Author: Laura P
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St John’s Wort
Hypericums are commonly found in gardens and municipal areas, enjoyed for their big yellow flowers. Sometimes known as the ‘happy plant’ it’s not just the joyful blooms that make you smile, there’s also a therapeutic punch in the plant that is preferred by some to off-the-shelf mood improvers. However, for that kind of medicine, it’s…
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Gloucester Roses
One of the signs you’re a herbalist is if you notice interesting plants wherever you go; if you think a traffic jam is a chance to examine what’s growing in the verges you normally whizz past; if town visits mean looking down to spot green growth in the pavement crevices as much as looking up…
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Herb in a Vase – June
Creative ideas crafted and shared by our local florist, Sophia Mason. This month we’re displaying: Borage Blue is a tricky colour for florists. Customers love it, and rightly so, it’s one of my favourite colours too! But nature rarely provides a true blue flower, instead tending towards violet-y or mauve-y shades, so we often have…
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May Herb Walk
For May we returned to Cam’s Vale Hospital, there is so much to see in the beds around the carpark, the quiet garden beside the hospital, and the healing allotment beds. We were here last year in July, wanting to enjoy the lime trees, but catching them just after their best. This year, we arrived…
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Lemon Balm
To soothe, enliven and restore. There’s a duality in many plants, with lemon balm it’s her ability to both calm and enliven. She will soothe the mind, ease the ache of a broken heart and enable a clarity of thinking, coming to you as a ‘breath of fresh air’. Lemon balm is recommended as an…
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Herbal trip to London
by Dr Viv Rolfe On Wednesday 22nd April I was invited to speak at an event in London about Arnica montana – the tiny yellow flower in the daisy family that is one of nature’s miracles and contains compounds that relieve bruising, swelling and pain when applied topically. Arnica grows in the Alps and in…
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April Herb Walk
April marks the true awakening of the herbal world with new treasures blooming at our feet and blossoms overhead. Since the days of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales it has been considered a month of sweet showers (‘shoures soote’) and rejuvenation. Following the lead of the Medieval pilgrims, who set out as the sap started rising, for…
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Herb in a Vase – May
Creative ideas crafted and shared by our local florist, Sophia Mason. This month we’re displaying: Lilac In the garden of the first house I ever owned, there lived a huge lilac tree. It wasn’t a big garden and the very mature tree, as tall and wide as the little terraced house, made it difficult to…
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Understanding Herbs and Singing their Songs
By Dr Viv Rolfe In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s beautiful and amazing book “Braiding Sweetgrass” she talks of her indigenous culture and the deep wisdom held by her people regarding their caring for the nature and the environment. People lived in harmony with nature and the seasons, taking just enough but no more, being thankful for…
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Hopping Down in Cam
Words by Dr Viv Rolfe I was joyed to see the tips of my hop plant coming through this week. The plant was kindly provided by the Hoptician Pub in Dursley last year, but my plant did not grow well enough to create any ales for them. So I’m excited that it is shooting as…