Gardening & Herbs

Holy Basil

Queen of the Herbs

Crystal Maceira
September – October 2022 • Vol 3, No 123

In this last printed issue, I have chosen to write about a very special adaptogenic herb. I must admit, I had neglected to get to know this herb until just recently. Now it is one of my top-ten favorites! I think it will be yours, too, when you find out just what this herb can do! Everyone knows about Basil. It is such an aromatic herb to cook with. But how many people know about holy basil?

The Hindu people revere this herb and have used it for many aliments in their Ayurvedic medicine. I will tell what it is, the therapeutic actions, nutrients, what it has been used for, some of the research that has been done on it, and its uses, dosages, and drug interactions.

What Is Holy Basil?
Ocimum tenuiflorum or Ocimum sanctum are both aromatic shrubs in the Lamiaceae basil plant family. Holy basil is thought to have originated in north central India and now grows throughout the Eastern world. Also known as tulsi, which means “the incomparable one” in Hindu, the holy basil plant is a perennial that has a light lemon scent and purple-pink flowers. It is also called “Queen of the Herbs.”

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2022-10-12T13:20:52-06:00Gardening & Herbs, Natural Therapies/Remedies|

A Year-Round Greenhouse

Near Downtown Livingston, MT

David Christopher Lewis
July – August 2022 • Vol 3, No 122

With our economy experiencing high inflation as food, gas, utilities and other consumer goods skyrocket, it’s a great time to grow food locally on our own properties. In addition to saving money, eating fresh produce provides a much healthier alternative to the equivalent grown in other states or countries.

In 2018, my wife Mona secured funding through grants and donations (via our 501c3, Paradise Permaculture Institute), to purchase from Four Season Tools Company what’s called a Rolling High Tunnel (RHT)—a greenhouse that can be moved on stationery rails to more than one position. In our case, the 30’ x 48’ RHT greenhouse we erected, from a kit with the help of a half-dozen friends, can now be moved by two to four people to three positions. This allows us to extend the growing season on both ends and grow hardy greens all through the winter!

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2022-10-07T06:00:19-06:00Gardening & Herbs|

Summer Savory

Enjoy this Flavorful Herb!

Marlenea La Shomb, ND, LMT
November-December 2020 • Vol 3, No 112

Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) grows well in the mountains of Montana. It is deer-resistant and it thrives in most soil types and weather conditions. There are about 14 species of this highly aromatic herb, but you can only find the seeds for the two of them. Summer savory is an annual in the same family as the perennial, winter savory. Savory leaves were formerly used to cure bee and wasp stings. Both summer and winter savory can be propagated from seeds sown in April. The seeds are very slow in germinating. The early spring seedlings are often topped off for fresh use in June. When the plants are in flower, they may be pulled up and dried for winter use.

This herb has lilac tubular flowers that bloom in the northern hemisphere from July to September. It grows to around 1–2 feet in height and has very slender, bronze-green leaves. Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada and Europe, where it is used in the same way that sage is in the west.

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2020-11-01T11:52:34-07:00Gardening & Herbs|

Wild Edibles!

Right in Your Own Back Yard

Marlenea La Shomb, ND, LMT
September-October 2020 • Vol 3, No 111

Parents are always looking for a fun way to engage their children, especially in these times. I came across the Wild Food Homeschool Teaching Guide, by Linda Runyon, from the Wild Food Company (OffTheField.com). Linda writes: “Over my decades of teaching about wild food, I’ve noticed that people who become interested in learning it often have two reactions — one right after the other. First, there are many who had no idea that FREE, tasty nutrition is available everywhere, right under their nose. Second, wheels start turning in their minds as they realize that they have come upon information that practically guarantees that they and their loved ones need never go hungry.”

Children are fascinated with the idea of going out in their back yard, or to an open field or forest, to find that the wild food growing there can be picked, washed, and eaten. They, soon after, become very interested in finding additional wild plants to identify and harvest. They love to help prepare meals that can be served using the foods that they themselves gather. The guide includes a “Rules of Foraging” list and a fun project where you rototill a patch of ground in your yard to just wait and see what springs up naturally to identify, harvest, and eat.

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