Farm Life in Maine and New Hampshire
Farming was deep in my roots on both sides of my family. “It'll be easyâ€, I thought. “You just plant some seeds, and watch them grow.†Was I in for a big surprise. No one ever told me about bugs, and pests, and plant diseases. No one ever told me about the weeds, and how weeding will cause you to go gray before your time. Oh, and the animals. Other than a dog, I had … [Read more...]
It seems like yesterday, but it's been 15 years now.... Back in December of ’99, a little convenience store closed, and it was the best thing that could have happened. I needed a new place to get coffee and ended up with a dinner date. Michael’s a bit of a geek, while I’m a nature girl. I’d tell him to get off the computer, and he’d tell me to get my feet out of the … [Read more...]
Healing From Nature Did you know from weeds such as the common dandelion to easily grown flowers such as calendula or mint, you can have a natural medicine chest growing in your own backyard? Below you will find a list of 10 common weeds and garden herbs that you can plant and harvest right out of your garden. If not in your garden, then these healing herbs can be found on a … [Read more...]
A Wonderful "Weed" To Let Grow Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is a common plant that grows in meadows. It is a member of the legume family. Red clover is well known by it's beautiful purple blossoms. While it can be used internally for coughs, upper respiratory health issues. Red Clover oil is a wonderful herb for healing eczema and psoriasis. Red Clover grows is most … [Read more...]
Arnica is a valuable external treatment for bruises and sprains as it improves the local blood supply and speeds healing. It increases the rate of absorption of internal bleeding. We use it with great success along with other herbs in our bruise away compound. The only current recommended internal use is as a homeopathic remedy for shock, injury, or pain. Previously, … [Read more...]
Essential oils are the natural substance extracted from plants. It is the concentrated liquid containing the volatile aroma compounds of the plant. Many oils are steam distilled, while others are considered resins. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy and natural skin care products. Essential oils are not fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are chemicals derived in a laboratory … [Read more...]
Our Favorites: Top Ten Herbs at Cloverleaf Farm A hundred years ago, and even further back, a garden was kept outside the kitchen for medicine. The women of the era knew which plants produced the proper medicinal benefit for just about everything. They were the “doctor†of the house. Plants that could not be grown in the garden would be sought after in woods, and fields. … [Read more...]
I know what you are thinking. The title says Orange Julius recipe, but there is a picture of a pumpkin. Confused? So are we. This recipe was devised years ago when I didn't want one of our pumpkins to go bad. I cooked it up, put it in the blender, added some yogurt and vanilla to it. When I drank it, it was the most delicious pumpkin smoothie I had ever tasted. The … [Read more...]
Lavender (Lavendula angustofolia) is a fragrant herb that has been used for centuries. The plant is native to France, and the Mediterranean, but is now grown world wide. Many gardeners grow it for it's fragrant flower buds, and to attract bees to their garden. Lavender is grown commercially, and the majority of it's use goes to into making the essential oil. The essential oil … [Read more...]
Using Bulk Herbs To Make A Medicinal Tea  Bulk tea is a great way to make herbal teas.  Making a medicinal tea from bulk herbs is easy, and once your hooked, you'll never go back to store bought bagged teas. Bagged teas don't have the same punch medicinally, as bulk herbs. First, pick your herb or herbs. There are so many of them, and you can … [Read more...]
