China Bayles' Book of Days (12 page)

• Mugwort is used in dream pillows to promote dreams; it has also been used traditionally as a nervine, to treat insomnia.

• Kava-kava is a Polynesian herb. Its root is used to make a decoction to treat insomnia and nervousness, and a diuretic to treat urinary tract infections.

• Echinacea root is one of the most widely used herbs for treating infections, teeth abscesses, lymph swelling, and insect bites, and to ease congestion in lungs and sinuses.

• Irish moss (
Chondrus crispus
) has been considered an excellent remedy for tuberculosis, coughs, and bronchitis. It is a seaweed found off the coast of France.

Read more about herbs and astrology:

An Astrological Herbal for Women
, by Elizabeth Brooke

Mugwort, eldest of worts,
Thou hast might for three
And against thirty
For venom availest
For flying vile things
That through the land rove.
—SAXON CHARM

FEBRUARY 21

Today is the feast day of St. Peter Damian, the patron saint of headache sufferers.

The headache wasn’t going to go away by itself. I got dressed and went out to the herb garden, where I picked a leaf off a feverfew plant and chewed it, making a face at its bitterness . . . By the time I’d gotten dressed, made the bed, and fixed breakfast, the headache was under control. I couldn’t say the same for my melancholy and heaviness.

—WITCHES’ BANE: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY

Headaches Happen

You’re shopping, traveling, wrapping, cooking, and—whoomf!—a headache happens. For ordinary headaches caused by the stresses and strains of daily life, a calming cup of herbal tea may be all you need to get going again. Use these dried headache herbs, brewed with 1 cup of just-boiling water and sweetened with honey:

• Lavender, lemon balm, meadowsweet, ½ teaspoon each

• Sage, rosemary, mint, ½ teaspoon each

• Rosemary, marjoram, peppermint, ½ teaspoon each

Herbs for Migraine Relief

Some migraine sufferers have reported relief with feverfew (
Tanacetum parthenium
), which contains an anti-inflammatory compound known as parthenolide. (Do not use feverfew if you are pregnant or using blood thinners.) Herbalist David Hoffmann recommends making a tea of equal parts of black willow, meadowsweet, passionflower, valerian, and wood betony. Herbalist Susun Weed suggests tincture of vervain (20-40 drops in water, at bedtime), or a mixture of skullcap tincture (3-5 drops) and Saint-John’s-wort (25-30 drops), repeated every ten minutes for 3-5 doses.

Read more about headache relief and other herbal remedies:

Healing Wise
, by Susun Weed

Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies
, by David Hoffmann

Feverfew dried and made into pouder, and two drams of it taken with honey or sweet wine, purgeth by siege melancholy and flegme; where it is very good for them that are giddie in the head, or which have the turning called
Vertigo. . . .

—JOHN GERARD, HERBAL, 1597

FEBRUARY 22

Today is George Washington’s birthday . . . but I’ll bet dollars to donuts that his wife had a great deal to do with his long and successful life. So today, let’s celebrate Martha!

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

—MARTHA WASHINGTON (1732-1802)

Martha Washington’s Medicine Cabinet

These are some of the herbs that our first First Lady would likely have used to keep the Father of our Country in the best of health.

AN HERBAL FIRST-AID KIT

You don’t have to be a Martha Washington to assemble your own collection of naturally potent and effective remedies. Here are some herbal first-aid products you can purchase or make.

• For cuts, scrapes, and minor burns: A comfrey salve, which could also include aloe vera, plantain, Saint-John’s-wort, calendula, and echinacea, will soothe and facilitate healing.

• For muscle aches: Tinctures of arnica, witch hazel, and Saint-John’s-wort (combined) and essential oils of camphor, eucalyptus, rosemary, and clove bud are all excellent. Some people are sensitive to arnica; stop using it if you suffer an adverse reaction.

• For an upset stomach, motion and morning sickness, and gas: Ginger, peppermint, and fennel, usually brewed as a tea, all provide relief. (Do not use ginger during pregnancy or breastfeeding.)

• For a sore throat: 2 drops essential oil of thyme in 4 ounces water makes a healing gargle.

• For insect bites and itchy skin: Tinctures of witch hazel, plantain, comfrey, lavender, and Saint-John’s-Wort help to stop the burning and itching.

Read more about herbs for home remedies:

Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest
, by Rosemary Gladstar

Natural First Aid: Herbal Treatments for Ailments & Injuries
, by Brigitte Mars

FEBRUARY 23

Today is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day (honestly!).

Ruby took the lawn chair next to Sheila, kicked off her sandals, and propped her bare feet on Howard Cosell. He rolled over to expose his stomach, all four paws in the air, a foolish doggy grin on his face.

—ROSEMARY REMEMBERED: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY

Healthy Doggie Biscuits

Like most dogs, Howard Cosell (McQuaid’s ancient basset hound) prefers people food to anything else. He is very partial, however, to the dog treats China bakes for him, which he gets when he’s been a very good boy. They contain two natural flea-fighters (brewer’s yeast and garlic) and tasty grated carrots.

HOWARD’S GOOD BOY BISCUITS

1 cup flour
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup brewer’s yeast (available at health-food stores)
¼ cup finely grated carrots
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
scant ¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons chicken stock for basting

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Mix flour, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, carrots, parsley, and garlic. To this mixture, alternately add chicken stock and oil, in 3 parts. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Knead about 2 minutes by hand on floured surface. Roll dough out about
-inch thick. Cut into squares, triangles, or other shapes. (Howard likes his shaped like bones.) Place on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, turn the cookie sheet, and baste with 3 tablespoons chicken stock. Bake 10 minutes longer. Turn off heat, leave pan in closed oven for about 90 minutes.

Read more about using herbs to make your animal companion happier:

The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat
, by Juliette de Bairacli Levy

Sow cabbage when the February moon is old.

—TRADITIONAL GARDEN LORE

FEBRUARY 24

Candytuft: An Old-fashioned Favorite

If you’re looking for a colorful, fragrant edging for your herb garden, you don’t have to look any further than a cottage garden favorite, candytuft, sometimes called hyacinth-flowered candytuft, globe candytuft, or rocket candytuft. Whatever name it’s given, it’s a perfect herb for borders and rock gardens. What’s more, it comes in both an annual and a perennial form, and a variety of colors: white, pink, lavender, and crimson. Annual candytuft (
Iberis umbellata
) is a cool-season annual that blooms until the thermometer reaches 80°, while perennial candytuft (
Iberis sempervirens
) comes back, year after year.

You can start candytuft (both annual and perennial) from seed indoors, six to eight weeks before your last frost date. Since candytuft doesn’t like to be transplanted, start the seeds in biodegradable peat pots. When the danger of frost has passed, transplant outdoors, 6-12 inches apart, in a well-drained area. If you’d like some color now and you live in a region where the weather is warm, look for flowering plants at your local nursery. If you shear the flowers off when they’ve faded, your plant may bloom again in the fall.

Candytuft is not named for a confection, as you might guess from the name, but for the place where it was found, on Candia, the ancient name for the Isle of Crete. The plant has been cultivated since 1596, and ever since has been a familiar cottage garden favorite.

It was included in early American herb gardens as a treatment for rheumatism, gout, asthma, bronchitis, and dropsy (congestive heart failure). Since the plant belongs to the
Brassica
family, its seeds have a peppery taste and have been used as a substitute for mustard seeds.

Read more about old-fashioned plants:

Cottage Gardens
, by Philip Edinger

Creating a Cottage Garden in North America
, by Stephen Westcott-Gratton

Whortleberries, commonly called huckleberries, dried, are a useful medicine for children. Made into tea, and sweetened with molasses, they are very beneficial, when the system is in a restricted state, and the digestive powers out of order.

—MRS. CHILD, THE AMERICAN FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE, 1833

FEBRUARY 25

Plants in pots are like animals in a zoo—they’re totally dependent on their keepers.

—JOHN VAN DE WATER

Classy Clay Pots

Got pots? New clay pots that look so spanking clean that they might be mistaken for plastic? Want elegant, chic, antique clay pots, with a green, mossy patina? Here’s an easy way to get that prized vintage look, complete with moss.

Brush a generous coating of yogurt, buttermilk, or beer onto your new, unglazed clay pots, then give them a good dusting with pulverized earth (the real thing, not sterile potting soil). Put them somewhere out of the sun and keep them damp. (Yes, you can keep them indoors, in a corner of the basement or garage. And you can certainly plant something in them!) In three or four months, you’ll have those wonderfully romantic vintage pots you’ve been wanting. All your plant companions will be stylishly and happily housed and ready for your thoughtful attention.