Category: Living with herbs
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Logs to Burn
There is art in creating a good fire. The kind that brings convivial warmth along with its physical heat. A blaze to gaze at, lost in the simple entertainment of watching embers glow, smoke curl and the occasional spark fly. Some see wayward sparks as playful sprites, other characterise them as a flurry of people…
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Herb in a Vase – November: Teasel
I have a love-hate relationship with teasel. Her sculptural, egg-shaped heads, covered in little prickly hooks, have a sort of architectural beauty that does make them stand out in a flower arrangement. But oh boy, does she fight back! So prickly, I come away from handling her looking like I’ve been wrestling an angry cat!…
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Herbal Gathering
The last weekend in September saw the Herb Society Annual Gathering. This year the event was held in Birmingham at the Midlands Arts Centre. Whenever the Society holds an in person event they vary the location to provide opportunity for all members to attend at some point, wherever they are in the UK. While most…
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Herb in a Vase – September: Rosehips
Are you an autumn person? I never used to be, I was always a summer fairy who thrived on long, barefoot sunny days and felt only disappointment when the ‘back to school’ time of year came around. But as I’ve mellowed with age, like the seasons themselves you could say, I’ve learned to love the…
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Herb in a Vase – August
Feverfew As a lifelong migraine sufferer, I have a special place in my heart for feverfew, which I’ve found to be helpful in managing the condition. But even if I’d never had a migraine in my life, I’d still be head over heels in love with this pretty little herb! Feverfew, Tansy, Cow bitter, Golden…
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Herb in a vase – July
Mint If you’ve bought flowers from me at any time from April to September, your bouquet will probably have contained mint. It’s one of my favourite foliages! Why do I love mint so much? I think it’s because I can’t get enough of the scent. Whether pepper, lemon or spear, a lovely whiff of mentha…
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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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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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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…