Holistic Herbs

02/06/2026

You have probably walked past this wayside plant and not taken much notice of it but this little inconspicuous plant has a long history of use as a medicine, dating back to the ancient Times.
Barbarakraut or as we know it; Winter cress ( Barbara vulgaris) often grows in damp areas.
St Barbara is the patron saint of miners, gunners and quarrymen: all vulnerable to danger from explosives. Winter cress was dedicated to her as its leaves were used in healing wounds from such explosions.
St Barab's day is celebrated on December 4th and Winter cress can be seen growing then at a time of year when not much greenery is.
Please note that this true winter cress has yellow flowers, not white flowers of the winter cress of commerce.
The freshly gathered leaves and flowers can be added to salads or made into a tea for medicinal purposes.
It's bitter action aids digestion, it's anti inflammatory action can be useful for arthritis and rheumatism, it's diuretic properties can aid excretion of toxins and it's VitC content can support the immune system.
The leaves can be made into a compress for skin conditions.
The active ingredients are: mustard oil glycosides, which have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, flavonoids which have an antioxidant effect, protecting the body from free radicals and Vit C, which strengthens the immune system and supports the formation of collagen, important for the skin and joints.
Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli and cabbage are also in the Brassicaceae family and contain mustard glycosides too.

29/05/2026

The scent of elderflowers fill the air. Perfect timing for using these blooms to make a cooling, drying drink, great for hot irritable conditions like Hayfever.
I love to add wild rose petals to mine to add to its cooling and drying action and it tastes delicious ❤️

28/05/2026

I was out late walking little Maggie dog again last night and the waxing Moon looked beautiful and I was taken by these White Wild Roses at the same time.
In Traditional Western Herbalism; roses are under the influence of :White roses the Moon, Red roses Jupiter and Pink Roses Venus. All roses have a cool dry temperament but Moon roses are the coolest but more moistening then the other roses, so good in burning fevers.
Moon roses or white roses cool the head, heart and lungs.

25/05/2026

Spreading the Love 💚❤️
Picking Hawthorn flowers&leaves, the best heart medicine for physical and emotional wellbeing 🙏

20/05/2026

After a lot of thought and holding off for a long time now, I have decided I need to put my prices up.
But you are still getting good value as I have over 36yrs of massage therapy experience and I always make sure that my clients receive the full alloted time for their treatment and often run over if I feel thd body requires it 🙏
So from July, massage therapy prices will be:
60 mins £45
30 mins £35
90 mins £70
Indian head £40
Hot Stones £80
For Sunday appointments and mobile please ask.
Herbal Medicine will be £70 for a consultation and £25 follow up plus medicines starting from £25 per 200ml bespoke prescription
If you think you may struggle with the increases, please don't hesitate to contact me and thank you all for your business 😊

14/05/2026

Magical Meandering in the Month of May 🤩
There's nothing more magical to me, then being in a watery woodland Glen, with the birdsong, buzzing insects, the dancing light and the plants ✨
Yellow rattle, member of the mint or Lamiaceae family, a medicine of old, said to be used for bladder issues and topically for skin ulcers. Like the other Archangel (white and red dead-nettle) it is a guardian against evil spirits and spells and for protecting cattle from a black magic disease, elfshot🧚
Figwort loves to grow in damp area's and Scrophularia nodosa is a wonder lymphatic and healing herb with heart stimulating properties ( so best avoided in rapid heartbeat).
The Wild Garlic carpets the woodland floor now with its white flowers. Too late to eat the leaves but the odd flower makes a nice salad garnish but they are hot.
Not sure which tuoe of Elm tree I found, but probably Wych elm.
And just look at these old Beech trees, I love peering in the inbetween spaces that trees create, said to lead to other realms and acting as portals

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

Life can be really busy most of the time; appointments to keep, places to be, promises to keep etc. Then, if you're like me, when there's a quiet spell, stress levels creep up; should I be doing more, should I be worried about this change in circumstance etc.
Today was one of those days for me, so I decided to take the dog for a long walk and a Slow Worm was in my path, so I gently watched it slowly cross to the other side and took it as a sign that it's ok to slow things down.
The I noticed all these Oak seedlings (after the mast year, there are so many new oak trees taking root) and it made me think about how long it would take for these little seedlings to grow into a big oak tree and thought to myself; they are in no hurry.
Oak is a medicine, but not one that I personally have used in my practice, other than as a Bach Flower remedy for strength.
Oak inner bark is: astringent, styptic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and haemostatic.
It can be used in treating alcoholism, diarrhoea and dystentry. It makes a good remedy used topically for ulcers and wounds and for chill plains, as well as a mouth wash for gum disease and sore throats

05/05/2026

Beautiful old Hawthorn tree ❤️
Start to gather the leaves and flowers of this super medicinal plant now and dry for making a heart restorative tea 🙏