Welcome to the first edition of The Little Herb Cottage Newsletter. Each month, we hope to bring you an issue full of herbal delights. We’ll be focusing on different aspects of the world of herbs throughout the publications - sometimes featuring a particular herb and discussing all its ins and outs, other times we may look at a specific ailment and all the natural herbal remedies good for it; but mostly we’ll mix and match various herb topics in one issue. We aim to have something for everyone: herb gardening and plant information, herb uses in the kitchen, herbal remedies, daily household uses of herbs, how to use herbs in crafts etcetera. We are also aiming to focus on the wealth of indigenous herbs Africa has to offer. The publication of this newsletter is for you and we need your help to make it into an edition that you cannot wait to receive, so please send us comments and suggestions at info@thelittleherbcottage.co.za. For those of you who have been added to our mailing list without ever having visited our shop or nursery and for those of you who may have forgotten (although we are pretty memorabe)... The Little Herb Cottage is a quaint little herb shop and nursery conveniently located between Randburg and Honeydew in the Bush Hill Estates area in Johannesburg. We are passionate about herbs and specialise in the retail of quality herb plants, dried herbs and herbal products. So, whether you need herbs for culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, household, mystic or craft uses, The Little Herb Cottage aims to be a reliable, affordable and knowledgeable source for all your herb requirements.	The Headlines section of the newsletter highlights a couple of interesting stories related to herbs that have been published internationally or nationally. These tales may be hard facts, strange fantasies or expert opinion. If something in these articles interest you or provokes you, why not talk about it on our associated forum, Herbitual? Please note that the opinions expressed below are not necessarily those of The Little Herb Cottage. Also take care to view our general disclaimer. Black Cohosh May Cause Liver Disease One after the other medical control agency in Europe is issuing warnings of possible liver disease associated with the use of Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). Persons are advised to seek professional medical advice before embarking on a course of the herb or supplements that may contain the plant. However, if you are using Black Cohosh at present and are not experiencing any adverse reactions (including unexplained flu-like symptoms, yellowing of the eye and dark urine), you won’t be told to stop taking it. Herb Gardens growing sky-high A project launched in February this year sees grants of up to $18 000 for every roof in Toronto (Canada) planted with grass or other greens. A quick survey shows 59 existing green roofs and 17 more being created in this city. One of Toronto’s green-on-top buildings is a luxury hotel which grows herbs in a rooftop garden measuring just over a square kilometer. A tour of the facility, including a three-course lunch using some of the herbs grown in the gardens, is offered to interested persons. Anyone for a $300 pot of herbal tea? Only in Hollywood, California where rich is as rich does and the flashing of jewelry and cash is shadowed only by the flashing of celebrity smiles, would one expect to find a tea garden selling a pot of herbal tea for $300. The rare 1952 Guang Yun Gon Bin tea from China is from the Pu-Erh (”poo-air”) variety and has been stored and aged under strict conditions for over 53 years. Mark “Dr Tea” Ukra prides himself in sourcing unusual teas from all over the world - including China, Japan, Taiwan and South Africa. We can only wonder what a cup of Rooibos will set you back?	Spring Festival On 9 September 2006, The Little Herb Cottage will be 1 year old! We are celebrating our birthday, as well as the arrival of the warmer seasons with a big Spring Festival from 15 September to 1 October. We will be running wonderful discounts on selected items during this time, so be sure not to miss it! Amongst all our other great products, we will have available more than 100 dried herbs and spices, lots of new plant stock, preplanted herb pots, fabulous organic skincare products and giftware with a herbal theme. We will also be available to assist, to the best of our ability, with any herb queries that you may have, whether they are for using or growing herbs or both. National Herb Day The Herbal Association of South Africa (HAoSA) has claimed 11 November as National Herb Day. Watch your local press (and future issues of this newsletter) for events linked to this day. One of the most regularly asked questions I have had regarding the medicinal use of herbs, is what herbs can be used effectively against the common cold and flu. With winter just about over, you may ask why have this article on cold and flu herbal remedies now? The truth is that with the seasons changing there are often more people affected by the bacteria that causes cold symptoms and more people are also vulnerable to the influenza virus. So, while we are all looking forward to the warming spring days, keep the following suggestions in mind if you suddenly find yourself sniffeling or coughing. In my research on the topic of plants used for colds and flu, I have identified more than 60 herbs and spices of which infusions, decoctions, salves, compresses or essential