The CPA Herbalist

Getting Started with What You Have A Note from The CPA Herbalist The Twig That Started Everything One of the questions I hear most often is: "Where will I start?" "I dont have a land." "I dont have a budget." "I dont know about gardening" I understand those concerns because I once asked the very same questions. I did not begin with a greenhouse. I did not begin with expensive tools. I did not even begin with seeds. I began with a single twig. A small cutting from a healthy medicinal plant. No roots. No guarantees. Just a recycled container, a little soil, clean water, and a quiet prayer. Looking back, that little twig changed far more than my garden. It changed me. Why I Started with a Twig Many people think every garden begins with seeds. Mine didn't. I intentionally began with cuttings because they cost nothing. A healthy branch from a generous neighbor, a roadside plant, or our family's forest could become a new plant with a little...

For generations, Filipino families have turned to medicinal plants as part of everyday life. Long before pharmacies became common, parents, grandparents, and community healers learned to care for their families using the plants that grew in their backyards, farms, and forests. Those traditions deserve both our respect and our thoughtful examination. Today, scientific research continues to study many Philippine medicinal plants to better understand their chemical constituents, potential health benefits, appropriate uses, and limitations. Some traditional practices are supported by growing scientific evidence. Others remain promising but require further study. As a retired Certified Public Accountant, I spent my professional life examining evidence before drawing conclusions. As a herbalist and steward of our family's forest, I bring that same discipline to studying medicinal plants. I believe traditional knowledge and scientific research are not opponents—they are partners in th...