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St. Johnswort. What’s in a name?
Though probably best known today for its use in treating depression, St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum) is a valuable first-aid herb for cuts, scrapes, and sore muscles, and is especially helpful for nerve pain and burns. Did you ever wonder how this plant, so closely associated with Summer Solstice (June 20-22), witches, and magic, got its name? St. Johnswort (SJW) was named for St. John the Baptist. St. John’s Feast Day is very near Summer Solstice on June 24. SJW was hung on house and stall doors on St. John’s Feast Day to ward off evil spirits and to safeguard people and livestock from harm or illness, hinting at this herb’s…
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Big sun in sad times
It’s Summer Solstice today. Let the sun warm your face. Linger over the perfume of the rose garden (even if it’s only in your imagination). May it bring solace to your hurting heart. Remember we are all connected to each other. We are family. We’re connected to the animal and green beings on this planet, and connected to the Earth herself. If one of us has chains, none of us are free. Well you better listen my sisters and brothers‘Cause if you do you can hearThere are voices still calling across the yearsAnd they’re all crying across the oceanAnd they’re cryin’ across the landAnd they will ’til we all come…
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Green Your Garden
Watching one of my favorite YouTube channels, Sailing La Vagabonde, sail Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic to COP25 inspired me to look at my life to see where I could do better. “Tighten up” my green, you might say. Carbon miles have been weighing on my mind, so I made the decision to use only herbs that are grown in the U.S. This forced me to reformulate again, using a limited palate, but I’m really excited about the results. I discovered blends that work so well together that I never would have thought of before. Essential oils have been bothering me, too. The vast amount of plant material used seems…
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Made with US-grown Herbs
Pleased as punch to announce a major systems upgrade: All the herbs used in my vegan skincare line are now US-grown. This redesign means giving up plants I’ve worked with since I started like Rose and Elderflower, but opens up a starring role for some of my besties like Marshmallow and Red Clover. Feels good to lose the carbon miles 🙂
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Plant Love
Happy Valentine’s Day <3 I’ve been researching Lavender today and have this song playing over and over in my head… (It’s such a sweet love song. Please don’t tease me about showing my age.)
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To Craft, or Not To Craft
That is the question that has been plaguing me. Making bodycare is definitely my thing- don’t get me wrong- I am endlessly awed and entertained watching herbs transform oil and wax into incredibly useful, beautiful things. But is it the best contribution I can be making to the world right now? I racked my brain. I searched my heart. I threw tarot cards. I asked the spider living in the shower. I heard no answer. Being unsure of the right way to go, I pretty much stopped. After time spent agonizing, reading and re-reading herbal texts on the bookshelf and feeling only more unsure, my husband asked me to make…
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Good skin food.
It’s been awhile since I had this old girl workin’! Stand mixers have many uses, I’m guessing. I’ve only ever used mine for whipping body butters. Had some Cocoa butter to use up so I thought I’d give it a whirl. This blend is about 1/3 Cocoa butter to 2/3 Coconut oil. Cocoa butter + Coconut oil + Whip = Good skin food. Et voilà ! The finished whipped body butter. Has a light texture but is very rich and deeply moisturizing. Apply copious amounts whenever desired.
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The Enplantae story (so far)
It started with essential oils and a desire for clean, natural products. It grew into a herb garden that took over the backyard and a desire for real connection with the world. Today, Enplantae.com is the new incarnation of work that began in 2007. Back then, I was making perfumes, salves, soaps, and face creams under the name ‘Paradise City Herbal’ (Paradise City being the nickname of my hometown, Northampton, MA). As the love affair with plants grew, my husband Hawkeye and I expanded our backyard garden to a ‘micro-farm’ with a rented field in a neighboring town (about a 15 minute drive, 30 minutes with traffic, not ideal but…
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Waiting is the hardest part
Where are we at with the move from Massachusetts to North Carolina? Waiting… Plans are made but the start on our new path has been delayed. We thought we’d be there by now and dragging out the anticipation of leaving my garden has been brutal. Can’t help thinking as I work in the garden that everything I’m doing, I’m doing for the last time. It’s heartbreaking. I really don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye to this space and these plant people that I’ve loved for 20 years. The upside is the wait has given me the chance to be in the garden until the very end of the…
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Lettuce face mask, a favorite Summer treat!
A lettuce face mask helps restore skin’s natural pH, soothes rough skin, and can help heal pimples. Any lettuce will do, but it’s a bit more thrilling using lettuce you’ve picked from your own garden 🙂 It’s quick and easy –> Put a handful of lettuce in a blender and gently pulp, then massage onto clean skin. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water. For a fancier version, add a little olive oil and lemon juice. Olive oil is a great moisturizer, and lemon juice a gentle astringent that cleans and refines pores.
