Moon Gazing Hare

A Lesson in Tonics and the Four Humours by a Muddy Apprentice!

2012-01-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

Prior to Saturdays workshop Sarah e-mailed us Christopher Hedley’s research project which was devised to find a way of teaching about humeral medicine. The 4 humours are earth, air fire and water and date from Greek medicine. Hippocrates’ theory was that human moods were caused by an imbalance in bodily fluids; blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Galen later developed this into a personality theory.

The paper gives statements about each humour and you tick those which apply to yourself and count up the totals. The idea is that you can use the results to make changes that will make you more balanced.

Here are my scores:

HUMOUR	TEMPERAMENT	PERSONALITY	SCORE
EARTH	MELANCHOLY (black bile)	Moody, rigid, pessimistic, quiet	16
AIR	SANGUINE (blood)	Sociable, talkative, carefree, easy-going	9
FIRE	CHOLERIC (yellow bile)	Active, excitable, aggressive, impulsive	5
WATER	PHLEGMATIC (phlegm)	Passive, even-tempered, controlled	21

I was surprised to come out as water as I thought of myself as more earthy, but my earth score was second highest, this I believe makes me a bit muddy! To become balanced I believe I need to be warmer and drier.

I have looked at the regimes for phlegmatic and melancholy people.

Phlegmatic people should avoid:

· Too much sleep (wish I had the chance!)

· Eating too much (could do with sticking to this one)

· Fish except with warming herbs (I’m vegetarian so don’t eat fish)

· Milk products (I have been considering this as I always feel congested lately)

· Sweet foods (I do crave these at times)

· Salads except with spicy or garlic dressings (I always thought salads were good for you)

· Pears and summer fruits (that’s a blow, I love fruit)

· Introspection

Phlegmatic people should:

· Eat warming food such as onions, garlic, root vegetables, warming wine and cooked food. (I do like all of these)

· Eat astringent or dry foods such as globe artichokes and cabbages.

· Fast at the change of seasons.

· Get into the habit of adding gentle spices to foods.

· Take regular gentle exercise and join co-operative ventures.

· Find creative ways of expressing deep emotions.

· Join an organisation

Christopher Hedley says that the traditional food of a country tends to counteract the excesses that occur in that environment. Traditional English foods include spiced meats and astringent pickles and this tends to be a damp country.

For some traditional recipes may I shamelessly plug and recommend my friend Roly Rotherham’s book: Simmering Through The AgesSimmering Through The Ages.

USEFUL HERBS FOR PHLEGMATICS:

· Gentle spices especially; cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, fennel and dried ginger

· Gentle astringents such as agrimony and elderflower

· Warm, dry herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary

· Nettles and cleavers in the spring and warming herbs in the autumn

Elderflower

Melancholic people should avoid:

· Excess food

· Heavy food such as beef

· Drying food such as lentils

· Astringent food such as apples and quinces

· Eating late in the day (I often don’t get a chance to eat until late)

· Narcotics

· Thinking too much and introspection

· Lack of physical activity

Melancholic people should:

· Take light but nourishing food

· Have sweet foods in moderation

· Have cleansing food such as asparagus, fennel and celery

· Take prolonged, gentle exercise such as long walks or gardening (allotment!)

· Do “earthy” activities such as pottery (I’d love to do this)

· Have regular long baths with relaxing oils such as lavender (wonderful)

· Cultivate the friendship of a sanguine person

· Always have a long term project on the go that requires deep thought but gets you “out of yourself” (a herb apprenticeship?)

USEFUL HERBS FOR MELANCHOLICS:

· Gently warming, moving and cleansing herbs such as fennel, angelic, coriander leaves, parsley and juniper berries

· Herbs for liver congestion such as barberry bark and dandelion

· Herbs to clear melancholy from the heart such as borage and motherwort

· Comfrey cream for dry skin

· Valerian combined with linden or lemon balm for anxiety

Borage

Some of the suggestions for water and earth conflict which is not surprising considering the different natures of each. Drying and astringent foods are useful for watery phlegmatic people but to be avoided by earthy melancholic people. As I was mostly water I think I should have some drying foods. Melancholics can have some sweet food, tempting to go earthy here! I enjoy warming foods and working in groups so that is easy to follow but I can’t give up any fruit.

I have decided that I can add the herbs to food, teas or tonics.

Saturday’s workshop was about tonics, something that does you good and is used over the long term not as an instant cure.

We tried many different tonics; tea, a milky drink made with almond milk, tinctures, elixirs, honeys and electuaries. The “uplifting tincture” was a great favourite and the atmosphere got a little merry with all the tinctures to taste!

We could make our own tonic and there were lots of ingredients to choose from. I decided to go for Christopher Hedley’s iron tonic with a twist – I decided to add some warming herbs to balance my present phlegmatic disposition.

Christopher Hedley's Iron Tonic

Soak equal amounts of fresh nettle tops and organic apricots in good red wine with a little bitter orange peel added. Soak for 2 weeks, strain and store in a cool place. Dose 1 or 2 dessertspoons twice daily.

My Tonic

Into a jam jar went nettles (good for phlegmatics) and chopped apricots with nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. I saw some wormwood on the table, I haven’t used it before and really just fancied trying it out so I put some in; according to Matthew Wood it is a warming herb so I think it was a good choice. I also threw in some ashwagandha seeds as this was something new to try; the roots are astringent and an excellent adaptogen. I also added milk thistle seeds to help my gall stones. I topped up my jar of tonic herbs with warming red wine which will certainly help the medicine go down as well!

A choice of ingredients

Milk thistle

Sorting out milk thistle seeds

Completed tonic

So what did I learn from this workshop? Well, we are all different; I expect everyone present had different scores showing different temperaments. Our scoring with the four humours is not constant; it can change as we become more or less balanced. If you are working with this system it is easy to see that a tonic can be made to suit an individual. If someone presented with a condition to be treated a humeral assessment could help to make the herbs for that person more specific and give a more holistic treatment.

Quiz Time - Which of the Four Humours are You? (Just for Fun!)

Quizzilla - also has me as phlegmatic

Gurl- phlegmatic again!

Passions and Tempers – gives percentages of all humours

Herbs Ancient and Modern for Chronic Conditions of the Respiratory System

2012-01-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Research chronic diseases of the chest – emphysema, tuberculosis, pneumonia, COPD. What did the ancient herbalists use for these conditions? What do herbalists use now and why?

When I was a student nurse the first thing we had to learn was what is health? This was boring as it involved theory and looking at statistics and I wanted to be doing something but I now feel it was correct as how can you look at disease without knowing something of the anatomy and physiology in a healthy person? Of course feelings of wellness are subjective. So once again I’m starting with the A & P, a recap on biology lessons from school to refresh my memory.

We breathe because we need oxygen; we don’t have to think about it our bodies automatically do it. We breathe in (inspiration), the lungs expand, the diaphragm goes down and the ribs go up and out. When we breathe out the opposite happens (expiration), and we breathe out the gas we need to get rid of, carbon dioxide. Changes in the pressure in the lungs along with the concentration of carbon dioxide trigger our breathing. We can over-ride the lungs and consciously change our breathing if we want to, with meditation for example.

Diagram of the Respiratory System

Air enters the mouth and nose and goes down the trachea. Fine hairs and mucous in the nose filters out dust and particles we don’t want to breathe in and the air is warmed and moistened. The trachea splits into the bronchi and air is directed to each lung. The bronchi split into bronchioles which take air to little sacs in the lung structure called alveoli. The alveoli are small but are created to have a large surface area and the walls are very thin. The alveoli are surrounded by blood capillaries which also have thin walls and gases can easily transfer between the alveoli of the lungs and the blood stream because of this.

Diagram of gaseous exchange between an alveolus and a blood capillary

So What Happens In Chronic Lung Problems?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COAD)

Diseases such as bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema have in common some degree of obstruction of the air passages and the term COAD refers to these. Symptoms of airway obstruction include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. COAD is often a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Emphysema

The name emphysema means full of air and when a person with this condition breathes out the little alveoli sacs do not empty, they remain full of air. The first measurable symptom is that the person cannot breathe out so much air. Later, the alveoli get damaged; some of the alveoli sacs get joined together and enlarged which gives less surface area for the oxygen and carbon dioxide to cross. The lungs become permanently inflated because they have lost their elasticity. To adjust to the increase in lung size, the chest cage increases in size leading to the “barrel chest” appearance. As the disease progresses the damaged alveoli develop into areas of thick connective tissue which can’t let oxygen through.

Emphysema is generally caused by long term lung irritation to air pollution, industrial dust or cigarette smoke. It seems that cigarette smoke deactivates a protein that prevents emphysema and prevents repair of affected lung tissue.

Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial asthma is a reversible obstructive airway disease with symptoms of coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. This is brought on by spasms of the smooth muscle that lies in the walls of the smaller bronchi and bronchioles causing the airways to partially close. Mucus membranes that line the respiratory tract become irritated and excrete excessive amounts of mucus that may clog the bronchi or bronchioles and worsen the attack.

About three quarters of asthma sufferers are allergic to edible or airborne substances such as wheat or dust.

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi which typically gives a productive cough with thick greenish-yellow sputum signifying an underlying infection. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis – that is bronchitis for 3 months of a year over 2 consecutive years. Other influencing factors are a family history, air pollution, respiratory infections and reduced antibodies.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an acute infection or inflammation of the alveoli. The alveoli get filled up with fluid which reduces the amount of air space in the lungs and oxygen has difficulty getting through the inflamed alveoli.

The most common cause is the pneumococcus bacterium and the most susceptible are the elderly, infants, the immunosuppressed, smokers and people with obstructive lung disease.

Tuberculosis TB

The bacterium Mycobacterium Tuberculosis produces this infectious disease which most frequently affects the lungs. The bacteria destroys part of the lung tissue and the body replaces it with fibrous connective tissue (like scar tissue) that is inelastic and thick, it does not snap back after expiration and large amounts of air are retained. Gases cannot diffuse easily through fibrous tissue.

TB bacteria die in sunlight so it is sometimes associated with crowded poorly lit housing. TB used to be known as consumption.

What Did Ancient Herbalists Use For These Conditions?

The Chinese

An ancient herbal from 5000 years ago lists liquorice as a respiratory treatment.

The Egyptians

Hieroglyphs tell that the Egyptians used to inhale the fumes from herbs; it seems that frankincense was amongst those used.

The Ebers papyrus gives instructions:

"Thou shalt fetch seven stones and heat them by fire, thou shalt take one thereof and place a little of these remedies on it and cover it with a new vessel whose bottom is perforated, and place a stalk of reed in this hole; thou shalt put thy mouth to this stalk so that thou inhalest the smoke of it."

Hibiscus was used by either putting it in bath water or using it in a steam inhalation and liquorice seems to have been used all over the ancient world for chest complaints.

On the whole, in the ancient world natural cures were used alongside religion and magic.

The Greeks

Hyssop was used by the likes of Hippocrates and Galen for bronchitis. Hippocrates was one of the earliest physicians to link respiratory conditions and the environment.

Mullein was recorded as a treatment for breathing problems by Dioscorides and its medicinal and spiritual uses have been included in Greek and Roman stories.

Mullein

The Hebrews

The ancient Hebrews believed that God held the power to heal them so looked to the bible and sacred texts.

A religious book called the Talmud advocated the use of asafoetida, an oriental gum resin which was used for asthma, whooping cough and bronchitis.

The Romans

The Romans used white horehound; the medical writer Celsus described treatment for respiratory problems with horehound juice.

The Doctrine of Signatures

This theory stated that God had left us clues with plant medicine, whether it is by colour or actual physical representation. So, lungwort which has spots on its leaves and has resemblance to a lung was for pulmonary disorders.

Lungwort

Old English – Bald’s Leech Book

I love this entry, I think this recipe must include every respiratory herb the writer could think of and the magical number 3 keeps occurring.

For a cough and for disease of the lung, take a bail of swail, and sulphur, and incense, equal amounts of each, mix with wax, lay it on a hot stone, inhale the smoke through a horn, and let him eat three pieces of old bacon or butter afterwards, and sip it with curds. For lung disease, take betony and horehound, agrimony, wormwood, felter, rue, oak bark, gale, boil in water, boil down to a third of the water, take from the plant-drink a warm cupful in the morning, let him eat three pieces of food with some of the brew which joins on hereafter: Make a brew for lung disease, take betony, horehound, wormwood, hindhealth, the lower part of wenwort, lupin, elecampane, radish, boarthroat, parsnip, pound them all very well and boil in butter and wring it out through a cloth, scatter barley meal on the juice, stir it in a dish without fire until it becomes as thick as porridge, let him eat three pieces with a warm drink. Again, boil in honey a single horehound, add a little barley meal thereto, let him eat it having fasted overnight, and when you give him porridge, give it to him hot and let the man rest after the hour of dawn on his right side, and have the arm stretched out.

John Gerard (16C)

In the sixteenth century Gerard recommended horehound syrup for respiratory ailments. Gerard was a follower of the doctrine of signatures.

White horehound

Nicholas Culpepper (17C)

In the seventeenth century Culpepper recommended white horehound “There is a syrup made of this plant which I would recommend as an excellent help to evacuate tough phlegm and cold rheum from the lungs of aged persons, especially those who are asthmatic and short winded.”

He said liquorice was good for a dry cough, hoarseness, wheezing, shortness of breath and TB and thyme was a good strengthener of the lungs.

Culpepper used astrology rather than the doctrine of signatures. The respiratory system was governed by Mercury and Mercuric plants bore finely divided leaves such as fennel, dill and carrot.

Victorian Times

Dr Quinlan publicised an Irish TB treatment; a handful of fresh mullein leaves boiled with 2 pints of milk, strained and sweetened with honey, to be taken twice a day.

Looking at these examples of herbs used by ancient herbalists, most look familiar and are surprisingly still in use.

What Do Herbalists Use Now For Respiratory Conditions and Why?

Herbs for Chronic Bronchitis

Richard Mabey combines expectorant herbs with soothing demulcent herbs and adds antibiotic herbs.

Commission E, the expert panel that judges the safety of herbal medicines for the German government has approved couch grass in the treatment of bronchitis, if anyone would like to try this out I have an allotment full of it!

Expectorant herbs:

· White horehound

· Coltsfoot

· Elecampane

· Blood root

· Squills

· Senega

· Plantain

Demulcent herbs:

· Mullein

· Comfrey

· Marshmallow

· Flax seeds

· Liquorice

· Violet leaves

· Irish moss

Antibiotic herbs:

· Eucalyptus

Herbs for Asthma

Richard Mabey suggests herbs to relax the bronchi and expel mucus along with herbs to support the nervous system and a soothing expectorant which also supports the adrenal glands.

To relax the bronchi & expel mucous:

· Grindelia

· Pill-bearing spurge

· Sundew

· Coltsfoot

· Skunk cabbage

· Honeysuckle - antispasmodic

Herbs to support the nervous system:

· Wild lettuce

· Hops

· Chamomile

· Lime flowers

· Skullcap

· Holy basil

· Wild oats

Expectorants

· Elecampane

· Thyme

· Hyssop

· Garlic

· Coltsfoot

· Ginger

· Mullein

Expectorants which support the adrenal glands:

· Liquorice

· Borage

Antihistamine

· Nettle

Herbs for Tuberculosis (TB)

· Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal say self-heal has been found to be effective against Mycobacterium tuberculi, the bacteria which causes TB.

· Michael Castleman says garlic kills Mycobacterium tuberculosis but the garlic needs to be crushed so as a compound in garlic called alliin comes into contact with an enzyme in garlic called allinase and then allicin is formed. Allicin is a powerful antibiotic and is the compound that kills the TB bacteria.

· Hops may be effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

· In laboratory tests mullein inhibited the growth of the bacteria for TB.

· 1 laboratory test found red clover to be effective against the bacteria.

Herbs for Emphysema

· Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal say mint is a traditional remedy.

· Israeli researchers found ginseng increased lung capacity in people with emphysema.

· It has been suggested that horsetail which contains silica can speed up the rate of tissue repair and promote strength and elasticity in new tissues.

Herbs for Pneumonia

· Matthew Wood recommends a few drops of lavender oil in a bath.

· Mustard seed pack on chest (Wood).

· Horseradish as a poultice to the chest to thin stuck phlegm, use a cloth between the horseradish and the skin or it will burn.

· Expectorant herbs as listed for asthma and bronchitis.

· Vitamin C in elderberries, bilberries and rose hips stimulates the mucociliary escalator to help clear phlegm.

References

Bruton-Seal, J. and Seal, M. (2008) Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies, Merlin Unwin Books: Ludlow

Castleman, M. (2003) The New Healing Herbs: The Classic Guide to Natures Best Medicine, Hinkler Books Pty Ltd: Dingley

Mabey, R. (1988) The New Age Herbalist, Gaia: London

McIntyre, A. (2010) The complete Herbal Tutor, Gaia: London

Pollington, S. (2000) Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore and Healing, Anglo-Saxon Books: Norfolk

Tortura, G. and Anagnostakos, N.P.(1990) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (6^th Edition), Harper Collins: New York

Wood, M. (2008) The Earthwise Herbal, North Atlantic Books: Berkeley

Wassail

2012-01-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

I’ve been wassailing today, I’ve danced with my clog side, the local morris team danced and we wassailed the trees, finished off with a Mumming play.

Sound the trumpet!

We started off with dancing and singing Wassailing songs and then walked with lanterns to the orchard.

In the orchard we lit a fire, sang another song and then wassailed the trees. Everyone made as much noise as possible with rattles, shakers and party poppers and beat the trees (gently!) with sticks. Cider was poured over the trees and toast soaked in cider was stuck onto the branches. All evil spirits should have been scared out of the trees and a good crop of apples (and plums) ensured for this year – job done!

Toast on a tree

The Mummers did a traditional play with St George and the Turkish knight having a battle.

A pharoe supervises the battle

Although I’ve done this before I’d never noticed some of the words in the wassailing songs, I suppose it’s only when something’s on your mind that you see it. Two of the three wassailing songs mention my herbal aly; elder, but I don't know the significance.

Here We Come A Wassailing

1. Here we come a Wassailing among the leaves so green

Here we come a wassailing so as to be seen

Chorus:

Love and joy come to you, and to your wassail too

And God bless you and send you a happy New Year

And God send you a Happy New Year

2. Our wassail it is made from the elderberry tree

Our ale it is made from the best barley

Wassail

Wassail, wassail all over the town

Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown

Our cup is made from the elderberry tree

And so my good neighbours we’ll drink to thee

Drink to thee, drink to thee

And so good neighbours we’ll drink to thee

Wassail everyone!

Using Elder Bark To Make A Salve For Bruises

2012-01-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

For the first year of my herb apprenticeship I never had a blog, I kept everything in diary format in a folder on my computer. I have tried to e-mail some pictures to my fellow apprentices today but not everyone can open them so I've decided to post my first thoughts on elder and my first practical task. I had to map the elder and hawthorn trees within a mile radius of my house, take bark rubbings and make a salve from the elder bark for bruises.

At first I was anxious about identifying trees without any foliage, flowers or berries but soon worked it out and now I can spot a hawthorn or elder a mile away!

As elder is my herbal aly this year it was good to visit this work again.

My thoughts on Elder Dec 09

Memories of the elder go back to my childhood, it was a tree I could recognise but I don’t remember being taught. Elder was found around the school playing field where we played in summer and in the woods at the back of our house.

I have heard the tree has links to the fairy realm which makes it even more interesting and exciting.

This Autumn Sarah showed us the wood and explained how it was pithy inside, lending itself for use in flutes or beads, more uses than flowers and berries then.

Although I feel familiar with this tree, that it has been around me for most of my life, I don’t “know” it. I want to learn how to use it medicinally and to carefully enter its energetic realm.

31 December 2009

I have been up on the hills as part of my task to locate elder in my locality. I found several small trees; they are difficult to access as they are in a hedge of holly with brambles in front of them. I took a few twigs for my salve. The branches had small red buds on them.

Elder amongst holly

On the opposite side of the hill I found a larger tree that I could get to and harvested a few more twigs. I managed to get a bark rubbing of larger and smaller branches. The younger branches appear speckled; they branch off in pairs on each side of the stem. The pale elder branches contrasted with the dark holly around them.

Younger, straight elder branches

Circling the hills and approaching where I had started I found a large tree growing alone. This tree was easy to get to so I did another rubbing & took a few twigs, the shape of the tree was now apparent.

Elder tree

I took my twigs home and stripped off the bark. Most twigs were green under the bark; some were drier and had more tissue papery bark which peeled off. When stripping bark, especially the green bark, I could smell an elderberry aroma. I then made a double infused oil with sunflower oil which is also said to be good for bruises. I have pale green oil which I shall use to make my bruise salve.

Branches gathered for bark

Bark was stripped off with a pen knife

I made a double infused oil

Completed oil and salve

I don't know if there is a right or wrong way to collect your bark but this worked for me. A few weeks after I made this a friend's husband fell down some metal steps and badly bruised his legs; I gave him some salve and he thought it was great and was very thankful. I made some more salve with essential oils added to give an analgesic effect as well.

Different Types of Wild Rose Hips and My Garden Rose Hips

2012-01-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

Find and map all of the wild rose bushes in a one mile radius from where you live. Identify whether the rose bush is a dog rose, briar rose or Rosa Rugusa.

I went walking on the 4^th as I knew there were wild roses on the other side of the hills. I never got as far as I would have liked as the weather turned stormy. I found plenty of stems that look like rose but there was no fruit and I found a bush with blackened and damaged hips.

When I got home, there on my front garden I came face to face with a miniature rose which was a gift that I planted outside and it had rose hips, could I use these?

I have had to research the difference with the varieties Sarah asked us to identify as I wasn’t sure what the differences were.

Dog Rose (Rosa Canina)

This rose has small backward facing thorns help it to climb through hedgerows. Hips are described as "flask shaped", they are oval and longer than they are wide. The hips are rich in vitamin C and can be made into a pleasant tasting syrup or honey. The hips are orange to bright red in colour. The flowers bloom in June and July are usually white or pale pink and have 5 petals. The leaves are compound with 5-7 alternate leaflets which are hairless and lighter underneath.

Wild Rose

Briar Rose or Sweet Briar or Eglantine (Rosa Rubiginosa)

This rose also has flat backward facing thorns. Its smooth, leathery red hips are egg shaped and about 2cm long. Briar Rose’s flowers and foliage are fragrant; the blooms are up to 5cm across, a bit smaller than the dog rose’s and soft pink. The leaves are compound with 5-7 leaflets in opposite pairs. Rubiginosa means rusty in Latin and refers to the brownish-red tint often seen on the leaves and stems.

Japanese Rose (Rosa Rugosa)

The thorns of the Japanese rose are different to the dog rose and the briar rose in that they are finer and more numerous making it good for protective hedging. The hips are noticeably different as they are large, about 2-4cm across and wider than they are long. This makes the rose hips less fiddly to prepare and remove the seeds. The flowers can be pink, purple or white and 6-7cm wide. Rosa Rugosa’s leaves are dark green and wrinkled looking on top and downy underneath.

Being winter the only identification aids I could use were the stems, thorns and any remaining fruit or hips.

The first lot of stems I think are dog roses as they have the backward facing thorns but no rusty coloured tinge. The second type of bush I found had numerous fine thorns so I presume this was a Japanese rose, there were remains of hips; only one was red but it was damaged, it looked as if it had been quite wide.

Found on my rose hunt

Remains of a rose hip on a bush with finer thorns

Most rose hips had gone black

I have asked my fellow apprentices about using domestic garden hips instead of wild hips and it seems that some of the nourishment may have been given up in the name of beauty and they don’t contain much flesh. Sarah of course says to try using them and see for myself. I have had a quick search on the internet and it seems that a lot of garden roses don’t have any significant hips and those that do don’t taste as good as the wild ones. Of course I decided to follow Sarah’s advice and try my garden rose hips.

Garden rose hips

I gathered the hips this morning, some were very soft. When I cut them in half there was not much flesh, mainly seeds. I tried to deseed one and was left with hardly anything so the whole lot went into the jar.

Chopped rose hips

Then I do confess Sarah I went a little wrong and made an elixir with honey and brandy. When I read the instructions afterwards it said to make a tincture and to put some sloes and sugar in with them. I must start reading instructions before I start! Unfortunately sloes are less common than rose hips around here at the moment but I do have some sloe gin on the go. Perhaps if I can find some more rosehips I could put them in some sloe gin?

Oops an elixir not a tincture!

Latin Names for this Years Herbs

2012-01-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

An extra task from Sarah:

I'd like you all to go through your lists and double them so you have the common name on the
left hand side and the Latin name on the right.

Family	Common Name	Latin Name
ADOXACEAE	Elderberry	Sambuscus Nigra
	Guelder Rose	Viburnum Opulus
ASPERAGACEAE	Solomon’s Seal	Polygonatum Multiflorum
ASTERACEAE	Calendula	Calendula Officinalis
	Roman Chamomile	Anthemis Nobilis
	Dandelion	Taraxacum Officinale
	Mugwort	Artemisia Vulgaris
	Yarrow	Achillea Millefolium
BORAGINACEAE	Comfrey	Symphytum Officinale
ERICACEAE	Bilberry	Vaccinium Myrtillus
HYPERACEA	St John’s Wort	Hypericum Perforatum
LAMIACEAE	Lemon Balm	Melissa Officinalis
	Motherwort	Leonurus Cardica
	Scullcap	Scutellaria Barbata
MALVACEAE	Marsh Mallow	Malvaceae
PLANTAGINACEAE	Plantain	Plantago Major
ROSACEAE	Blackberry	Rubus Fruticasus
	Hawthorn	Cratag Monogyna
	Meadowsweet	Filipendula Ulmaria
SCROPHULARIACEAE	Mullein	Verbascum Thapsus
URTICACEAE	Nettle	Urtica Diaca
VALERIA	Valerian	Valeriana Officinalis

There are a couple I’m not sure about:

1. I will be using local bilberries which grow on the hills at the end of my back garden, the name of the common bilberry in Latin is Vaccinium Myrtillus but I have read that Cannock Chase is one of the few places in the world where a cross breed grows Vaccinium intermedium Rultie which is sometimes known as the Cannock Chase Berry so I need to investigate further to see which one I have.

Bilberry in flower

2. Hawthorn, there I the Common hawthorn, Crataegus Monogyna, and a Midlands hawthorn, Crataegus Laevigata, I don’t know which I am using so will have to check this as well. The hawthorn berries by my allotment are larger and brighter red than those on the hills at home so maybe I have been using both.

I have listed the family names as I thought it was interesting to see which plants were from the same families. Some of the Latin names give you a big clue as to the uses, Leonurus Cardica most obviously sticking out like a sore thumb as a cardiac herb when I have only really considered it as a ladies herb.

Blackberries for Viruses

2011-12-20T02:31:00.000-08:00

A week after looking at herbs for viruses it seems that I have the chance to test my remedies, I have a sore throat, runny stuffy nose and lots of aches and pains. I’ve got one dose of elderberry cordial left and I’m making my way through my elderberry elixir as elderberries are antiviral.

Elderberries

As we are approaching the solstice I joined a celebration of Alban Arthan and ended up sitting on a damp log in an open wooden yurt on Cannock Chase and although I was with lovely people I got cold and longed for my cosy bed. My friends were lovely and suggested cures. I was given a ginger chew (available in Holland & Barrett) which was very warming and helped me to get my voice back. One gentleman recommended blackberries; he said to crush them, put them in the microwave to get the juices to come out and add vodka to the juice. He wasn’t sure how it worked but surmised that if you drank enough you’d forget about your cold anyway! Friendship and good company definately helps you feel better as well.

Blackberries

Blackberries are one of my herbs to study but I haven’t done anything with berries yet and I decided to look up whether or not they would help a cold and it seems they would. First of all they contain vitamin C which is supposed to help prevent colds and aid us to get over them quicker. Susan Lark points out that blackberries contain bioflavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that help to protect cells against damage by free radicals. Bioflavonoids such as quercetin have antiviral properties that protect us from infections.

These little dears will make good blackberry pickers!

It’s too late to collect blackberries this year but next year I will include them in my cold remedies. I have come across some free recipes and if anyone has any little helpers to take blackberry picking there are activity sheets to make it more exciting and a certificate to reward their efforts. They are here from the Woodland Trust.

Deer on Cannock Chase

Nutmeg, How Much Is Safe To Use?

2011-12-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

At Sarah’s herb workshop last week we made remedies for coughs and colds and used some warming spices in our mixtures including nutmeg. My first ever memory of nutmeg is in this nursery rhyme:

I had a little nut tree,
Nothing would it bear,
But a silver nutmeg,
And a golden pear.

The King of Spain's daughter
Came to visit me,
And all for the sake
Of my little nut tree.

I skipped over water,
I danced over sea,
And all the birds in the air,
Couldn't catch me.

I had eaten it without any concerns until one day a friend told me that too much nutmeg was hallucinogenic, he could not say what amount induced this state. I’ve since heard lots of tales about nutmeg since; ranging from being an aphrodisiac to deadly, and being a mixture of prize coward and ignorant I’ve limited my intake since. So, when Sarah asked Maria & I to grate a whole nutmeg into our pan of elderberry cordial my yellow streak reared up. Add a whole one? How much is hallucinogenic? How much is deadly?

According to everything I’ve read on the subject, the dose of nutmeg in usual or generous culinary use is perfectly safe.

Nutmeg (picture from Wikipedia)

Medicinal Uses of Nutmeg

The nutmeg tree is of the species Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Nutmeg is the seed of the fruit and has a red, webbed covering which is the spice mace. Nutmeg was a prized spice in Medieval times and was believed to ward off the plague in Elizabethan times which escalated the price although there is no evidence that it was effective.

Nutmeg has been used in medicine since at least the seventh century. In the 19th century it was used as an abortifacient, which led to numerous recorded cases of nutmeg poisoning. One study has shown that the compound macelignan isolated from Myristica fragrans (Myristicaceae) may exert antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans which is found in the mouth and contributes to tooth decay. Medicinal properties of nutmeg are found here and include:

· A brain booster by improving circulation and therefore the blood supply to the brain.

· Bringing benefits to the cardiovascular system (oil), thus, protecting you from cardiovascular diseases and improving the function of the heart.

· Detoxifying the liver and kidneys, a regular dose of nutmeg can help in the cleansing process. Nutmeg oil is particularly effective as a liver tonic. Nutmeg also prevents stones from forming in your kidneys.

· Aiding insomnia, which in turn promotes relaxation. Julie Bruton Seal (2010) has found it effective for the type of insomnia where you wake in the night but are unable to get back to sleep. It takes about 4 hours to start working but will then last another 8 hours. So if you plan to go to bed at 10pm you need to take the remedy at 6pm. A lower dose can be used during the day for anxiety. Myristicin, a constituent of nutmeg, has been shown to increase the levels of serotonin in rats brains (Battaglia, 2003).

· Because of its antibacterial properties, nutmeg is also beneficial if you are suffering from halitosis or bad breath and can help prevent tooth decay.

· Helping problems in the digestive system, such as bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, problems from nervous indigestion, hiccups and wind. Traditionally it is used in India with coconut water for dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhoea. It is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic for Chron’s disease, colitis, infections, dysentery, gastroenteritis and vomiting (McIntyre, 2010). Ancient Wisdom say that recent research shows that nutmeg may inhibit the growth of the rota-viruses associated with diarrhoea in children.

· Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, nutmeg is also known as an effective pain reliever. To help conditions such as chronic pain, rheumatic fever or muscle sprain, then incorporating nutmeg into your diet can help. Nutmeg oil is usually applied to the body to sooth aching joints and muscles, it can be infused into an oil or essential oil can be used. Nutmeg’s anti-inflammatory action is attributed to eugenol, the greatest effect was observed in tests after 4 hours and was comparable to phenylbutazone and indomethacin (Buckle, 2006).

· Treating male sexual dysfunction. Nutmeg has been highly prized by Chinese women to help seduce their male lovers. In Mace and Nutmeg for Magical Lovemaking it says “The main component that makes this wonder spice, well, such a wonder, is myristicin, the base of the "love drug" MDA, otherwise known as "Ecstasy". It's no wonder why this spice has been used in so many love potions and magic spells! It's one of the ingredients of a magical perfume described in the most famous of all the grimoires, or black books of the sorcerers, The Key of Solomon the King”

· Helping to prevent coughs and colds and relieve congestion.

Nutmeg Magic

A couple of years ago I was sold a nutmeg as a cure for my husband’s bad back, I can’t say how it worked as Mr Moon Gazing Hare could not be persuaded to carry it around in his pocket. According to Anna Franklin and Susan Lavender carrying the nut wards off rheumatism and increases clairvoyant powers. They also say its planetary ruler is Jupiter and it can be added to Jupiter planetary incense and burned during rituals where divination plays a part.

Psychoactive and Toxic Effects of Nutmeg

Taking large amounts of nutmeg has unwanted side effects including disorientation, double vision, hallucination and convulsions (Mabey,1988). The first recorded hallucinogenic effect was by Lobelius in 1576. In 1829 the physiologist JE Purkinje ate 3 nutmegs and described the effects as similar to cannabis intoxication (Battaglia, 2003). From searching the internet it seems that some people have taken high doses for the psychoactive effects, there was a fad in the 1960s and it has been known more recently by the curious and people who have had their drug supply limited by being imprisoned. One grated nutmeg gives 2-3 teaspoons of ground spice, it seems that at least a tablespoon is required to be ingested to achieve any sort of high or altered consciousness. Freshly grated nutmeg seems to produce the most profound intoxication. Nutmeg contains myristicin, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and psychoactive substance. Myristicin poisoning can induce convulsions, palpitations, nausea, eventual dehydration, and generalized body pain. Another constituent, elimicin, is also believed to lead to psychotropic effects. Myristicin and elimicin are metabolised to TMA and MMDA which are both hallucinogenic substances. Battaglia shows that only taking the whole nutmeg gives psychotropic effects so other constituents in nutmeg must be involved.

Component	Psychotropic Effect
Whole nutmeg	Highly active
Whole nutmeg less the essential oil	No activity
Nutmeg oil	Weakly active
Myristicin on its own	No activity

The amount of nutmeg required to get a high will also induce nausea and appears to take about 4 days for all the effects to disappear. Nutmeg can also be toxic to your pets, one internet site warns “do not share your egg nog with your dog”! Taking high doses of nutmeg can be fatal to both humans and pets.

Nutmeg Essential Oil

The essential oil is produced by steam distillation of dried nutmegs. It can be applied topically (diluted) in a massage, compress, bath or ointment or inhaled. The oil is non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitising. Indications are:

· Digestion – stimulates appetite, can help flatulence, nausea, chronic vomiting and diarrhoea.

· Musculoskeletal system – warming for aches and pains and rheumatism, suitable for the elderly (Price & Price, 2007).

· Nervous system – a tonic and stimulant and an aid to general fatigue.

Well it would seem that I am safe to continue with nutmeg on my rice pudding and that sharing a whole nutmeg between a room full of people to take in divided doses will not hurt at all and of course, I do trust my mentor, Sarah, not to send us on an unexpected trip! It seems that the benefits of nutmeg take about four hours to take effect so one needs to plan ahead sometimes, such as in the case of using it for insomnia.

References

Battaglia, S. (2003) The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (2^nd Edition), The International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy, Brisbane

Bruton-Seal, J. and Seal, M. (2010) Kitchen Medicine, Merlin Unwin Books, Ludlow

Buckle,J. (2003) Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Practice (2^nd Edition), Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh

Mabey,R. (1988) The New Age Herbalist, Gaia, London

McIntyre, Anne (2010) The Complete Herbal Tutor, Gaia, London

Price,S. and Price,L. (2007) Aromatherapy For Health Professionals (3^rd Edition), Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh

White Horehound and Bitters

2011-12-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is an article I wrote before I started my apprenticeship, it was for a blog party and as I never had a blog at the time Sarah put it on hers, now I have taken white horehound off my list of herbs for 2012 it was useful to look back and read it again.

White Horehound

Prior to attending Sarah Head’s workshops last year I had never thought there might be any reason why I should need to eat anything bitter, and as lots of other foods tasted better I didn’t bother to very often, grapefruits and rocket were probably it.

During the first workshop I attended at The Sanctuary, Sarah gave us dandelion root to try which I didn’t find a pleasant experience. A month later when we strained our dandelion vinegar we discovered that dandelion roots taste better pickled and had some in a forager’s salad, which was quite enjoyable. Since then I’ve learnt bitters are important for our digestive systems and have started to enjoy them more knowing they will do me good.

I have now started an apprenticeship with Sarah and our next task is about bitters. I was looking at my herb list for something bitter to research and remembered what our white hoarhound cough syrup tasted like. I found Richard Mabey’s bitter definition, which made me realise there might be more to bitters than digestion and I started to understand white hoarhound’s actions.

“Bitters Herbs containing a range of chemicals that have a bitter taste. Some are useful as appetite stimulants, others as anti-inflammatories, still others as relaxants.”

Mabey identifies hoarhound is one of the 5 bitter herbs to be eaten by Jews at the Passover supper. He says “The plant’s bitter principle, along with its expectorant properties, is responsible in part for the major medical use of white horehound for respiratory disorders.” This surprised me as I had only related bitters to digestion but he does go on to say a cold infusion is a bitter tonic for the digestive system. There is evidence to show that as marrubiin, the plant’s bitter principle, breaks down in the body it strongly stimulates bile production. The plant has been traditionally used as a reliable liver and digestive remedy.

Matthew Wood says that as a bitter, hoarhound promotes expulsion of thick secretions, allowing new mucous and new immune cells to be secreted. This allows the herb to work not by killing germs but by changing the environment so as to enable the body to kill the germs. This theory makes sense to me and has made me think differently about how herbs work.

The CU (Champaign-Urbana) herb society says that the bitter principle, marrubiim, does not exist in the living plant, but is formed during the extraction process. They also say that the bitter action of hoarhound stimulates the secretion of bile from the gall bladder, aiding digestion. In large quantities it could act as a laxative and cause an irregular heartbeat. Matthew Wood cautions that large doses of hoarhound are emetic and laxative and can cause arrhythmias.

I came to the conclusion that white hoarhound stimulates the gall bladder and aids digestion and also relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchus while stimulating mucous production; this tallies with Richard Mabey’s definition of bitters including relaxants. I then started to worry I had put two and two together and made five but was directed by my mentor, Sarah, to Jim MacDonald’s web site where there is a lot of information explaining how bitters work to aid digestion but he also sees bitters as grounding and says they can release emotional energy from organs particularly anger and frustration linked to stagnant liver energy.

Jim MacDonald refers to a past blog entry of Sarah Head in 2008 where she suggests that bitters promote release. Sarah says different herbs have affinities with different parts of the body so will promote the release of different secretions or emotions from those areas. I now realise there are energetic as well as physical attributes to bitters, the major benefit is to the digestive system but there could be others as well.

White Horehound flowers

References

Campaign-Urbana Herb Society (2004) Herb of the Month: Horehound (marrubium vulgare) www.cuherbsociety.org

Head, Sarah (2008) Bitters: Herbs which promote release? http://kitchenherbwifeblogspot.com accessed 27.1.2010

Mabey, R. (1988) The New Age Herbalist Simon & Schuster: New York

MacDonald, J. (2009) Blessed Bitters http://www.herbcraft.org/bitters.pdf accessed 27.1.2010

Wood, M. (2008) The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants North Atlantic Books: Berkeley

Anti-Viral Herbal Remedies

2011-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today I attended Sarah’s workshop looking at herbs for viruses and winter coughs and colds. We made violet syrup, elderberry syrup, elderberry elixir and fire cider vinegar. Although antibiotics can't help viruses there are some herbal helpers and elderberry is quite specific for flu viruses.

Kitchen table

Violet syrup is good for coughs and constipation in children. If a child saw it being made I’m sure they would believe it was magic medicine. Sarah had covered the violets with boiled water the night before and they had steeped overnight; the mixture did not smell too appealing and was green in colour. We drained the liquid off; we had 200ml, and added the juice of ½ lemon and the green liquid instantly turned Barbie pink – magic! We added sugar (5oz) and simmered for a few minutes and we’re left with our syrup which any child or adult would take, it tasted delicious.

Violet syrup

We made a warming elderberry syrup. Along with elderberries (anti-viral, especially for flu) we added hyssop (relaxing for coughs), rose hips (vitamin C), cinnamon bark, nutmeg (warming), marshmallow (soothing for coughs). This was boiled together in water for 15 minutes, strained, and then 1lb of sugar added to each pint of water.

Add ingredients to pan

Grating nutmeg

The elderberry elixir had other ingredients added, orange peel (bitter to help the liver & digestion), cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger (warming), rosehips (vitamin C). We covered the ingredients with honey and topped up the jar with brandy. I will strain in about 3 weeks.

We also went home with Fire Cider Vinegar, an anti-viral mixture. Crushed garlic, grated horse radish, rose hips, grated ginger and turmeric powder topped up in the jar with apple cider vinegar with will stand for about a month. After a month, strain and use 2 teaspoons in a cup of hot water with 2 teaspoons of honey.

Ingredients going into Fire Cider Vinegar

On arrival we made some anti-viral teas. The first contained dried sage and thyme with grated ginger, the second had sage vinegar with elecampane honey, they both tasted good.

The End of Year 2 of my Herb Apprenticeship

2011-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

Our last herb task of the year involves reflecting back over this year and forwards to next year.

I want you to look out your original list of herbs and go through each one answering the following questions.

Did I plant this herb? If yes, what happened - do you have photos, did you make notes or drawing? What did you discover about this herb? Do you feel you know enough now or what else do you need to find out?

Did I wild craft this herb? If so, where from, when, what did you do with what you gathered? Will you return to this colony in the future?

Go through all your activities with your herbal ally. Is there anything left you haven't made or a particular part you don't know about? Is there time to complete your task or is this something to carry forward to next year?

Bergamot: not a good start, I haven’t really thought about this herb this year and have decided to drop it from next year’s studies.

Bergamot

Bilberry: the idea here was that I believe I ought to have knowledge of what grows in my own locality; this grows in abundance on the hills behind my house so I am walking past it all the time. I have photographed it and tried bilberry leaf tea but got so busy I never made the time to harvest berries, this is where I miss my kids being little, we would pick together from moorland and hedgerows and I’d make a pie with the fruity hoard.

Bilberry

Blackberry or Bramble

Blackberry: exactly as above, leaves wild gathered from bushes on the hills.

Calendula: I never got my own seeds sown but helped to sow and harvest at the Sanctuary, I have photographs. I have used calendula in my skin care products as it’s so healing and gentle on the skin.

Calendula

Comfrey: I had a bit of root from the Sanctuary a few years ago and it has grown vigorously. I made leaf oil which is pictured on the blog but I still need to make root oil which I think is more effective although I am aware of PSAs.

Comfrey

Dandelion: my herbal ally this year; I have been more aware of dandelion, spent time with it, talked to it (don’t lock me up!), lived with it and experimented with it. I have also photographed, photo-shopped pictures, drawn pictures and been inspired by it. I have made infusions, bitter tincture and vinegar. I wanted to make more things and write about more of its uses so I shall have to carry on a while.

Dandelion pictures

Elder: This also grows on the hills behind my house; I have made an elixir and made my first glycerite earlier in the year from dried berries. Photos were taken. This tree is so versatile with so many uses, I want to look at it in a more energetic way and I think it will be fun to look at the stories from times gone by.

Elder berries

Elecampane flowers & dried root

Elecampane: Sarah gave me a bit of root and it grew, not as big as hers and it didn’t flower but I expect great things next year! Even though I will still observe it and use it I’m going to take it off my study list now.

Feverfew: I can’t really say I grew it this year as it has self-seeded all over the garden. It’s such a cheerful looking flower that I have let it go where it wants. Tried it in a sandwich as I read somewhere that this was a good way of damping down the strong taste, it still tastes bitter, I feel I’ve completed my time with it now, I’ve decided to let this one go from my list after 2 years.

Feverfew

Hawthorn: I have it growing on the hills but by my allotment were the biggest and brightest red berries I’d ever seen so I picked these and put them in a tincture. I took pictures, I just feel drawn to it so it’s staying on the list.

Hawthorn berries

Lady’s Mantle: I’ve used it from the Sanctuary and my garden and put it in my Lady’s blend. This one’s going from my list now.

Lady's Mantle

Lemon Balm: I’ve used it in a tincture with St John’s Wort and I’ve found that the tea is such a soother after I’ve worked in the garden during hay fever season. I feel Lemon Balm and I have a bit more potential.

Lemon Balm

Meadowsweet: I’ve grown it in the garden but didn’t get to harvest it; I’m disappointed with myself about this and will do better next year.

Meadowsweet

Motherwort: I’ve taken some pictures and have made a tincture, I need to look at it closer.

Motherwort

Mugwort: a magical herb I think, I enjoy working with mugwort, I have dried some for a dream pillow, harvested at samhain for extra potency.

Mugwort

Nettle: growing well around the compost bin! I’ve had macerated water and lots of nutritious soup, there’s still some in the freezer.

Nettle

Plantain: I didn’t do anything with plantain this year but want to carry on another year with it.

Plantain

Skullcap: this got me through a rough patch last year so I wanted to study it more but haven’t yet.

St John’s Wort: this still fascinates me; it’s growing really well in the garden and keeps me going in oils and tinctures. I have experimented and tried to research its sun protection properties and got some great feedback about other people’s experiences.

St Johns wort

Valerian: I have this growing in the garden and this must be why it’s on my list but I must confess I’d forgotten it was on my list until I came to do this list, woops! What does that say about valerian and me?

Valerian

White Horehound: I haven’t done a lot with it this year except to put it in the most bitter tasting cough mixture in the world! I looked into its properties in more depth last year; I shall publish my article on here. I feel I’ve finished with it for now.

White horehound

Yarrow: keeps escaping me, it grows scantily on the hills. There’s a lot in town at the roadside but this is too polluted to use so I shall plod on with yarrow, it’s an interesting herb.

Which tinctures/vinegars/honeys/flower essences/elixirs have you made throughout the year? Have you kept notes of the recipes? If not, can you still remember what you did so you can make a note now?

I’ve kept this blog since the first of January and it’s been great for keeping a record of what I’ve done along with my photographs. How great to find I something kept in an organised way! I can recommend it for other apprentices.

You will need to choose a new herbal ally for next year and a further 5-10 herbs to study. You are allowed to drop any from this year's list which you've either finished with or not felt drawn to. (If there is one you are studiously ignoring but which refuses to go away, I would suggest you take a deep breath and embrace it!)

Chamomile, mullein, guelder rose, solomons seal, marsh mallow to add and elder for my ally.

Do a herbal stocktake this month - what do you have in your cupboard/larder/herb drawer?

I needed this task to prompt me to tidy my potion cupboard! This is what I found:

Tinctures

St John’s wort, St John’s wort and lemon balm, hawthorn berry, motherwort, mugwort, bitters, hawthorn blossom, horsetail, wild cherry bark, meadowsweet, dandelion.

Vinegars

Four thieves, lady’s blend, dandelion leaves, rosemary, thyme, fire cider, bramble root.

Wine

Iron tonic

Syrup

Wild cherry bark and elderberry, grapefruit bitter, ginger, elderberry, colt’s foot.

Jelly

Quince, crab apple and guelder rose.

Oils

St John’s wort, meadowsweet, calendula, plantain, elder bark, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, dandelion flower, comfrey leaf.

Salves

Elder bark, ginger, chilli

Flower essences

Hawthorn, chick weed, dandelion, feverfew, crab apple blossom

Other

Wands of various types of wood, crab apple being my most recent addition, some cramp bark to save the bark from, mugwort and ashwaghanda seeds drying in the airing cupboard and all those things that will turn up in drawers, cupboards and handbags that I had forgotten about.

Evaluation
Now is the time to think about what we've done over the past year - what was helpful? What would you have liked more of? What did you hate but found useful? Would you have preferred to have done something differently? Could I have done more to help?

I would also like you to think about how you have changed and what you have achieved and what you would like to achieve next year.

I can’t believe how much I’ve achieved this year, looking back through my blog of the year brings back memories of not just what I have done but who I have shared these moments with; such lovely people. Working with other people, even if I don’t know them at the start is so helpful as everyone shares their own knowledge and experience and has alternative ways of doing things. This and having a mentor who is knowledgeable and gets me to try things I never would usually is the difference between learning with others and learning from books, so keep making me taste things I wouldn’t usually dare to! My style of learning seems to be to try the tastes, smells and experiences that can only be learnt by having a go and then reading what the experts say and seeing if these merge.

Life happens to us all and we have to prioritise so sometimes it’s hard to keep up. I find a monthly task gives me a nudge to get on with my work!

Setting up this blog was my first scary moment of the year, not being very techno-minded; but it’s helped me to keep a record of my work that you can read and has been enjoyable. I have felt brave enough to join a blog party as well! I find I have more confidence with my knowledge and with giving advice but still feel I have so much to learn.

December at the Allotment

2011-12-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

It’s been the mildest autumn I can ever remember and as I haven’t had much time to give it lately the weeds have been growing. I’ve had a busy time checking on and cuddling my new granddaughter Phoebe (7lb 2oz on 8^th November), finally managing to launch my own range of skin care products, and having an adventurous & busy weekend in London.

Sprouts are soon to be harvested for Christmas dinner, leeks and parsnips are doing well. I harvested a few late raspberries today and a good handful of chillies.

We had our last gardening lesson of the year today, we looked at each other’s plots to what was still growing, and people are still putting in garlic so I am going to get some. We have had some fan trained trees to grow against the wall, an apricot and a cherry and a fellow allotment holder has kindly helped me to plant them today.

Apricot Tree

Cherry tree

The Shark Fin Melons were harvested today which were grown from seeds donated by garden organic. Some people are going to dry the seeds so as we can plant more next year and spread the seed to others. To be honest they taste a bit bland and it was decided that we need some good recipes if we are to continue with the cause or we are growing them for nothing.

Shark Fin Melons

The gardens where the allotments are have been in touch with an old fashioned brewery that uses Costmary in their brewing instead of hops and will supply a barrel of ale in return for an amount of the herb. I’d heard of Costmary but didn’t know anything about it, Mrs Grieves says it gave a spicy flavour to ale and one of its other names was Alecost. Costmary is similar to tansy in appearance with small yellow flowers, but has a more balsamic aroma.

Costmary

We also discussed beetroot gluts, beetroot juice is supposed to be very good for you. Just juice raw beetroots and add a bit of carrot or apple, a tale was that neat beetroot juice can freeze your vocal chords; this did not seem to have affected the story teller though!

Jo-Ann, thank you for your comments, I can’t comment back on this blog any more but I hope you have used your quinces, my slow cooker is smaller than most and I manage well. I’m very interested in your quince brandy, is this made in the same manner as sloe gin?

How I Got Addicted To Quince and Crab Apple Jelly With Guelder Rose Berries

2011-11-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

Quince

The quince is an ancient fruit, a cross between an apple and a pear and not seen much in modern times but it does seem to be having a mini revival. Sarah, my herb mentor, gave me some quinces last weekend, I hadn’t tried them before.

Quinces in a row on the bench

The quinces were to make jelly and cheese and have been sitting in a bowl on the dining table all week. Sarah told me that they need to cook for about 3 hours as they are hard, so every time someone’s gone to pick one up and bite it I’ve said “you can’t eat it raw because… it’s hard”. I decided to make my jelly yesterday and thought I’d have a taste of raw quince to see why it’s cooked; it was very sour and astringent, giving an instant feeling of having a furry tongue; some were harder to cut than others.

Chopped quince

To make the jelly I cored the quinces but left the skin on, filled the slow cooker with quince and about half full with water and then thought “was I was supposed to do something with a lemon?” I read the instructions on Sarah's blog, I should have put the peel and juice of 2 lemons in, I only had one so I put that in. In future I must read instructions when I’m making things instead of trying to remember what I’ve read days before! The quinces had started to oxidise quickly, I thought maybe if I’d put them straight into water and lemon they wouldn’t have gone brown so quickly. I was reading my Preserves book this morning by Pam The Jam (Pam Corbin) and she has a table of how much pectin is in fruit and how much acid. She says the 4 things needed for jams or jellies are fruit, pectin sugar and acid. The acid draws the pectin out of the fruit and as quinces have high pectin and low acid a couple of lemons balance that out. If I had read the instructions at the time I would also have covered my quince with water and had more liquid.

Straining the cooked quince

I did a bit of shopping and visited some friends and came home to find pink quince in the pot with pink fluid, I was quite amazed. I tasted the boiled quince and yes, it was still sour. I strained the cooked quince through a jelly bag, I had 1 pint of fluid to which I added 1pound of granulated sugar. I let this boil for 10 minutes but it had not quite reached setting point, after 5 more minutes I was there. I poured the pink liquid into sterilised jars. I tasted it, and loved it, it’s hard to describe – perfumed pear with a hint of rose along with sweet and sour, it was really worth making. My eldest daughter walked in as I was finishing off, “mm… that would taste lovely with toast” she said, so that’s what I had for breakfast today, any excuse, and yes it was lovely. Quince is my new favourite fruit!

Quince Jelly

A good thing about making quince jelly is that the fruit that was strained off need not be wasted; Sarah had recommended quince cheese, which isn’t cheese at all. I pureed the fruit with a little fluid from the cooking of the quinces and had a bowl of sloppy red-brown pulp. To 2 pounds of quince I added 2 pounds of sugar and heated it on a very low heat until it was thick enough to drag a spoon through to show the bottom of the pan and it took a few seconds for it to cover over the pan bottom again.

Quince cheese

Even when cooked on a very low heat my quince cheese kept bubbling and shooting blobs up the kitchen walls, cupboards, cooker, floor, into the dinner I was trying to cook and splashed onto my arms burning me. Even half off the gas ring it resembled a geyser from Yellowstone park, I thought I’d cleaned up everything, went to put the kettle on and got a sticky hand. I won’t bother with the cheese again I told myself, until I tasted it; again it was well worth it.

I hadn’t bothered checking how many jars I had before I started, I thought I had plenty and discovered that this was not the case so the next thing I had to start doing was straining off tinctures and elixirs which were sitting on my windowsill so as I could use the jars! Quince cheese has the grainy texture of pears and can be eaten with cheese which I look forward to trying.

I wasn’t sure I’d like quince but I love it, I think I'm getting addicted I have to keep tasting it! I can’t believe it’s not more popular, thank you Sarah.

Make a bitter jelly using rowan or cramp bark with apple. What would you use this for medicinally?

Whilst I was in jelly-making mode I decided to do my practical task for autumn. At the herb Sanctuary last weekend I collected crab apples and berries from the guilder rose or cramp bark tree. Cramp bark as the name suggests helps with pain, it is very good for menstrual pain, and I don’t know whether or not the berries contain any pain-relieving compounds. The berries are bitter and bitters are used to help the digestive system, tasting bitter food starts off the production of digestive enzymes and bile ready to digest food. Eating some bitter jelly with your dinner could help you to digest your food better.

Berries of the Guelder Rose or Cramp Bark tree

The berries look beautiful, red and glossy but don’t smell so good I’m afraid, and after cooking them I had a lingering aroma around the house. Everyone entering the house was asking what the smell was so I ended up lighting incense to mask it.

Crab Apples

As I had to cook dinner, mind the exploding quince cheese and clear up after everything , the easiest thing was to put the crab apples and the guilder rose berries into the slow cooker for a couple of hours until everything calmed down.

Crab apples & guelder rose berries before cooking

I then strained the fruit through the jelly bag as before.

Straining stewed crab apples and cramp bark/guelder rose berries

To one pint of liquid I added a pound of sugar, I had more fluid but the smell was putting me off being left with too much of this stuff. The liquid tasted very bitter, I didn’t think anything edible would come of this. Again it took me 15 minutes to reach setting point; in Pam the Jam’s book crab apples are high in both pectin and acid so no lemons are required, good job as I never considered it at the time.

Crab Apple & Guelder Rose Berry Jelly

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the finished product, it has some bitterness to it but the addition of the sugar has made it very palatable and there is no sign of the unpleasant aroma that was left lurking everywhere else around the house. I think it will be just the thing to have with a greasy meal to help digestion and I would make it again.

The Skull Structure, Nasal Passages, Eyes, Ears and Helping Herbs

2011-11-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Research the construction and mechanism of the skull looking particularly at eyes, nose, ears and sinuses. How do they work? What common conditions are they prone to? What herbs would you use for sinus congestion, blocked tear ducts, sore/dry eyes, ear ache, Eustachian tube blockages, ear wax build up?

The skull contains 22 bones which are divided into two categories; cranial bones and facial bones.

The cranial bones surround and protect the brain; the frontal bone, 2 parietal bones, 2 temporal bones, occipital bone, sphenoid bone and ethmoid bone.

There are 14 facial bones; 2 nasal bones, 2 maxillae, 2 zygomatic bones, mandible, 2 lacrimal bones, 2 palatine bones, 2 inferior nasal cochae, and vomer.

Diagram showing the bones and structure of the skull

Video of the skull bones from You Tube

The paranasal sinuses are paired cavities in certain cranial and facial bones near the nasal cavities. The sinuses are lined with mucous membranes as on the inside of our noses. The sinuses are in the bones I’ve put into italics. Besides producing mucous the sinuses make the skull lighter and help to resonate sound when we speak or sing.

· The maxillary sinuses are in each cheekbone.

· The frontal sinuses are on either side of your forehead, above your eyes.

· The smaller ethmoid sinuses are behind the bridge of your nose, between your eyes.

· The sphenoid sinuses are between the upper part of your nose and behind your eyes

Secretions from the sinuses drain into the nasal cavity. An allergic reaction can cause inflammation of the membranes, this is called sinusitis. If the membranes swell enough to prevent drainage then pressure builds up in the sinuses causing headaches, the area around the sinuses can feel tender. Sinusitis can also be caused by infection.

Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal mention horseradish for sinus congestion. Last winter we grated horseradish at one of the winter workshops at Sarah’s house and I think the whole houseful had their sinuses flushed out, it was very strong! They also say mint has been traditionally used for sinusitis and wood betony for sinus congestion.

Horseradish

Matthew Wood uses cinnamon for sinus congestion and star anise specifically for the maxillary sinuses.

Cinnamon and star anise

Nasal congestion accompanying colds and flu could be eased by hyssop which loosens phlegm and the strong aroma of rosemary, spearmint, penny royal and peppermint act as decongestives.

Eyebright can be used to ease the nose as well as the eyes; it helps with rhinitis, sinusitis, free secretion of watery mucous and irritable sneezing (Matthew Wood); it seems to help with allergic reactions.

A country name for yarrow is nosebleed as it was commonly used to treat them. The flavonoids in yarrow help to clear blood clots, the tannins help with wound healing. It also contains anti-inflammatory chemicals.

Diagram of the human eye

Looking at the eye we can see the white sclera which has muscles attached to it. The iris, the coloured area, is made of muscle which contracts and dilates, controlling the amount of light entering the eye. The pupil is the hole in the centre of the iris, which appears black. Light shines through the eye onto the retina which sends messages to the brain through the optic nerve to enable us to see. There is a cornea at the front of the eye; the lens behind the pupil and fluid inside the eye, called the aqueous humour at the front and the vitreous humour behind the pupil. At the inner corner of the eye there is a tear duct through which tears are shed, debris is washed away and the eyes and delicate conjunctiva that cover them are kept moist.

Richard Mabey says herbs are most successfully used on the superficial areas of the eyes, such as the eyelids and conjunctiva. More serious problems can be assisted by using herbs to help improve the general well-being of a person. Ann McIntyre says antioxidant herbs can strengthen the eyes’ blood supply and inhibit macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy; bilberry, elderberry, hawthorn berries, rosemary, thyme, sage, sweet marjoram, selfheal, ashwagandha and ginko are some.

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, acute conjunctivitis is a sudden onset caused by infection or allergy. Chronic conjunctivitis is long-term; it can be from infection, living in polluted environments or from a drying up of eye secretions. Mabey suggests eye baths of eyebright, marigold or a weak decoction of golden seal.

Eyebright

For blepharitis, inflammation of the eyelids, in children Mabey suggests a cold poultice of stewed apple or tea in an eyebath.

Ann McIntyre recommends taking borage seed oil and evening primrose oil for chronic conjunctivitis and blepharitis.

Styes are inflamed areas at the base of eyelashes that secrete lubricating fluid, a compress of warmed parsley or marigold flowers can help.

Tired eyes can be treated to an eye bath of infused eyebright, elderflower, marigold petals, plantain leaves, raspberry leaves, cornflowers or fennel seeds.

A blocked tear duct could be caused by a number of problems; infection, rhinitis or trauma, a soothing anti-inflammatory treatment could be a cool chamomile compress, a cold chamomile tea bag would do.

Sore, dry eyes can be treated with a compress of cool tea made from marigold, eyebright, coriander or chamomile for 10-20 minutes.

Problems with the functioning of the thyroid gland can lead to changes in the eye and the eye socket. This is thought to be an autoimmune disease leading to the immune system response of inflammation. This is known as Graves’ disease and the tissue around the eye, including the orbital fat and eye muscles becomes swollen. David Hoffman says the specific herbal remedy is Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus or L. eouropaeus) which can reduce the activity of iodine that causes hyperthyroidism. For accompanying insomnia he suggests passion flower and valerian.

Passion Flower

Eye sockets, the frontal bone forms the roof of the orbits or eye sockets. There is a thickening of the frontal bone called the supra-orbital margin, a blow to this area results in bleeding. Bruising in this area causes fluid and blood to accumulate which gravitates into the upper eyelid giving a black eye. Chamomile or calendula compresses would be soothing herbs. Herbs2000 suggest clay packs containing horsetail tincture alternating with cabbage leaf poultices.

The ears, nose and throat are connected in our bodies by the Eustachian tubes. The ear is our organ of hearing and has an inner, middle and outer part. The outer ear has our visible ears, the ear canal and the surface of the ear drum. The middle ear contains the three bones or ossicles of the ear, the hammer, anvil and stirrup. The Eustachian tube opens into this area. Problems can arise with ear wax blocking the external ear canal or a hole in the ear drum causing hearing loss. In the middle ear loss of hearing can arise from infection causing inflammation leading to fluid in the middle ear instead.

The inner ear is protected by skull bone. It contains the organ of hearing, the cochlea and the labyrinth or vestibular apparatus that is the organ of balance and motion. The eighth cranial nerve links between the inner ear and the brain stem. The inner ear can sense motion and vibration of sound by the movement of liquid and hairs in fluid filled ducts.

Ear ache is most common in children; the Eustachian tubes are shorter and narrower than in adults and blockage can be caused by a middle ear infection, otitis media. Ear drops can be used if the ear drum is intact. Mullein or garlic oil are commonly used drops. For middle ear infections, goldenseal contains berberine which is antibacterial, it seems to stop germs attaching themselves to cell membranes and it can be used internally as well as externally. Saint John’s wort and calendula are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and in a study performed well together to relieve ear ache with garlic and mullein. Lavender essential oil on a compress can also be used on the area to give pain relief.

Mullein oil and/or garlic oil can also be used to disperse a build-up of ear wax, again the ear drum or tympanic membrane needs to be intact. These oils are warmed before being added as drops.

Mullein

Outer ear infections are commonly picked up when swimming; goldenseal, St. John’s wort and witch hazel can help.

October's Herb Workshop

2011-11-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

I went to Sarah’s Sanctuary at the weekend and had a look at what was happening with the plants at the moment.

The first plant to catch my eye was Guelder rose or Cramp bark tree with splendid autumn red maple-like leaves and glossy red berries. I did not realise it was a native British tree and haven’t noticed it in hedgerows before. The berries of this plant are part of our autumn task, to make a jelly so I harvested some, they don’t smell that sweet, I’ll see how it turns out.

Gueder Rose known as Cramp Bark

Mugwort also caught my eye, Sarah has told me before that it is at its most potent at Halloween, last year I was disappointed and all the mugwort around my neighbourhood had died off and gone black. This year I have collected some to dry; I don’t know whether it is because it is a bit milder in the Cotswolds or because we have not had a good frost yet. My friend wants to make a pillow with her mugwort, she is used to having precognitive dreams and they have stopped recently, mugwort can help you to recall dreams.

Mugwort leaves turning yellow

Wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, was still looking intact and its usual pale green colour. It is anti-parasitic, can be used for worms as the name suggests and was used as a strewing herb. Wormwood is a bitter digestive and was an ingredient in a green alcoholic digestive called Absinthe. Absinthe was popular amongst bohemian artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as it had mind altering effects, they called it “the green fairy”. The effects led to “absinthe madness” – dementia type symptoms and other toxic effects and Absinthe was banned. It is thought that thujone, a chemical in wormwood removes the blocks in our mind that prevent it from working at full capacity, allowing thoughts at a higher level than usual. Thujone was also thought to be responsible for Absinthe Madness but now it is thought the symptoms could possibly have been simply from alcoholism.

Wormwood

Sarah has kindly given me some quinces from the tree at the Sanctuary. She has suggested I make a jelly and a cheese, her recipes are here . The quince is an ancient fruit, a cross between an apple and a pear. Whilst waiting to be jellied they are sitting in a fruit bowl in the dining room and scenting the room with a sweet perfumed aroma.

Quinces lined up on a bench

There are also medlars at the Sanctuary, these are an ancient type of pear that needs bletting before use, these can be used in a jelly as well.

Medlars

Sarah was harvesting Ashwaganda plants, if it was left to me I’d have been making a tea with the leaves, but that’s not right, the roots and seeds are used. The seeds did not seem too ripe so we have taken some home to see if they come on. I’ve got some between sheets of newspaper in the airing cupboard with my mugwort. Sarah’s Ashwaganda roots are the best bet, she has taken them to dry and will then powder them.

Ashwaganda roots

Liz harvested the remaining calendula flowers and their seed heads and the seed heads of the milk thistle plants.

Milk thistle seed heads

I wondered around the trees looking for a wood that I felt called to and found the crab apple, I have a twig to make a wand and gathered some crab apples for a jelly.

Crab Apples

Joe Pye weed or Gravel Root was still standing proud but its leaves are fading, its roots are used for eliminating bladder stones, Sarah told us.

Maria made her own type of herbarium as we went round the garden. She wrote the name and uses of the plant and then threaded a piece of each plant through the paper. I tend to go home with lots of pictures and have trouble remembering what some of them are of.

The bargain of the day was found in the local supermarket when Maria and I popped in to grab something for lunch we found olive trees for £5, only thin stemmed but with a little crop of olives on.

I now have to create something with my crab apple twig, make a quince jelly, make a guelder rose berry and crab apple jelly and start my new apprenticeship tasks, busy times ahead.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea in Pregnancy

2011-10-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

At 32 weeks of pregnancy my eldest daughter was involved in a car accident, she escaped with just little scratches from broken glass but was taken to hospital where it was found that her blood pressure had gone up for the first time ever and she was admitted. She’s been in and out of hospital like a yoyo since then and is now just over 38 weeks,she was started on anti-hypertensive medication last week. Naturally, I would have loved to have been able to suggest a herbal remedy but was too scared to suggest anything during pregnancy.

I took my daughter to her hospital appointment today, her blood pressure is now OK with the medication but the registrar does not want her to go over her due date with this history so it looks like she will be induced if baby hasn’t appeared by November 5^th. In the meantime, the registrar said, drink raspberry leaf tea. I was of course really interested by this and wanted to know why. The registrar said there was no research, a bit of an old wives tale that it brings on labour and it was worth a try. As it’s not the time of year to go leaf picking we went straight to the nearest health food store to get some raspberry leaf tea bags. The box told us what was in it and who had made the tea bags and nothing more and the shop assistant was unable to tell us how many cups of tea a day she should be drinking. They also stocked tablets, standardised extract with a dose written on the box so my daughter chose those.

My interest in raspberry leaf tea was aroused, does it really bring on labour and how much should a pregnant woman be drinking?

Red raspberry leaf comes from the fruiting raspberry plant which is a member of the rose family. It's best known use is preparing mothers for childbirth. The leaves are best harvested in spring and summer. I have read an article by Susun Weed,Herbal Allies For Pregnancy Problems, which beautifully describes how the mother to be can harvest her own herb if able; “stretching, bending, breathing, moving, touching the earth, taking time to talk with the plants and to open herself to their spiritual world”. How wonderful to see how beneficial the act of harvesting and preparing the herbs can be, it’s something I always love to do.

Raspberry leaf tea seems to tone the uterus which helps in labour and may shorten the second stage of labour. From reading it seems that raspberry leaf does not actually bring on labour and it takes a few weeks to build up in your system.

The Baby Centre say that some doctors and midwives think our bodies are designed adequately for birth and that nothing should be taken that could interfere with labour. Yoga Birth says that herbs have been used throughout history to help with childbirth and that “these ancient healing plants are a powerful part of our heritage from the earth”.

An alkaloid called fragrine is the chemical in red raspberry leaf which tones the smooth muscle of the uterus to help it perform well during childbirth. The leaf also contains vitamins and minerals which are a tonic to us all, including pregnant moms to be. It contains vitamins A, B, C and E with minerals including calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium.

Susun Weed gives the benefits of red raspberry leaf before and during pregnancy as:

· Improving fertility in men and women, take with red clover.

· Preventing miscarriage and haemorrhage by toning the uterus.

· Eases morning sickness

· Reduces pain during labour as the muscles are more toned.

· Assists in the production of, and enriches breast milk.

· Allows the uterus to function better to give an easier and speedier birth.

Yoga Birth has an answer to my question about the dose of raspberry leaf tea; early in pregnancy have one cup a day; two cups a day in the second trimester and three cups a day if you start in the last trimester as my daughter has. Richard Mabey in The New Age Herbalist says raspberry leaf tea can be taken in the last three months of pregnancy.

A reported problem with raspberry leaf tea is that it inceases the frequency or intensity of Brackston Hicks contractions, if this is suspected stop taking the tea.

Elderberries and Hawthorn Berries

2011-09-28T01:45:00.000-07:00

Gathering elderberries and Hawthorn berries was the perfect excuse to get out into the wonderful sunshine yesterday. I was gifted with some elderberry cordial a couple of weeks ago, made by my friend Kerry and a handmade gift is always special. So, as I’m stocked up with cordial I decided to make some elixir, one of my favourite ways to take natural medicines, in honey and brandy. Reading one of Kiva Rose’s elderberry posts I realised it could have another benefit to the elixir; Kiva suggests the fruit is more effective when it has not been heated.

Elderberries

Documented evidence of medicinal usage of elder goes back to the Romans and there have been a couple of studies looking at the effects of elderberry syrup on the flu virus which shows it is indeed effective. The duration of illness in people with flu was shorter and the immune system was boosted, some writers say this was by increased antibody production. Kiva Rose says it “modulates” the immune system rather than stimulates it so people with auto-immune conditions don’t need to worry about increased activity. It seems to be common practice to take elderberry as a preventative medicine in small daily doses. Be careful, too much elderberry can cause nausea.

To make my elixir was simple, I put the collected berries into a jar and half filled it with honey, gave it a stir, topped it up with brandy and then gave it a good podge with a chop stick to remove any air bubbles. I will leave them about 6 weeks and then strain off the fruit to leave my elixir.

In Hedgerow Medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal there is a recipe for elderberry syrup:

Take your ripe elderberries, add half their volume of water and simmer for 20 minutes, then squeeze out the juice. For each 500ml of fluid add 250mg muscovado sugar, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and a few slices of lemon. Simmer for 20 minutes and then use for colds, coughs and flu.

Hawthorn Berries

Hawthorn’s use as a cardiac medicine dates back to the ancient Greeks and the Native Americans and more recently to an Irish physician, Dr Greene of Ennis who treated heart disease with hawthorn berry tincture.

The cardiac benefits are believed to be allowing blood vessels to dilate so as the heart pumps more effectively, mild angina relief and stabilisation of an irregular heartbeat. It may also soften fatty deposits in blood vessels that can lead to hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.

Hawthorn is also calming and some use it for insomnia. Several studies report that hawthorn helps to preserve collagen (the protein that makes up connective tissue), which can become damaged in conditions such as arthritis.

The cardiac effects are thought to be due to the high content flavonoids in the plant, in particular oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), which strengthen and dilate capillaries, resulting in increased blood flow and oxygen to the heart area, relieving hypertension and pressure.

On the emotional side hawthorn is still a heart healer, helping with emotional pain and being able to open up one’s heart

I made a tincture with brandy; I simply popped the berries into a jam jar and covered them with alcohol where they will infuse for about a month.

Shark Fin Soup and Shark Fin Melons

2011-09-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

My hubby was watching the news earlier and something really grabbed my attention; Richard Branson was in China starting a campaign to dissuade the Chinese from eating Shark Fin Soup, a dish prized as one that Emperors used to dine on. Then we saw fishermen on their boats cutting all the fins off sharks while they were still alive and then throwing them back into the sea where they presumably drowned, a very sickening sight.

This was the second time in the last few months that I had heard about this practice but I hadn’t realised the sharks were mutilated whilst still alive. At our monthly gardening lesson in August our teacher, Joyce had four Shark Fin Melon plants up for grabs and as I was one of the first to arrive I was honoured with receiving one to put in our allotment. I must admit I said thank you very much but wondered what I’d accepted, I’m not that keen on melon.

Our Shark Fin Melon Plant

I found out that Shark Fin Melon (Cucurbita ficifolia) is not used as a fruit but as a vegetable, grown in a similar manner to squashes. The name has been given because the strands inside are scraped out and made into a broth that resembles the texture of Shark Fin Soup. The flavour, I’m told, is mild and of melon and cucumber. Joyce said that Shark Fin Melon was being promoted as an alternative to using actual shark fins in soup; I suddenly wanted to grow lots of these melons and donate them to any Chinese restaurant with Shark Fin Soup on the menu!

Joyce had received the seeds for these plants from Garden Organic who are trying to promote growing plants that are not usually grown in this area with their Sowing New Seeds project. The seeds for our plants originate from the allotment of a Vietnamese couple and if we get any fruit we have decided to save seeds to carry this on as there seem to be few suppliers offering them. Our plant has no flowers yet and is a tender perennial so I fear it may have been transplanted out too late but it has been a learning experience and I have not given up hope yet either.

I’m sure Richard Branson will have far more success saving sharks than I will with my allotment, I wonder if he knows about Shark Fin Melon? But I can help by spreading the word: eat melons not sharks!

Life and the Herb Festival

2011-09-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

“Life is what happens when your plans go wrong” is a favourite saying of my friend Iain. My husband and I went down to the Cotswolds the second weekend in September for Sarah Head’s Herb Festival. A great weekend was planned out before me, lots of “doing things”, listening to speakers and giving a talk myself on Sunday afternoon about aromatherapy. Unfortunately Saturday lunchtime "life" happened, someone drove into my eldest and 32 week pregnant daughter’s car as she was driving along with her husband and 2 year old. My daughter and son-in-law were taken to hospital so I had to dash back to help.

Until then I’d had a good morning; first of all I dug up some horseradish to go in Fire Cider Vinegar, I think I could now identify it anywhere! Other attendees were also harvesting, I saw calendula, elderberries and dandelion roots.

Horse Radish Harvest

Lucinda Warner did a wonderful talk about the external use of herbs, I was really interested and could have sat and listened to her all day. I tend to forget the difference between a compress and a poultice and I think she has managed to organise this muddled part of my brain.

A compress uses an infusion of a herb on the skin rather than the whole herb; there are lots of different types though.

A poultice is made of the whole herb and is also used on the skin.

This seems so simple I don’t know how I kept getting them mixed up before and if this was all I’d gained from Lucinda’s talk I’d have been happy but she managed to get a lot into her hours talk.

Tea Infusions

A tea infusion can be used on the skin; this is an infusion of herbs and hot water made twice as strong as a tea you would drink. This is suitable for washing over large areas of skin especially cooling and soothing red and irritated skin. It could be cooled and used on sunburn or hot itchy conditions and is suitable for children or the elderly.

Compresses

Compresses are very useful for hot conditions; salves with bees wax keep in heat and reduce the oxygen that can get to the skin.

Make by soaking a cloth in the tea infusion and placing over the affected area. For a chest infection Lavender and thyme would be warming and drying. Comfrey is an example for sprains, hot and cold compresses could be alternated for a minute each. For the digestive system chamomile, ginger and cardamom are useful herbs. Ginger tea can be used as a kidney compress. To keep the heat in a warm compress you can put a towel over and a hot water bottle.

Oil compresses are made in the same way, just put warmed oil onto a flannel and place over desired area. Castor oil is decongesting for heavy periods, start to use a few days before the period is due and can also decongest the liver.

Vinegars can be used; rose vinegar mixed with 50% water is cooling for sunburn.

Baths, Footbaths and Hand baths

Maurice Mességué, is a famous French herbalist and practices a form of herbalism passed down through his family, I hadn’t heard of him before Lucinda mentioned him. His practices involve, among other things, soaking the patient's feet or hands in a strong decoction of locally gathered herbs and he seems to have some famous people among his clients. We have learnt about foot baths at our herb workshops and my husband daren’t sniff or show any sign of a cold unless he wants his feet in a bowl of ginger tea.

A thyme footbath can be used for chest infections and chronic bronchitis, ginger and black pepper for circulation, black pepper for chilblains and a strong calendula infusion with lavender can help foot problems. We can absorb a lot through the skin on our feet, Lucinda mentioned the garlic test; rub garlic on the soles of your feet and after about half an hour you can taste it in your mouth.

Oats in the bath can help sore dry skin and children with eczema. There was a discussion about different ways to do this; put porridge oats in muslin and hang under the tap, grind first in a blender for a creamy bath, use the muslin bag to rub over skin after it has been under the taps and powder oats and make into little muslin bags that can be used on the face.

Poultices

The simplest poultice is a spit poultice, simply chew the herb then put it on the area needed. Dock can go on a nettle sting, yarrow on cuts and grazes. I once took some friends to the Herb Sanctuary and we stopped on the way for breakfast, coffee and croissants on a supermarket car park and a wasp stung a friend on the tongue. We hurried on to Sarah who suggested a plantain spit poultice which helped the swelling and pain and was so easily accessible.

You can mash your herbs in a mortar and pestle or pop them into a blender with a little water and apply them to an affected area with a square of muslin and a bandage over the top, refresh every 15 minutes and keep it moist. Comfrey can be used on broken bones and sprains; honey is a nice binding agent in any poultice. Lucinda made a poultice mixture and passed it round, my neighbour put a bit on a cut on her hand and at the end of the talk it fell off, she could not believe how much smaller her wound looked.

Kitchen cupboard poultices include cabbage leaves which Lucinda recommended for mastitis. Simply bruise the leaves and place on the skin. I have seen a cabbage leaf poultice used before for eczema. The leaf was bruised, placed on an arm with the stalk end downwards, a layer of cling film was put over it and then it was bandaged into position, when we checked after an hour or two the redness on the ladies arm was subsiding.

Powdered Herbs

Powdered herbs can be sprinkled onto minor wounds to dry them out and heal them; yarrow is first choice along with plantain, lavender and calendula which helps to stop the spread of infection.

Liniments

I don’t think I was ever quite sure what was in a liniment either. It is made from an alcohol infusion or half alcohol infusion and half infused oil. It is a liquid rub, vigorously rub the affected area to stimulate circulation and bring blood to the surface. It could contain rosemary and help with aches and pains. Liniments are also used on horses.

Infused Oils

Oils can be infused by the windowsill method where herbs are placed in a jar with oil and left to infuse for a few weeks. It is best to cover the jar with muslin instead of a jar lid to allow any water from the plant to escape and prevent mould. A popular method is to double infuse. Put half of your plant material in the top of a double boiler or bain-marie and cover with oil, after 2 hours strain the oil, put the other half of the herb in the pan and cover it with the oil which has already been infused once. After another 2 hours strain off the plant material again and you have your oil. This oil can then be used in a salve if desired, 10g of beeswax to 90ml infused oil.

Herbs For Joint Problems

2011-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Research the construction and mechanism of various joints within the body including knees, shoulders, hands and feet. Look at structures, degeneration and auto-immune conditions. What herbs and protocols are useful for these conditions?

Knees

The knee contains synovial, hinge and gliding joints. The lower (distal) end of the femur meets the upper (proximal) ends of the tibia and fibula. There is also a kneecap or patella. Synovial joints have a space between the articulating surfaces and these articulating surfaces are characteristically covered by smooth cartilage. Synovial joints are surrounded by the sleeve like Articular Capsule, which allows a certain amount of movement. The lining of the capsule is called the Synovial Membrane and this secretes synovial fluid which lubricates the joint and provides nourishment to the cartilage. Ligaments surround the joint giving stability.

Knee Joint

Shoulders

The shoulder joint is formed by the head of the humerus fitting into the glenoid cavity of the scapula and it is a ball and socket joint, the head of the humerus being the ball. There is an Articular Capsule around the joint which is surrounded by many ligaments; the shoulder has a wide range of movement.

Shoulder X-Ray

Hands

The bones in the hands consist of carpals which are nearest to the wrist, metacarpals which extend towards the fingers and then the phalanges of the fingers. The joints between the carpals are gliding synovial joints which have flat articulating surfaces. The joints between the phalanges are hinge joints and bend as a hinge would. At the base of the thumb between the carpal and metacarpal is a saddle joint. One bone is saddle shaped and the other is shaped like a rider sitting on it.

Hand Bones

Feet

The feet have tarsal bones nearest to the ankle and the long bones leading towards the toes are metatarsals. The toe bones are phalanges like the fingers. The intertarsal joints are synovial gliding joints and the toes have hinge joints.

Foot Bones

Joint Problems

Rheumatism – refers to any painful state of the supporting structures of the body such as bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

Arthritis – is a form of rheumatism in which the joints have become inflamed, there are three main types:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the cartilage and joint linings leading to swollen joints, reduced function and pain. Treatment is aimed at reducing pain and inflammation and can include anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, exercise, physiotherapy, heat and if the joint is badly damaged, surgery.

Todd Caldecott says treatment of RA in the Western herbal tradition focuses on measures to restore digestion, promote elimination and restore integrity to the joints. Bitters like Gentian are used for digestion and can be used with carminatives such as Caraway or Fennel to improve digestion. Diuretics such as Birch leaf are used to enhance elimination from the kidneys. Alteratives and cholagogues are used including Burdock and Dandelion. Circulatory stimulants like Ginger increase circulation in the joints and reduce stagnation. For joint restoration look to herbs with high mineral content, Seaweed, Nettle and horsetail.

Nettle

Richard Mabey suggests Liquorice and Wild Yam to support the adrenal glands which are a source of natural anti-inflammatory hormones.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

This form of arthritis is more common and less damaging than RA and occurs with aging, joint irritation and wear and tear. Cartilage in the joints is worn away to leave bone surfaces, spurs grow on the bone into the joint space which causes pain and reduces movement. There is not the inflammation seen in RA and it strikes the big joints first unlike RA which attacks small joints first.

David Hoffman says anti-rheumatics will usually help but their selection must be based upon a sound therapeutic rationale, a traditional European remedy is the Nettle both internally and externally by stinging the affected joints. Other specifics are Bogbean or Buckbean and Devils Claw. He sees anti-inflammatory herbs as fundamental as their use will not only ease symptoms but helps to stop degenerative changes to bony tissue. In O.A., the salicylate based herbs are especially helpful such as Willow bark and Meadowsweet. Other anti-inflammatories include Angelica and Devils Claw. Circulatory stimulants and rubifacients will help improve healing by increasing the blood supply to the area. Analgesic herbs may ease the pain but the problem will still be there. For the stress of living with constant pain and discomfort nervines such as celery seed might help which is also anti-spasmodic and diuretic. Hypnotics could help if sleep is disturbed by pain. Hoffman suggests using diuretics such as Celery seed and Yarrow to help the kidneys and for the bowels, bitters or hepatics such as Yarrow and Devils Claw to help support the other body systems.

Angelica

Gouty Arthritis

Uric acid, a waste product of the body, builds up in the blood and forms crystals in the cartilage of the joints causing acute pain, swelling and inflammation. If not treated the ends of bones fuse together and the joint is immovable. This is most common in middle-aged and older men and has been linked to genetics, a rich diet, stress, climate and environmental factors. A chemical called colchicine, derived from the saffron or Autumn Crocus, has been used since the sixth century to reduce pain, swelling and tissue destruction. Other drugs used are for the purpose of reducing the production of uric acid. Rest and anti-inflammatory medication can bring relief.

David Hoffman says that diuretic herbs are important as they can flush the urates from the body. Sometimes the build-up of uric acid is due to poor kidney function. The only anti-rheumatic herbs that could help are those with diuretic properties such as Celery seed. Anti-inflammatories may help in small amounts but Hoffman says the inflammation is an appropriate body response which once again, in conventional medicine we would try to reduce. He says that legal herbal analgesics do not have much effect in gout. Generally, elimination needs to be good or support given to the liver and kidneys.

Todd Caldecott does advocate anti-inflammatories in a bid to restore joint function; he mentions Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa), Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale), Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Tanacetum and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). As topical rubefacients applied topically as a poultice, medicated oil, or volatile oil in joint oedema with little indication of active inflammation, he includes Ginger (Zingiber), Cayenne (Capsicum), Mustard seed (Brassica spp.), Peppermint (Mentha piperita) and Jimsonweed (Datura).

Ashwagandha

Richard Mabey inThe New Age Herbalist suggests a recipe for gout; 1 part each of Burdock root, purple cone-flower, Birch leaves, Centaury and Devils Claw and ½ part of Celery seed.

Purple Cone-Flower or Echinacea

General Arthritis Information

Richard Mabey says that in all forms of arthritis treat the person not the condition. Nutrition is important to make sure all the nutrients are there for repair. He says anti-inflammatories such as Bogbean are important for all types of arthritis. A decoction of Devils Claw three times a day for six weeks could reduce inflammation.

Mabey also says arthritis may be triggered by chronic anxiety and tension; herbs to nurture the nervous system include Cramp bark, Wild Oats, Skullcap and Vervain. Local remedies include Capsicum plasters or Cabbage and Comfrey poultices which stimulate circulation and encourage healing.

Crampbark

Paul Bergner points out that herbal treatment will take weeks to start to have an effect. The main herbs he uses in the treatment of arthritis are Alteratives, Mild Diuretics, Laxatives, and Nutritive herbs. Alteratives are tonic herbs to restore a normal balance to the system. Alteratives also act at cellular level to restore balance. Three alteratives suggested for long term use in arthritis are Dandelion, Nettle, and Burdock; they need to be taken for at least 6 weeks. Dandelion and Nettle have diuretic properties. Juniper is also good for use in arthritis as it also a bitter principles to help the digestive system; it should not be used with kidney disease or during pregnancy. Bergner says the theme of natural treatment for arthritis should be to “nourish, build and tonify”. Nettle has nutritive, alterative, and diuretic qualities. Another nutritive herb with mild diuretic properties is Alfalfa.

Chanchal Cabrera says correct nutrition and detoxifying the body are important. Alterative herbs suggested are; Yellow dock, Barberry, Pokeroot, Burdock, Nettle, Kelp and Cleavers. Cabrera only uses diuretics which encourage uric acid removal; Celery, Parsley and Birch. Cabrera says that herbal anti-inflammatories do not supress natural processes and there is a variety of sources; salicylic anti-inflammatories include Willow, Meadowsweet, Poplar and Black Haw; saponin containing herbs promote production of anti-inflammatory cortisol from the adrenal glands, these include Liquorice, Wild Yam and Black Cohosh; volatile oil containing herbs for example bisabolol and chamaezulene in Chamomile are present in chamomile; fatty acids lead to reduced inflammation and are in Evening Primrose, Blackcurrant and Borage; plant resins can have an anti-inflammatory effect on joints and are present in Devil’s Claw, Bogbean and Arbor Vitae. I found this really useful in understanding how herbs that are anti-inflammatory work and realised there are many different ways in which they work.

Meadowsweet

Sprains and Strains

Sprains occur when the joint is wrenched or twisted beyond its usual capacity causing damage to blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves. A strain is the over stretching of a muscle. Symptoms include pain, inflammation and reduced movement, severe sprains can be so painful that the joint cannot be moved.

Kiva Rose has her Choice Injury Herbs; Comfrey is excellent for ligament damage on intact skin; she favours Goldenrod over Arnica for pulled or strained muscles; Plantain is healing and pain relieving for sprains and Snakeweed is advocated for arthritis and sprains but I don’t know of it in Britain.

Comfrey

Sports Injuries

A common knee injury occurs in footballers after a knock to the side of the knee which can rupture ligaments and tear cartilage.

Todd Caldecott explains how nutrients from food rather than supplements are beneficial for sporting injuries and minerals obtained from seaweed, horsetail and seaweed can help prevent and treat them. Having worked in trauma and orthopaedics for 16 years I am very aware of the routine treatment for joint injuries of ice, compression and anti-inflammatories but Caldecott says this can lead to chronic problems, to get the area to heal we need to encourage blood flow to the area. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rubefacient liniments are used on intact skin. Ayurvedic medicine uses specialised massage, medicated oils and yoga for injuries. In my aromatherapy practice I massage rubefacient essential oils into specific areas. In Western herbalism Caldecott states arnica is used to promote circulation and reduce inflammation; Chickweed, Selfheal, Comfrey, St John’s Wort and Calendula for bruising; St John’s Wort and Cow Parsnip root for pain; Hawthorn, Rosehips and Bilberries for tissue healing. Caldecott lists John Christopher’s Bone, Flesh and Cartilage formula to be used internally or externally in appropriate preparations with equal parts of the following:

•Oak bark (Quercus alba)

•Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis)

•Mullein herb (Verbascum thapsus)

•Wormwood herb (Artemisia vulgaris)

•Lobelia herb (Lobelia inflata)

•Skullcap herb (Scutellaria lateriflora)

•Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis)

•Black Walnut leaf (Juglans nigra)

•Gravel root (Eupatorium purpurea)

Bursitis

Housemaid’s Knee or Carpet Layer’s Knee otherwise known as Bursitis can occur after spending a great amount of time kneeling. The bursa is made of smooth connective tissue which helps the joint to glide. It can also occur in other joints such as the elbow (Tennis elbow) and shoulder. Symptoms include pain, swelling and reduced movement. Bursitis can also be caused by trauma, infection or rheumatoid arthritis.

Again, David Hoffman has good information; the main herbs for pain relief will be anti-inflammatories and anti-spasmodics. Salicylate anti-inflammatories include Meadowsweet and Willow bark and a general anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic is Celery seed. Again local blood circulation can be increased by using rubefacients.

SAD and Herb Pillows

2011-09-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Make a SAD syrup or tincture from Lemon balm and SJW. What other herbs might you combine to make a sleep pillow or SAD tonic vinegar/elixir?

When I received this task I took advantage of my St John’s Wort being in flower and an abundance of self-seeded Lemon Balm and made a tincture. It should be ready to strain now; I will need to taste it as I had a slight mishap. I filled my jar halfway with SJW flowers and topped it up with chopped lemon balm leaves as planned but I decided to use vodka as the menstrum and just before the top I ran out. The only other thing I had to hand was brandy so I hope it’s all mixed OK, doesn’t sound very tasty but I think it might help to pick up mood in people feeling low or depressed.

Lemon Balm

Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) is a particular type of depression induced by a lack of light, so the onset is in the autumn and wintertime as the nights draw in. A disrupted body clock (circadian rhythm) may cause depression and lethargy. In addition, low serotonin (neurotransmitters carrying messages to the brain) and melatonin levels (the hormone which makes us sleep) can be found in people suffering from SAD which lead to low mood and poor sleep.

In Matthew Wood’s Book of Herbal Wisdom he feels Calendula might help and looks back at the old English practice of putting Calendula flowers in soup in the wintertime. I’d never heard of this myself but I do love making soups and I shall try it. Wood says it will help immunity by cleansing the lymphatics so it could help keep winter colds and coughs away as well.

Calendula Flowers

Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal in Hedgerow Medicine say a spoonful of St. John’s Wort tincture “will light you up inside with a warm glow” , bringing back some summer light and warmth could be a lift on darker days. Wood remarks on the golden yellow colour of SJW flowers which indicates its use for all types of depression, including SAD. He suggests that a tincture catches the best ingredients in SJW.

In 1996 German researchers released results of trials using St. John’s Wort as a successful antidepressant. Following this, British researchers did a trial with people experiencing SAD using either light therapy alone or light therapy combined with SJW. There was a slight but not significant improvement with the participants who had both light and SJW but those that had received the SJW as well reported more restful and refreshing sleep (Michael Castleman, The New Healing Herbs).

St. John's Wort

The first thing that springs to my mind for a sleep pillow is hops. At a workshop on a lovely summer’s day last year Sarah kindly gave us some hops, but on the way home in the warm car myself and friends Kerry and Maria were all complaining of feeling really tired, we then we realised that the hops were taking effect. We spent the rest of the journey making sure I didn’t fall asleep at the wheel! Hop pillows are reported to have been used by King George III and Abraham Lincoln.

Hops

A herbal sleep pillow is made to be placed near to where you sleep, under your usual pillow or inside the pillow case with your pillow.

Lavender is known to be relaxing and is often used in sleep pillows. A few drops of lavender oil can have the same effect but too much has the opposite effect and is stimulating.

I have a lovely little book called Making Herbal Dream Pillows by Jim Long, he says that Rosemary adds feelings of warmth and safety to dreams and leads to peaceful sleep. His peaceful slumber recipe has ¼ cup Rose petals, ¼ cup Rosemary, ¼ cup Lavender flowers, ¼ cup of hops.

Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal in Hedgerow Medicine suggest using St. John’s Wort in a herb pillow to be used for nightmares, bad dreams and fear of the dark, use the dried leaves and flowers. They also give instructions for a Wood Betony pillow: “Sew a small cloth bag, leaving one end open. Fill loosely with dried wood betony leaves. Some dried lavender or rose petals can be added for their fragrance. Stitch or tie up the open end, and place the bag under your pillow.” This is recommended for insomnia or nightmares.

Other herbs to consider for insomnia are Catnip, Lemon Balm (and the essential oil), Valerian, Motherwort, Passionflower, Skullcap, Wild Lettuce, Mullein, Lime flower, Mugwort, Sweet Marjoram and Yarrow.

Summer Days

2011-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe summer is nearly over. I started July with the “Great Potato Weigh In” at the allotment gardening club and there was quite a competitive spirit in the air! Earlier in the year our gardening teacher gave each allotment plot a “Jersey” potato to chit and plant and then to see which plot grew the most potatoes from their spud. Our poor potato got left in Iain’s car for a couple of weeks and had travelled about 700 miles by the time we planted it in March. We walked around each plot to witness the digging up of potatoes and we achieved second position with 1.637kg from our little potato – they tasted good as well. Outside of Jersey our potatoes can’t be Jerseys they have the unglamorous title of International Kidney.

Iain and Barry harvest our potatoes

We have also had a fund raising day at the allotments, live music from 3pm until late, real ale, hog roast and children’s activities, it went really well. The men from our allotment plot formed a folk group (Barry, Iain and Steve – The BIS) and did really well. One of the children’s activities was to make a snail from Willow; I have always fancied a go at Willow work and whilst obviously not fitting a child category any longer I managed to trade a cabbage for a go at snail making!

My willow snail

At the Herb Sanctuary in July we did some harvesting including purple sage, St John’s Wort, betony and rose petals, we also sorted out some herbs which had been drying in the summer house and put the leaves and flowers into paper bags these included catnip and elderflower. The sheep’s fleece that we boiled a few months ago to make lanolin made a reappearance; Janey had some equipment for carding the wool and showed us how to do it. It doesn’t look like the wool will spin very well as without the lanolin it is very dry. I believe the fleece will appear again at Sarah’s Herb Festival in September where everyone will be able to use plants to make different natural dyes and we can dye some wool. I have agreed to do an Introduction to Aromatherapy talk at the herb festival.

Herbs for Harvesting

My most time-consuming project recently has been trying to develop recipes for skin-care products which my daughter and I are hoping to market. We are using only natural and plant based products (except for beeswax) and it’s taking a lot of research and a lot of time. We have started testing our recipes and when we are happy we need to send it to an industrial chemist to get it tested. The sad thing is that I have had to buy a lot of my herb products which I now make such as macerated oils and tinctures as the products need "traceability".

I didn’t make the August herb workshop as I was already committed to a garden party organised by The Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table of King Arthur, we had a go at Bhangra dancing, a show and tell session with swords, our fortunes told by Madame Arcana and were served cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off! All this raised money for the Acorns Children’s hospice whilst having a fun afternoon.

I’ve got some catching up to do with my herb homework, I seem to have been so busy and September is looking just as crazy. We are camping at the Mercian Gathering next weekend; it’s the Herb Festival in the Cotswolds the weekend after. We’ve had lots of produce to harvest from the allotment, the weeds grow faster than everything else though. This week is the village scarecrow festival and on the 14^th September we are having an official allotment opening by the Countess of Wessex so we'd better tidy up!

The 12th September is the day for the ancient tradition of the Abbots Bromley Horns Dance this year and I'll be dancing in the village while we wait for the Horns Men to return. I must confess it's an honour to be asked but as I haven't practiced for ages I've got more than a few butterflies!

Thank you Claire and Trish for your comments on St John’s Wort, I no longer seem to be able to reply to comments on this blog as used to be able to so will have to reply like this in future. It is so interesting to hear from someone who has tried the oil for sun protection and only had a reaction when taking internal supplements; I am so pleased you have shared your experiences Claire. Sarah also makes her oil with sunflower which does complement the whole sun theme of the herb; this conjures up visions of warming sunshine easing joint pain for Trish’s husband. Sunflower oil is easily absorbed by the skin and can help active ingredients to be absorbed quickly. St. John’s Wort has anti-inflammatory properties.

St. John's Wort - The Sunshine Herb

2011-07-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

I noticed on Monday that my St John’s Wort had burst into flower, the traditional time to harvest it is on the feast day of St John, the 24^th June or midsummer. We tend to feel happier in the warmth of the summer sun and the yellow flowers of St John’s Wort seem to reflect the time of year.

St John’s Wort is well known as an antidepressant and for treating SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) when the lack of sunlight during the winter months can make some people feel low in mood. I have not made St John’s Wort tincture before so I decided to do so this year. I picked flowers and packed them into a little jar and covered them with vodka, I shall leave this for a few weeks. The flowers are covered in little dark spots that contain the plant oil, after picking the flowers my fingers had turned purple. Just a few minutes after adding vodka my tincture it began to take on a beautiful red colour. It is the constituent hypericin (the red pigment in the flowers) which is believed to help depression and St John’s Wort should not be taken with some anti-depressants. It is thought to mimic Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors which are prescribed for depression.

Sunshine in a jar - St John's Wort tincture

My next batch of flowers will infuse in olive oil and create a deep red oil which is good for the skin and for nerve inflammation. I use it in aromatherapy massage blends to help my husband’s sciatica and could add it to a cream, gel or ointment. St John’s Wort (SJW) is known for being good to skin; it is antiseptic and calming and can be used on minor burns, sunburn, cuts, grazes, bruises, minor skin irritations and eczema. The oil is suitable for sensitive skin and infected acne or spots.

When I trained as an aromatherapist I remember being taught that SJW was a photosensitiser so if I used the oil on a client I needed to warn them to avoid strong sun as the skin could easily get burnt. During one of Sarah’s workshops on a sunny day last year I was stunned to see ladies covering themselves with SJW oil and using it as a sunscreen; I thought they must be putting themselves at terrible risk. I was told that Susun Weed uses it as a sunscreen and that it was only the internal use of SJW that could lead to photosensitivity. This turned what I had previously been taught on its head and curiosity pushed me to investigate.

The first thing I decided to do was to try it out for myself, as hubby and I got ready for a walk on Cannock Chase in the sunshine I slapped on St John’s Wort oil on all exposed skin and topped up on the car park before we set off. When I checked my skin on the evening it was red and it itched so I had managed to get burnt, so I put on some more oil. I don’t think my skin had been made more sensitive to the sun, I think my sun burn was as I would have expected if I had gone out that day without protection. This did not seem to be something that worked for me, I wondered if my oil was of a lesser concentration than other peoples.

My next task was to try and find some documented evidence about St John’s Wort as a photosensitiser and sunscreen.Bensouilah and Buckle say that large amounts of hypericin taken orally can cause severe photodermatitis “but there is no evidence that, topically, the infused oil has any notable phototoxic potential when applied to intact skin”. They do say there may be a risk to lesional skin and fair- skinned people after extended sun exposure. All of my herb text books caution that SJW may cause sensitivity to light but none of them specify whether this is internal or external use.

Susan Weed talks of the oil in her Breast Health book as being used for protection from radiation and also as a sunscreen. She says “I use this oil as my only sunscreen, and find it not only immediately effective, but even more protective with continuing use over the years”. If this is the case then my single use experiment may not have been enough.

Family Herbal Remedies advocate St John’s oil when going out in the sun to prevent sunburn and say to think of it as a skin nourisher rather than a sun block to create “healthy sun-tolerant skin”.

I came across a discussion on the Healing Wise Forum where there seemed to be other people as confused as myself about SJW and sun protection amongst the more knowledgable. It seems that it takes a few uses before the body gets results from SJW and the internal preparations that can cause sensitivity are usually shop-bought and low quality tablets.

I get the idea that the body can get used to SJW over time and that it nourishes the skin but I’m not sure safety wise what is happening, people are saying that it is not a sunblock so does it give the protection we need? I love the idea of using a natural product as a sun screen but I have had two friends with skin cancer and one is no longer with us so I am cautious and I need to trust it’s safe. I personally feel I don’t understand enough at the moment about St John’s Wort as sun protection to use it with confidence at the moment.

Sesame oil has an SPF of 2-3, Shea butter has an SPF of 2-3, Jojoba has an SPF of 4 and Red Raspberry Seed oil has an amazing SPF of 28-50 which would make it my first choice in my own natural sun screen, it defends against UVA and UVB rays. Of course I can’t press my own Red Raspberry seed oil and would have to buy it which is not as satisfying as growing my own St John’s Wort, preparing the oil and watching the colour change, but I have other uses for my oil.

Catching Up With Myself!

2011-06-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

This has been such a busy month, starting off with a weekend in Cornwall for the annual dinner of The Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table of King Arthur. We met up with old friends and made new ones and are looking forward to meeting up again in August for a garden party. The only “herb” thing I can claim to have done is to have tried the very inviting Lovage Alcoholic Cordial that I noticed in the hotel bar. It is good for settling your stomach and according to the barman is usually mixed with brandy, I can recommend it.

I had an interesting study day in London looking at the legalities of creating skin care products, it all boils down to traceability by keeping records and batch numbers of ingredients. I had thought that due to this I could not use my own herbs but it is apparently acceptable to use herbs from your garden if you can get photographic evidence to prove this, so if I take a photo of a herb with my house in the background I have proved where it came from. The same can’t be used for wild crafting as it is not known whether the land is contaminated etc.

On the 18^th June I attended Sarah’s workshop in the Cotswolds with the theme of the menopause and found it very interesting. The day kicked off with an Ox-eye daisy flower essence which is used to help come to terms with the menopause.

Ox-eye daisy flower essence

We looked at herbs growing around the Sanctuary which could be useful. Agnus Castus or Vitex is an important peri-menopausal plant and a tincture can be made from its berries. It regulates cycles by acting on the pituitary gland which controls the release of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) and is balancing at times of change such as early pregnancy and the menopause when oestrogen levels fall.

Vitex

Hops can be used for sleeping problems as well as being a digestive bitter and an antiseptic. A tincture is made of the flower like bits but this is not suitable for people prone to clinical depression or men with hormone insufficiency.

Hops

Motherwort is a gentle nervine for times of stress and night palpitations, it regulates heat and is good for period pains. It can be taken as a tea but is very bitter, the whole plant is used. Motherwort can be made into a tincture or a vinegar, I made myself a tincture.

Motherwort

Lady’s Mantle is used for heavy periods and is a digestive tonic. Its energetic properties deal with maternal issues such as how you feel about yourself as a mother and on entering the menopause.

Lady's Mantle

Lemon balm and rose are great for stress and we tried some elixirs including rose which were very soothing. Minerals for this time of life can be harvested from Red Clover, Mugwort (Crone wort) and young Nettle. Red Clover contains a phyto-oestrogen so care needs to be taken with breast cancer as it is not suitable with some.

I made myself a Ladies Tonic from Motherwort, young Nettles and Lady’s Mantle which I put in vinegar.

Last week my husband and I were in Rome and as we walked through the forum I realised I was surrounded by Chamomile flowers, proper “Roman” Chamomile! The ground was very dry but the herb was very aromatic when I picked it, more so than in my garden at home, it must enjoy these arid conditions.

Yesterday we were invited to an Eisteddfod on Cannock Chase where those present could tell tales, recite poems, play music and sing. My husband has been roped into a little folk band with our fellow allotment boys Iain and Barry and they did their first public performance of with just one song but I was very proud of them. The group has been put together for a charity fund raising day at the allotments where there will be music all day, real ale, a hog roast and other activities. I shall have to get some weeding done before the event! In the meantime we are having a good harvest of cabbage, beans, peas, salad and new potatoes which makes it all worthwhile.