Friday, December 4, 2009

Caring Chamomile

chamomile

This spring the children and i chose chamomile as one of the plants to study this year. we found it growing wild all over our town, but especially in spots that had been disturbed. tenacious chamomile could be found growing in many well trampled spots and rock covered driveways. one of those driveways was my son tommy’s. we talked about how it wouldn’t be good to use chamomile from this particular spot, since the car fumes would be all over her. it was so cute to hear all the grandchildren point her out and talk about her every time we were outside and during our many summer walks, they took great pride in identifying her almost everywhere we went. we also talked about how some people are just so anal they think that any plant that has the audacity to just pop up where ever it wanted, is considered a plant that needed exterminated and used all sorts of chemicals to destroy dear chamomile. my 10 year old granddaughter taylor drew the adorable picture at the top of this post as her response to that! i hate talking about the meaness people do, such as chemical warfare on dandelions and chamomile, but so heartening to have to the children express their dismay and to know that they are growing up with a different mind set:) we talked about how chamomile just loves us know matter what and was always there for us even though we might walk or drive on her. how she could help lighten our hearts when we felt down. we learned that she will help our stuffy noses and colds, and help us feel relaxed when upset or nervous, and help our tummy troubles or scrapes and rashes.

this is a picture of the 8 year old even and breven both enjoying a cup of chamomile tea and our own honey. they decide to make themselves some chamomile tea as evan had a stuffy nose. breven’s favorite fruit is pineapple, so he really enjoys chamomile light pineapple taste and smell.

HPIM5972

the boys then decided it would be nice to make a salve using chamomile, organic coconut oil and our beeswax. this salve can be used for scrapes and rashes but they wanted to make some especially for christmas presents for their 21 month old cousin dylan and 10 month old cousin ariana, to help soothe any diaper rashes they might get! isn’t that too cute? first the boys put some chamomile in the melted coconut oil to infuse

HPIM5973 

then they started some beeswax melting in a double boiler arrangement

HPIM5974

when all was infused and melted we made our salve and then poured it into little containers

HPIM5975

HPIM5979

while we had the beeswax melted the boys decided to make a couple of ornaments for presents also

HPIM5984

now chamomile was not a new thing for miss lily lynn (age 5). i had the joy of being able to mind lily during the years before she started school and so she has been enjoying her special “flower” tea for years

HPIM5839

notice the foil on lily’s cup? we always put something on top of our cup so the good steaming essential oils stay right in the cup while brewing:)

well i hope you have enjoyed seeing the various ways the children and i have enjoyed dear chamomile and have inspired you to make her one of your allies also! sweet chamomile is a good friend to all of us of any age and very safe and effective. i invite you all now to click on this link and read how my dear friend lisl has shared even more about chamomile with us!

big herbal and honey hugs and many blessings to all of you who visit comfrey cottages

9 comments:

Anke said...

Your post brings back a lot of memories. Growing up we always drank chamomile and peppermint tea when we were sick. My Mom sent me some chamomile seeds from Germany and I can't wait to grow it next year. I love the fact that the boys made the salve and ornaments with you!

tansy said...

awww, what cute kids!

we have pineapple weed growing all around here like crazy...i never saw it before i moved here. i lived about 40 minutes away from where i am now. it's interesting to see the difference in flora in just a 25 mile radius!

the ornaments are great. i'm thinking about trying my hand at making a few for our tree this year. we lost all our ornaments when our basement flooded last summer so i'm trying to only add handmade/natury ornaments back to the stash.

Comfrey Cottages said...

anke, that is so cool that your mom is sending you seeds! have you planted your hop seeds yet? i put mine in a flower pot and hoping they germinate next spring:)

oh kristine, thats a bummer about the lost ornaments, but a cool idea to make handmade and natural ones for your tree! as artistic as you are i will look forward to you maybe posting pics of them:) it is interesting how the ecosystem can be so different in a relatively close distance!
thank you both for stopping into comfrey cottages. and love to you both and your families:)

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

You are doing such a good job, Leslie! They will always remember these visits with you and what you are teaching them! Check out my post later today.

Anke said...

Leslie, I have not planted the hops seeds yet. (I'm hanging my head in shame here) I just keep forgetting to buy seed starter soil and I didn't want to just plant them in normal soil. Did you use seed starter soil? Where do you keep the pot with the seeds? Have a wonderful Sunday!

*Ulrike* said...

Good for you Leslie!!! I think that it is wonderful that you are showing your grandchildren all of this and teaching them how to make various things. It is so sad these days that children are put in front of tvs and video games instead of being taught the fasinating things that happen right outside. Sad to say, my step-grandchildren are that way, but when we do have them they know we take the time to spend with them, and try and teach them. A favorite thing is to walk through the woods with Pa Pa while he shows them various items! Your little grandchildren are sooo cute, and they have a special grandmother too!!
Take Care!
Ulrike

Comfrey Cottages said...

okay nancy, i will check your blog out later:)

anke, i just put mine in a flower pot that had nasturiums in it this summer! lol just pulled out the old greenery and plopped them in it! i have four flower pots on my back yard patio that i am simply going to put a screen over them. that way the squirrels won't try to burying things in them, and yet, the weather (rain, snow etc) can reach them! lol got the wild plums in one, the hops in another, ginkgo and grape seeds in the other two. we will just see what does germinate and the survivors will be fit in to either my yard or my daughters:)

awww precious memories with papa ulrike:) that is the whole key, just to share with the childrens whatever it is you feel comfortable doing with them:) walks are wonderful and we take alot of them also;-) it is sad for me too because my stepgrandchildren aren't in my little group of regulars. they all live out of town:(

Laura of said...

Sweet Leslie... what a wonderful inspiration you are to your lucky grandchildren! You are planting wonderful memories for them to harvest throughout their lives. You're the best!

Comfrey Cottages said...

awww laura i got a feeling those new grandbabies are going to have a wonderful grandma also! do you have other grands? thanks for visiting hon. xoxox