I've spent many hours poring over Thomas Avery Garran’s materia medica books. In fact, his first book was one of the first herbal books that I bought when I started studying Chinese medicine! And as you’ll see in this episode, Thomas clearly loves plants and has wonderful insights into them, from their gifts and energetics to how to grow and harvest them.
I was surprised when Thomas chose motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) as his plant for the interview – I just didn't see it coming! But as you’ll see, it’s obvious how much he loves motherwort, and he shares so much about this wonderful plant’s gifts – including his recipe for Tension Relief Tincture.
By the way, if you are or know someone who suffers from PMS, this is one recipe you don’t want to miss! (You can find the link to the beautifully illustrated recipe card here.)
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► A lesser-known herbal preparation that can be made with motherwort
► How to recognize high-quality cut-and-dried motherwort
► Five tips for growing and harvesting your own motherwort
► The main health conditions for which motherwort’s gifts shine
► When you should (and shouldn’t) use motherwort
► Why Thomas is passionate about herb farming
► and so much more…
For those of you who don’t know him, Thomas Avery Garran has been studying plant medicine for over 30 years. He lived in China for sixteen years and received his PhD in Materia Medica studies and Plant Pharmacy at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, and was the first non-Chinese recipient of this degree. He has a master’s degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine and a certificate in herbal medicine from the American School of Herbalism. Thomas is the author of two books on the use of Western herbs in Chinese medicine; he is also the translator of the first book on growing and processing daodi Chinese herbs and the first men’s health book published in Chinese medicine in the mid 17th century. Thomas is also the co-translator of a free e-book on the initial response to the Covid outbreak by the Chinese medicine community in China. He is the executive director of the East West School of Herbology and president of Herb Whisperer, Inc. which focuses on agriculture of medicinal plants and education. Thomas now resides in Western Massachusetts where he and his wife are building an herbal sanctuary and educational center.
If you’d like to hear more from Thomas, which I highly recommend, then head to the show notes where you can get easy links for his website and social media channels. You can also find the transcript for this episode in the show notes and you can access your recipe card for Tension Relief Tincture at: https://bit.ly/4bstjU0.
I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today.
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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.
Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.
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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.
