Meadow and Pestle
“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.”
“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.”
Gertrude Jekyll
I grew up in a family where everybody had a green thumb. My granny grew irises and roses, my mom had plants and a garden, and me, well I could kill a succulent. I remember my budgie grew aloe vera in her bathroom window so when we would sunburn ourselves, she would cut a piece off and rub it on the burn. I loved plants and smell good flowers like all girls did, but mostly focused on animals when I was in undergrad school.
Then I became a mom….and my whole world revolved around this precious tiny 7 pound 6 oz red head that I had to keep alive. I was determined to be a crunchy mom.
Our daughter was a healthy baby, little underweight, but from the start we struggled with eczema and ear infections. So I gave up smelly lotions and perfume and set up a dehumidifier in her room. No air freshers, no incense, no candles, and sensitive laundry detergent. Then when it was time to introduce foods, I made all her baby food from scratch, no sugar, no candy, no chocolate, even her first cake was just batter and fruit. Eczema turned into terrible allergies which always led to more ear infections. By 3, we were in and out of the doctors with antibiotics and refusal for tubes. The reason we didn’t want tubes is that both my sister and my brother in law had tubes with severe complications so unless it was an emergency we were avoiding them.
When we moved to Gulfport, things didn’t get better with the allergies so she was put on a nose spray to help. This turned into night walking, night terrors, and screaming every night for hours on end. She began hitting kids at preschool, crying for no reason, and saying mean things. We didn’t know the cause or what to do! I told her pediatrician I breastfeed until she was 9 months old, made her baby food, no sugar, sensitive detergent, no candles or perfumes, and yet her she was suffering.
So I did what every respected mom does, I went out on social media for help. Look for alternative forms of therapy I was told, natural honey and essential oils. So I went to nearest health food store and asked for help….this is where my journey into the other side of medicine began.
As it started with our daughter, I got lost down the rabbit hole which turned into me finding more natural remedies with limited side effects. See her allergy medication caused the emotional outbursts, the night terrors, and the screaming. Soon as I stopped that, she never suffered from it again. She takes natural honey to acclimate to local pollen and I have her a essential oil roller of lavender, eucalyptus , and peppermint to ease discomfort. Now before you get all woo hoo on me, let me put it out there that I believe in traditional medicine. It saved my life, my daughters, and is helping my father through the struggles of parkinson’s, but I also grew up as a kid with natural remedies such as chicken soup for a cold and wet wash rag across the forehead for headaches. I saw a word the other day and I related to it, scrunchy. A mix between natural and modern life because as I am typing this, I am drinking a diet dr. pepper.
So for the last 10 years, I have studied aromatherapy and herbalism. Ways to help ease colds, support immune health, and try to decrease chemicals in my household. I no longer dye my hair, I don’t wear makeup, and I embrace that I am almost 42 years old. I am currently working on my own all natural skincare line and lotion bars. It is trial and error just like baking a cake, but I love figuring it all out. Friendly reminder, it took me 10 YEARS to get where I am now. Little changes over time, here and there.
Welcome to Meadow & Pestle, a place where you can join me as I learn more about herbalism and its usages. Watch as I grow my herb garden, use them to produce things like skincare and teas, and work towards a life of suburban homesteading. Along the way, we will learn about different plants here in Texas, there applications, and what you need to avoid. Not only do I use my knowledge to help our planet, it is also a way to save you time and money. I planted my first big herb garden a few days ago and am working on another bed now. A great place to get seeds is Baker Creek.
“At Baker Creek, our mission is to provide sustainable, heirloom seeds for everyone, preserving seed diversity and food security for future generations. We believe in the right to save and share seeds, ensuring that farmers and gardeners can protect against corporate-controlled, hybridized, or genetically modified seeds. All our seeds can be saved, shared, and traded, and we encourage seed saving as a vital practice for food sovereignty”
https://www.rareseeds.com/
A majority of our seeds come from here, but we also seed swap with my mom. If you are just starting out, Walmart is great option too. Remember a little change at a time, doing what is best for you.
If you don’t have a place outside where you can start a bed, do it indoors. There are plenty of herb kits to help you start your journey. My suggestion is just jump right in and try it out. You will have highs and lows, but the great part is that you will learn as you go.
Happy Planting!