#excursion #plantlab #avenabotanicals
I spent today at biodynamic farm, Avena Botanicals, learning about herbs and edible flowers. A biodynamic farm is organic and works in harmony with the stella natura calendar (http://www.stellanatura.com). This basically means it is like an organic farm on crack. It embraces natural composting and functions in accordance with any astrological changes. Gardening procedures are goverened by the theory that cosmic energy is contained within plant energy. For example, if the earth is overhead it is a root day and hence you should only sow the seeds of root vegetables. A fairly abstract concept but it is cleary effective - they have been in business for 29 years and are still growing.
Some tit-bits from the day include:
Marigold flowers are tonic flowers, meaning that they help tonify the body's cells and can be consumed everyday without any detrimental effects (unlike, for example echinacea which loses its effectiveness with daily use). Red and yellow edible marigolds boost productivity, whilst orange edible marigolds aid digestion.
Rosemary aids vascular blood flow, particulary to the brain! Hence the age-old superstition that one should carry a sprig of rosemary behind their ear during exams.
