“Each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same fields, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Photo of w inter fo liage at C entennial Par k in N ashv ille, T N by J Bac h
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CUMBERLAND HERB ASSOCIATION Nashville, TN
Happy New Year! The
Making the world a little greener with our spare thyme!
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UPCOMING EVENTS: Monthly Meeting
Wednesday January 27th at 7:00pm Located at The Miniature Cottage in Berry Hill Please join us for our regular monthly meeting held the 4th Wednesday of each month. This month we’ll be planning for the upcoming 2016 Nashville Lawn & Garden Show. Bring your ideas for the display garden & vendor booth along with a dish to share for a potluck dinner. Contact us at: newseditor.cha@gmail.com Editor, Jessica Bach JAN 2016 NEWSLET TER
2016 has arrived! It’s a new year filled with exciting possibilities and opportunities just waiting to be explored. What places will you visit? Which new people will you meet? What new inspirations will you find? What creative projects will you tackle? What new skills will you learn? And of course, what will you plan for this year’s garden? Winter is a great time to make plans for the year ahead. You can find great books from your local library or try free online resources such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac (www.almanac.com). This site is great because it offers custom planting calendars for your city, tips on starting seeds indoors, pest control tips, and lots more. April 6th is predicted to be the last frost date for Nashville this year. It will be time to plant soon!
Speaking of planning...we will be making the final plans for our display garden designs for 2016’s Nashville Lawn & Garden Show being held at The Fairgrounds in Nashville. This year the show will run from March 3rd to March 6th. The hours are 10am-8pm Thursday-Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Please bring your ideas to the January meeting. All ideas are welcome! We will be setting up a few days before the show opens. We’ll need volunteers to help construct the garden and work in our vendor booth. And don’t forget to make some crafty herbal or garden items to sell! More details will be given as they become available. You can find more info including a list of vendors and a schedule of lecturers online at nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com PAG E 1
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PAGE JANUARY HERB SPOTLIGHT: Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos
Milk thistle is most commonly used as a supplement for liver support and detoxification. It may help increase the secretion of bile from the liver and gallbadder and also protect liver cells and aid in recovery from overuse of alcohol or fatty foods or exposure to environmental pollutants. Milk thistle has red to purple flowers, shiny pale green leaves and white veins. Although the plant is edible and was used as both food and medicine in ancient times, the seed is now most commonly used for modern herbal supplements. The seeds contain natural compounds which can help our bodies produce an antioxidant called superoxide dismutase (SOD).
SOD works at the cellular level to combat free radicals and help prevent cellular damage. Milk thistle may be combined with other herbs such as burdock, dandelion and bupleurum for liver support. These supplements are considered safe, nontoxic and effective, but the health benefits have not yet been proven by scientific studies. From www.healthyhealing.com
Milk Thistle photo by Giancarlodessi
IN THE GARDEN: Composting with Worms Follow this easy tutorial from nashville.gov/Public-Works to make your own worm bin: Composting with worms, or vermiculture, takes very little space and can even be done indoors. It’s a great way to dispose of newspaper and food scraps plus it yields worm castings which are excellent for your garden soil! 1 Gather materials:
• Plastic bin with a lid (minimum volume of 2 cubic feet) For indoor composting, use 2 bins - a small one inside of a larger one • Metal or plastic window screen or other fine mesh material • Red worms, aka red wigglers - find them at a fishing bait store • Shredded newspaper • Scissors • A drill and 1/8th inch bit • Food scraps
2 Prepare the bin:
• Drill 1/8-inch holes in the bottom and sides of the bin for drainage/air circulation • Cover the bottom of the bin with the window screen or fine mesh to keep worms in • Add 2 inches of shredded paper on top of the mesh. Dampen paper but make sure it’s not too wet or your worms could drown
3 Start your compost:
Photo of worm bin materials by nashville.gov
4 Collect compost:
• Remove the lid and allow the worms to burrow down into the paper (they avoid light). Then scoop out the worm castings (dirt-like substance) • Change the newspaper bedding regularly (every 3 months)
• Place food scraps on top of the newspaper - amount depends on size of bin and number of worms • Add worms - 1lb of worms can eat 1lb of scraps and make 1lb of castings in 1 day • Cover the bin to prevents pests and store it in a place with a fairly constant temperature (not too hot or too cold) From http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/Neighborhood-Services/Yard-Waste-Composting/Composting-with-Worms.aspx
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PAGE CREATIVE CORNER: Make it, Bake it, etc. Easy Coconut Lotion Bars
To use, simply rub the lotion bar onto dry skin or damp skin after showering. Ingredients: • 1 cup coconut oil • 1 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three)
• 1 cup beeswax • 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil • Essential oil (optional)
Instructions: • Combine all ingredients (except essential oils) in a double boiler (indirect heat) and stir until melted and smooth • Remove from heat • If using essential oils, add them now and gently stir until well incorporated • Carefully pour melted mixture into molds (any heat-proof mold will work) • Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before unmolding * Recipe yielded 12 lotion bars using silicone baking molds Photo & recipe from wellnessmama.com
Coconut Pecan Praline Cookies
Ingredients: • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar • 1/2 cup evaporated milk • 1/2 cup corn syrup • 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions • In a heavy pan, cook sugar, evaporated milk, corn syrup and butter on medium high heat until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Let boil and stir for 3 minutes • Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Keep stirring about 4 minutes until mixture starts to cool and thicken • Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper and let harden completely (1 to 1 1/2 hr) * Makes about 20 large cookies. Photo & recipe from www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com
Creamy Coconut Butter Coffee
You’ve probably heard of Bulletproof Coffee made with butter, but here’s a different twist on that trend that uses coconut oil. It looks and tastes like it has cream! Ingredients: • 12 ounces hot, brewed coffee • 1 teaspoon coconut butter • Sweetener of your choice
• Dash of cinnamon or cardamom • Blender
Instructions: • Combine the coffee, coconut butter, sweetener of choice, and dash of cinnamon or cardamom in a heat-proof blender • Blend until mixture is frothy. Pour into a cup/mug and serve hot. * This recipe called for milk/almond milk, but I left it out and didn’t miss it. You could add dairy or creamer before blending if you like. Photo & recipe from theyearinfood.com
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