Most people would agree that escaping the noise and pollution of the city to spend time in nature is a good thing. We all know we feel better in a natural environment, and we bring potted plants and cut flowers into our urban lives to compensate for the dearth of... read more →
Apr
11
Feb
13
The 2019 calendar at Innisfree Farm is getting busy. Check out all the webinars, classes and retreats we are offering and make this the year you come to play in our gardens! We have a Deep Green Nature Immersion Retreat that will teach you ways of seeing nature, ways of... read more →
Feb
09
With the steady rise of mental health issues, which is ever-present in the news at the moment, Mud Wellies has written a comprehensive guide that discusses why gardening is excellent for general health and wellbeing. The guide covers the physical and mental health benefits, as well as practical gardening tips... read more →
Dec
21
Hello friends What a pleasant surprise today to receive a certificate of appreciation from my good friends at the American Herbal Pharmacopeia project. When you donate your time to a good cause it is reward enough to see the project thrive and flourish, but it is very nice to be acknowledged as well. The... read more →
Jul
13
This is fascinating study that verifies the incredible importance of a healthy gut flora and balanced microbiome. We already know this matters for your mental health (depression is linked to gut dysbiosis), to auto-immune diseases through the issue of leaky gut syndrome, to allergies, eczema and chronic immune deficiencies. Now... read more →
Jan
16
The Guardian newspaper in England this week reported on a new book that is re-writing the narrative on depression. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/07/is-everything-you-think-you-know-about-depression-wrong-johann-hari-lost-connections Moving beyond the simple black and white thinking of mental illness as a neurotransmitter defect that can be corrected by clever pharmacy, the book describes the author's personal journey through... read more →
Dec
14
It was a good news day when the FDA approved insurance agencies funding a suite of predictive cancer tests that may change the face of how we practice oncology. For over 50 years the standard treatment plan for cancer has been surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation. With a few... read more →
Feb
27
Researchers at The School of Public Health, Imperial College , London published a meta analysis in the International Journal of Epidemiology this week stating that eating more fruits and vegetables may prevent millions of premature deaths. summary article below by Kate Wighton, Thomas Angus [Photographer] 23 February 2017 A fruit and vegetable... read more →
Feb
22
Abstract Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites are progressively used in the treatment of diseases as a complementary medicine. Inflammation is a pathologic condition that includes a wide range of diseases such as rheumatic and immune-mediated conditions, diabetes, cardiovascular accident, and etcetera. We introduce some herbs which their anti-inflammatory effects... read more →
Nov
12
Interview with Chanchal Talking on Horticulture Therapy, Gardens without Borders and Herbal Medicine
Published in the newsletter of The Canadian Horticulture Therapy Association, summer 2016. http://www.chta.ca What are the goals of Gardens without Borders? Gardens without Borders is a federally registered not-for-profit that was founded 10 years ago to deliver horticultural therapy programs. Over the years, we have assisted numerous seniors, adults with developmental... read more →
Aug
05
We thought we were just heading up to Royston’s Innisfree Farm for a nice Saturday lunch – who could resist a menu like the one posted above? Innisfree in the past has held a few farmhouse dinners, which we have greatly enjoyed, so we were pretty sure that their new... read more →
Apr
30
from a recent post by Doctor Mercola ... 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, making a healthy gut a major focal point if you want to achieve optimal health. The root of many health problems is related to an imbalance of intestinal bacteria, and... read more →
Apr
06
I am very happy to share with you the wonderful Pacific Northwest Wildflowers website that I discovered today. There are 16235 wildflower photographs by Mark Turner the photographer and co-author (with Phyllis Gustafson) of the award-winning field guide, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest. Filled with gorgeous photos of plants, excellent botanical descriptions, searchable in various ways... read more →