Herbs Growing Health

29/08/2026

It really feels like we’re in the depths of harvest now with berries and apples all ripe and ready for picking, I love this time of year.

I’ve just finished processing the last of the elderberries from the allotment, which will be used on the Herbal Remedies Making Day in September.

27/08/2026

All Autumn events are now finalised! I’m particularly excited about starting the Monthly Herbal Circle in September. These are informal gatherings where we will explore one seasonal herb and also have time to share our own herbal adventures from the previous month. Places are really limited for this as we will meet by the fire around the table in my home.

More information and how to book can be found on my website (link in bio).

26/08/2026

NEW: September 2026 events!

I’m doing a herb walk in Kendal on Saturday 12th September, and due to the last Herbal Remedies - Making Day being fully-booked I’m doing a rerun of it at the end of September.

All booking info is on my website - hope to see some of you at a future event.

24/08/2026

Notice the buff-coloured pollen loads on the legs of the honey bees returning to the hive? The bees are laden with ling heather pollen (Calluna vulgaris) from the nearby fells - the second photo shows the pollen.

30/06/2026

This afternoon, whilst picking borage sparingly (to leave most for the bees 🐝!) and angelica seed I found myself reflecting on the fact that these were two of the ingredients in a patient’s mix from this morning.

The mix was for a patient with menopausal symptoms, and has been really successful in a short period of time. Herbs have been one prong along with diet tweaks and starting qi-gong. Just showing that a holistic approach can have real benefits.

But I was also thinking as I picked, that just because these plants have worked well for one patient, doesn’t mean they would work for another. These herbs are not magic bullets.

Ultimately I’m treating a person and their constitutional imbalances, not the symptoms they come with. However, the outcome will hopefully improve the symptoms, like with the patient this morning. And this is why seeing a herbalist is so important - the herbs that work for one person are not going to be appropriate for the next.

If you’re interested in following a similar approach, google “Find a Herbalist” and click on National Institute of Medical Herbalists. There are lots of us around the country 😊

10/06/2026

Join me for a Herbal Remedies Making Day on Friday 21st August 2026 in Kendal, Cumbria, UK.

The making side of herbal medicine is one of my favourite parts, there is an art and science to it, but above all - it is magical. For me, it’s where the alchemical process begins, where living plants are transformed into a form that we can take into our bodies for healing.

Explore the world of making herbal remedies and leave with some of remedies you have made and the knowledge to continue making in your own kitchen.

The day will cover the theory and practice of making three different types of herbal remedy, including a tincture and an aromatic water.

More details and booking in the link in my bio.

10/06/2026

The words ‘June’ and ‘juggling’ go together at moment. It’s peak harvest time here, especially lemon balm (photos 2 & 3), elderflower (photo 4) and plantain - some of the key ingredients in the popular ‘Me Time’, ‘Before bed’ and ‘Pollen Season’ teas that I sell at events.

Other herbs are also being collected for tinctures for patients, such as rosemary, horsetail, lady’s mantle, and for creams: comfrey. And the lime flower is about to burst…so that will be next. The dehydrator is going constantly and the drying nets are full!

I’m at two events later this week, Lancaster Midsummer Market part of on Friday and Plant Fair on Sunday.

05/06/2026

Come along and see me tomorrow morning at Kirkby Stephen craft and food market - I’ll have herbal teas, seasonal herbal cordial and am happy to answer your herbal questions!

13/05/2026