30/05/2026
The Plants:
This is what we will gather on 4 July at Shotover. 🌿
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — one of the oldest wound herbs in the Western tradition. Bitter, aromatic, deeply cleansing. Wonderful as a hot infusion when you feel a cold coming, or simply as a daily tonic for the liver and digestion.
Plantain (Plantago major) — the great soother. Grows at the edges of paths and is almost always underfoot. Anti-inflammatory, cooling, a herb for the gut lining, the lungs, the skin. One of the most useful plants you will ever learn.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) — sweet, nourishing, and quietly rich in plant oestrogens. A beautiful herb for women moving through hormonal transitions, and a gentle daily infusion herb for anyone.
Cleavers (Galium aparine) — the sticky one that clings to your coat on a summer walk. A lymphatic herb, gently moving and cleansing. Best taken as a cold infusion — steeped overnight and drunk in the morning.
And nettle seed (Urtica dioica) from my own apothecary — one of the great adrenal and nervous system restoratives in the herbal tradition. We will talk about this one at length on the day.
All of this, plus chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) from my own garden, brewed into tea partway through the morning.
Places still available for The Summer Gathering — Saturday 4 July, Shotover Country Park, 10.30–14.00. £65 per person, £110 for two. Link in bio or send me a message to book.
