The medicinal plants we use in our pharmacopaeia all contain distinct biochemical components that can be analysed and measured. Herbalism has a proper scientific biochemical basis. The difficulty is that… Read More
Food Poisoning – Herbal Home Treatment
One Friday night in June, I was traveling back from Wales and, at the airport, with a very narrow selection of mainly high calorie foods to choose from, I went… Read More
Rowan Berry Wine
Ingredients 2.25 kg rowan berries 1.2 kg finely granulated sugar 1 large lemon (zest and juice only) (or 2.5 tsp acid blend) 1/2 tbsp pectic enzyme 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1… Read More
Soap workshop at Redhall Walled Gardens
My thanks to the 25 Sikh ladies and members of the Pentland Transition Group who made Saturday such a fun day. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. For those of… Read More
Crème de Sureau (Crème de Cassis mais avec Elderberry!)
I love Crème de Cassis, the traditional French liqueur made from blackcurrants. You can dilute it with fizzy water to make a drink, add it to cocktails such as the… Read More
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Elder flowers make a delicate pleasant tasting infusion, whether drunk as a tea, used to flavour sorbets, or boiled lightly with caster sugar to make a diluting cordial. Diluted with… Read More
Herbal Power Juices – Your Food is your Medicine.
Our bodies digest raw, enzyme active juice far more quickly and efficiently than solid food. Juices are nutrient-dense and supercharge the body in the same way that herbal tinctures work.… Read More
Herbal Power Juices – The Recipies
A “herb shot” for me is 20 ml in a 200ml glass of juice. Or around 30 ml in a 300 ml glass. All approximate as Paleolithic people did not… Read More
A Jar of Beetroot – Beta vulgaris
Beetroots contain potent antioxidants and nutrients, including Vitamin A, Thiamine (Vit. B1), Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Niacin (Vit. B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Folate (Vit. B9), Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron.… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the name give to a condition where the pressure increases within the eye. This pressure, if untreated, can lead to cataracts and loss of sight. The following research,… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Migraines
Migraine headaches can be caused by a variety of reasons. Food allergies, nutritional deficiencies, low blood sugar, overwork, stress, poor sleep, diet and exercise. Some of the usual suspects include… Read More
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Lady’s mantle has a long history of tightening skin. Nowadays you sometimes find it in anti wrinkle face creams, but it really comes into its own on all the droopy,… Read More
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Find out more about horsetail Equisetum arvensis here.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Cowslip (Primula veris)
Roses are good for you!
I knew my love of the humble dog rose is not misplaced. It is a joy to find, threading its way through a green hedge, often accompanied by woodbine or… Read More
Pasteurising Elderberry, Nettle, Cleavers and other juices
How do you make sure you have a year round supply of your favourite herbal power shots and wild juices? Pasteurising is the best way to ensure you can keep… Read More
Coltsfoot Wine
Spring is very late this year but one thing I have in abundance are hardy coltsfoot flowers. They are a favourite of mine as, in past times, they were painted… Read More
The Recycled House Project
Hopefully, sometime in 2011, we might build our house at Gowanbank. The last miserable, recession years have taught me a few things. One is to try to get out of… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Melasma
Melasma (also called Chloasma) is the name given to a patchy darkening of the skin on the face. This occurs particularly in some groups of north Asian women. It often… Read More
Changing Times for Herbal Medicine
It is unlikely that any pharmacy today doesn’t stock a few herbal remedies. If only Echinacea, one of the most popular selling herbs of the last decade, used to treat… Read More
The Mushrooms are Back!
Watching the tractors out mowing and baling in the fields fills me with dread, knowing that summer is drawing to a close and winter is on its way. So the… Read More
An Early Timeline of Herbal Medicine.
At a Neanderthal burial site at Shanidar Cave, Iraq, discovered in 1960, archaeologists found the body had been buried with eight species of medicinal plants. This site is some 60,000-80,000… Read More
Where to buy Ingredients and Equipment
Fields and Forests Project – Equipment and Supplies Supplies can be bought at NAPIERS THE HERBALISTS www.napiers.net – Essential oils, dried herbs, etc. Also two shops in Edinburgh and one… Read More
Fields and Forest Project – Making Creams
Fields and Forest Project – Making a Simple Cold Cream This recipe makes 250g cream. This will fill 5 x 50 ml size pots. (A useful measurement to know is… Read More
Fields and Forest Project – Flower and Herbal Oils
Fields and Forests Project – Flower and Herbal Oils Gather flowers in the early morning. Later in the day, the heat of the day may have evaporated some of the… Read More
Fields and Forests Project – Flower Waters
Fields and Forests Project – Flower Water Gather flowers in the early morning. Later in the day, the heat of the day may have evaporated some of the essential oils… Read More
Fields and Forests Project – Cream Recipes
Making Flower Creams The recipes from the Summer workshop will be posted soon. In the meantime gather the petals of flowers. Many flowers have both therapeutic and scent properties. Those… Read More