This is part 4 of a special series of posts about my family's off-grid adventures. The land of the off-grid community is peppered with plant and herb life. I wanted to talk about some of the herbs and trees there as many of them have highly useful qualities that are beneficial to human health.

The almond tree outside The Lodge

The area where the community is situated is extremely dry, but somehow an abundance of plant life still manages to thrive in these scorching temperatures and harsh conditions. Most of the watering of the plants and trees comes from grey waste water. Almonds and peach trees grace the property and seem to produce, even with very little water. But there are some places where almost no water touches and yet both Rosemary and Thyme grow abundantly. Not only do these herbs survive but their scent suggests that they are faring very well under this extreme heat.

Some of the wild thyme growing in the hardened, dry soil.

I grow rosemary and thyme in the garden in my current home and hadn't really given thought to the fact that these herbs can grow wild. Assuming they are cultivated for our own purposes, grown for culinary and medicinal qualities. This revelation that they grow wild led me to think about how long they had been growing in the region, the history of their culinary evolution and of course my eyes lit up at all the remedies and food that could be made using them.

These rosemary bushes are huge there are so many dotted around the land

That's one of nature's true gifts, free and abundant healing power in a plant. You really can't get better than that.

Almond Trees dotted across the land.

So what's so special about Rosemary and Thyme.

ROSEMARY
Here's a list of things I use Rosemary for:

• Hair tonic, steeped in hot water and allowed to cool I use it as a rinse. It makes your hair smell lovely and adds extra shine. It also helps strengthen the cuticles.

• As migraine relief. Release the scent of about a teaspoon of leaves by rubbing between the fingers or in a pestle and mortar. Add a few drops of a carrier oil and massage gently into your temples and back of the neck.

• In cooking, I use it on potatoes and garlic bread. I love the smell of it heating in the oven and it has been said that the smell of rosemary can help prevent memory loss.

• I also use Rosemary essential oil in my homemade fabric softener along with a combination of other essential oil too.

Image Credit

THYME
and here's what I use thyme for:

• Thyme tea for sore throat and chesty/ dry cough. I first tried this last year when I had a persistent chesty cough that was driving me crazy. I simply steeped about 2 teaspoons worth of thyme in hot water, added some fresh lemon. It tasted really good and cleared the phlegm from my chest within 3 days. Now when I feel like I'm getting a sore throat I will make a Thyme tea and it seems to stop it in it's tracks. I limit the intake to a maximum of 2 cups per day as Thyme is a diuretic which can lead to dehydration if taking too much. Realistically you would need a lot of it in herb form though.

• In cooking it goes really well with most dishes.
  Here's a lovely pasta recipe that is just delicious! Although I prefer it with tagliatelle.
  https://www.nigella.com/recipes/linguine-with-lemon-garlic-and-thyme-mushrooms

Image Credit

It is important to remember to use caution when making tinctures, using essential oils and herbs for their medicinal properties. Most essential oils are highly concentrated and can be toxic when ingested. It's important to do your research, ensuring that if they are to be used for children to follow the guidelines for safe use.
Here's a really handy link to point you in the right direction.
http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/essential-oil-safety-babies-children/

I think it's time I learn how to make Essential Oils and Tinctures.

Essential oils are also known for their antibacterial qualities, which makes them good additives to natural household cleaners.
Here's some links about research that has been done on both Rosemary and Thyme:

1> Antibacterial activity of thyme and lavender essential oils.

2> Antimicrobial effect of rosemary extracts.

Almonds

Almonds are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin E, copper, magnesium and protein. I love this info-graphic below which highlights the health benefits.

Image Credit
Although the almonds are pretty much wild now, they were originally the farmed variety. Wild almonds are too toxic to consume.

To conclude, I am grateful that these plants are able to thrive in these conditions. I love the appeal of the land at the off-grid community, the fact that the nature surrounding can provide an abundance of nutrient rich food and medicinal plants. Just another one of those appeal factors to make us fall in love with the place...

In the next post...

Time to leave and decisions for our future. Stay Tuned!

If you want to read my other posts in this series here are the links below:
Part 1 - Arrival
Part 2 - The lodge
Part 3 - The Lake

~ONE LOVE~

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