Sharing the Love ... of Catnip

In our newsletter I talked about some of the many benefits of Catnip – that perennial herbal favorite of cats. But they aren't the only ones that love this perennial herb. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a member of the mint family. It's sometimes called catmint.

This pretty and prolific herb is filled with vitamins and minerals: Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Potassium, Selenium, with Calcium, Magnesium,Phosphorus, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin A and some Folate (B9), Niacin (B3), Silicon, Sodium, Sulfur,Thiamine (B1), Vitamins B5, B6, B12, C, and Zinc.

One of the wonderful things about catnip (among the many others) is that it is safe to use for all ages – children and adults. It can be used as infusions, teas, compresses, tinctures and just about anything!

If you are using this for people, I would recommend that you use fresh catnip or dried herbs from a reliable herbal source. Do not make a tea for yourself or your children with the catnip you buy for your kitties. That may be old or cut with something that won't hurt the fluff balls, but might not be great for you.

Here are a few of my favorite uses for catnip.

Cozy ZZZ's
This tea is lovely to sip before bedtime. Calming and soothing for digestion, your sleep will be cozy as a kitty curled up on a pillow.
1 teaspoon catnip
½ teaspoon chamomile
½ teaspoon lemon balm
pinch of peppermint
a little licorice root or honey
Pour 2 cups of water over the herbs. Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes than strain. Sip while warm.

Tummy Tamer Tea
½ to 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Very soothing.
1 teaspoon catnip
A little grated ginger
Steep in 2 cups boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes then strain. I like adding a spoon of honey as well.

Fussy Baby Tea
½ to 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Very soothing.
1 teaspoon catnip
Steep for 5 minutes in 3 to 4 cups of boiling water. Let cool absolutely completely. I would give this to my children when they were very little and had fussy tummies.

• Chew on a few fresh catnip leaves if you have a mild toothache. It'll help!
  

• Make a poultice or compress with catnip flowers and leaves. Works wonderfully for hot rashes.
  

• If mosquitoes are irking you this year, catnip essential oil has been shown to be more effective than DEET. That's why we add it to our new Bugger Off Spray. (Right now it's only available at fairs, but look for it on our websitehttp://www.chairde.com/ soon.)

I will freely admit that, if you live in a household with a cat that likes catnip (there are cats that don't like it the much), it can be challenging making a tea or poultice for people use. Releasing the fragrance of the herb is what attracts our feline friends. I usually put a little sprinkle on the floor for them. Makes things go a little easier.


This is presented as educational and information only. As with anything, be extremely cautious if you have allergies. Check with a doctor if you have medical conditions. Do your own research before trying any herbal remedies.

Skeeters and Sunburn and Gnats - Oh Ick!

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~ Russel Baker

I'm probably like many of you. I anxiously await the arrival of summer. It's an outdoor season to enjoy the sunlight, dig in the garden, play at the beach, barbeque and all those lovely outdoor fairs, festivals, and outdoor activities. In winter, summer is such a lovely vision on our mind. In reality - well, it's still lovely but it's sweatier and buggier and so much more fickle. Our visions forget things like 90+ degrees with humidity and attack mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are one of the worst annoyances of summer. They carry disease and the bites itch like all get out.

There are a few things you can do to help alleviate the mosquito mayhem:

• Make sure you've clear out all the standing water in your yard. Puddles, birdbaths, pots, watering cans, garden decor, rain barrels, around the sprinkler or faucet area - go on a treasure hunt to find those wet spots. If the water stands idle for more than a day or two, it can become home to a whole herd of mosquitoes. And it doesn't take much either. Just a few tablespoons worth of water sitting for more than 3 or 4 days makes a perfect nursery for mosquito larvae.
• Pick the best time to go outside. Mosquitoes seem to love the twilight (as do many people).
• Insect repellents with DEET work the best when your going to be exposed for an extended period of time. Our Dó Gréine Spray also works well for mosquitoes. It contains some Neem which really chases those little buggers away.
• Citronella candles are tricky. Mosquitoes stay away from the scent of citronella, but they are attracted to heat, movement and carbon dioxide. But essential oils like citronella, lemon eucalyptus and geranium work well, too.

The worst is when you get a mosquito bite on top of a sunburn. Super OW! Our Dó Gréine Spray is designed to help alleviate the pain of sunburn and to start the healing. It will also help stop the itchiness of the bite thanks to a base of skin loving apple cider vinegar. Although it does work fairly well for keeping mosquitoes away, it's not quite as good at keeping away gnats.

Gnats, No-see-ums, vinegar flies, midgies - these are just some of those pesky little flying things that are sooo annoying and frustrating in the summer. Some bite, some don't, almost all swarm and make you crazy. Although I love our Dó Gréine Spray for so many things, it's not always a good repellent for certain gnats because they are attracted to vinegar.

These minute mayhem monsters are attracted to rotting places - compost, old rotting fruits and vegetables, over watered pots, etc. So while you're hunting around for wet spots for mosquitoes, check the rotty places for gnat type bug breeding grounds. Let these areas dry out well. I'm not a big proponent of pesticides. Instead, try sprinkling a little Neem oil in the area.

With a little common sense and some search and destroy missions, you should be able to like your summer more, and suffer a little less.

Time to be on Skeeter Watch

At last the sun arrives! Here in New Jersey we've seen a rather endless stream of rainy, misty, stormy gray days. At last the sun was shining this weekend and it seems everyone went charging out to the gardens and barbecues. And I was right along with them.

As I was straightening and trimming and weeding, I realized that all of this rain has left many things damp and still puddley. There was some water in the bottom of one of the buckets and a few empty flower pots. A small puddle had also formed on the cover of my wood pile. Before I played in the dirt, I had to clean up the water before those pesky mosquitoes had a chance.

You see, in my youth I worked for the Middlesex County Mosquito Commission. It wasn't my favorite job in my life, but it did teach me a lot.

Those annoying summer bugs are fast and furious breeders. Even the smallest driblets of standing water can become their nurseries. To help keep your summer evening mosquito free, take some time to patrol your yard and empty out any area of standing water. Rain barrels, bird baths, dishes under pots can all be breeding grounds. Empty them out as often as possible.

Look for wet spots on the ground where the water is standing. Fill it in with dirt, splash it out, or spray with lemon dish detergent.

Be creative in looking for the watery areas. The more you dry out, the less likely you'll be attacked.

There are lots of products on the market to spray or fumigate, but those can be rather toxic. For me, it's the water hunt to make mosquitoes unhappy to live here.

Now - let the summer roll on!