has been studying and utilizing herbal medicine for 15 years. She studied with the Northwest School of Botanical Studies and has worked at Humboldt Herbals for nearly a decade. She has recently graduated from Humboldt State University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and sees the importance of bridging the fields of Herbal Medicine and Mental Health together.

 

 

  November 12th: Aromatherapy: The Essentials with Jessica Shepherd (10am to 12:30pm)

Enhance your health with aromatherapy and revive your soul with scent! In this class we will discuss brief history, distillation methods, proper dilution & safety guidelines, blending techniques, and some of the various ways essential oils can be utilized to support mind/body health. We'll also discuss the healing properties of select essential oils, and you'll create your very own custom aroma blend in class to take home!

 

Jessica has been studying the healing arts and working with plant medicine since 1999.  A graduate of Dandelion Herbal Center and an Aromatherapist internationally certified through the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Jessica is a passionate Botanical Perfumer and artisan crafter of herbal products for body and soul. 

 

 

November 19th: Cooking with Medicinal Herbs with Candice Brunlinger (10am to 12:30pm)

This class will be all about eating your herbs. We will discuss various ways of incorporating herbs into your cooking and the therapeutic uses of common spices. 

Tips will be shared on how to conveniently use herbal broths, syrups, vinegar, oil and honey infusions in everyday cooking and ideas on healthy h erbal snacks such as gummies, crackers and nut butter balls. You will get the chance to try samples in class and go home with handouts and many recipes to inspire you herbally in the kitchen.



 

   

 

 

As an herb, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, or Lavandula officinalis) has been in documented use for over 2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and perfume by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and peoples of Arabia.   

  

By Roman times, lavender had already become a prized commodity. Lavender flowers were sold to ancient Romans for 100 denarii per pound -- equivalent to a full month's wage for a farm laborer -- and were used to scent the water in Roman baths.  Romans used lavender oils for bathing, cooking, and scenting the air, and they most likely gave it the Latin root from which we derive the modern name (either lavare--to wash, or livendula--livid or bluish). The flower's soothing "tonic" qualities, the insect-repellent effects of the strong scent, and the use of the dried plant in smoking mixtures also added to the value of the herb in ancient times.     

 

Perhaps first domesticated by the Arabians, lavender spread across Europe from Greece. Around 600 BC, lavender may have come from the Greek Hyeres Islands into France and is now common in France, Spain, Italy and England. The 'English' lavender varieties were not locally developed in England but rather introduced in the 1600s, right around the time the first lavender plants were making their way to the Americas. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, the washing women were known as "lavenders" and they used lavender to scent drawers and dried the laundry on lavender bushes. Also during this time, lavender was grown in so-called "infirmarian's gardens" in monasteries, along with many other medicinal herbs. According to the German nun Hildegard of Bingen, who lived from 1098-1179, lavender "water,"--a decoction of vodka, gin, or brandy mixed with lavender--is great for migraine headaches.  

 

Its holy reputation may have increased during the Great Plague in London in the 17th century, when it was suggested that a bunch of lavender fastened to each wrist would protect the wearer against the deadly disease. Furthermore, grave-robbers were known to wash in Four Thieves Vinegar, which contained lavender, after doing their dirty work; they rarely contracted the disease. In 16th-century France, lavender was also used to resist infection. For example, glove-makers, who were licensed to perfume their wares with lavender, escaped cholera at that time.

 

European royal history is also filled with stories of lavender use. Charles VI of France demanded lavender-filled pillows wherever he went. Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender conserve at the royal table. She also wanted fresh lavender flowers available every day of the year, a daunting task for a gardener if you consider the climate of England. Louis XIV also loved lavender and bathed in water scented with it. Queen Victoria used a lavender deodorant, and both Elizabeth I and II used products from the famous lavender company, Yardley and Co. of London.  

 

Lavender is a unique fragrance produced by the combination of 180 different constituents and is widely used in the perfume industry to add a top or middle note to commercial products. In the world of professional sniffers, it has a green, hay-like sweetness and gives "fruity aspects" to perfumes and other scented products. Lavender is widely grown in England for commercial use, and the Provence region of France is renowned as a world leader in growing and producing lavender.  

 

In the United States and Canada, the Shakers were the first to grow lavender commercially. A strict sect of English Quakers who most likely had little use for lavender's amorous qualities (they were celibate), they developed herb farms upon their arrival from England. They produced their own herbs and medicines and sold them to the "outside world." Later a New York advertising firm picked them up and sold the simple products worldwide.

 

As an herbal medicine, lavender is widely utilized. For soothing, relaxing qualities few herbs can be claimed as effective. Constituents of the oils found in lavender can treat hyperactiviety; insomnia; flatulence; bacteria, fungus, and microbial activity on gums, airborne molds, and (in mixture with pine, thyme, mint, rosemary, clove, and cinnamon oils) Staphyloccus bacteria. Lavender may even be useful against impotence. In a study of men, the scent of pumpkin and lavender rated as the scent found most arousing.

 

Herbal remedies made with lavender are effective in the treatment of prolonged  anxiety, chronic and persistent nervousness, as well as in alleviating the physical symptoms induced by excessive  stress such as  tension headaches, persistent  migraine,  cardiac palpitations and sleep disorders like  insomnia. Lavender brings the emotions into balance to elevate flagging spirits, help relieve  depression and help to overcome inner disharmony and mental problems. It also has a tonic effect on the nervous system, helping to restore vitality to individuals affected by long term nervous exhaustion and mental trauma.

 

 

Culinary Use   

Lavender is also used in cuisines. Dried leaves and flowers are used as a seasoning for many kinds of meat and vegetable dishes in Europe. The freshly chopped leaves and the diced flowering tips can be added to dressings, vegetable salads, to wines, to honey, and to vinegars of all kinds.

 

Deserts including puddings, ice cream, jellies and fruit, and especially berries can be flavored with the blossoms of the lavender. It is best to use the seasoning sparingly as the sweet lemon floral flavor of lavender can be rather potent. 

 

The classic French herbal blend called "Herbs de Provence"

is made from a mixture of lavender blossoms and other common fragrant European culinary herbs, and is one of our all-time favorite seasoning blends. 

 

Click Here for delicious recipes using lavender ~ Bon Apetit!  

 

(sources: Lavender by Elen Spector Platt and Lavender: Practical Inspirations by Tess Evelegh)