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| Lemon Balm in the fall |
The Last Kiss
Weather it be
A Husband Or wife
Child or Grandchild
Someone close to your heart
A parent.grandparent or acquaintance
That last kiss will always
Be embedded in your mind
and heart leaving
a lasting impression
That last kiss
remembered through the ages
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| Tommy |
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Be Well Natural Herbs
.Originally a native of southern Europe, lemon balm now grows wild in many parts of the world, including areas of the U.S. It's a perennial in hardiness zones 5 through 9. It's also a bee magnet. The "melissa" in its scientific name is Greek for honeybee. You've probably heard that honey bees have been having a tough time with parasitic wasps and pesticides in recent years. Show your bee love by filling a corner of your garden with lemon balm. Imagine the honey that pairing would produce. Oh, and if you've had trouble pollinating your squash blossoms (or anything else), plant a little lemon balm nearby for added insurance.This versatile herb is easy to grow. For everything you get into the bargain, you'd expect lemon balm to be persnickety about soil pH or susceptible to wilt or vulnerable to the predators of common insects. It turn out that everything about this little plant is good news, though.
One of my favorite herbalist and healer said Lemon Balm “causeth the mind and heart to become merry…” – Nicholas Culpeper
Infusions of fresh leaves are used for depression, nervous exhaustion, indigestion, nausea, and the early stages of colds or flu.
Tinctures are best when made with fresh leaves. They are used for the same conditions as infusions, but small doses are usually more effective.
Compresses are soaked in infusions to relieve such painful swellings as gout.
Ointments are used on sores, insect bites, or to repel insects.
Essential oil can also be used on shingles (5 drops to 1 tsp. olive oil and gently massage into area). Note that the commercial lemon balm essential oil is difficult to find, and most are adulterated with lemon or lemongrass oils.
Infused oil is used warm to hot as a gentle massage oil for depression, tension, asthma, and bronchitis.
Juice can be applied to cuts and scrapes.
Lotions made from an infusion can be applied to cold sores.
** Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice.Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Many traditional uses and properties of herbs have not been validated by the FDA. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs. **
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| Lemon Balm |