Harvest of riches

Apologies for having been 'off air' for so long, it's been a busy time.

I want to mark the Autumn Equinox by sharing some of what I have been harvesting and making over the last couple of months from my visits to Springfield Herb Sanctuary and from the herb beds in my allotment.   This post will feature flowers & leaves, posts later in the Autumn will feature fruit & seeds.

Herbs harvested at Springfield Herb Sanctuary

 Calendula, Hyssop & Evening Primrose flowers

Basket of herbs gathered at the allotment

Marshmallow & Calendula flowers

Marshmallow

Is a mucilaginous herb, which helps to lubricate and soothe tissues.  It is soothing & healing for the respiratory & digestive systems.  Its energetic effects seem to be in line with its physical properties as it is said to be helpful with interpersonal relationships, it can help smooth communication, helping us to be open & warm towards others.  At the August workshop at Springfield Herb Sanctuary I made Marshmallow flower essence.  I picked a few flower heads and put them in a jar of spring water to infuse for several hours in the sun.  The flowers were then removed with a stalk and the water was poured to half fill a jar, the rest was then filled with brandy to preserve the flower essence.  The essence can be taken a few drops at a time when desired.  

I took some leaves home which were used to make a double-infused oil.  The oil can be used for boils, bruises, sprains, muscle aches & pains, scalds & burns, insect bites & stings.  Fresh leaves could also be used in poultice for these.  Marshmallow infused oil can be used in an intimate lubricant with St John's Wort oil which is anti-bacterial and Calendula which is also soothing, with beeswax to 1:10 of the volume of oil, to make a soft salve, make in small batches.

Marshmallow

Making Marshmallow flower essence

Marshmallow flower essence

Marshmallow leaves

Making Marshmallow infused oil

Bergamot/Beebalm

This is an anti-viral herb.   It is a hot plant so is good for sore throats, colds & coughs, taken in tea or in honey or syrup.  It can also be helpful for tinnitus caused by inner ear congestion.  It promotes local circulation which helps recovery.    It can help relieve stomach ache & flatulence.  I used Bergamot flowers to make a burns honey with Rose petals and Evening Primrose flowers.   Caution - should be avoided in pregnancy & breast-feeding. 

Bergamot

Bergamot, Rose petal & Evening Primrose burns honey

Yarrow

It will stop bleeding from wounds & nosebleeds.  Taken internally it relaxes muscles surrounding blood vessels and relieves congested blood flow so is good for period pain, high blood pressure, varicose veins & fevers.  We made Yarrow double-infused oil during the August workshop at Springfield Herb Sanctuary for use on old wounds such as surgical scars and skin rashes.  I made a tincture with some of Yarrow I picked and kept some for use in infusions, which help to induce sweating to cool fever in colds & flu.  It has diuretic & anti-bacterial properties so Yarrow tea is also useful in the treatment of cystitis.  Cautions - do not use in pregnancy.  It may cause skin irritation in people who are sensitive to the daisy family.  It is advisable to consult a trained medical herbalist if using Yarrow for treatment of high blood pressure.

Yarrow

Making Yarrow infused oil

Yarrow oil

Yarrow tincture

Echinacea/Purple Coneflower

There are several species of Echinacea, they can all be used medicinally.  All parts of the plant can be used.  They can be used in teas, tinctures, powders & compresses.  I made tincture with some of the flower heads, to use when developing an infection such as a cold or flu.  Research shows that it enhances the mobility & effectiveness of white blood cells, so helps the body fight infection.  It is also useful internally & externally for small wounds, sprains, abrasions, bruises & stings.  In the US it is used for poisonous stings & bites, used in large frequent doses of up to 60ml of tincture at 10-30 minute intervals & also applied externally, reduce the dose & frequency when the swelling subsides, in addition to seeking medical attention.  Echinacea remedies are generally most effective if taken in small amounts frequently eg 3-10 drops every 10-30 minutes when needed for an acute problem.  Caution - be careful with Echinacea if you have an auto-immune disease such as Ulcerative Colitis as it could cause a flare-up of symptoms.  It can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

Echinacea

Echinacea tincture

Agrimony

It was a significant herb in the European tradition in the past but is underused in modern western herbalism, though it is still an important herb in Chinese medicine. It is an astringent herb that is very effective in stopping bleeding & relieving pain, so it was a traditional wound herb, known as a healing plant to the Anglo-Saxons.   It is also helpful for burns, used as a tincture both externally & internally, cool the burn first under running water then wet a cotton ball with tincture and hold in place until the burn stops hurting, the tincture can be put directly onto the burn if needed and can also be taken internally, until the pain subsides.  

It is one of the Bach flower essences, for people who hide inner turmoil & avoid dealing with difficult issues.  The American herbalist Matthew Wood recommends Agrimony for mental & physical tension & work-related stress and for pain that makes the person hold their breath.  He has found that Agrimony works on a magical level as well as a physical level, particularly with issues in people's work environments, just having a leaf of the plant present in the workplace can change the energetic situation.

It is a bitter herb that increases bile flow, so is useful in treating gallstones and for bowel health generally, especially for conditions which have alternating constipation & diarrhoea as it helps to release tension & balance the digestive.  It contains tannins which are astringent, which reduces swelling & inflammation in the bowel wall and can help normalise gut bacteria, so is helpful for irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.  The whole flowering plant is used.   It is also helpful for the urinary tract and helps to ease the pain of kidney stones, irritable bladder & chronic cystitis.  It can safely be given to children for bed-wetting & to the elderly for incontinence.  Dried Agrimony can be used in tea or infused in water & added to a bath or footbath.  I made a tincture with the fresh herb, 3-5 drops to be taken in a little water 3 times a day for tension or cystitis, half a teaspoon 3 times daily for diarrhoea. 

Agrimony

Agrimony tincture

Hyssop

Leaves, shoot tips & flowers can be used fresh in salads, it has an aromatic flavour.  It has a long history of medicinal use.  It is an aromatic, warming, anti-inflammatory member of the Mint family.  It is classed as a calming tonic herb.  It helps inflamed tissues heal as it strengthens capillaries & increases peripheral blood supply.  It helps slow viral replication, particularly in the lungs.  It encourages sweating & is a diuretic.  It makes an excellent gargle for sore throats.  It is best known for use with respiratory infections, especially with excessive production of mucous.  It is particularly helpful during the recovery phase of 'flus and fevers.  Tea made with the dried herb can also be used for flatulence and other digestive problems.    It is also helpful for urinary tract infections.  Caution - do not use during pregnancy as large doses can induce miscarriage.  For more information about Hyssop see http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/include/searchherb.php?herbsearch=Hyssop&x=0&y=0

Hyssop

Dried Hyssop

Anise Hyssop

The flowers & leaves are edible and can be used as a garnish on salads & fruit salads or as an accompaniment to savoury dishes or as a flavouring in bread.  Tea made with Anise Hyssop can be used as a remedy for wounds, fevers, diarrhoea & coughs.  It is a cardiac tonic and induces sweating.  Fresh herb can be used in a poultice for burns.  For more information on Anise Hyssop see http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_anise_hyssop.htm

Anise Hyssop

Dried Anise Hyssop

Calendula

I had already made Calendula infused oil and tincture earlier in the summer.  The plants have kept flowering so I have picked flowers for drying.  These can be used for intestinal or bladder problems, menstrual cramps & to help knit broken bones.  Fresh petals can be used as a garnish with salads & drinks.  Dried petals can be added to soups, baked foods & rice.  Strong Calendula tea can be used as a rinse to give a golden tint to blond hair, pour the strained cold tea over the hair over a bowl, repeat at least 15 times then let the hair dry with the tea in it.

Calendula flower

Dried Calendula petals

Willowherb

Small flowered Willowherbs are a specific remedy for prostate problems, particularly benign prostate enlargement, they help shrink the tissues & normalise urinary function.  This was popularised by the Austrian herbalist Maria Treben.  They are also effective for other bladder & urinary problems with astringent & diuretic action toning & detoxifying the urinary tract.   The dried herb can be used in tea, 2-3 cups a day.

Willowherb

Dried Willowherb

Holy Basil

Earlier in the year we planted out lots of Holy Basil plants in the herb beds at Springfield Herb Sanctuary.  We harvested it during the Herb Festival in September.  It is an adaptogen which is good for stress, it can be used in food.  It is an annual so I will be saving some seed to try planting next year to grow.

Holy Basil

References

'Hedgerow Medicine' Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal.

'Letting in the Wild Edges' Glennie Kindred.
'Practical Herbs' & 'Practical Herbs 2' Henriette Kress. 
'The Book of Herbal Wisdom' Matthew Wood.
'The Herbalist's Bible' Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal.

'Wild Drugs' Zoe Hawes.

Treading in the footsteps of the ancestors

We spent last week in West Wales.  While we were there we visited a number of ancient sites including Castell Henllys which is an iron-age hill-fort settlement which contains several roundhouses which were reconstructed on their original foundations.   They have been kitted out with the sort of furnishings and tools that would have been used when the site was occupied over 2000 years ago.  There is a herb garden on the site which contains some of the herbs that would have been used by the people who lived there.  I also came across plants that would have been used by the ancestral people of the area when walking in the stunning landscape of the Pembrokeshire coast & hills.

Castell Henllys reconstructed iron-age settlement

 Inside a reconstructed roundhouse

Herb garden at Castell Henllys

 Musk Mallow in the herb garden

Burdock growing near the coast

Sea Plantain - a variety of Ribwort Plantain which grows on the coast

Hemp Agrimony growing by the path

 Betony growing by the coastal footpath

I bought a little book in the excellent shop at the visitor's centre called 'Welsh Herbal Medicine' by David Hoffman, who later went on to write 'The New Holistic Herbal', which was one of my first books on herbalism and which I still find an excellent resource.  'Welsh Herbal Medicine' gives an outline of the history of medicine in Wales.  Medicine was one of the arts taught and handed down in the oral traditions of the druids in ancient Wales.  The use of herbs for both physical and magical purposes was a central part of druidic medical practice, alongside guidelines for healthy living.

The traditions were passed down largely orally until the middle ages when they were written down by the famous Physicians of Myddfai, about whom there is a legend that their founders were the sons of a magical lady who appeared from a local lake who taught them the properties of plants.  Their descendants continued to practice medicine up until the 18th Century.  The original manuscript is now in the British Museum and refers to about 175 plants used for remedies, most of which were common wild plants, to be made into remedies with water, alcohol, honey etc as we still do today.

As an apprentice herbwife I am drawing on thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and experience in working with plants for health and wellbeing.  I feel drawn to reconnect with the down to earth approach of country people of using local plants rather than exotic plants and manufactured medicines.  This is what most people would have used right up until recent times, as documented in 'Memory, Wisdom and Healing, The History of Domestic Plant Medicine' by Gabrielle Hatfield and 'Green Pharmacy, The History and Evolution of Westerm Herbal Medicine' by Barbara Griggs.  In the terminology of another author I have been reading, Susun Weed, I am following the way of the Wise Woman, to nurture health & wellbeing through nourishment and working with plants as allies on the journey through the lifecycle.

It feels very personally nurturing and empowering to be able to go out and gather wild plants and to grow plants in the garden which provide nourishment and help maintain the healthy functioning of body and mind.  Modern medicine does not provide this, although it does have its place for diagnosing and treating some conditions which traditional approaches may not be effective for on their own.  I am not trying to turn back the clock, I am a twenty-first century apprentice herbwife who has the benefit of access to scientific knowledge as well as traditional knowledge.  But I honour the ancestors who first learned how to use plants for healing and passed those traditions down through the centuries right up until the present day.

Below there are just a few of the plants I have harvested and remedies I have made which have a history of use in traditional herbalism.

Nettle

Nettles were a sacred herb to the Anglo-Saxons.  They enhance our immunity and help protect from infection.  They have an anti-histamine effect and can help reduce the severity of asthma attacks.   They reduce blood sugar levels and stimulate circulation.  They are a blood tonic as they are high in iron and chlorophyll and they help clear the blood of urates & toxins through stimulating the kidneys.  At this time of year the leaves are toxic to use but the seeds can be harvested by cutting nettle heads with green seeds, laying them on newspaper to dry, then stripping the seeds off the stems.   A teaspoon of seeds a day can be added to porridge or other dishes or mixed with runny honey to make an electuary which can be taken on its own.  

 Nettle seeds

Self-heal

Also called All-heal for its wide range of medicinal uses.  It has a long history of use in Western folk medicine used externally for wounds and internally for mouth & throat problems such as swollen glands, tonsillitis, laryngitis, mumps, mouth ulcers & healing after tooth extractions.  It is also useful for fevers, diarrhoea & internal bleeding.   It has recently been recognised as having anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities and immune-stimulating effects so is helpful for colds & flu and could be useful for treating herpes & AIDS.  It has an affinity with the lymphatic system, helping the body to clear infection and toxins and to remove excess uric acid via the kidneys, which is helpful for treating gout.  It is also helpful for liver, gallbladder & thyroid problems.   

The 17th century herbalist John Parkinson suggested mixing the juice with rose oil for headaches for external use on the forehead & temples.  It has a relaxing effect on the nervous system and can help lower blood pressure.   Parkinson also recommended mixing Self-heal with rose honey for mouth ulcers & genital sores.  It is also helpful made into ointment for minor injuries, broken bones & dislocated joints.

 Self-heal

Self-heal tincture 

Mugwort

Is an ancient herb of healing & magic.  It was a key Anglo-Saxon sacred herb and continued to be used magically in Christian times, such as the wearing of a mugwort garland on St John's day, the 24th of June, whilst dancing round the midsummer fire and casting the garland into the fire to ensure protection for the coming year.  It is still used in this way for the protection of people and animals in midsummer ceremonies in the Isle of Man to this day.  It has the power to influence dreams by being put under the pillow or made into a dream pillow or being drunk before bed.  It can stimulate vivid, even lucid dreams, which links to its associations with magic.   It can be used to make smudging sticks for energetic space clearing, on a practical level it has a history of use to dispel insects such as midges, moths & flies.  It was traditionally used as a herbal flavouring for ale before hops were used.  

It is strongly associated with women's natural cycles of menstruation, childbirth and menopause.  It can help regulate menstrual flow and the menstrual cycle.  It is an aromatic bitter which warms the digestion and stimulates the liver.  It has a calming effect on the nervous system, relieving stress, tension and mild depression.   It contains lots of minerals, so is a good herb to use to make herbal vinegar which is an effective way of extracting minerals to make a natural mineral supplement to be taken neat or diluted.  I like to take it neat as I really like the flavour.  Caution - it is contraindicated in pregnancy due to the stimulating effect on the uterus.  

Mugwort

Mugwort vinegar

Yarrow

was known as a cure-all plant in the past.  It is one of the best herbs to use for first-aid treatment of wounds & nosebleeds.  It staunches bleeding, breaks up congested blood and is anti-microbial.  It tones blood vessels so has a beneficial effect on the whole circulatory system for problems such as hypertension & thrombosis, it combines well with nettle & lime blossom for this.  It is also helpful for menstrual problems including painful periods, so is an important herb for women.  It is also a leading herb for use in feverish conditions such as flu by relaxing the skin to open the pores and allow sweating and the release of toxins.  It is traditionally combined with Elderflower & Peppermint in a tea for colds & flu.  It is safe for use for children.  It is also helpful for problems of the digestive system such as diarrhoea & stomach cramps and for cystitis & arthritic conditions.  Yarrow also had magical associations and was traditionally used for divination.  

The leaves can be harvested fresh at any time of year though are best gathered when the plant is in flower to make tincture or to be dried for use in tea.  The active constituents vary from plant to plant, some plants are a lot stronger than others.  Caution - it should be avoided in pregnancy due to stimulating effect on the uterus.  It can cause allergic rashes and make the skin sensitive to sunlight.  Large doses can cause headaches.  

 Yarrow

Yarrow tincture

Feverfew

The name comes from the word febrifuge as it was traditionally used to reduce fevers.  It was often planted round houses to purify the air & ward off disease in the past.  It was historically used as a women's herb for problems of the uterus and menstruation.  It was also used externally as a poultice for insect bites & stings.  The Physicians of Myddfai used it with Plantain, Bugle & Sage to make an ointment for bruises & sores.  Research has found it has anti-histamine & anti-inflammatory effects.  It is now most commonly used as a remedy for headaches and modern research has found it to be an effective remedy for migraine symptoms, reducing the frequency & intensity of attacks.  It is helpful for nervousness, low spirits and as a general tonic.  It has been used to help relieve withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.  It is also helpful for attacks of vertigo and for fevers.  It also has a pain-relieving & anti-inflammatory action which is helpful for arthritis.   It has a stimulant effect on the digestion & liver and is helpful for colic & flatulence.

The leaves should be eaten fresh or made into tincture as they lose most of their properties on drying.  The tincture can be taken for a few days before menstruation to reduce period pains.  It should be taken at the first sign of a migraine starting.  A fresh leaf can be taken every day as a prophylactic to prevent or reduce migraine attacks.  It combines well with Betony for headaches and with Cramp bark for period pains.  Caution - it should be avoided in pregnancy and if on blood-thinning medication.  Handling the leaves can cause contact dermatitis & eating the leaves may cause mouth ulcers in some people.   
 

Feverfew tincture

White Horehound, Sage & Thyme elixir

This elixir combines White Horehound, Sage & Thyme chopped in a jar which is then half-filled with honey and filled to the top with brandy and left to steep for about a month then strained and bottled to make an excellent traditional remedy for respiratory conditions.  

White Horehound is one of the best known chest remedies.  It is very effective for all coughs, colds & respiratory conditions.  It is expectorant & anti-spasmodic.  It is used in acute & chronic bronchitis, particularly bronchitis with a non-productive cough.  It is also used for whooping cough.  

Sage is particularly good for sore throats & phlegmy coughs.  It helps dry up excess mucous in the respiratory tract.  It has a stimulating effect on the immune system.  

Thyme has a cleansing and anti-septic effect.  It is best known as a respiratory herb which helps expectoration and relieves coughs and asthma.  It supports the immune system and has anti-inflammatory effects.   

 

White Horehound 

 Sage

Thyme 

 White Horehound, Sage & Thyme elixir

References:

'Green Pharmacy, The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine' Barbara Griggs. 
'Hedgerow Medicine' Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal.

'Memory, Wisdom and Healing, The History of Domestic Plant Medicine' Gabrielle Hatfield. 
'The Herbalist's Bible' Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal.

'The New Holistic Herbal' David Hoffmann.

'Welsh Herbal Medicine' David Hoffmann.
'Wild Drugs' Zoe Hawes.

'Wise Woman Herbal Healing Wise' Susun Weed.