A Bouquet of Roses
According to Goethe, the most evolved plants go through a transformation from the primitive germ to the exuberance of the flower in a natural movement toward spirituality where the flower, in its impermanence and openness, represents an instant of rapture and jubilation. No other floral fragrance compares to that of the precious rose, often inspiration for poetry, prose and tales of love and sorrow. The natural fragrance extracted from the rose has become the cornerstone for many signature perfumes since time began. ‘Rosa’ comes from the Greek ‘roden’, meaning ‘red’, as the ancient rose was thought to be crimson. Avicenna, the 10th century physician and che

Colds and Flu
Back in May, we talked about practical things you can do to prevent colds and flu: http://wingedseed.blogspot.com/search/label/Colds%20and%20Flu Since then, cyberspace has been a-flurry with controversy surrounding the H1N1 virus and the vaccination being prepared and distributed to attempt to mitigate what some are predicting as a pandemic.  Doctors are being trotted out all over the news shows to implore you and your children to get vaccinated.  Conversely, many alternative professionals are being more caut

Gathering Wild Berries in the Pacific Northwest
Summer is the season when berries are ripening on the bush and vine throughout the Cascade foothills and up the mountains ready to be harvested and enjoyed.  While some Northwest berry vines are overgrown and daunting, there are others more compact and easily picked.  You will want to familiarize yourself so that you are sure of the species and edibility.  My favorite all around field guide is Mountain Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Ronald J. Taylor, Gail F. Harcombe, Linda Vorobik, Alice Anderson, which covers both slopes of the Cascades and includes keys to identifying trees, ferns, forbs and shrubs.  This guide is more than you need for berry hunting,