I know summer is almost upon us, and I'm coming to you with cough and cold remedies. But it's the perfect time to stock up on the wonderful things nature has to offer and be prepared for the fall cold season.

I've always loved the essential oils of spruce , larch , and stone pine ; the scent gives me strength and power. Conifers, especially spruce, have been an important part of people's medicine cabinets since long before the beginning of the Christian era. Teas made from spruce needles are used as a remedy for colds and to strengthen the body's immune system. A bath with larch needles also gives strength; I enjoy taking a bath like this during a full moon.

COLLECT MINDFULLY

It's important to collect carefully: a handful of fresh shoots is enough for your own use. To ensure the tree continues to grow, please leave the central shoot and the two to its right and left. This will create three new branches that will produce new shoots next year. Therefore, only harvest the shoots marked in red.

Today I'll show you how to make a syrup from sugar and spruce/larch or stone pine needles:

Recipe for the May Tip Syrup:

Making the cough syrup is easy:

Alternate layers of pine sprouts (approx. 250g) and sugar (approx. 500g) (or alternatively, honey) in a sealable jar. It's important that the sugar always forms the top layer, and no plant parts should be visible, as they could dry out or become moldy.

Now place the jar in a sunny spot on the windowsill and you can watch as it gradually turns into a liquid syrup.

Once the sugar has liquefied, the unsightly, pale sprouts are strained out and the syrup is poured into a clean, sealable jar.

Application:

The syrup can be used preventively to sweeten tea (for example our baby scented relaxation tea) and is a relief for colds.

Dosage for children from one year: 2 teaspoons daily, pure or in tea

Dosage for adults: 3-4 times daily

Important when collecting: All pine trees (Pinaceae) are suitable for making a healing syrup, but don't confuse them with yew, which is poisonous! You can easily identify yew because it has soft, non-stinging needles. So only collect twigs that prick!

Have fun preparing

Fragrant greetings

Ursula

Smoking tip:

By the way, we used pine cones and a little larch resin for smoking: The resin of the pine family is also called forest incense and has a cleansing effect.

Collecting: Since the tree needs the resin to heal its wounds, always collect only the top layer of resin. It's best to transport the resin on a piece of bark.

The buds can also be smoked , but here too it is important to take care not to take the top bud tips of young trees, but rather those from side branches.

I especially love this smoking ritual on special nights, such as a full moon. It gives the rooms new energy and freshness and drives away anything old and stuck.