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Appendix 3
How to Make a Herbal Profile
Making a herbal prof le of your own can be a worthwhile and enjoyable
experience. It will ultimately give you a deep understanding of a dozen or
so herbs that grow near your home. With them, you will be able to treat
many commonly experienced diseases or, preferably, learn how to help
resist their manifestation in the f rst place. Some ideal choices in Britain
would be oak, apple, yarrow, plantain, nettle, hawthorn, red clover,
dandelion, and burdock. Only choose the very common ones, or you will
defeat the main purpose of the herbal prof le.
A ring binder, with clear plastic sheaths to protect pictures and writing
alike, will be useful. Photograph, paint, draw (using color), or freshly press
the herb.
You can buy a f ower press or make your own from particle board,
rigid poles, and wing nuts with cardstock and blotting paper. A press is
ideal for keeping at home, but too bulky to take out into the f eld, except
by car. If you want to make your own large but more portable f ower
press, construct it to the herbarium size of approximately 17 by 11 inches,
1
3
and make it with 1 ⁄
4
-inch squares using ⁄
4-inch slatted wood. To create
layers, you will require quantities of blotting paper with paper towel and
cardstock. To tighten your press, you will need to use f xed Velcro luggage
straps (or something like a horse girth with clasps, capable of expanding
to any width, is ideal). Small or large numbers of plant specimens may
have to be accommodated at times in the press, so this ability to open,
close, tighten, and loosen is vital.
When you f rst harvest your plant, thank it, then shake off any excess
water or dew. When it is dry, place it carefully and with consideration as
to its arrangement on white paper towels, underneath which you have
placed several layers of blotting paper, thick cardstock, and the base of the
press. If leaves are overlapping each other, carefully spread them out, and
if there are really too many, carefully pluck some out. Spread any f ower
petals out carefully so that they don’t get crushed and distorted.
Afterward, put a paper towel on top, then blotting paper, more cardstock,
and f nally the lid of the press. Until you become more dexterous, get
another pair of hands to help you with all of this; the result will be better.
Finally, tighten the press, but only gently— only as the water starts to
leave the plants can you gradually tighten it more. Every day you should
change the paper towels until the very wet stage is over. Also, tighten your
straps or wing nuts a little more each day. The time taken to reach the
dry-plant stage will vary according to the climate you are in and the
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