Herbal Medicine Classes in Champaign Urbana Central Illinois

DAYTIME: Wednesdays, June 3 through July 1st

Herbal Medicine Chest Course:
Several people wanted to take this course, but could not come in the evening. So, in addition to the class starting this Thursday evening on May 7, I am now offering the 5-week HMC class during the day on Wednesday mornings.

This course will cover somewhere between 25 and 50 herbs, holistic approaches to “medicine,” a traditional Chinese medicine view of “medicine,” and a Native American perspective on “medicine.” You will learn how to us herbs safely and responsibly; methods of preparing herbs; suggested herbs to keep on hand for everyday use; how to make herbal oil infusions and salves; and how to use wild edibles as food and medicine.

Teacher: Catherine Novak, Certified Medicinal Herbalist. PREREGISTRATION with payment REQUIRED. Call Beads N Botanicals at 217-365-9355 OR go to this link to pay:

Pay for Herbal Medicine Chest Class

Cost: $150 per person, due by May 30^th Or $125 prepaid by May 20th^. … 10am-12noon.

More Herbs at Beads N Botanicals

We've been getting a lot of requests for different herbs, some of which are harder to find locally than others. Recently, Beads N Botanicals brought in Marshmallow root.

Next week we will also have Bloodroot, Pipsissawa, Oregon Grape Root, Organically grown Chicory Root and a very potent Organically grown powdered ginger root from Hawaii.

Stop by and check out all the herbs. We've got lots more than what's listed here.

Garden Full Speed Ahead!

This year's garden incorporates vegetables, flowers, herbs in mixed plantings. Delightful to the eyes and senses, mixed plantings also work well for beneficial insects. While you might think we lived in the country from this picture, we actually live in the middle of town. In the far back of the picture is a stand of wild lettuce, burdock, yellow dock and thistle. Wild lettuce can be calming as part of a tea. Burdock is used both as a vegetable (the root), and medicinal herb (root and seeds). Yellow dock is used for food and as an herb. Thistle (all kinds) are supportive of liver function.

It's always amazing to me how slowly a garden seems to take shape, and then it's like it is on a race track, speeding forward with incredible growth. First pictured above is the catmint/echinacea patch in early Spring. The next picture was taken about a week ago in July. The spiked purple flowers to the right are a Russian Sage plant that I thought I was going to kill last year, as I kept accidentally digging up the little start. Now established, it will probably keep up with the cat mint and start to spread next year.




While I do not welcome the green cabbage worms on my red cabbage plants, my son and I celebrate seeing the yellow swallowtail butterfly caterpillars (and others) on my dill plants. The Umbelliferal family seems to appeal best to them. And our echinacea sp. patch, along with flowering catmip, flowering Russian sage, flowering oregano, garden sage and (somewhere in the mix) lavender appeal to many beneficial insects.

Bring Back the Natives

Bring Back the Natives 

Bring Back the Natives Annual Garden Tour is  scheduled for July 14,
2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain Date is July 15th.

Location: York, PA

Visit 9 diverse gardens ~ Observe native plants at their best, enjoy
wildlife habitats created by MAEscapes, view gardens without  chemicals.

Tickets cost: Adult(in advance $8.00, Adult(day of event)  $10.00,
Children under 12 years are Free

This event is sponsored by  York County Master Gardeners and the
MAEscapes partners. Contact  717-840-7408.