Weeds & Seeds Swap » Christmas Herbs

Caring for my Norfolk Island Pine

Claudia — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:48:53 +0000

This past Christmas, we purchased a 2+ foot busy Norfolk Island Pine in a pot that is about 1 foot tall, so it sits nicely on the top of the chest of drawers backed up to our living room couch. I have wanted to do this for years, and having our artificial tree damaged during the past year gave me an excuse (as if I needed one). I put light-weight ornaments on it and not too many and it held up well. There’s a picture of it with some of the ornaments below and on another page I did about my Norfolk Pine. Now the ornaments have been removed, and my challenge is to keep it happy and healthy, which is possible, as this is a house plant, not a tree that you plant outside after Christmas.

A few things that I’ve learned about care:

If the humidity in the room goes below 50% misting the tree is necessary…I’ve been doing that upon rising and when I go to bed, twice a day.
It doesn’t need direct sunlight, but should be in a bright room. Ours is under a skylight and seems to be happy so far.
If the branches and leaves/fronds and fall off, they won’t come back, so the branch will have to be trimmed off…I have trimmed one branch off so far, but it actually made it look more even as it was on a “bushier” side of the tree.
Water well when soil is dry a couple inches down, but do not let the pot sit in standing water. I’m planning to put some stones under the pot at some point, haven’t done that yet so try to control the amount of water that I use, and empty the dish after all water has drained into it after watering.
I have more instructions here.

Bayberry, Scent of the Season and Healthy Too!

Claudia — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:30:16 +0000

The scent of Bayberry candles is comforting as winter is upon us and the warm glow of candles brings warmth to the heart and home. Bayberry candles are made from the actual berry of the plant (not pictured) while the health benefits come from further down…under the ground, the roots.

Candles are made by boiling the naturally occurring wax from the berries, and then putting it into whatever candle form one decides to use…simple instructions are found here on eHow.

As for the health benefits, the source that I get medicinal Bayberry from uses the dried bark from the root of the plant. It has been used for a number of body systems, from the reproductive system to the liver and immune system. In contains astringent properties. Even though it has been historically used for the reproductive system, do not use it without consulting with your doctor or health care provider.

I have used it as part of a prepared herbal combination where it works in synergy with other herbs…the particular combination benefit:

The Immune, Digestive and Respiratory System
The Lymphatic and Respiratory System (you have more lymphatic fluid in your body than blood)
As part of a natural, herbal eyewash.

Please contact me by leaving a comment (they are moderated so information requests will remain private) if you would like more information about any of the three combinations listed above.

Image by oakum on Flickr.

Remembering the Herbs of Christmas

Claudia — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:45:01 +0000

Christmas week is upon us, and it has been a peaceful season in our home. We are thankful for that, it isn’t always that way due to the many circumstances of life, so makes it extra special when it is.

I have a post I did a few years ago that is still relevant today about the gifts that the wise men brought to the Christ child…two are herbs, and one is not, but has health benefits. Please visit for the first time, or revisit The Herbs of Christmas, Gold, Frankinscense and Myrrh .

You may also want to visit the following related lenses:

Myrrh, Gift of the Wise Men

Cranberries and the Cranberry Bog