At LearningHerbs.com we love to love weeds. So many of those green pests that grow so easily and so abundantly are actually medicine chests in disguise. One of the first of these green allies to emerge from the snow or ground is a little star of a plant, chickweed (Stellaria media).

Modern popular opinion often falsely believes that dental health is solely a localized issue. But even if someone has impeccable oral hygiene, meaning that they brush and floss every day, use mouth washes, etc., tooth decay and gum disease can still be an issue. Thus, we need to take a more holistic approach to dental health and understand that it is a systemic issue as well as a localized issue.

I’m blessed to live within a massive Evergreen forest high in the mountains of New Mexico so that even during the longest and coldest winters I’m still able to spend time among the green vibrant life of these ancient trees while the rest of the canyon sleeps.

A couple of weeks ago I unexpectedly found myself on a prolonged trip to Seattle. I posted on Facebook that I was trying to make the best of the unforeseen situation and a friend responded by suggesting I go to a chai house and try their rosewater chai. I have very few rules in my life, and it just so happens that never turning down rosewater chai is one of them!

This past summer I traveled to France to meet my husband’s family. I’ve been reminiscing about that trip a lot lately, especially because of my video series on HerbMentor.com, Plants in France. Some of my favorite memories from my trip to France were gazing from the train window watching the beautiful fields of corn poppies fly by. Of course I am not the first to notice this beautiful phenomenon. Art impressionist Claude Monet made these fields famous in many of his paintings.

This next holiday HerbMentor newsletter is another herbal craft idea that comes from thousands of years of tradition. The word incense literally means ‘to burn’. For thousands of years people have burned plants and resins as religious rites, as a purification process, for protection, to cleanse the air, to repel pests or simply to enjoy a pleasant scent perhaps masking bad odors.

When considering what to write about for the week of Thanksgiving I had initially thought I would come up with some fabulous holiday food recipe. But when I really thought about it I realized that most people already have a long list of holiday recipes. In fact, many people have too many yummy foods to indulge in. What people don’t often have planned into their holiday meals is a way to counteract the sudden deluge of all those rich foods.

Every year during the holiday season we pump out some extra HerbMentor newsletters to help you with creative herbal gift ideas, healthy and delicious food recipes and herbal medicine recipes. I’ve been thinking about these newsletters all year long and am excited to finally begin sharing them with you.

If you’ve ever been sick you’ve probably noticed that not all coughs are the same. Some are deep lung coughs that bring up a lot of mucous. Some coughs are relentless, dry hacking coughs. Some coughs are weak, some are strong. Some coughs are worse in the morning and some are worse at night. As herbalists we are detectives and our mission goes beyond naming general herbs that are good for coughs.

I just harvested the last of my abundant bee balm today. I planted bee balm seeds a couple of years ago and this summer they grew into a bush almost taller than me! It seemed quite fitting that it really blossomed out this year since it is our featured herb on HerbMentor.com.