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Måndag 12/3: Deadline delprov 2

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5/3: Avstämning med gruppen. Vi går igenom samtligas senaste prototyper. Jag presenterar min uppdaterade "sökprototyp" som nu har en startsida. Feedbacken är bra, ska se över några saker på startsidan.

Vi jobbar nu vidare individuellt inför inlämningen.

7/3:  Funderar över hur jag ska presentera mitt arbete i inlämningen. Funderar över att jag inte har sparat prototyperna under tiden som jag utvecklat. De första versionerna finns således inte kvar. Tog en printscreen på en utav förändringarna jag gjorde men de resterande får jag helt enkelt försöka förklara på ett visuellt sätt. Kanske kan jag försöka skissa på hur dom såg ut.

9/3: Gör klart prototyper

11/3: Sammanställer det som ska redovisas.

12/3: Spelar in, sätter ihop och lämnar in!

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- Läkande växter.

- Inspirerad av koncept 1: hitta platser för att köpa fröer och event.

- Kunskap: Information om växterna och deras egenskaper. Ursprung?

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26/2 Jag utvecklar prototyperna för att mina testpersoner ska kunna integrera med prototyperna mer:
Prototyp 1: Lägger till platsinformation och vägbeskrivning.
Prototyp 2: Flyttar om i innehållet samt lägger till sidor för att hitta växter.

Börjar skriva på mina frågor till min testperson. Tycker det är lite svårt att komma på frågor som kan ge värdefulla svar, men utan att göra det för svårt.

27/2 Avstämning med gruppen. Vi går igenom varandras studieunderlag. Jag har tyvärr inte hunnit klart med mitt men jag kommenterar de andras. Jag jobbar sedan vidare med mina egna och de blir klara under dagen.

27/2 - 2/3: Jennie svarar på min dagboksstudie och jag svarar på Therese.

4/3: Malin testar prototypen. Jag insåg här att jag behöver jobba mer på min roll i denna typen av metod. Att inte bli för involverad och riskera att påverka användarens uppfattning men samtidigt kunna observera och förstå användaren i viktiga delar.

Jobbar med startsidan som jag tänkt presentera i den gemensamma padleten imorgon

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Dagboksstudien

Testar på gruppmedlemmen Jennie.

Tre enkäter med sammanlagt 15 frågor (fördelat 7, 4 ,4)

Undersöker användarens mobilvanor och uppfattning av prototypernna.

Resultat (se nedan):

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Experience prototyping

Testar på Malin

Testa prototypen i bruksmiljö: Utomhus, med packning.

Filma förloppet för att kunna analysera allt material.

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19/2: Färdig med prototyp 1.

20/2: Jobbar med prototyp 2

21/2 Avstämning med gruppen. Vi kollar på varandras andra prototyp samt de förändringar som har gjorts på den första. Feedbacken på mina prototyper var att det räcker med en sökfunktion och att på prototyp 2 kan egenskaper stå på första sidan samt att hjärt-ikonen borde inte användas för egenskaper. Annars var feedbacken bra, positiva till utseendet. Jag tar åt mig kritiken och jobbar vidare.

23/2: Avstämning med gruppen. Vi går igenom de olika studiemetoderna lite lätt. Medlemmarna bestämmer vilka metoder de tänker använda sig av och vi bestämmer testpersoner.

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Anteckningar:

Startsida: Varför läkande växter? Mer informativ startsida

Tillbaka-knappen svår att nå med en hand

Lite gullig grön färg ”jag tänker mer att appen handlar om karameller”

Söka på vilken växt som helst och få info: ”denna växt har inga dokumenterade läkande effekter”

Recept, hur den ska tillredas/ätas, tips

Länk till att hitta platser på ”Hitta”

Lägga in efterlysning efter växt

Förslag i rullista när man söker, att den rättar

Filter direkt efter sök?

Filter på kartan

Tydligare vägbeskrivning kanske

Kan kartan visa platser på kartan var växter som finns vilt?

Mer info: Kommentarer från andra användare, mer info om vad dom har. ”Erbjuder kurser”

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Första versionen: 19/2
Sök, karta med platser, tillbaka
Feedback: Behövs två sökalternativ? Det räcker kanske med ett och att det är möjligt att söka både på plats och växt.

Andra versionen: 26/2
Visar information om platsen samt vägbeskrivning.
Feedback: Se studieresultat.

Tredje versionen: 5/3
Lägger till en startsida och inloggning. Frågar gruppen om vad de tycker om filtreringen; borde den  finnas vid söksidan?
Feedback: Bra. Filtrering på söksidan verkar vara en bra idé.

Fjärde versionen: 9/3
Lägger till filter vid sökfunktionen

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Första versionen: 21/2
Sök på växt, få upp sida med information. Länkar till "egenskaper" och "hitta".
Feedback: Egenskaper kan stå direkt på sidan, annan ikon för egenskaper.

Andra versionen: 26/2
Ändrat ikoner och placering av egenskaper efter feedbacken. Utvecklat "hitta" med länkar till "hitta i det vilda" och "annonser".
Feedback: Se studieresultat.

Tredje versionen: /3
Länkar med ikoner till "hitta" och recept.

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Utvecklas efter gruppens sista avstämning.

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Experience prototyping (Bucheneu & Fulton Suri, 2000) fokuserar på att framhäva upplevelseaspekterna i användning av en produkt eller ett system. En experience prototype är en representation utformad för att kommunicera och erbjuda utforskning av en subjektiv användningsupplevelse genom att aktivt interagera med prototypen. Att kunna hålla i, känna på eller prova en prototyp ökar möjligheterna för alla att ha viktiga synpunkter på idén.

Bucheneu & Fulton Suri (2000) ger en definition, som är ganska avgränsande men ändå tillåtande:

” (…) an operational definition we can say an Experience Prototype is any kind of representation, in any medium, that is designed to understand, explore or communicate what it might be like to engage with the product, space or system we are designing. " (Bucheneu & Fulton Suri, 2000, s. 425)

En attityd snarare än en uppsättning tekniker. Tanken är att använda prototyper för att förstå existerande användningsupplevelser och brukskontexter (sammanhang), utforska och utvärdera designidéer samt kommunicera idéer till en publik (exempelvis intressenter).

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Fem läkande växter du kan odla hemma - Steg för Hälsa

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Det spelar ingen roll om du bor i ett litet hus. Möjligheten att odla sina egna läkande växter hemma är alltid värd att utnyttja.

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As a culture we prize all things brightly illuminated. We cherish the summer and grow bitter in the cold. We electrify our homes to be
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I remember, very clearly, the day I first realized I could eat grass. Another neighborhood kid let me in on the secret. Apparently, there
Continue reading
Real magic takes time... and a lot of it. Like crystals growing in the deep, the biggest miracles often form far beneath the surface,
Continue reading

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As a culture we prize all things brightly illuminated. We cherish the summer and grow bitter in the cold. We electrify our homes to be Continue reading I remember, very clearly, the day I first realized I could eat grass. Another neighborhood kid let me in on the secret.

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Feverfew

Use the leaves and flowers of this medicinal herb for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain (including migraines). It's also been shown to provide relief for arthritis, and skin conditions.

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Thyme

The active principle in thyme, thymol, is a strong antiseptic. If you suffer from coughs, congestion, indigestion, or gas, consider using this medicinal herb.

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14 Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow | Reader's Digest

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Use the leaves and flowers of this medicinal herb for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain (including migraines). It's also been shown to provide relief for arthritis, and skin conditions. Content continues below ad Content continues below ad Content continues below ad The active principle in thyme, thymol, is a strong antiseptic.

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A bee sting welcomed Ash Sierra into folk medicine when she was 9 years old. That, and the plantain leaf that eased its pain. On a Monday in May, Ash, now a practicing herbalist outside Weaverville, guides me through garden beds and down a wooded trail at her homestead. We are in search of medicinal plants. Thanks to the biodiversity hotspot that is the Southern Appalachians, the options are endless.

Soothing babbles from a nearby stream follow our steps, as does a feline companion. Ash pauses periodically to identify chickweed, cleavers, sochan, and Solomon's seal, all freshly doused by the previous day's downpour. The sweet scent of pineapple weed lingers in the air.

Before I know it, I'm swept away by my senses. I'm touching, smelling and tasting - and it's invigorating. Historically, this is the way most people learned about nature and its healing powers - through physical, tactile interaction.

But today, you might be more likely to first encounter herbal medicine on Instagram, one of most popular social media apps in the world.

The social media stars of Western North Carolina aren't your run-of-the-mill celebrities or costumed pets. They are creative movers and shakers. It's no surprise, really, when Asheville's running joke is "you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an artist, a busker, a massage therapist, a you-fill-in-the-blank." The point is, there are a lot of people doing something here, and most are doing it online too. Yes, even the traditional skills folks.

Perhaps you're familiar with Tara Jensen of Smoke Signals Bakery fame. Or Melissa Weiss' striking pottery formed from "wild clay." How about the design studio Shelter Collective? They, and others featured on the contributor driven Instagram account Asheville Folk are the faces and curators of Asheville's young 'makers' scene.

While hashtags might be the furthest thing away from, say, a living, photosynthesizing purple coneflower, there's no doubt that a vibrant community of herbalists and wildcrafters, folks who gather herbs, flowers and mushrooms from where they grow naturally, has claimed the virtual space of Instagram as their own.

Ash, who operates Ritual Botanica, boasts nearly 5,000 Instagram followers. Her posts chronicle her daily activities, from tarot card readings and astrological musings, to hydrosol distillation and root harvesting. If you scroll through Ash's feed, it feels genuine and welcoming - far from the marketing ploys common to many natural product businesses. She's not peddling products, simply inviting the curious to observe her process.

Her followers seem to agree. Many regularly interact with her posts to inquire about equipment or share a personal experience with an essential oil. And Ash, like an old friend, responds.

She consciously crafts engaging captions for each photo, including a surprising amount of detail in each 2,200 character text box.

"People love information and connection!" says Ash. "Posts that have stories or information seem to get more interaction from your community, which is what I seek on Instagram."

I certainly fall among those ranks. A mini-botany lesson to accompany my otherwise mindless "double-tapping"? Count me in.

Perhaps most compelling are the pictures of the real standouts - the herbs. The descriptions read like a trusty field guide, noting medicinal uses, harvest times, and physical characteristics.

"If it's a plant that's easy to ID, or grows abundantly in yards, I'll try to get a good photo and point out key attributes, encouraging people to try and identify one in their own backyard," Ash explains.

It's all about spreading the plant love.

Asia Suler of One Willow Apothecaries is even more "Instafamous" with a whopping 18,000+ followers. As an instructor for the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine - one of the field's preeminent training institutions -- she's pioneering a new frontier in herbalism. After more than two years of preparation, the school launched its Online Herbal Immersion Program this spring.

As I speak with Asia at her Marshall studio, a beautifully converted school building dappled with the day's last light, she enthusiastically describes the vision behind the Online Herbal Immersion Program:

"We were interested in bringing an in-depth, plant-based approach to herbalism to a larger audience. Intensive programs are becoming fewer and fewer in the U.S., and unlike with an in-person class, all of that material - those magic moments of teaching - is accessible and shareable with countless people for many years to come!"

And the audience is certainly there. Over 1,000 students - from more than a dozen countries, no less - enrolled in the program within the first month it was offered.

Intrigued, I participated in the school's free module, a mini-course entitled "Handcrafted Herbalism: Foraging, Botany, Medicine Making," to experience online herbalism for myself.

A tour of plant body parts - complete with hand motions to aid in memorization - and an overview of herbal vinegars, teas, and tinctures demonstrates a clear commitment to helping students integrate plants into their daily lives.

Thoughtful description, gorgeous imagery, and a healthy dose of humor and enthusiasm only leave me feeling more connected to the herbs I see on my screen. And I'm already dreaming of what might make an appearance in my home garden - or medicine cabinet - next season.

While both Ash and Asia acknowledge that hands on training is invaluable - after all, they attended intensive training at the Blue Ridge School and Chestnut School, respectively - they're quick to emphasize the benefits of exchanging knowledge online.

Convenience is one obvious selling point. Formal training or apprenticeship at nationally-recognized institutions isn't accessible to everyone, whether due to geographic, financial, or temporal constraints. A commitment to in-person study often requires uprooting one's life. But there are other virtues of web-based learning. Instagram, for instance, can become an ever-evolving plant guide. Search for the hashtag "dandelion" and you immediately have access to hundreds of thousands of pictures from various angles to aid in identification - not to mention, a community of fellow herb enthusiasts to consult.

Online repositories of information also enable a slower, more intentional manner of learning. Asia remembers the challenge of absorbing the vast amount of information she encountered during her 7-hour classes at Chestnut. Alternatively, Internet study lends itself well to self-pacing, or "digesting in nibbles, like gathering small handfuls of chickweed and violet leaves every day for your salad."

But above all, social media can act as the catalyst to get newcomers outside, learning and growing. Ash views Instagram as simply another tool to spread ideas that will eventually be put into practice.

She says, "While we're losing some of the physical connection to our phone and laptops, were gaining more global connection via social media. Photos make these activities more attainable and bring new ideas to the viewer. When you can see that a person is creating something, not a factory, it places a little spark in the mind that maybe you can do it too. 'Old World' has been pushed out with all the new technology, [but] now it's using the platforms to regain popularity."

With a constant influx of new content, Instagram also functions to keep creatives from growing weary. "There are so many people on that little app that I love. People whose accounts enrich my life, inspire new visions, and ennoble me to be braver, kinder more open to sharing tenderness & insight," Asia adds. "No matter how 'big' or 'small' you are, your photo, your words, your thoughts have an equal voice in this gallery we create together."

It wouldn't be too far of a jump, then, to suggest that the Internet has bonded the herbal community in recent years.

But what about the downfalls of these pixelated portals into the world of herbalism?

Like most of us, even herbalists struggle with spending too much time online. "As an herbalist most people assume I spend most of my day out of doors. But the reality is that it is more typical for me to be working upwards of 10-12 hour days on the computer!" Asia concedes.

"But this is why I enjoy Instagram. I can scroll a bit when I need a breather but can't actually step away from the computer. Each image is like a small bit of toffee, sweet inspiration that I can take wee nips of throughout my day."

There's also a dangerous tendency towards unhealthy comparison. When virtually surrounded by the perfectly curated lives of others, it can require superhuman effort to avoid spiraling into a fit of jealousy. To combat this pressure, Asia has come to view Instagram as a "sacred mirror" of sorts.

"It's easy to be absolutely blown away by the beauty, elegant, voluptuousness or excitement of someone else's life, but it can be so much harder to turn that same adoring gaze on your own existence, your own self. I think the greatest lesson Instagram has to offer is how to be in awe of those you follow, and to see and understand that you deserve such awe as well," she says.

And without caution, the platform can slowly become one's entire identity. Asia emphasizes the importance of maintaining a separate sense of self from her business and its online presence. Daily, she must navigate a tricky boundary between inciting wonder amongst her community of followers, while simultaneously protecting her privacy.

But clearly, the main fault with studying herbal medicine online is the absence of plants. Arguably, it's impossible to develop a complex relationship with herbs without perceiving them in person.

Michael Pollan makes a similar observation about modern food culture in his latest book Cooked:

"There are now millions of people who spend more time watching food being cooked on television than they spend actually cooking it themselves. I don't need to point out that the food you watch being cooked on television is not food you get to eat."

Call it a voyeuristic conundrum, if you will.

If you happened to attend Photo + Craft in Asheville this spring, you likely heard Namita Gupta Wiggers' thoughts on the matter. The director of Critical Craft Forum begged a question of the audience: "Can an image implant experience without memory or tactility?"

It's an important one to ponder.

In Ash's words, virtual learning often prevents an understanding of "the minutiae, the whys and hows, the energetics and combinations - the stuff that makes it really fun."

But the craft community has certainly latched tightly onto online means of expression. One reason, as Wiggers also points out, may be that Instagram - and other platforms - acts as a currency. Especially for those involved in the "makers' movement," overt marketing would compromise a sense of authenticity. Thus, the craftsperson turns to social media to gain access to special events and workshops or to seek future speaking engagements.

In creative industries, the business model is not only contingent on selling product; it relies heavily on language that describes process and images that convey a particular lifestyle. And Instagram grants unparalleled agency for self-representation.

There's no coincidence that herbalists are masters of the platform. "The people partaking in traditional practices and crafts typically have a great canvas to work with; plants, fibers, ceramics and foods are full of texture and color, patterns and depth," Ash explains.

I ask Asia why there's such an attraction to visual depictions of traditional practices.

She says, "I think it stokes the fire of our blood memory. There is an ancient part of us that remembers what it is to stir grain mash or harvest plants with our hands. As a culture we are realizing that to hand-make one's life isn't just a privilege, it is an act of creation as old as humankind. There is an aspect of our beings that ache to be reunited with the ritual acts of tending one's lives."

Can Instagram be the key to that revival?

There's little use in labeling social media as either imperative or threatening to modern herbalism. As Asia maintains, "Herbs will heal no matter what. But when we have relationships to the medicine, we become so much more skillful conduits of healing."

So here's to letting those hashtags lead you away from the screen from time to time. The plants of Western North Carolina await your arrival.

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A bee sting welcomed Ash Sierra into folk medicine when she was 9 years old. That, and the plantain leaf that eased its pain. On a Monday in May, Ash, now a practicing herbalist outside Weaverville, guides me through garden beds and down a wooded trail at her homestead.

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This month's Garden Spotlight features three Vermont garden leaders who have (at least) one thing in common: they all intentionally incorporate medicinal plants and their uses into their community-based gardens and educational programming. Here's a little snapshot of each of these leaders and the garden programs they steward.

Joann Darling is a Food Justice educator for the Barre-based group, Good Food Good Medicine. She works with gardeners at two affordable housing sites in Barre to bring a sense of empowerment through hands-on learning. Joann is passionate about teaching real life skills such as grow one's own food, cooking with that food and using culinary herbs as medicine. Good Food Good Medicine provides services, free of charge, through adult and children's programing.

Carolina Lukac is VCGN's Garden Education Manager. She leads groups of young children, adults, and seniors in garden-inspired activities at community-based gardens around Burlington. Carolina is also the instructor for the Community Teaching Garden, a 22-week long, hands-on organic gardening class for adults.

Kristen Blaker is the Director of Education at The Hiland Hall Gardens (HHG) in Bennington. She works with preschoolers through adults to create a place where cucumbers grow and community blossoms in the beautiful surroundings of the gardens. More than 200 students enjoy classes at HHG on gardening and healthy eating as part of their school day.

What can we learn from these seasoned garden leaders about the use of medicinal plants in community-based garden programs? Read below for their nuggets of wisdom and favorite resources.

What do you see as the value of using medicinal plants in your community-based garden and how do you incorporate them into your program?

Joann: Made clear through their program name "Good Food Good Medicine," Joann and her fellow educators believe in food as medicine. As Joann sees it, "Medicinal plants and culinary plants go hand-in-hand." The group cultivates commonplace kitchen herbs such as chives, garlic, basil, and mint not just for their flavor but also to teach about their medicinal value. Joann explains, "These flavorful plants surprise and inspire; especially the kids." Residents of all ages are growing, harvesting and tasting herbs, and as a result, "they get connected with that flavor," says Joann.

Good Food Good Medicine is also driven by the belief in putting the power of wellness into people's own hands. For example, the program teaches how a plant as simple, abundant and available as dandelions can be woven into meals and medicine-used in salads, vinaigrettes, teas, medicinal vinegars and more. Program participants learn how dandelions can clean out a sluggish digestive system, how to harvest flowers and greens in the spring and roots in the fall, and how to make food and medicine that tastes good and feels good.

Carolina: "Broadening people's perception of what can grow in a garden and how gardens can provide not just food, but medicine" drives Carolina's inclusion of medicinal flowers and herbs in her adult teaching garden. "It gives people more options to see what really inspires them. I find that sometimes students who are less interested in vegetable gardening really get enamored by flowers and herbs."

In class, Carolina uses medicinal plants for teaching about flower botany, plant propagation of perennials, and how to use plants for healing properties. "In middle of the season, when vegetables are growing on their own, it gives the class something else to do and learn about." In the Burlington area many gardeners need to learn how to grow in small spaces. Carolina also sees growing medicinal plants, particularly perennials, as a great route for her students who have limited space for growing where they live. She says, "Many of these plants are easy to grow and you get a lot out of a single plant."

Kristen: "Our emphasis with the herbs in our garden is to use them to benefit people in our community," explains Kristen. This past year, program participants grew lavender and sage that were used to create aromatherapy wreaths and sachets. Students at the Village School of North Bennington collaboratively dried, arranged, assembled, and presented these gifts to the various organizations at a school-wide assembly, including residents of The Vermont Veteran's Home and families working with Project Against Violent Encounters in Bennington. The students also created catnip toys to give cats at Second Chance Animal Shelter.

What are your favorite medicinal plants to use in your community-based garden program?
Joann:

Mint - Great all-purpose plant. Program participants make simple teas and honey infusions with mint. Kids get very excited about it! Word of caution: be careful where you put it-it'll take over! Give mint space on the edges to go wild.

Chives - Known for its anti-microbial properties, chives come back every year, and the flowers are beautiful in salads and vinegars.

Bee Balm - Blossoms have milder flavor than stems and leaves and make tasty vinegar and tea. Or infuse with honey-everybody likes it. Also attracts hummingbirds!

*Joann really loves all perennials! "These are strong plants that are easy to share and cultivate."
Carolina:

Calendula - Easy to grow, self-seeding annual. Students eat the petals or use them to make oil and hand salve for sore garden hands. Kid-friendly!

Lemon Balm - Easy to grow and abundant -"One plant will give you tea for the season!" Leaves provide a lemony, refreshing flavor for summer time.

Echinacea - Easy to grow and beautiful! In addition to its immune boosting properties, you can also teach about pollinators and native varieties.

*Additionally, the wild plants that surround the borders of the teaching garden-nettles, motherwort, St. John's Wort, and clover-are all great medicinal teaching tools!
Kristen:

Calendula - An amazing plant for its skin healing properties. Program participants have used the oil in the flowers to create soothing skin creams and salves.

Lavender & Sage - Great for creating a calming and cleansing environment. Students dry cuttings of the plants upside down and use them to create aromatherapy sachets and wreathes, adding a few drops of lavender and sage essential oils to strengthen the healing effects.

Any favorite recipes or uses for medicinal plants?

Joann: Beyond the food their group enjoys through shared meals, they focus on making products that participants can take home or give as gifts-fun to share and inexpensive to make. Favorites include lip balm made with calendula or lavender, vinegar infused with purple basil with chives (beautiful!), and herbal blends (teas or culinary mixes) to make from dried herbs around Christmas time.

Carolina: Carolina focuses on recipes that are simple to make and useful to students, such as teas-a good introduction for getting familiar with herbs; products to put on summer skin-skin or hand cream, massage oils; and tinctures-easy to make with dried or fresh plant material.

Kristen: For Kristen's favorite recipes for infusing calendula oil and making a healing skin salve, go to Mountain Rose Herbs: https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/healing-calendula.

What advice would you give to gardeners or educators who want to incorporate medicinal plants into their garden/ garden program, but know nothing or very little about medicinal plants and their uses?

Joann: "You've got to make it palatable-it's got to be fun! Also, take the time to get to know your plants-what conditions it likes. And for safety-sake, put plants in that are known culinary-medicinal cross-overs-parsley, cilantro, basil, etc. Don't include anything that could have adverse effects for people." Joann also encourages seed saving with plants like parsley-"Let one plant go to seed and collect your own seeds to plant next year."

Carolina: "Start with a few plants and really get to know them through the season; then explore their medicinal properties. You will benefit from spending a little more time with each plant." Carolina explains that this builds trust in the powerful healing properties of these plants and trust in oneself to make your own products out of medicinal herbs. One fun idea: "Consider starting with a tea garden - growing herbs that are easy and tasty in tea."

Kristen: "I would begin with focusing on aromatherapy. There are many herbs that can be dried for their healing scent and adding a few drops of essential oils are a great way to accentuate it. I love using lavender specifically, but if you would like more ideas check out this webpage: http://www.dreamingearth.com/blog/plant-your-own-aromatherapy-garden/."

What are your favorite resources for planting, growing, and/or using medicinal plants in the community-based garden setting?
Favorite books:

Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide, by Rosemary Gladstar-all program participants get a copy (Joann)

The Green Pharmacy Guide, by James A. Duke - for more on healing foods (Joann)

A Kid's Herb Book: For Children of All Ages, by Lesley Tierra - fun and easy to read, for all ages (Carolina)

Herbal Remedies for Children, by Sarah Kent - has tons of great ideas to incorporate into easy herbal projects for any age (Kristen)

Favorite tools:

Pair of small tipped clippers (Joann)

Tightly woven baskets for collecting, that can be rinsed out and also used for drying (Joann)

Foldable wooden drying rack; can hang bundled herbs or lay old screens across for loose herbs (Joann)

Screens used as drying racks (Carolina)

Favorite online resources:

What can people do now (in early to mid-June) to get started on incorporating medicinal plants into their community-based gardens?

Joann: Seed and keep seeding herbs like basil, dill, and cilantro now and throughout the season. As the weather warms up start tender seeds under towering plants, like kale for a cool, protective environment.

Carolina: "Just as much attention as you're putting into what to get started in June, keep your eyes on what you are going to do with the harvest, and how are you going to process it. When gardeners are collecting mason jars for pickling, you need to be thinking about, 'How am I going to dry all these herbs?' or 'What am I going to make with them?'" Harvesting and processing herbs takes time-leave time and plan well!

Kristen: "It is still early enough to put in an herb garden if you purchase seedlings from your local garden center. I would recommend starting with easy to grow herbs with big benefits, such as calendula, basil, oregano, lavender, and sage. You can also simplify it a bit by growing your herbs in pots, as they do tend to spread and can take over other areas of your garden."

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Growing Wellness: Plants for medicinal use in garden education programs

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By Libby Weiland, Statewide Network Coordinator This month's Garden Spotlight features three Vermont garden leaders who have (at least) one thing in common: they all intentionally incorporate medicinal plants and their uses into their community-based gardens and educational programming. Here's a little snapshot of each of these leaders and the garden programs they steward.

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Medicinal plants grown in your own gardens can reduce your dependence on drugs, if not completely eliminate them. But growing random herbs with medicinal properties doesn't help.

It is a common myth that all herbal preparations are safe by virtue of being natural. This is far from true. A typical example is foxglove or Digitalis purpurea. It has a positive effect on heart function, with the cardiac drug digitalin extracted from the plant. However, ingesting any part of the plant can induce nausea and vomiting, and can even lead to total collapse from digitalis intoxication and death.

Accessibility is another issue, as in the case of rosy periwinkle Catharanthus roseus/Vinca rosea from which anticancer drugs vinblastine and vincristine are obtained. You don't benefit from growing this plant unless you are an experienced herbalist who can put it to good use. Otherwise, it will just remain a display specimen in your garden. You need to grow plants whose goodness you can access through simple preparations such as teas and infusions, poultices and powders.

Some medicinal plants are to be used for treating specific ailments, while others have a generalized positive effect on our health when used regularly. Many herbs belonging to the latter group have found their way into our culinary scene as flavoring agents. Your medicinal garden should ideally have such plants that have practical uses for the common man besides being easy to grow.

Here's a practical guide to a few of the accessible herbs that have stood the test of time:

1.Aloe vera

is well known as a skin-friendly plant. It is one medicinal plant people really make use of, since it is generally safe and requires no processing before use. It is a must-have in every garden whether you grow it in pots or in the ground.

plants grow well in a sunny location in warmer areas where there is not much danger of killer frosts. Being a succulent, this drought resistant plant requires very little care and thrives in poor soil. It suckers freely, so you can start with just one or two plants sourced from a reliable supplier. There are several aloes around; not all of them are edible or have the medicinal properties attributed to .

The jelly-like, colorless pulp of mature leaves can be applied to minor cuts and burns and to dry, inflamed, or damaged skin due to eczema or other skin conditions. It is an excellent moisturizer with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial effect. The leaf pulp can be eaten too. Regular use can prevent constipation and relieve other digestive problems, including ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Recommended Reading: 10 Reasons Every Home Should Have An Aloe Vera Plant

This natural hybrid of spearmint and watermint is widely use in dental hygiene products, mouth fresheners, soothing balms and candies. Quite possibly the oldest medicinal herb to be used by man, there's evidence that peppermint has been used for thousands of years. Grow it in a part of the garden where the plants are assured of water and give it plenty of room to spread.

Sip a tea made of a handful of peppermint leaves to calm stomach upsets and relieve pain and discomfort due to gas. Carry a few sprigs of peppermint when you travel. Sniffing on it every now and then will prevent nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness.

The active ingredient menthol found in abundance in peppermint, as well as in many other aromatic members of the mint family, has a cooling effect on the skin. Make a poultice of the leaves and apply it on the skin to relieve itching and burning resulting from skin allergies and inflammatory conditions. It has mild analgesic action, and relieves headaches and muscle cramps.

This perennial herb with tiny, aromatic leaves is a great addition to any medicinal herb collection. Thyme is easy to grow in a sunny location and thrives between rocks and boulders, braving summer heat and winter freezes. The characteristic scent of thyme comes from the volatile oil containing thymol, which gets released at the slightest touch. Many herbs contain this powerful antiseptic phenolic compound, but thyme oil has more than 50% thymol content.

Use an infusion of thyme as a gargle to get rid of bad breath and mouth sores. It can help with tonsillitis and laryngitis. Crushed fresh thyme applied on the neck is said to reduce throat infections. Inhaling the vapors reduces nervous exhaustion.

The most important use of thyme is to treat respiratory tract infections. Thyme extract is taken orally to relieve bronchitis, chest congestion, asthma, and whooping cough. A teaspoonful of thyme extract mixed with equal amount of honey can be given in divided doses to young children.

Rosemary is more of a woody shrub, but it deserves a place in every herb garden for its medicinal and culinary uses. Although it doesn't look anything like other mint plants, it belongs to the same plant family. From the suffix officinalis , it is clear that rosemary has been counted as a medicinal plant from long ago, but in our medicinal garden, it is to be used for general health and wellbeing, rather than for specific problems.

Long known as the herb of remembrance, the claim that rosemary enhances memory has had a boost from recent research findings. The carnosic acid in the herb has been shown to prevent brain damage and neurodegeneration of the hippocampus induced by beta-amyloid peptides. These peptides are implicated in Alzheimer's disease. In separate studies Rosemary oil has been found to improve cognitive function and reduce brain aging. Its potential in cancer treatment also has been promising.

Grow Rosemary in a pot or plant several in a line to form an aromatic hedge in the garden. Use the leaves regularly in cooking and herbal teas to derive maximum benefit.

Recommended Reading: 21 Magical Uses & Benefits For Rosemary Essential Oil

No medicine chest is complete without chamomile flower heads. They can be made into a soothing tea that can calm a troubled mind as well as a colicky baby. Its widespread use across many cultures and for many ailments is proof enough for its safety and effectiveness.

There's more than one type of chamomile, but the one we want is the Roman chamomile Chamaemelum nobile. This hairy plant has finely divided leaves and white daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers, but that description doesn't help much in telling it apart from German chamomile. That's why scientific names are important for identifying medicinal plants.

When you grow chamomile, you can make a tea from fresh flower heads or dry them for later use. Take a handful of flowers in a bowl and pour boiling hot water over them. Allow to steep for 15-20 minutes and drain. Have a cup of this soothing brew when you feel anxious or unsettled, or before bedtime in case you have difficulty falling asleep.

A tablespoonful or two should calm babies and young children having colicky pain or stomach upsets. Use it as gargle to relieve mouth ulcers. Bathe the skin affected with eczema several times a day with cooled chamomile tea.

Recommended Reading: 14 Reasons You Should Have A Cup Of Chamomile Tea Right Now

Pot marigold with its yellow and orange flowers is a delightful addition to any garden. Not very finicky about soil fertility or pH, it can be grown easily from seeds and can be treated as an annual or perennial depending on your growing zone.

The edible flowers can be used to treat almost any problem related to skin. Use a poultice of the petals to relieve sunburn and to clear up acne and blemishes on the skin. Use it as an antiseptic on cuts and bruises. It stops bleeding and reduces inflammation when applied on nicks and cuts. Many skin ointments contain pot marigold extract as the active ingredient.

A tea made of the flowers is taken to get relief from varicose veins and to ease digestive problems.

Plants of the aalvia family have a long history of being used medicinally, as is evident from their family name. Salvia officinalis is the common sage that has slightly thick and elongated grey green leaves used in cooking, and for good reason. It can improve appetite and prevent flatulence.

This plant has a hormone regulatory effect on women. A tea of the leaves can relieve dysmenorrhea and symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome and menopause. Inhaling an infusion of sage gives relief to respiratory problems, including asthma. It reduces excessive sweating and salivation too. Sage is neuroprotective, and is used to treat Alzheimer's, dementia, and depression.

This herb is worth growing for the delightful fragrance of its tiny flowers alone, but it can be used therapeutically as a pick-me-up. Inhaling the fragrance of the flowers is sufficient to get relief from headache and depression. The essential oil extracted from the flowers has an important place in aromatherapy.

Add a handful of lavender flowers to the bathwater or place pouches of dried flowers under the pillow to get relaxed sleep. Make the best of the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of lavender by infusing the flowers in water and using it to wash face and damaged skin. It can clear acne and accelerate wound healing.

Recommended Reading: 20 Magical Ways To Use Your Bottle Of Lavender Oil

The purple coneflower Echinacea is a stalwart in the native North American herbal medicine. It has an immunostimulatory action that enables the body to fight bacterial and viral infections. Commercial Echinacea products are in great demand during the flu season. Regular users swear by their efficacy as vehemently as conventional medical practitioners try to discredit them.

Native Americans used the roots to treat wounds, insect bites, burns, and even snake bites. Now flower buds are more commonly used as a cold and flu remedy. Of the many different purple coneflowers native to North America, and E. angustifolia are the two most favored species. You can grow either of them in a sunny location in your garden. These biennial plants flower only in the second season.

Use fresh flower buds to make an infusion to prevent and treat cold and flu. A tincture made with alcohol is considered more potent. It involves steeping the flower buds or roots, or both, in pure, concentrated alcohol for 4-6 weeks, and then filtering out the liquid.

Recommended Reading: 16 Reasons To Have A Cup Of Echinacea Tea This Winter

This is another vigorously growing herbaceous plant that has a weed status today in most places. However, the roots and leaves of comfrey are traditionally used to treat ligament injuries and broken bones, earning it common names like boneset and knit bone. Other uses of the leaf and root poultice include relief from arthritic pain and varicose vein ulcers.

Although comfrey extract has a history of being used internally to treat excess menstrual flow, gastrointestinal problems and stomach ulcers, only topical application is recommended today. The allantoin in the plant can aid tissue repair and regeneration. Gargling with an infusion of comfrey leaves helps relieve sore throat and gum disease.

This plant is considered a weed, but it has several medicinal properties including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing ability. The fresh leaves are mashed and applied as a poultice to wounds, insect bites and skin sores for pain relief and to promote healing. The allantoin in the plant is a cell growth promoter. Another bioactive compound aucubin is a mild antibiotic, and the high mucilage content soothes the injured skin and relieves pain.

A tea brewed from fresh leaves is astringent, and helps control diarrhea. The leaves are eaten by people suffering from gout since aucubin increases uric acid excretion by the kidneys.

Read Next: How To Make a Plantain Salve

This tall plant growing up to 2 feet high stands out anywhere it grows. But if you offer it a place in your medicinal garden, you can harvest the leaves and the flowers. They have been used for over 2,000 years to treat respiratory tract problems.

Mullein tea made with leaves or flowers is an excellent expectorant. It is used to relieve cough associated with bronchitis and consumption. The mucilage in the plant helps loosen the phlegm and the saponins help flush them out. When the infection has affected the lungs, mullein leaves are rolled up and smoked to relieve chest congestion.

The roots are used to treat skin infections, including warts and athlete's foot. Powder the dried roots and apply it on the affected area several times a day. Mullein flower tea is also effective in treating warts.

Note: All herbs should be used with caution because they contain powerful bioactive compounds. Start with small quantities initially to test your tolerance. Watch out for allergic reactions. People who have ragweed allergy may have similar reactions to medicinal plants belonging to that family.

When you feel good with a recommended amount of a given herb, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will feel better with larger quantities or a stronger brew. To derive maximum benefit out of the herbs you grow, try to learn as much about them as you can. Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs Book is a great place to start.

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12 Healing Herbs You Need To Grow In Your Medicinal Garden

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4. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary is more of a woody shrub, but it deserves a place in every herb garden for its medicinal and culinary uses. Although it doesn't look anything like other mint plants, it belongs to the same plant family.

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Söka på sin position: Visar affärer, marknader och event men nu även privatpersoners "annonser".

Söka på växt: Få upp information om växtens egenskaper, ursprung och tips på var den kan hittas i det vilda. Kanske även "annonser" om dem? Och på så sätt länka ihop de två sökfunktionerna.

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12/2: Jobbar vidare med koncept 1 men riktar in mig på läkande växter, deras egenskaper och ursprung. Gruppen planerar möte om två dagar igen för att gå igenom allas arbeten hittills.

14/2: Har tyvärr inte hunnit jobba så mycket på skisser och prototyp. Presenterar min idé med en skiss för sökfunktionen. Feedback från gruppen är att det nog räcker med ett sökfält. Positiv feedback gällande privatpersoner. Samtiga i gruppen upplever designbriefen som lite "strikt" och undrar om den behöver följas till 100%, får man ta bort/lägga till/ändra funktioner? Vi frågar Mårten om det.

16/2: Jobbar vidare med skisser och prototyp, tar gruppens åsikter i åtanke.

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Gruppen hörs för första gången. Vi bjuder in varandra till våra padlets för att sedan enas om vilken designbrief vi ska gå vidare med. Gruppen beslutar att gå vidare med briefen för växtnördar och inväntar uppgiftsbeskrivning för delprov 2.

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"The diary study is a method of understanding participant behavior and intent in situ  that minimizes the effects of observers on participants.” (Carter & Mankoff, 2005, s. 899)

Dagboksstudier kontrasteras ofta mot etnografiskt insperade observationstudier. Etnografiskt inspirerade fältstudier används ofta inom Computer Supported Cooopative Work (CSCW) och interaktionsdesign för inledande fältarbete. Här handlar det om att göra deskriptiva studier av en praktik i dess naturliga miljö för att skapa ett helhetsperspektiv. Video används ofta både som dokumenterande och berättande medium, med ett starkt fokus på att fånga praktiken genom användarnas eget språk.

Till skillnad från observationsstudier är dagboksstudier en självrapporteringsmetod. Deltagaren ombeds föra dagbok, göra anteckningar vissa tider, eller vid vissa aktiviteter. Likt en sondstudie kan den användas om du inte kan eller vill vara närvarande på fältet, eller om du inte vill påverka deltagarnas handlingar.

Carter & Mankoff (2005) positionerar dagboksstudier mot sondstudier - de skriver:

"In the cultural probe method researchers design a set of tools that participants use to express their feelings, beliefs, and attitudes. Considerable planning goes into the design of the probes themselves to make use of familiar functionality (such as a camera) while encouraging participants to examine their daily life in a way that have not before (such as asking them to take a photo “at 8pm on a Sunday”) [12]. Cultural probes are similar to diary studies in that they are highly participant controlled, but are intended to capture general attitudes and social trends rather than everyday interactions. In a related technique, Hutchinson et al.  introduced technology probes, or simple tools designed to encourage creative use, to a field situation to generate design requirements for more specific tools [13]. However, technology probes are not designed to capture everyday interactions." (2005, s. 901).

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Sondstudie (ofta kallad cultural probe eller design probes) är en metod som du kan använda för att lära dig mer om vad folk gör, vad de känner och vad de tycker. I det här fallet innebär probe, eller sond, en uppsättning med material som kan användas för att låta folk dokumentera olika saker. Du kan använda metoden för att samla in data utan att själv vara närvarande, och även att få in data som är annorlunda än traditionellt etnografiska. Det är lite av en ”skjut iväg och glöm”-metod – deltagarna får olika uppgifter och efter en viss tid börjar materialet återvända till dig. Förutom att materialet kan användas för att lära sig mycket om en kultur eller ett sammanhang kan du använda det som inspirationsmaterial i en designprocess.

Sondstudie är en av flera varianter på självrapportering. Metoden kan med fördel användas för att. dokumentera en praktik som är svår att observera av integritetsskäl, till exempel vardagsliv i en familj under några dygn. De som deltar i studien får färdigpaketerade dokumentationsuppgifter som skall utföras under bestämda förutsättninga, ofta med bestämda hjälpmedel (vykort, dagbok, engångskamera, etc). Som en följd av mobiltelefonernas utbredning har även sondstudier som tar vara på tekniska möjlgheter som kamerafunktion och SMS tillkommit.

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Uppdaterad 26/2, 5/3 och 9/3.
Gjord i Marvel

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Uppdaterad 26/2 och 9/3.
Gjord i Marvel

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Gjord i Marvel och InVision

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Click here to view the project `Kamomill 3`

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