Wild Roots Herbal Medicine

01/10/2026

Nettles backlit in my garden, glowing in the October sunshine…

What a beautiful time of year 🍃🍁

30/09/2026

Yesterday Masham Wellbeing Group… next week U3A at Settle… I’m getting about a bit these days!

30/09/2026

Many tinctures start out beautifully coloured, reflecting the colour or constituents of the plants when they are fresh. As time goes on tho many turn a rather generic shade of brown, and in fact many herbs live in amber bottles to protect them from light, so it’s lovely to pick one off the dispensary shelf and see such a beautiful colour shining in the early autumn light!

The first pic is Reishi - a medicinal mushroom used for a wide range of issues affecting the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. The second picture with the glowing red oil is St John’s Wort, which I use for treating damaged skin, and include in a topical treatments for neuropathy and cold sores.

Gorgeous!

26/09/2026

One of the (many!) benefits of being the client of a herbalist is that you can get help for things which, in themselves, you might not make a full length appointment for…

Today I’ve been making a batch of my Green Goddess face cream, and bottling some Rose water. I use the Green Goddess cream every day and it’s incredibly popular with women who are starting to find their skin getting dryer and more fragile as they get older.

Every time I make this it is a little different, as I often change up the essential oils I use (today we have frankincense), and I always include ingredients I’ve made myself, in this case an infused oil of Centella, a lovely herb that is renowned for helping restore the skin, reducing inflammation and improving the skin structure.

I always find making lotions and potions fun, and these are particularly lovely, sensory products that provide a little tlc for the skin. 😊

25/09/2026

Are you interested in learning about Herbs for Health & Wellbeing…?

I will be giving a talk in Masham, on Tuesday evening this coming week, 6:30-8pm, at the Masham Wellbeing Group. This group is informal and free for locals to attend, and holds meetings each month focussing on different approaches to wellbeing.

I will be discussing how herbs and plants can help support us in our everyday wellbeing, including how they can improve sleep, digestion, and how we manage stress and mental health challenges. This will be a fun and interactive session, and I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about herbal medicine.

If you’d like to come along, please contact Kirsty to let her know you plan to attend.
Kirsty Dawson, Rural Wellbeing Coordinator [email protected]
Telephone: 07305 049296

Mind in Harrogate District are excited to welcome Charlotte to their upcoming Masham Wellbeing Group this September. A qualified medical herbalist and

22/09/2026

I’m back from a much needed few days away. A complete change of scenery, visiting the North Coast of Norfolk and then heading to Lowestoft to pay a quick visit to my lovely herbalist buddy Maja at mare_verde_herbs

We feasted on some delicious traditional food Maja prepared, as well as some rather dodgy-looking but fantastic-tasting kombucha she had brewed, flavoured with green herbs including Nettle, Plantain, Chickweed and Dandelion (sadly I was too busy enjoying this to grab a photo).

I was lucky to come home with one of Maja’s scoby babies (for those that don’t know, this is a ‘blob’ of bacteria and yeast that ferments sweet green tea, turning it into an amazing, delicious, sour probiotic drink which is superb for the gut). I used to brew my own kombucha years ago but got out of the habit - I’m looking forward to getting back into it again!

Aside from catching up with herbalist buddies I love the way that travelling even a short distance brings me in touch with a totally different ecosystem - and medicinal plants - than what I’m used to here in Nidderdale.
Add some famous archaeological sites, wild and windy landscapes and lots and lots of good food, and I’m in heaven!

All in all a grand trip, and just what this herbalist needed as we transition the seasons once again and contemplate autumn. 😊🍁

10/09/2026

This time of year the berries are the brightest more beautiful stars of the show in many of our lanes and hedgerows. But… it pays to look down once in a while.

Yesterday I stumbled across a drift of Eyebright, a dainty, low growing herb with tiny white flowers flushed with purple, and a bright yellow splodge in the centre. Eyebright is pretty rare in this part of the country. Mostly I find this in the verges in Scotland so it’s always a treat to find locally. Although it’s an important herb in my dispensary it’s not one I would currently harvest from the wild (due to its scarcity) .

As the name suggests Eyebright is helpful for all manner of eye-problems, from conjunctivitis to tired eyes. It is a great anti-inflammatory, decongestant and anti-allergenic herb, and I mostly use it for allergies affecting the upper respiratory system, as well as for sinusitis and as an eye wash.

So - keep your eyes peeled for this little herb; blink and you’ll miss it!

02/09/2026

It’s always a lot of fun to meet someone who exists on something like the same wavelength as regards all things plant-y!

Dale and I had a lovely visit today to the vibrant corner of Yorkshire that is Well-being at The Flower Patch 🌺 🪴

We were treated to a tour of the Patch, followed by freshly picked apples, blackberries, and herbal tea in the outdoor garden room. Such a pleasure to talk plants, seeds, herbal remedies, and how we both integrate our love of nature into our everyday lives… and those of the people we work with.

A perfect way to spend a couple of hours. Thanks Jo! 💚