Leslie's Lotions

The challenges we face can feel overwhelming, stressful, and discouraging at times. One of the gifts from God are plants. Chamomile is calming, relaxing, and rest promoting- the perfect gift in a little flower. Chamomile's scientific name comes from the latin word for mother- marticaria chamomilla. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea feels like a hug from someone you love, helping you unwind from stress and feeling like you can get through another day. Chamomile has helped me so many times- whether as a tea to relax and unwind from the worries of the day, or as chamomile lotion soothing away a stress headache. Other herbs great herbs for relaxing are lemon balm and skullcap, we will study those soon!  As wonderful and amazing as chamomile is, it is not a showy flower. Chamomile doesn't call attention to itself, it is content to be a background character in the garden, filling the gaps and spaces between other taller plants. Chamomile is easily overlooked and underappreciated but it...

Comfrey Comfrey is an amazing plant that offers great medicine and it helps other plants to grow. Comfrey is soothing and cooling, and it helps with hot, dry, painful conditions. It has been used for centuries in wound care, as food for people and animals, as medicine, and as a garden fertilizer. If you look at comfrey leaves, they have little hairs on them that are scratchy, uncomfortable, and irritating. God put clues in plants to remind us of what they’re good for. This is called the Law of Signatures. Comfrey’s hairy, scratchy leaves remind us that it helps heal things that feel scratchy, uncomfortable, and irritated. Comfrey’s wide, luscious, dark green leaves with leaf lines that look like cells remind us that it wants to help everything grow!  Here are other examples of plants with built-in reminders of what they can help with.   Carrots are high in Vitamin A which is good for the eyes. Walnuts have healthy oils which are needed for our brain and nerves to work w...

I asked my children what plant they wanted to study next. Decidedly they said, “Dandelions!!!” As I have studied dandelions, I think children and dandelions may be kindred spirits. They are often overlooked, but they are joyful and full of hope. They renew life. They grow without asking permission! They pack a lot of life and energy into a small size. They are a beautiful gift from God.  Last year we were at the cemetery on Memorial Day to visit my father-in-law’s grave. My mother-in-law put many beautiful flowers around his grave. My children looked around and noticed many graves without flowers, some of them over a hundred years old. They asked why so many graves had no flowers. We told them that maybe the people who knew them had died or moved away. They began picking dandelions and putting them on the forgotten graves. They were so happy running around the cemetery putting dandelions on the grave markers. Thinking of others makes you happy, but also one of the gifts of dandelio...

Roses captivate us with their sweet smell when they're in bloom. Their fragrance is calming, grounding, and helps us remember the beautiful things in life.  Identification Wild roses have 5 petals in a cup like shape. The petals themselves are the shape of hearts- a clue that they are good for the heart- both physical and emotional. The leaves are oval shaped and serrated (zig zag edge around the leaf). Their leaves are compound (form in groups of leaves), and have 3 to 9 leaflets. Their thorns tell us that they are protective, they are protecting something special. In plants, thorns protect very special gifts. Roses need bees for pollination, and for the fruit and seeds to form.  People have bred roses for their beauty, fragrance, and fruit for thousands of years, all over the world. Cultivated roses often have more than 5 petals. Sometimes roses are bred to not have thorns or rose hips. People who grow roses are called "rosarians." The most fragrant roses are the most m...

Pine trees are amazing! They provide food, warmth, shelter, and medicine. Birds, squirrels, and deer find shelter from storms under the branches of pine trees. They shelter us too- most of our homes are built with 2x4’s and plywood made from pine trees. Pine wood is used for wood fire places- providing heat. Pine trees provide food in the form of pine cones for many birds and small animals. Pine needles are high in Vitamin C, providing essential nutrients for deer and other animals in the winter when most other sources of Vitamin C are gone. Pine seeds, pine resin and pine pollen are also wonderful gifts of pine trees.  Identification Pine tree needles are connected to the tree branch in groups of 2,3, or 5. Fir trees are in the same family, they have short, flat needles, and they usually have a more blueish tint to their needles. Look for pine cones around the base of the tree or the branches to help identify it. Pine trees are part of the conifer family- meaning they produce cone...

 I have taught a few classes this fall on making herbal oils, salves, and lotions, and I plan to teach some more in the spring. The most rewarding thing about the classes has been the friendships formed. The most common question I've been asked is, "Where do I start with learning about herbs?" I remember feeling overwhelmed too with that question. There's still so much I don't know about plants! The more you learn, the more you realize how vast the world of plants is and how little you know.  My advice is to start with getting to know one plant or tree that grows near you. Maybe it's mint, a pine tree, a rose bush, a raspberry patch, a quaking aspen, or a willow tree. Plants grow where they are needed. Somewhere near you a plant is growing that will help you or a family member feel better. Start with one plant. Learn its common and scientific names and how it might be used, and any precautions associated with it. Smell it, taste it, bring it into the house, an...