Great Mullein Harvest

Great Mullein or Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) grows abundantly on the south central Oregon ranch that we call home. While we have spent many moments admiring the tall fuzzy plant with bright yellow blooms, it was only recently that I learned of the medicinal properties it’s believed to bear. When my pal suggested to me that Great Mullein was used for aiding in respiratory ailments and earaches I was quite intrigued and I began my research.

According to Kate author of The Real Food RN blog, Mullein has been used medicinally for centuries and has a wealth of benefits including antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The benefits of the Mullein plant doesn’t stop there. According to Malini Ghoshal, RPh, MS author of Mulling Over Mullein Leaf , the Mullein plant has properties that can aid in soothing cough, congestion, bronchitis, asthma, inflammation, ear ache and other common ailments.

After reading all about Mullein and the potential benefits and what leaves were best for tinctures, I set out with a basket, a toddler on my back and a healthy dose of excitement. I have enjoyed using natural remedies for years so learning about a new one that I had easy access to felt like a big win.

As you can imagine, I harvested and dried a lot of Mullein leaves and flowers over several weeks. Then the day came when the weather changed and my children fell sick with a common cold and cough. It was time to test my bounty. I had read that Mullein can be drunk as a tea, taken as a tincture and even used as a steam therapy (Malini Ghoshal, RPh, MS, July 24, 2023). My mullein tincture was still in the process of extraction so I used dried Mullein as tea and a steam therapy. I was impressed!

Drying Mullein leaves.

My daughter was having a coughing fit in the night while she was sick and I did a Mullein steam with her. I poured boiling water over Mullein leaf pieces and held it up near her nose and mouth for a few minutes. I put her back to bed after the Mullein steam and she never coughed again that night. I then ran a large steam pot with Mullein leaves, lemon and fresh ginger root all the next day. She hardly coughed again. As a mother and ranch wife, I am happy to have a new medicinal herb in my remedy stash and I’m glad to share with others.

I have created a tincture kit featuring wild harvested Mullein and locally grown Calendula. It is my hope that I can inspire others to enjoy the benefits herbs have to offer. I have shared some links below that I have enjoyed learning from.

Tincture information and recipes:

Mountain Rose Herbs - How to Make Herbal Tinctures.

Mullein Tincture Benefits and How to Make It

How to Use Mullein Leaf

How to Make Calendula Oil, Plus 8 Ways to Use It!

Mountain Rose Herbs - Calendula Uses + Infused Olive Oil Recipe

Mountain Rose Herbs - How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Precautions

I am not a doctor and I’m certainly not qualified to give health advice so do your research, make good choices and be happy!

Some people may be sensitive to the Mullein plant and can have allergic reactions or skin irritation with topical use. A skin test is recommended before applying topically.  Ear pain or infection can be serious. If you plan to use mullein oil, be sure to speak to a doctor first. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Do not use Mullein if you are taking anti-diabetic or diuretic medication.

The Pouch

Each Desert Jane order arrives with a cloth pouch. When I first began Desert Jane Accessories  (and to this day) I couldn't find any pouches on the market that fit my image and or expectation. That drove me to bust out my sewing supplies and the calico to handle business myself.   

The handmade calico pouches fit the Desert Jane product line and they are a detail specifically for my customers. 

I think of it as a big thank you! 

I love the craft store but I also love the hardware store. It's a good thing too because some of my best tools have come from both those places. 

Hand cut, ironed and sewn.  

The final product.  

Snow Birds

Our family lives in California during the winter months and Oregon in the summer months.  

We begin preparing to go north in the Spring, and south in the fall. My husband is a Cowboy by trade and his job allows us to live this amazing, adventurous and sometimes challenging life style. 

I often feel that I am a part of a gypsy wagon. A colorful mysterious caravan with children, horses, dogs, cows and cats.

When the weather changes drastically from chilly to hot and the winds blow strong over the golden hills. When all the coats of fur become sleek. 

This marks the beginning of the migration.

My organizing and cleaning frenzy begins. Any day we will get a call to move. 

My mind endlessly strategizing. What will we need first when we arrive? How will I entertain two young children on an 8 hour drive? How about the animals? Will it all fit in the trailer? What about Desert Jane Accessories?

We don't work around the weather we work in the weather. 

Collect Bits and Baubles

I want some new earrings to wear to an up coming rodeo. I live in the middle of nowhere and the closest Walmart is three hours away (not to mention I don't like shopping there) and the internet is not an option at this point. 

Side note, I live among Cowgirls, beautiful, talented, not scared of dirt, cow shit or using their muscles and always glamorous, Cowgirls. These ladies know how to bring the bling like no others no matter the task. But the rodeos? Oh boy the bling!  

So anyway...What would you do?

Start collecting bits and baubles right? Basically that means random stuff from around the ranch to make those rodeo earrings. 

After tinkering for a while I came up with a pretty funny little earring but it worked. I actually got compliments on them at the rodeo. 

Making earrings with salvaged beads became a way for me to pass my days without getting depressed AND I could stay connected a bit. I eventually found internet in a field about a mile away from the house. I started an etsy shop while sitting in my car in the field. 

These were some of the very first Desert Jane Accessories. These creations were put together with beads I collected from craft closets and old broken jewelry pieces. Notice the staple in the midst? That was the first of the first. 

The awesome part of all of this is, people believed in me and my creations. They supported me. Three years later I am doing what I love because those people who believed in me. 

What do you do?

So, you decide to move to southeastern Oregon. You find yourself in the middle of nowhere, living on a cattle ranch with very limited cell service, no functioning internet....and television? -Nope. A two and a half hour drive didn't seem too bad when I lived 15 minutes from the grocery store and was planning the move to the White Horse.

Okay, so you're out there. What do you do? 

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The White Horse Ranch is down a 21 mile gravel road and three hours from any sort of town. It is a long, amazing and lonely drive. Time to reflect. The skies are always dramatic and the mountains are wondrous with wild horses and vast expanses.