How Bayberry Meadow Herbs began as a business.

In my day to day job for 9 months out of the year, we are studying evolution in Science and it only makes me think how much Bayberry Meadow has evolved.  It started as a part-time dried floral business, including teaching the art of dried floral arrangements at several locations.  With time, I included how dried herbs can be used for everyday uses (from cooking to sachets).  As an 18th century re-enactor, I demonstrated from time-to-time how herbs were used during that time period and how we use them in modern days.  Presently, including creating salves, lotions and soapmaking.

Bayberry was born on October, 1988.  I was scheduling as many as 24 events a year, selling our dried floral arrangements throughout New Haven/Fairfield County and Woodstock, Ct areas.  From retail, Bayberry started to do wholesale for a number of clients that included Foxwoods Casino (for 9 years) and Mohegan Sun (for a little over 4 1/2 years). We became known for our various swag designs, in which we then incorporated it as part of our business logo.  During this time, I always seemed to have a part-time job at a couple of museums, teaching art to children from the ages of 5 -12, and instructed workshops for adults through the Adult Continuing Education programs in a number of town, demonstrations/lectures for women's organizations and garden clubs.

Then came the decision to go back to school in which the business was put on the shelf for a short period of time (while working at my present job at the same time).  I guess I still had it in my blood to keep it alive, whether it was doing demonstrations during the colonial events or selling some of my wares, to help support my new adventure as a colonial re-enactor.  After getting my BA., I became restless and decided to take a soapmaking class with a very good friend of mine.  Since that day, I have been hooked in making my own soap (so has my friend, she also makes soap for sale).

Even though I no longer create dried floral arrangements (for the most part), I never thought that we would be where we are now.  I LOVE doing the colonial events throughout New England, where our handmade soaps, herbal blends, China teas, salves, sea salts from around the world, dried herbs and spices can be purchased in camp, while educating the public on how to use them in their everyday life.  I am starting to expand into doing  regular events that include guest vendor at Farmer's Markets, Garden events, and looking into doing workshops again. 

Who knows where the business will take me next, but I am definitely looking forward to the adventure.  Know for sure, you will know where we go next.

Have a Wonderful Spring Season,
Rose

Herbs of the Month - White Sage

Around this time of year, I start to get a number of orders for white sage, sweetgrass braids, our desert sage with lavender, desert sage with juniper and sweetgrass smudge sticks.  I have people looking to bless a new home, starting construction in their home and a few that have gone over seas to our service men/women.

White sage (Salvia apiana). White sage is an herb that is used as a anti-inflammatory, used in tea or tincture form. A tincture has a very nice scent and can be used as a perfume, if desired.  It can be made into a tea, which decreases sweating, salivation, and mucous secretions in the sinuses, throat, and lungs. Cold tea can be a good stomach tonic, while a lukewarm tea is good for treating sore throats.

Native Americans use the plant in a sweathouses as a remedy for colds.  The leaves when crushed and mixed with water, you can create a hair shampoo or rinse.

This variety is the famous white sage of smudge sticks, a type of incense.  White sage is believed to cleanse the area of negative vibes.  Today many Native American tribes still use the stems and leaves for smudging as part of purification ceremonies by burning the leaves that are bundled into a wand or stick form.

When smudging:
     Identify the area of negativity. This could be a room, office or outdoor area. You may feel as though the negative energy is within you.
     Use a match to burn a small portion of bundled white sage.
     Hold the sage near yourself and fan the smoke to your body or that of another person.
     Walk around the room, object or area holding the sage. Start with the door and continue around the perimeters of the room, including the center of the room.
     Fan the smoldering sage in four directions and ask out loud for blessings and protection. Press the sage on a rock or other non-flammable material to make it go out.  I usually have a terracotta plant dish which is fine to use.

 

As an re-enactor, I usually smudge the inside of our tent, not only for the fragrance, but it helps keep mosquitoes away.  When you smudge the inside of your tent, lightly smudge it and NEVER leave it unattended.  Make sure it is completely out and in an appropriate container. White sage is also used in combination with other aromatic herbs to repel ants and other insects--either as a powder for dusting, or as a spray. 

 

May you have many blessings throughout the year.

Herbs of the Month for February - Natural Dyes From Herbs

      I guess with all of the snow we are getting in New England, I can just imagine how it might of been during the colonial days, when all you could do is stay inside.  With this, I thought of posting something different.
      Even though we use herbs for cooking, medicinal purposes, to freshen up any room, to help keep the inside and well as outside of the body healthy and to make all sorts of beverages, did you know that you can make your own wonderful dyes as well?
     Different parts of the plant - flowers, leaves and roots may create colors of reds, yellows, browns, grays, greens and blues.  Creating your own dyes using skeins of wool and be an enriching experience.  From gathering the plants, simmering them in a enamel pot so that they will release their hues, moving the skeins gently thru the colored water and drying the skeins to finish off the process.  Definitely a labor of LOVE.
      When collecting the plant material, harvest them when the plant is at its peak.  Gather the flowers when they are just about in full bloom, berries when they are ripe.  Harvest roots in the fall and leaves in the spring.  You can also harvest bark in the spring as well or in the fall.  Remember that the amount of color depends on the environment conditions and the season they are harvested.  Someone who uses plants harvested along the coast in New England will produce different colors from the same species of plants that are harvested in the mountains of Virginia.
     As a rule, start off using 8 quarts of plant material to dye a pound of yarn.  When using nut hulls, wood, bark or berries, use 1 pound and with roots, use 1/2 pound.  For each pound of wool, cotton or linen, use 4 to 4 1/2 gallons of soft water to prepare the dye bath.
     So if you want to add to your herb garden this year, look to see if there are any that you would like to plant for dyeing purposes.  Here is a list to choose from.

Blacks: alder, black walnut, yarrow

Blues: elder, elecampane, indigo, Oregon grape

Browns: burdock, comfrey, fennel, geranium, hops, juniper, madder, onion, pokeweed

Golds: agrimony, amaranth, dock, goldenrod, lavender cotton, mullein, onion, plantain, safflower, yarrow

Grays: elder, raspberry, sunflower, yarrow

Greens: agrimony, angelica, barberry, bayberry, betony, coltsfoot, comfrey, dock, fennel, foxglove, goldenrod, horsetail, marjoram, mullein, rosemary, sage, tansy, uva-ursi, yarrow

Oranges: blootroot, pokeweed, sorrel

Purples: blackberry, geranium, grape, lady's bedstraw

Reds: dandelion, dock, hops, lady's bedstraw, madder, pokeweed, St. John's wort, sweet woodruff

Rusts: pokeweed, safflower

Tans: barberry, onion, Oregon grape, raspberry, sunflower, sweet woodruff, uva-ursi

Yellows: agrimony, barberry, broom, chamomile, dandelion, dock, fennel, goldenrod, horseradish, lady's bedstraw, onion, safflower, sage, St. John's wort, sunflower, tansy, yarrow


Check out http://www.herbcompanion.com/Projects/Culinary-Herb-Goes-Dye-Crazy.aspx for addition information.

Enjoy and stay warm.

What's Cooking at Bayberry?: Taking Care of Your Skin During The Winter Months

What's Cooking at Bayberry?: Taking Care of Your Skin During The Winter Months

Taking Care of Your Skin During The Winter Months

     Snow has finally reached us in Connecticut and with the cold winds blowing and the low humidity in our homes and workplace, we should really take a look on how to keep our skin healthy looking.  Even though there are a large number of lotions, creams and soaps available, take a look on how are they effecting your body overall.
     Many of the commercial products might help keep your skin nice and soft, but have you ever taken a look to see what they contain?  For example, take a look at your soap label, the next time you un-wrap the packaging.  Does it contain olive, coconut, palm, sunflower, almond......oils, shea, coconut, mango.....butters?  Does the scent come from essential or synthetic oils?  What preservatives have they added?
      Since 85 percent of what you put on your skin is actually absorbed into your body, are there ingredients  you rather not have absorbed in your body?  How is it effecting your health?  Something to think about.
     I know a number of soap-makers (including ourselves) that are making products that will not only help keep your skin nice and soft, but keep in mind how their products effect the body as well.
     Our goal, is to keep the inside and outside of the body healthy.  The ingredients that are used are those nature provides us with, without fillers and preservatives.  We make our products in small batches, to guarantee freshness, use essential oils (even though we have a few fragrant oils that we used) and use ground up herbal plant materials, honey, and goat's milk.  As our business continues to grow, so is our knowledge on how we can use herbs in our everyday life.

     Here are some information on ingredients we use in some of our products.

     Shea butter: great for skin discoloration, softening extremely dry skin, chapped lips, smoothing out wrinkles, stretchmarks and fading scars.  High in Vitamin A and E.

     Olive oil: known as "liquid gold", great to moisturize dry hair and the skin. High in vitamins.

     Coconut oil: excellent skin softener and moisturizer.  Helps reduce the symptoms of skin conditions and supports the natural balance of the skin.

     Rice Bran Oil: high in Vitamin E.  Helps keep the skin nice and soft.  Wonderful to use on your hair.

     Sweet Almond oil:  easily absorbed into the skin, without leaving a greasy feeling.  Helps restore moisture to the skin and help relieve muscle pain.  Great oil to combat itching and inflammation.  Rich in minerals, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B6 and E.

     Avocado oil: helps regenerate damaged skin, relieves itchy skin due to skin conditions, highly moisturizing and especially welcomed on matured skin.

The list can go on and on and on.

Other things you can do to help keep your skin healthy:  drink plenty of water and add moisture in the air at home or work.  Something as simple as leaving out a glass of water on the counter for the dry air to absorb.  You don't have to go out and get an expensive dehumidifier.  To keep the air nice and pleasant smelling, gather up some herbs from your cabinet such as cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves, rosemary, lemon peels or old vanilla beans and make yourself a simmering potpourri mixture.  If you have any lavender buds, it makes a wonderful simmering potpourri by itself.  Just make sure that you keep an eye on it, if you put it on the stove.  Use essential oils to make your own diffusers or sachets place in different area work just as well.

For 2011, we are looking forward in having a few workshops on how to keep your body (inside and out) healthy.  We hope you can join us at one of our scheduled gatherings and learn what you can make at home from what Nature has to offer.

Herb of the Month - Cinnamon

     Here it is September and the nights will start to get cool and crisp.  Some of the leaves on the trees are starting to turn colors and just the other day, I saw a squirrel racing up our maple tree with a black walnut in its mouth.  My guess, enjoying it before one of its friends decide to have it instead.
     Cool weather reminds me of the spice cinnamon.  A spice that is warming to the soul, whether you have it mulled with hot cider or place a stick in your hot chocolate or coffee.  This spice is usually used when baking and some like it with pork.
      Cinnamon has been around for thousands of years.  The Egyptians would incorporate the spice in their embalming mixtures.  It was one of the spices that spurred world exploration.  The Romans would pay dearly for it and it was highly valued.
     The spice comes from a small tender evergreen tree, with inconspicuous yellowish flowers that rise in long pannicles.  The leaves are bright red, turning green as it matures, glossy; opposite and about 7 inches long.  The tree can grow up to 40 feet in height.  The part that is used is the inner bark.  As it dries, it curls into sticks or quills.  These sticks are then used whole or ground.
     East Indian, Moroccan, Chinese, Indonesian, Arabic, Iranian, Scandinavian, Mexican, Hungarian and Greeks use the spice not only with savory meats, but in their desserts.  It stimulates the flavors of carrots, spinach, onions, apricots, cherries, apples, blueberries and oranges.  It compliments vanilla, fennel, nutmeg, ginger, freshly ground pepper, clove and cardamom.  Flavorful in fruit pies to meat pies.
      Here's something you can make using cinnamon sticks and other spices, to help freshen the air during the winter months.  Take pieces of cinnamon sticks, cloves, broken nutmeg and some ginger root and place it in an open pot of water and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Make sure you keep an eye on the water level.  The spice scent is soothing and welcoming, especially if you will have guests later in the day.  You can also create your own dry potpourri, using dried flowers that you grew this past year, adding cinnamon chips, cloves and allspice and nutmegs crushed.  Since people can be allergic to essential oils or fragrances, this is a natural scent.  For dried potpourri, have it in a enclosed container and when you want to freshen up the room, take the lid off for about 20 minutes, then recap.  This will improve the potpourri to mature in scent and you will find with time, it smells better than when you first mixed it.
     So the next time you look at the cinnamon you have in the cupboard, think of how you can use it as a tasty addition to your menu.  Add a stick to orange or apple juice as it chilling, add it to flavor your hot tea or coffee or the next time you glaze carrots.  Remember, cinnamon is not only for your pies.

Enjoy!

Our potpourri mixture has dried sliced oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, citrus peels and tonka beans (which gives it a slight vanilla scent).  No essential oils or fragrances are used.

Lavender Spa Salt Bar

     As the summer days soon come to an end, I try to capture some of the garden scents and enjoy them in a number of ways throughout the year.  One that comes to mind is Lavender.
     Lavender derived from the Latin word lavare meaning to wash.  Romans enjoyed using it to scent their bathwater and to refresh the air in a room (as we would use potpourri).   For centuries, Lavender has been used for their calming properties, helping to relieve headaches, depression and a number of other healing purposes.  Because of the calming effect and antiseptic qualities it has, children in rural villages in France were regularly given lavender baths to keep them in good health.  A bottle of lavender essence can be used as a remedy against insect bites, cuts bruises.  In the language of Herbs and Flowers, Lavender symbolizes Devotion.

     We, at Bayberry Meadow, enjoy making some of our products with lavender, mixing them with a few other essential oils to come up with a wonderful scent for our soap.  We have a Patchouli Lavender, Lavender Amber, Rosemary Lavender, Eucalyptus Lavender and just plain Lavender soaps. 
     Our newest soap creation we made this past Spring, is our Lavender Spa Salt Bar which contains 2 different types of Hawaiian Sea salts.  The Hiwa Kai Black Lava sea salt is solar evaporated Pacific sea salt that is combined with activated charcoal (Alaea clay).  This is a sea salt that can be used as a table salt, has a natural saline flavor and has numerous detoxifying health benefits.  The second salt  is Alaea, which is a traditional Hawaiian table salt.  Its an all natural salt, rich in trace minerals found in sea water.  Its also enriched with the iron-oxide that is harvested from the red "Alae" clay.  With these salts we combined a number of moisturizing  oils and unrefined shea butter, lavender essential oil to create this wonderful soap. 
     Looking for something different to make with Lavender?  Lavender cookies were popular with a nice cup of tea during the Victorian era.  Here's one you may want to try out, the next time you invite someone over for tea.

Lavender Drop Cookies

1/4 cup of butter or margarine                             
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lavender buds, crushed fine
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely chopped mint

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Cream together the butter or margarine and the sugar.  Add the egg and the lavender buds, mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dried ingredients to the creamed mixture, and mix well.  Fold in the lemon zest and mint.
Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.  Watch carefully so cookies don't over-brown.

     Other great projects are lavender sachets, using cotton draw-string bags or recycle fabric to make your own pouches or small lavender pillows.  They can be placed in linen drawers, closets or in your dryer for a fresh lavender scent.

Enjoy!