Drying Raspberry leaf and Mugwort from the Kapunda Community Garden and the irrepressible David (sorry for retuning your uke, Dave). Their Mugwort patch is the most beautiful I've seen.
Even though they're in the same family and even look pretty similar, Raspberry and Blackberry leaves are herbally used for seemingly opposite things You would make a strong Blackberry infusion if you have diarrhoea but if you are constipated, Raspberry leaf is the go! But don’t use Raspberry leaf if you're pregnant, it has a potent effect on your uterus, the fragarine in it has been used to tone and strengthen uterine muscles in preparation for labour.
I love Mugwort. It has some amazing properties but I use it herbally because it helps to carry the benefits of other herbs deeper into the body I always add a little Mugwort oil to any of my other oils for just tthat purpose. It's such a useful herb that we let it run wild on our garden.
Our local Mugworts are interesting. The Kapunda plants are deep green and mild, mine are a lighter green, much shorter and have a distinct bite. Our neighbour, Lucy's are, so far the most potent medicinally - so I always take a pinch whenever I walk past and nibble it on the way to town. They're all the same species but grown in different conditions. Just like people, each plant is an individual.
Some of you may have seen that I've been writing a series of posts about herbs and making herbal remedies at home. I want to share what I know of this topic so that, as the world gets crazier, folks will have other avenues of medical care, namely those of themselves and their community. If you look back over this blog, you can see heaps of info on the topic, plus loads and loads of posts on herbs and using Australian bushfoods from a white perspective. If you haven't been around on in the @hivegarden and @naturalmedicine communities for long, you may be interested in looking back. There's w-a-a-a-a-y too much there for me to repost and the Hive system doesn't let you vote on old posts so, if you're happy with what you find, I believe that there is now a tip option...
