Grow Your Own Medicine

7/27/2019 Grow Your Own Medicine

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Workshop Design:

Grow Your Own Medicine

Workshop Aims

For learners to be inspired to grow their own medicinal plantsFor learners to understand the role of design in cultivating & using

medicinal plants effectively

For learners to understand the role of sustainable wildcrafting &habitat management

For learners to take away new herbal knowledgeOverview

1. Intro circle - name, where from, what you want out of theworkshop, level of understanding/experience with herbs

2. Popcorn why do we need to grow our own medicine?Write group input on flipchart paper, then add the below:

Reasons to grow your own medicine- build self-reliance & community resilience

- empowering to learn new skills & knowledge/DIY treatment- connect with nature- conserve endangered species/wild plants- negate industrial agricultural production- keep herbal medicine alive e.g. EU legislation- save money- ecological medicine is not polluting- support ecological restoration & community building

Also emphasise - Food as medicine. Everyone is a herbalist!

3. Herbal washing line

Have different plants on table, ask people to place them in order nourishing herbs to potentially poisonous herbs. Emphasise nourishing &tonic herbs used frequently & safely.


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Nourishing herbs- Contain few or no alkaloids, glycosides, resins or essential oils(poisons)

- foods, dried & infused, vinegars- nutriente, vitamins & minerals, trace minerals, EFAs, phytoestrogensetc- Water bases in quantity- Examples: Burdock roots, chickweed, comfrey leaf, elder blossoms &berries, fenugreek seeds, garlic, mallow leaves & roots, mushrooms,nettle leaves & seeds, oatstraw, plantain leaves & seeds, red cloverblossoms, seaweeds, rosehips, violet leaves & blossoms

Tonifying herbs

- safe in moderation- May contain glycosides, essential oils, alkaloids but rarely in harmfulquantities- water & alcohol bases e.g. tinctures, wines, vinegars- tonifying & stimulating - unique to person- beware of mixing with drugs/other herbs- Examples: burdock seeds, chasteberry, dandelion leaf, root & flowers,echinacea roots, ginseng, hawthorn, lady's mantle, yellow dock

Stimulating/sedating herbs- Contains certain chemicals- rapid & pronounced effects- Infrequent moderate/large doses over short periods- Examples e.g. mints, skullcap, sage, licorice root, passion flower,valerian root, willow bark

Potential poisonous herbs- very potent with poisonous/potentially harmful chemical constituents

- extracted into alcohol or small doses- shortest time possible during treatment- practiced herbalistse.g. belladona, cayenne, goldensal, wormwood, tansy leaves


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4. Medicine Garden Tour & Herbal HabitatsShow round medicine garden. Emphasise ecological niches. Point outmedicinal trees not just small herbs. Emphasise sustainable wildcrafting.

Herbal habitats- Wetlands e.g. Elder, Nettles, Meadowsweet, Musk Mallow- Arid regions e.g. Hyssop, Lavender, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme- Mountain regions e.g. Angelica, Juniper, Yarrow- Temperate hardwood forests e.g. Ginseng, Goldenseal (endangered)- Temperate forests e.g. Hawthorn, Lime trees, Wild cherry- Tropical e.g. Aloe, Ginger, Neem tree

Sustainable Wildcrafting- Attempt to cultivate first before using wild plants- Only take what you need with enough remaining for healthyregeneration (5-25% max)- Do not harvest endangered, threatened or sensitive species unlessabsolutely necessary- Respect plants & ask permission- Be active for plants in threat

Medicinal Trees

- Elder, Sambucus nigra- Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna- Lime flowers, Tilia cordata- Guelder Rose/Cramp Bark, Viburnum opulus- Gingko - Gingko biloba leaf- Witchhazel, Hamamelis virginiana leaf & twig- Willows, Salix esp Salix alba- Horse Chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum - circulatory system, veins

5. Introduce Medicine Garden Design ProcessWhen designing your herb garden:- Who are these plants for? Who will use & benefit from them?- How & how often will they be harvested?- How easily available & abundant are they in the wild?- How expensive or accessible are they?- What other functions do they serve e.g. bee forage?


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Introduce different forms of plant medicine to aid in design process.Emphasise frequency of harvesting:

Fresh Root Tinctures, Fresh leaf & herb tinctures, Dried root tinctures,Dried roots, Dried herb

Regularly harvested fresh herbs: Nettles, peppermint, bay leaves, basil,rosemary, lady's mantle leaf, fennel, sweet cicely leaves, safe, parsley,borage, lemon balm

6. Work in Small GroupsExplore Case Studies in small groups with flipchart paper. Then feedback togroup.

Sarah lives in a shared house with 4 other women. They have a smallishback garden & are interested in growing herbs. As a household theyoften experience period pains & menstrual discomfort due to their high-stress jobs & sometimes poor nutrition.

Alan works in the city. He has a tiny patio garden which is south facing

and he likes to sit outside after a long day & commute. He often has acongested chest due to the pollution & finds it very difficult to unwind inthe evenings.

Beth lives with her partner in the country & has a front & back garden ofreasonable size. She has recently developed Irritable Bowel Syndromeand struggles with both constipation & loose bowels on differentoccasions as well as feeling general discomfort after meal times. She is akeen gardener and loves wildlife gardening.

Pete & Sue have three kids, they love playing outside and as such thegarden does not have much in the way of plants other than a lawn. Theyare worried about their toddler eating random plants but at the sametime want to grow some herbs to use in cooking and to help theirsecond child get to sleep at night.

7. Clarifying questions & close. Handouts.

Documents

Grow Your Own Medicine