Just setting up some pages so we can share information. I'll list specifics here soon. All suggestions are very welcome! Both for the plant and for how to set up this forum. Botanical Name : Agastache foeniculum Energetics : Slightly warming, very drying Major Properties :  Antiemetic, antiviral, antifungal Examples of Uses: Summer colds, nausea, vomiting, edema Parts Used : Leaves and flowers Preparations: Fresh - eat a leaf for relief from those damp, boggy summer colds that seem to linger forever! Tea - another very tasty way for relief or prevention of summer colds. I've wondered how it might even help with the watery eyes of allergies? Tincture - of leaves and flowers Honey - add flowers for a lovely flavored and scented herbal honey. Add fresh or dried flowers to ice cream or sorbet recipes, iced tea, sprinkled on salads Dry for winter use Personal Observations : Anise Hyssop (AH) is one of my favorite garden plants. It has a lovely scent - consider planting along a walking path where one can brush against its foliage and be delighted by its fragrance. And it makes the most delicious tea, too. I'll often make a summer tea with AH, lemon balm, and fresh stevia leaf (I don't like the taste and especially aftertaste of powdered stevia). It is also lovely as an iced tea and works equally well in a cold decoction or sun tea. As far as medicinal uses, it is my go-to for summer colds - those colds that linger with full, drippy nasal passages and heaviness and you just feel yucky. AH is a very drying plant, one of the most drying plants in our herbal apothecary, so if very efficient at relieving those congested, drippy, heavy kinds of colds. If you often get summer colds, you could also try drinking AH tea regularly as a preventative measure. I, personally, don't use AH tincture or tea much in the winter when the air can be quite dry, as AH is then too drying for me. However, in the humidity of summer, it is particularly useful for most persons.

Botanical Name : Galium aparine Energetics :  Cooling, moistening Major Properties : Lymphatic, relaxing, detoxifier Examples of Uses: easing issues with urination, kidney and prostate issues, lymph mover, dryness Parts Used : Aerial parts early in season while still vibrant Preparations: Tincture (I've only used it as a tincture) Can also be used as a cold infusion - pour cold water over freshly gathered aerial parts, cap tightly, let sit overnight and sip through next day. Personal Observations : Gentle lymphatic cleanser, fantastic spring tonic, helping clean up our system after winter. Promotes lymphatic flow and helps rid the lymphatic system of of metabolic waste. Great for issues with adenoids and tonsils Often useful for leaky bladder, excessive nighttime peeing Issues with urination, prostate, kidneys Kidney stones – breaks stone, dissolves deposits, clears tubules Folk remedy for mouth sores, canker sores, wash for canker sores - wash of tea. Hair tonic - high in silica I've had some success with using cleavers for seasonal allergies, also. Great article by local herbalist, Erin Piorier: https://minnesotaherbalist.com/2015/06/15/cleavers-a-moistening-spring-lymph-remedy-that-transforms-stuckness-into-flow/?fbclid=IwAR3WUMwO64vTLTCiI5QDmivKXNd3_M4J6rNW_BAZLxlvic0jjeki3bPgWL4 This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books.  Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences! Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview. As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.

Botanical Name : Pinus spp. Energetics :  warming, drying Major Properties :  antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, stimulant Parts Used :  I use the needles, sap, and pollen. Bark can also be used in a variety of ways. Very useful tree for many reasons! Preparations: Infused oil of sap/resin, collected from wound area on tree or small branch trimmings. Looking for downed branches after a storm is a great (and kind) idea.   Air cleaner and freshener : Simmer cut up branches and needles in water, uncovered. Although it's lovely to do all winter, it's especially useful during cold and flu season to help eliminate air borne pathogens. Warning - keep an eye on it - don't let it boil dry - personal experience. Decoction - simmer needles for 20 minutes or so, covered. Let cool with lid on. Sweeten or flavor to taste. It is even better to let it sit for several hours or overnight, too, so make plenty for immediate drinking and for later on. Pine needles are very high in vitamin C, with older needles being higher than younger ones at the tips of the branches. The older needles are a bit stronger in taste, too. May need some honey or lemon added... Pollen - considered be a nutrient rich food, often added to the "superfoods" list. Easiest way to gather is to place a paper bag over the cones at the tip of the branches and then shake the pollen into the bag. Tincture - to make a tincture of the sap/resin requires a high proof alcohol, such as ever clear, as water does not efficiently extract the constituents from resins. My Observations : I often "make a simmer" of pine branches and needles in the house to "clean" it up since the house is closed up so much more in winter. The salve has worked well on minor cuts. It has also helped greatly with the dry knuckles and finger tips of winter. I think I will try to make a lip balm with it next. I enjoy the tea (actually a decoction) with some honey added. Other than these two examples, I haven't used pine much in my "apothecary". I plan to change that now that I live among beautiful pines, with several downed branches! This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet.   Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview.   As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.