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A wild rose of the woods.In this case, joy liter

A wild rose of the woods.In this case, joy literally is medicine.Wishing you all the happiest possible Monday.

A pretty little Potentilla from my Tuesday hike.

A pretty little Potentilla from my Tuesday hike.

One mini watermelon equals two quarts of watermelo

One mini watermelon equals two quarts of watermelon smoothie.I don’t usually bother with anything that feels like extra steps. If I’m cutting a watermelon, why not just straight up eat it? Why bother putting it into the Vitamix and making a second thing to clean?The best answer I’ve got is that, on a trip to India many years ago, I fell in love with the watermelon juice available at every breakfast buffet.(Note that this is not juice. That would involve straining out the very minimal pulp, and thus removing beneficial fiber.)Maybe it’s also practice for the hot days ahead, when one of my favorite beat-the-heat treats is watermelon gazpacho.Whatever. It’s fast, it’s delicious, it’s loaded with antioxidants, and it’s so very pretty.Bonus: it never lasts long enough to go bad in the refrigerator.Watermelon has become one of my favorite fruits. And I’m excited to include it in my class on Full Spectrum Plant Medicine at the 2021 Good Medicine Confluence on July 16-18.If you are on my VIP email list, check your inbox next week for a big discount on tickets. I will only have a few to offer at this price, so make sure you get back to me early if you’re interested.Not on my VIP email list yet? Follow the link in my bio and grab my Sound Sleep Cheat Sheet or Air-Filter Roundup. You’ll get great information plus be the first to hear about special events and discounts.Salúd!
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— Dr. Orna

This genus is the one that taught me that herbalis

This genus is the one that taught me that herbalists have friends wherever we go.I was literally halfway around the planet, in a place I’d never been before, not expecting to recognize any plants at all.But there was this one, and it felt so familiar. I saw it everywhere and thought, I really do think I know this one.Sure enough, it was an Asclepius. There weren’t enough plant people around to tell me the species, but I did at least get the genus confirmed.From that moment on, I felt like I had a local friend.More reasons why being an herbalist rocks.

I’m always a little surprised that Opuntia grows

I’m always a little surprised that Opuntia grows in Portland. But this fabulous food and medicine plant apparently does quite well here.Also known as prickly pear, this plant is beloved and cultivated — or, at least, encouraged – pretty much everywhere it grows.Although it was first cultivated in Mexico, my uncle in Israel points out that they love it in the Middle East, too. A truly international food plant.The iconic and easily recognizable, pancake-shaped pads are a great source of nourishing, hydrating fiber. It’s almost like this plant that usually grows in the desert would be good food for somebody… living in a desert.They are a fabulous food for fighting diabetes, offering antioxidants including Vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, and several of the the vitamins.The deep red fruits, considered the “pear” of the prickly pear, are a sweet and lower-glycemic treat.On the energetic level, prickly pear flower essence supports emotional centering and the strength, nurturing and safety that provides.And for those of us who just walk by and look, it’s another great example of joy being medicine.Do you grow prickly pears? What’s your favorite thing about them? Let me know in the comments below👇🏼.

Remember to wonder.#WildCascadia #AncientForest

Remember to wonder.#WildCascadia #AncientForest #SenseOfWonder #ForestBathing #CNSReset #MentalHealthDay #NatureFix #NatureCures #TuesdayInCascadia #shinrinyoku #vitaminN

Saffron lemonade!Back in March, Julie James of @

Saffron lemonade!Back in March, Julie James of @greenwisdom sent me a care package of Meyer lemons from her tree in Southern California.Wanting to do justice to this gift, I decided the best thing to do was purée them – skins and all – and stick them in the freezer for summer.Well, last week in Portland was summer for sure, with daytime temperatures getting into the 90s 🥵.Lots of people asked me about those puréed lemons, so I wanted to check back in and explain how I’m using them.To make this drink, I soaked a few threads from my saffron plants in water, and used that as the base for all sorts of drinks. (Saffron corms from @strictlymedicinalseeds.)What you see here is saffron water and one or two of those puréed Meyer lemon icecubes. Glowing in the nearly solstice sun.The weather has cooled off now, for which I am desperately grateful. But that taste of summer is a wake-up call for the hot days we’ve got coming.What are your favorite tricks to beat the heat? Let me know in the comments below👇🏼.

It’s been a long time since I felt the rush of g

It’s been a long time since I felt the rush of growing something that I expected to always have to buy from the store.I harvested my first chamomile yesterday, and it’s totally amazing. The fragrance is filling the whole house as the flowers dry.Almost without exception, the food and medicines you grow yourself will be the most vibrant, tasty and nutritious.(Yes, everything depends on growing conditions, whether you’re trying to grow something that isn’t well-suited for your climate, soil quality, etc. There are always caveats.)But this chamomile? I’ve never smelled any as yummy.Is chamomile really this easy? Did I just get lucky? No doubt the head start I got by getting babies from @the.medicine.garden made a big difference.I don’t know what’s next, having never grown it before. But hopefully my plants continue to thrive and flower, because this isn’t going to get old anytime soon.i’ll keep you posted.

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