Silverthorne Homestead

09/29/2017

I found peace sign mirrors for the sun-catchers!! Comment below for color prefs

07/11/2017

... lots of great posts on this site (tomatodirt.com) ...

How to save tomato seeds to plant next year. Choosing tomatoes to save, fermenting seeds, drying tomato seeds

07/10/2017

... sweet white clover - I hope that more folks will love you too : ) ...

Little did I know when I first came across an old pioneer recipe for “White Clover Snow” that it would be my solace during dark and hungry times. But after a recent dental pummeling tha…

06/17/2017

06/17/2017

... love ...

Homemade honeysuckle syrup with its light, sweet flavor, is so easy to make! It can be used in several ways such as on foods and to sweeten herbal preparations. Here's a simple recipe to get you started. Try it today!

06/13/2017

Serve lemonbalm shortbread with some fresh tea and you’ve got yourself a decadent little treat for a summertime afternoon. More at PBS Food.

06/11/2017

Potager Gardens Have Been Around for Centuries: How to Continue the Old Tradition of Growing A potager garden literally translates ‘for the soup pot’. Vegetables, fruits, and both medic…

06/11/2017

Rose flowers are cooling and drying, and slightly anti-microbial and astringent. The flowers can be combined with lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) blossoms to help with grief and loss. Rose is also used topically to heal sunburns, rashes and stings. It's a traditional remedy for stagnant female reproductive disorders, including heavy and painful menstrual cramps. The ancient associations with rose and romance speak to its use as an aphrodisiac and nurturing aid for assuaging emotional difficulties around sexuality.

The pink and red petals are high in bioflavonoids, and are anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. The petals can be added to salads, smoothies, and fruit salad. One of my favorite ways to use the blossoms is to add them to berries when making jam—this fanciful addition turns any fruit preserves into an alchemical delicacy. I call this rose-adorned jam fairy flutter. Make sure you only use the petals from organic rose bushes—they are one of the most heavily sprayed plants in gardens and commercial farms alike. These flowers are from a new variety of trailing rose that I am growing and LOVING, called 'Don Juan.'

Rose is one of the herbal starlets featured in our Online Herbal Immersion. We share how to cultivate rose and use her medicine, plus all of our most cherished rose recipes. For details: www.chestnutherbs.com/immersion

(Rosa spp., Rosaceae).
Photo © Juliet Blankespoor

06/08/2017

fall vegetable garden

06/06/2017

SOME OF US are horticultural segregationists, designating one area as the “flower garden” and another as the “vegetable garden” or [read more…]

06/06/2017

The richly textured leaves of motherwort. If you grow this herb, you've probably noticed its reproductive proclivity. Although motherwort is a short-lived perennial, it rapidly spreads through its copious seeds, forming little colonies that in turn can be long-lived settlements, persisting for centuries. It’s rare to find a motherwort plant growing by its lonesome. Consider planting it where it can do its thing without stepping on anyone’s toes. Alternatively, harvest the flowers before they can seed.

For more tips on growing motherwort (and using her medicine), take a peek at our Online Herbal Immersion—a wisdom-rich course in DIY herbalism. For details: www.chestnutherbs.com/immersion

(Leonurus cardiaca, Lamiaceae).
Photo © Juliet Blankespoor