The old bushcraft adage of ‘the more you know, the less you need to carry’ is especially true when it comes to foraging. And it’s not just about what you can eat but also what you can find to make a tasty hot drink. I’m a big tea drinker and so I’m especially fond of […]
We’ve written about comfrey in the past but this time we’re focusing on how to make comfrey oil. We’ve picked enough leaves for a couple of jars so far, but as comfrey is an early plant to come through we’ll be able to get many more prepared this spring. Pick the comfrey leaves on a […]
I’ve written about hawthorn previously and mentioned hawthorn tincture, so I thought I’d write a short post explaining how to make your own. A tincture is an alcohol based herbal remedy; we tend to use unbranded 40% vodka to make our tinctures. Hawthorn has been shown to have a beneficial effect in the treatment of […]
Nicola has recently made a Guelder rose decocted tincture. The bark from Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) is often refered to as ‘cramp bark’, so it’s no great surprise that it has been used in the past for muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, muscle spasms, restless leg and many other ailments. How to make guelder rose decocted tincture […]
There are many plants in the United Kingdom that have healing abilities and make a useful addition to your herbal first aid kit. Whilst some of them require good plant knowledge, there are plenty that are common and easy to identify. Here are 5 plants that are both common and abundant that you can use […]
Mallow (Malva sylvestris) Mallow is a common plant in southern England and Wales and can be found along the sides of roads and railways as well as on waste ground. As always, be careful if collecting near a road; we’ve found this plant in particular to take in exhaust fumes that you can taste in the […]
