Welcome

A warm welcome to thewildpharma blog, little sister to our main website at www.thewildpharma.co.uk

This blog was created to share personal stories and experiences of healing with herbs and natural remedies. There is so much information out there on the internet concerning herbs and which ones to choose for which ailment but very few are based on practical experience. Often this information is re-copied from site to site and sometimes comes with either foolish optimism or fearmongering scepticism.

This blog has one simple aim ….. to share stories both good and bad (we learn so much from both!) of experiences with herbs and how they interact with the body, in illness and in health, based on my personal experiences as a herbalist and natural remedy enthusiast.

Who am I? I have been a professional practicing herbalist since 1998 and in training for many years before that. I have two teenage boys (as of Feb 2013) that have been on the receiving end of many herbal and natural treatments, as have most of my family and friends. Even so, I do not consider myself an expert (there is just so much more to learn) but I have great trust in the plants and natural wisdom around me.

We hope you enjoy reading the stories and look forward to hearing yours…..

With love

Deanna (deanna@thewildpharma.co.uk)

A spooky looking plant with strong Halloween vibes

This incredible looking plant is called Nicandra physalodes, common names include Apple of Peru and Shoo-fly plant (it apparently deters flies). It has been an occasional visitor to my garden for several years now. I didn’t sow any seed or plant it – maybe it was the previous owners or maybe a bird or animal deposited it – but when the conditions are right (prolonged hot and sunny spells) this amazing looking plant will pop up in amongst my veg.

 

When I first  it saw it a few years back, I was instantly drawn to explore it more, mostly because it was new to me but also because it had such a strange and spooky vibe. It has strange dark stems, leaves that are spotted with black hairs, blue/purple bell shaped flowers which turn into dark green lanterns containing a tomato like fruit, packed with seeds. I instictively felt it was poisonous which turns out on further investigation to be true but like many poisons, the Devil (or God if you prefer) is in the detail. It belongs to the nightshade family which includes some very poisonous plants (deadly nightshade for example) yet other family members include the potato, tomato, aubergine and bell peppers. So how poisonous is it?

 

Well, mammals avoid eating it, especially the leaves which are toxic in large quantities. Interestingly, the leaves are the parts used for their insecticidal qualities, boiled in milk and left out to attract flies which die after feeding on the milk. The compound nicandrenone (which is found in the leaves) is responsible for this insecticide action and is being looked into for commercial purposes. But apart from the plant being used really successfully to deter flies (some organic gardeners grow then in greenhouses or polytunnels to deter whitefly etc), it is still used as a food in some parts of the world. The fully ripe fruit seems to be the edible part and is reportedly packed with useful nutrients – though they do also contain toxins. The seeds are said to be made into a jelly for consumption in China, though I cant find any solid info on this and of course, the seeds contain toxins too, all parts of this plant contain toxins!

It does have some really interesting medicinal benefits though, the fruits contain substances which have an anti-inflammatory action in the body and are also being investigated for 2 chemicals that act against Parkinsons disease as mentioned here. The fruit are also mentioned as having potential to be “functional food for preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases” .The seeds and other parts are used in Tibetan medicine against worms, for diabetes, for fevers, as a vitality promoter, for pain & toothache and as a strong diuretic (urine production). Seeds are known to be incredibly high in pectin which is why they are used in jams, jellies and in the making of confectionaries. Extracts from the root, leaf, stem and fruit show strong anti-microbial action and also anti-fungal activity. In China it is used as a sedative and as an antidote to certain poisons. The Chinese are also looking at its anti-ageing properties, compounds within the plant seek out aged cells and destroy them and also protect somehow against neurodegenerative decline and also enhance our natural stress adaptation responses, as mentioned here.

 

So all in all, mixed messages. This plant is eaten and used as medicine in many parts of the world yet most general internet pages warn of its dire toxicity and desire to kill you.

Obviously without first hand empirical knowledge of using this plant safely, I wouldn’t suggest that anyone starts eating or making medicine from any part of this plant – on the other hand, it is well worth further investigation in terms of seeking out local knowledge from the various peoples that do use this plant, the knowledge on how to use this plant safely and beneficially does exist somewhere. I will add any new info I find in the comments section and please feel free to share any knowledge you may have. It would be a great plant to just sit with at this time when the veil between the worlds is thin, quieten the mind, open your heart and listen for a while without expectation – it may just share some of its many secrets with you!

If you do wish to dive headlong in to the weird and wonderful world of Nicandra physalodes, its use as food, medicine and as a psychotropic substance, click here for a really interesting forum thread containing plenty of links and some genuinely insightful comments and thoughts on the plant.

Happy Halloween/Samhaim blessings!

 

Heart Blossom Tea For Emotional & Physical Heart Health

The heart can be considered the centre of our being in many ways – it is the seat of consciousness in some spiritual traditions. It sits in the middle of the chakra system, joining the lower chakras and the upper chakras, acting as the bridge that unites Mother Earth and Father Sky or our material being and our spirtual being.

On a purely physical level, the heart is an incredible organ. Not only is it the ‘pump’ that drives the whole circulatory system, we now know it produces its own hormones that have wide ranging effects on various organs and tissues of the body and intricately connects our brain with our emotions and our physical body.  But perhaps most importantly of all it produces the most powerful electromagnetic field of any organ in the body which can be detected up to 3 feet away from the body. It is this electromagnetic field that all beating hearts generate that has the most incredible potential to create coherence.

Simply put, coherence occurs when we feel love, joy, grattitude, and compassion – what we consider to be ‘positive’ emotions. In those times of coherence, all is working well within the body, mind and spirit and a sense of optimism and harmony pervades. These are the days when nothing can bring us down and everything runs smoothly. Conversely, ‘negative’ emotions such as jealousy, revenge, bereavement and fear create incoherence. Then all is not well and disharmony and disease can manifest in the body – these are the days when nothing goes right.

So if every human being and their heart is sending out an electromagnetic field of at least 3 feet in diameter, that interacts with the beating heart sat next to it and so on and so on, we see potential for how one human being can have a positive or negative effect on another without even speaking, seeing or touching the other. A human existing in a state of coherence has the potential to exert a positive effect on the person stood next to them in the post office queue and help to bring them in to a state of coherence. Obviously it works the other way too.

There are many ways to gain a greater sense of joy and all the other positive emotions, encouraging our being into a state of coherence – music, dance, great art, singing, poetry, laughter, spending time with those we love, inspiring views of nature, gardening, meditation, random acts of kindness, holistic healing modalities, the list is long. For me personally, I can add being in a loving relationship with my friends in the plant kingdom.

The Heart Blossom Tea recipe below contains flowers from plants that are known to have positive actions on both the physical and emotional/spiritual heart. This recipe uses 2 parts Hawthorn blossom, and 1 part each of Rose petals, Yarrow flowers, Lime/Linden blossom and Albizia flowers.

Hawthorn tree in full blossom

Hawthorn flowering tips (Crataegus spp.) – the blossoms of the Hawthorn tree (as well as the berries) are excellent medicine for the heart itself as well as the entire circulatory system and its vessels. Its medicinal actions are well studied. It can be very useful in formulas for bereavement, sadness, loneliess, low self esteem and anxiety. A classic ‘broken heart’ remedy and magically associated with the faery realm and protection from bad influences.

Beautiful Lime flower and buds

Lime flowers (Tilia codata) – the blossoms can help treat blood pressure and positively influence the physical heart in a number of ways by reducing tension and nervousness. It creates a calm state of mind (it is used for insomnia) yet brings clarity so it sharpens rather than dulls the senses. It is a tree linked with Venus and Aphrodite and of nurturing and protecting Love and throughout history has been asscociated with marriage and romantic union.

The effortlessly beautiful Rose

Rose petals (Rosa spp.)- the Rose has a deep connection with the emotional heart and love. Effortlessly beautiful, the sight and scent of a Rose can transform our being into coherence and into a state of tranquility, love and reverance. The anti-depressant actions of Rose are well known to science. The geometry of the Rose expresses itself as a ratio of 1: 1.61803, the human heart experiencing love expresses the same 1: 1.61803. (Read more about that fact here and here)

Yarrow in full flower

Yarrow flowering tops (Achillea millefolium) – a powerful plant used by many traditions in their rituals for love, healing and protection. Yarrow is associated with Venus and encourages and attracts love, courage, luck and good positive events. Physically, it has a profound regulating effect on the circulation of blood, clearing stagnation and promoting healthy blood flow, balances blood pressure and is in service to the heart on many levels.

Albizia flowers, I can’t look at them without smiling!

Albizia julibrissin flowers – also known as the tree of happiness, the flowers are used to ‘lighten the spirits’ and are effective medicine for anxiety and depression. Albizia flowers seem to enhance secretion and regulation of all classes of neurotransmitters and ancient chinese texts credit it with “promoting joy, assuaging sorrow”. It also keeps cholesterol levels steady.

Use one heaped teaspoon of the herbal tea mix to your favourite cup or mug, add boiling water, infuse for 5-10 minutes, then strain out the herbs. To help make this healing tea travel even deeper in to your being, take time to sit somewhere comfy and pleasing to you and sip the tea slowly. Close your eyes and visualise your heart as a Rose bud.  As you sip your way through the tea, visualise the flower bud gently spiraling open and unfurling, no rush. As your Rose becomes a magnificent sweet smelling bloom, your heart and whole being vibrates gently in a state of coherence. Now imagine a world where all hearts beat in coherance……drift and dream of a more loving future for us all…..

Read more about the incredible science of the heart and its electromagnetic field coherence and the potential implications for all of humanity from the HeartMath Institute here

Guilt Free Birch Tapping – My First Taste of Heavenly Birch Sap

Fresh, vibrant, nutrient rich, all natural sugary tree water – the very thought of it made me drool with anticipation. I have been itching to try Birch tapping for a good few years now but could never get past the worry of potentially hurting the tree. After all, I live in a land of plentiful food supplies and numerous food shops – tapping Birch trees and risking their demise felt like a total indulgence. Pretty much all info on Birch tapping involves drilling a hole into the trunk, fitting a hollow spout of some sort, placing a collecting container under it to catch the sap, stopping up the hole somehow when enough sap is collected and then hoping the tree isn’t too badly drained by the process. Historically, people who relied on the Birch sap as a source of valued nutrition would mark each tree tapped with their own code signs so they didn’t tap the same tree year after year.

15 year old White Birches, ripe for tapping

The risk of bleeding a tree to death fills me with horror, especially when its merely to satisfy my curiosity and to tick off a checklist of new things to taste or new skills to acquire! How do you know when to stop? How much is too much? Luckily I came across an article somewhere online that showed you can still collect Birch sap but without the need to drill a hole into the trunk and risk seriously threatening the life and health of the tree (grattitude to that author and apologies for not linking to or crediting them, I have lost the original source). And so this Easter weekend, I took my very first sip of  this divine nectar from the Gods of Nature.

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Select your tree first. I have several Birches on my land – one very old and gnarly and three spritely 15 year old White Birches. I chose one of the more youthful White Birches.

Get all your equipment ready first. Mine included some natural strong twine, scissors, secateurs (or very sharp blade), a small piece of muslin cloth (any light fabric will do), an elastic band and a small jam jar (or similar) to collect the sap in.

Firstly, I prepared the jam jar by forming a cradle of twine around the jar and making a loop at the top for tying on to a branch. I placed the piece of muslim over the open mouth of the jar and secured in place with an elastic band (purely to prevent insects and debris getting in the sap). I made a small incision in the taught muslim cloth to slot the end of the selected branch through.

Next I selected a small branch, I chose one around the diameter of my index finger, it needs to be strong enough to bend downwards and take the weight of a jam jar without snapping ot tearing the branch. The first branch I tried snapped off immediately as it was dead, so make sure you select a healthy branch.

Birch branch with collecting jar attached

Then I snipped off the end of the branch with sharp secateurs, carefully bent the branch down towards the trunk, tied if off by securing the twine around the snipped branch then tied the other end of the twine around the main trunk to secure it. To my delight, the momement I snipped the branch a clear globule of liquid sap appeared immediately and started dripping.

I then pushed the sap producing end through the slit in the muslin cloth and into the jam jar. I used the loop of twine to tie the jar securely on to the bent branch and stepped back to marvel at the gorgeous liquid accumulating much quicker than I expected into the jar.

Cut Birch branch secured in collecting jar

Within 2 hours I had collected 100ml of Birch sap. Concerned that the weight of the jar might weaken or snap the branch, I removed the jar, released the branch and noticed that even after the branch had sprung back in to its natural more vertical position, it continued to ooze sap but noticeably slower.

A minute or so after setting up collecting jar!

My partner and myself then savoured our first ever taste of the most delicious Spring drink we could ever have imagined. It tasted so delicately sweet with a gentle aromatic quality, a taste and smell beyond description really as I have little to compare it to. We could both feel and taste the freshness, vitality and wild nourishment of this Spring Elixir. Imagine the purest spring water with a hint of sweetness and a gentle aromatic flavour that made us both smile, eyes closed, long and genuine Mmmmmmmmmm noises coming out of us, heads gently nodding in approval!

Birch sap collected in 2 hours from modest sized twig

It was for me a kind of initiation, fitting really as the magestic Birch is a true pioneer tree. She is one of the first to move in on open land and signify the beginnings of a new patch of woodland, one of the first of our UK natives to come into leaf too.

If like me you have always wanted to try Birch sap but not felt you had the right equipment, the knowledge or courage, I hope this has given you some confidence to go and give a light pruning to one little Birch branch. Just remember to follow the rules of good foraging and ask permission from any land owner if the tree is not on your land.

Mother Birch keeping a close eye on me ; )

But above all, remember to give your heartfelt grattitude and joy to the majestic Birch, to delight in the feeling of her blood merging with your blood.

 

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) – Tiny Bunches of Medicine

I love growing things I find attractive in my garden but I am far more likely to give a plant space if it has some medicinal, edible or bushcraft value so I was really happy to recently learn that these little beauties fit the bill! Not only are they stunning but they can also be food and medicine – both for bees, other Spring insects and for us.

They are a member of the Asparagaceae family, an interesting plant family containing plenty of unusual poisonous plants. The grape hyacinth does have some saponins in the bulbs so its not something to gorge on. The flowers are edible too, some make them into cordials , they can be added to herb teas or would make a jazzy edition to a salad or similar. As a food source, I had heard they tasted mildly of onion, sweet, delicious etc. To me the bulbs were quite bland with a hint of bitterness – the same with the flowers, they smelt far better than they tasted!

With a bit of effort though they can be transformed into really good tasting pickles apparently, something I am going to have a go at. Here is a link to a piece by a Italian chef, in Italy they eat a lot of Muscari bulbs which they call Lampascioni. They preserve them in oil or vinegar and apparently they resemble tiny onions in both appearance and taste. They also mention the bitterness that I noticed.

Medicinally, they contain anthocyanins (hence that gorgeous deep colour) which are potent antioxidants and components are being investigated for the production of potential anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic and anti-obesity drugs (full details here). In Turkey, they have a long history of use for burns, wounds, as an anesthetic and for their anti-inflammatory properties. The grape hyacinth doesn’t feature in any official herbal medicine lists (as far as I know) so are not well studied in the laboratory – they are more of a folk remedy, something that ordinary people knew about through experience of use and handed the practical knowledge down the generations.

The flower essence is associated with helping to heal feelings of aloneness, exclusion and abandonement, feelings of despair and being disconnected with others. Easiest way to make a flower essence is to bend a flower stalk into a bowl of spring water and leave in the sun for several hours. The water will extract and hold the energetic vibration of the healing properties of the flower. Add half the amount of brandy to flower water to complete the essence.

The flowers are used in the perfume industry due to some species having a sweet and heady scent.

All in all, a pretty and potentially useful addition to any garden. The bees adore them too so probably best to leave the majority of the flowers and bulbs for them!

Plant them in poorer soil to avoid getting the huge mass of green leaves that gardeners complain about, they can get very leafy and have far fewer flowers when planted in rich soil.

Do not confuse with the larger Hyacinth as they are definitely poisonous to eat.

 

Imbolc Blessings with Brigids Cross

Imbolc is a very old pre-Christian fire festival that falls midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, celebrated by many on February 2nd of each year. Before the Gregorian calender was introduced, it would have been the eve and day of the full moon around this time. It heralds the first signs of green shoots and the very first stirrings of Spring in the Northern hemisphere, the time of new life and increased fertility.

The word ‘Imbolc’ means ‘in the belly’ in old Irish and denotes the time when the very first lambs of the year are born in to the world. The deity associated with this festival day is Brigid (pronounced Breed) who is the goddess of fertility, midwifery, fires (especially the hearth fire in our homes), smithing, healing, poetry, agriculture and pretty much anything handmade.

Brigids crosses, ready to hand out to loved ones

Brigids’ loving energy blesses us all – she represents the returning sun, warmth, vitality and the return of green growth – but some may wish to show her their heart felt appreciation and attract extra blessings to their household. These beautiful little ‘crosses’ are satisfyingly easy to make and can be hung outside the threshhold of your house to honour her. Some also hang them above stables, animal sheds etc. In return, Brigid is said to bestow her protection and purification to the household.

The Common rush

Green rushes are commonly used and can be found in abundance in damp fields at this time of year. They only take a few minutes to make so make a few and hand them out to loved ones or hang them in a special tree to honour Brigid.

A great little video tutortial for making Brigids crosses can be found here.

In Ireland, many people leave out items of their own clothing or a simple piece of cloth on the eve of Imbolc for Brigid to bless. Her many gifts and her association with agriculture, healing, the arts, protection and fertility are perhaps why she is so dearly loved to this day. Find other ways to honour Brigid and celebrate Imbolc here.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – a gift from the Gods

Yarrow is a pretty white flowering plant that is found far and wide all over the temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. Even at this time of year, its low lying feathery leaves can be seen at the base of last years brown and decaying flowering stalk.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves Jan ’23, UK

Its Latin name derives from the ancient Greek story of Achilles which shows just how long this plants curative powers have been acknowledged.

According to the legend, the immortal sea goddes Thetis concieved the child with the mortal King Peleus, thereby ensuring that her son would be born mortal. As part of her efforts to render him immortal, Thetis dipped Achilles into a water bath of Yarrow in order to make him as invulnerable as possible. But – the heel she held him by never quite made it in to the Yarrow water. His heel remained his only vulneralbe point and he went on to be killed in the Trojan wars when an enemy arrow struck his heel.

It is little wonder Thetis chose Yarrow as her herb protector of choice for her beloved son as it is an all round healing superstar. It has a tonic effect on pretty much every system and organ in the body in some way, being particularly adept at wound healing and stopping blood loss and putrefaction.

Yarrow flowering in a grass meadow

In magical work it is seen as having very strong powers of protection and this can also be applied to the body where it acts as a protector against all sorts of infectious diseases and protecting the heart and circulaory system.

Yarrow has so many medicinal uses applicable to a very wide range of health issues. Have a read of what else this easy to find little plant can help you with here on the main Wild Pharma website.

Green Treasures In The Depths Of Winter

Winter Solstice approaches, the ground is frozen, the temperature has plummeted yet even now in this frozen weather there are some very useful plants that make good eating and good medicine.

I suspect that everyone who has a garden (however tiny), a yard, window box or even just an outdoor plant pot will have at the very least one species of wild edible plant growing. This irrepressible little plant is the Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), a tenacious little plant that stays alive through the hardest frosts and even when blanketed with snow. Its easily identifiable by its small rosette of leaves close to the ground and small flower stalk with long thin seedpods sporting tiny white flowers at their tops. Its close cousin the Wavy Bittercress (Cardamine flexuosa) has slightly curvy stems that can kink in any direction and is the perhaps the easiest way to tell them apart.

Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

This little plant will be very familiar to any who work their patch, most viewing it as a pesky little weed that gets everywhere. Personally, I always leave an area in my veg patch where it is allowed to proliferate between larger crops as it makes a decent ground cover of sorts and that way I am assured of a constant supply.

Both hairy and wavy bittercress make good eating and have a mild cress/rocket/watercress flavour. All parts of the plant can be eaten (leaves, stalks, seed pods, seeds, flowers, even the root!) and they provide a little kick of warm peppery spice when added to salad mixes, sandwiches (delicious with egg mayonnaise) or just as a snack whilst gardening. It makes a great substitute for basil to make a  fresh pesto when whizzed up with the usual pesto ingredients. The delicate little leaves would make a nice addition to any microgreen salad or garnish too. Cooking dampens that cress like flavour somewhat but it is still nutritional and medicinal when added to soups, casseroles, stir fries and the like.

The leaves are rich in vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant and welcome immune boost in the darker, colder months. They contain a decent amount of fibre and Beta-carotene too, along with calcium and magnesium.

Best of all, being a member of the Brassica family (think cabbage, broccoli, rocket, mustard, horseradish etc) they are also a great source of Glucosinolates. These are sulphur rich compounds found in most of the Brassica plants and are gaining favour for their potent anti-cancer properties, immune stimulation, free radical scavenging abilities. They effectively inhibit division of unhealthy cells (thereby helping to prevent cancers) and also cause the death of active cancer cells. Sulphur compounds are also excellent for lung and skin health.

I can honestly say that I have never seen a time of year when it isn’t growing. Today in my veg patch it is present in all stages of development. Some are just a basal rosette of leaves, some are actively flowering whilst some have produced seeds and are just waiting for the slightest breeze or touch so they can explode the next generation around the area. It has a 12 week life span so its unlikely you will ever be without it. A little treasure of a ‘weed’ indeed!

A False Autumn Then A Second Spring in 2022

Many plants on my land suffered in the excessive heat and dry conditions of the Summer of 2022.  Mints withered, my usual carpet of thick Ground Elder shrivelled and disappeared leaving gaps in all my borders, late summer flowers didnt quite make it to blossom, Hydrangeas wilted and dropped their leaves, Willow leaves browned and were shed, Courgettes and Meadowsweet were covered in powdery mildew, a mature Rhubard plant entirely vanished, the odd tiny malformed cob on each Sweetcorn plant – the list of casualties was quite extensive. There were some winners though, my Tomato crop has never been so good, the biggest acorns I have ever seen adorn the Oak trees and the Blackberry and Hawthorn berry harvest around me is beyond bountiful. The wild hedgerow Rosehips are pretty abundant too.

I have read conservationists talk of the potentially disastrous ‘false Autumn’ where leaves have withered and dropped early, fruits and nuts formed too early to be a reliable food source to sustain creatures into the Winter and other similar thoughts on the very hot and dry summer we have just experienced in parts of the Uk. This matches my experiences where I live in the South East corner of the UK but since the rains have returned and the temperatures have returned to normal, I have been noticing something quite fascinating and awe inspiring.

Magically, many of the plants affected have begun a growing resurgence and a kind of ‘Second Spring’ is now taking place. It began gradually with a slight greening of the lawn, then I noticed the mints were starting to sprout new growth in amongst the mildewed and withered leaves. I have been harvesting nettle seeds for a at least a month or so, nettle seeds forming as the final act of its growing season but recently I have been noticing new green growth at the base of very mature plants.

This is happening all around this region too. Many other plants that I didnt even notice were suffering too badly have been having green growth spurts too. Budhhlias, Viburnums, Brambles, some mature trees have a flush of Spring like leaves here and there. Even my Burnet Rose (Rosa Spinosissima) that flowered in early Summer and is now covered in hips is putting out new shoots! My courgette plants now have huge leaves and are pumping out beautiful courgettes. The Rhubard is back with large shiny leaves too but the Sweetcorn is most definitely over. Dandelion greens are bursting with green vibrancy, fields of harvested Wheat are regrowing from the roots, Thymes are growing fresh growth from their woody bases, Violets are putting out new leaves well after they have set seed, Aqualegias are regrowing from the ground up, Comfrey leaves are now thick, green and luscious and just coming into flower, again! St Johns wort and bush Hypericums are putting out new green shoots and the odd flower, my Strawberries are having a 3rd lot of flowers, Wood Sorrel is once again showing fresh green leaves ready to harvest, Herb Robert is sprouting up all around, Choysias are in flower again, native ferns are shooting out bright green new fronds from their heart. Most interestingly, a dried up biennial Hedge Garlic (Alliaria petilolata) that has gone to seed (so its life has techinally ended, seeds ready to start the 2 year growth process all over again) has sprouted a few new leaves and some tiny flowers from a ‘dead’ stem!

Fresh young Wood Sorrel leaves September 2022

Dandelion regrowth September 2022

St Johns wort flowerinf again September 2022

Verdant fresh Comfrey leaves September 2022

It isnt just the Spring and early Summer plants that are having a second go either. The late Summer plants like Japanese anenome are also sending out fresh new leaf shoots.

Basil Mint with new leaves even after flowering September 2022

Marie de Bois Strawberries having another flush of flowers September 2022

Thyme regrowth September 2022

Aqualegia having another growing season September 2022

Bush Hypericum starting agin September 2022

The list of growing anomalies is long and I make it just for future reference really. I don’t know if any of this new growth will have a chance to produce new flower or seed before the real Autumn and Winter catches up with them, but I have never seen this before and am very curious to see how this affects next years growing season for these plants, if indeed it does.  Has anyone else been observing this in their local area or gardens?

Violet leaf regrowth September 2022

Fresh green Ground Elder September 2022

 

UK Grown Dried Goldenseal Root Now Available In Our Shop

Being as rare as hens teeth in its native habitat on the North American continent, we are very happy to announce that we have sourced some excellent quality dried Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis) that has been sustainably grown and harvested in the UK.

This important herb has a long history of use as medicine to the North American first peoples and more recent interest in the root has led to an overharvesting in the wild. Click here for an extensive paper on the many medicinal benefits of Goldenseal.

Dried Goldenseal root available in our Wild Pharma online shop here.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay.

Refrigerant herbs to help you keep your cool

 

With much of the UK roasting in a heatwave at the moment, its a great opportunity to get to know the herbs and foods that will actually help your body to stay cool and fluster free in the heat. Herbs and foods that have this cooling action are called ‘refrigerants’ for obvious reasons and refrigerant herbs cool the body when taken as infusions or when applied to the skin.

These plants work in a few different ways – some have a diaphoretic action which encourages gentle perspiration thereby cooling the body, others work to keep fluids in balance in the body, act as Yin tonics and also slow down internal processes (metabolism) and soothe irritations and inflammations.

Hibiscus flower

In some Eastern traditional medicine sytems, ‘summer heat’ is seen as something that can also be problematic all year round if excess heat gets trapped in the deeper organs and tissues of the body. They encourage people to take refrigerant plants throughout times of great heat but also to keep consuming them for some time afterwards.

The diaphoretic herbs (herbs that make us sweat) can obviously help to cool us as via the evaporation of sweat from the skin. There are many diaphoretics  (Elder flower, Yarrow herb etc) but use sparingly as too much sweating will lead to fluid loss and may increase the feeling and effects of heat. Yarrow is a good choice of diaphoretic for cooling as it has a great ability to balance fluids and move them judiciously around the body.

Sage is another interesting herb often taken by menopausal women and others to stop hot flushes and to reduce sweating. It can certainly act as a coolant if you are prone to being sweat drenched.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora)

Hibiscus flowers have been used to make a cooling beverage for millenia, the Pharoahs of ancient Egypt were very partial to Hibiscus tea and added Mint leaves for the ultimate drink to stay cool in the heat of North Africa. Sweet mint tea is still very popular in hot countries as an effective way to stay cool. Other refrigerant herbs that make delicious herbal infusions/teas include Lemon balm, Lemon Verbena, Chickweed, Rose petals, Chamomile, Marshmallow root, Horsetail, Ladys mantle, Red Clover flowers, Plantain, Sheeps Sorrel, Tarragon, Violet leaf, Gotu kola, Catnip, Sweet Wormwood (Artemesia annua) and Basil.

Infuse a handful of a few fresh herbs from the above list (half a handful if using dried) in a jug of water (boiling water or cold). You can leave the herbs in and stand overnight in the fridge for a strong tasting herbal infusion or just stand for 10 minutes or so, strain off the herbs and put the liquid in the fridge. When ready to drink, add a few fresh sprigs of something cooling and aromatic (like mint, lemon balm or fresh citrus peel) and you have a tasty and refreshing drink. Liven it up with a splash of sparkling water if fizziness is your thing. Pour into an old style Thermos flask and carry it with you to sip from whenever you need to hydrate and cool off.

Sweeten the infusion with a tiny amount of sugar (raw and unrefined if possible) or a dash of honey as the sweet taste has a cooling and moistening action on the tissues of the body.

You can even pour some of the infusion into a spray bottle and spritz the body with it when you feel the need to cool right down.

Delicous, refreshing and cooling infusion

Plenty of foods can also help the body stay cool – Mung beans are one of the best heat clearing foods and are easy to include in a salad or to make into a dhal. Cucumber and many others in their plant family such as watermelons and other melons are great foods to help keep us both hydrated and cool. All coconut products have a cooling action in the body, fresh coconut ‘meat’, the ‘milk’ or water, the ‘cream’ and also the oil can be taken daily throughout the hotter days.

Make delicious, cooling and water rich salads from the following ingredients …. tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, grapes etc as well as the pure refrigerant foods like coriander leaf, blueberry, pomegranate, lemons, limes, grapefruit, goji berries, asparagus and sprouted seeds or beans (especially sprouted mung beans).

Its worth noting that emotions like anger and frustration can also increase body heat so anything that dissipates anger can also have a deeply cooling effect on the body, Dandelion root being an excellent remedy for cooling liver fire and the feisty emotions that often accompany.

An overactive thyroid gland can also lead to a speedy metabolism and therefore a sense heat intolerance and this will obviously be a problem when the mercury rises. Anything that subdues the thyroid will also help with cooilng the body, Motherwort and Bugleweed as well as Lemon Balm will help here.