The Ancient Herbal Preparation That Deserves a Place in Every Modern Kitchen Elderflower Oxymel If you're never heard of an oxymel before, don't worry, you're certainly not alone. Despite being used for over two thousand years, oxymels remain one of the most overlooked preparations in modern herbalism. Part herbal remedy, part everyday ingredient, an oxymel is simply herbs infused into vinegar and honey. Also sometimes called a 'shrub'. What I really love about them, and wher

If you grow lavender, there comes a point every summer when you look out at the garden and think: "I really should do something with all of that." For many of us, lavender has become synonymous with sleep. A pillow spray. A bath before bed. A scented drawer sachet. But lavender is so much more than that. In fat,, it's one of the most versatile medicinal plants you can grow, lending itself beautifully to herbal remedies, aromatherapy, skincare, cooking and natural home prepara

Common Yarrow - Achillea millefolium As June unfolds and the countryside hums with life, another treasured medicinal herb begins to make its appearance. Along grassy verges, wildflower meadows, woodland edges and sun-drenched pathways, delicate clusters of tiny white flowers rise above feathery green foliage. This is yarrow, one of Britain's most beloved medicinal plants and a true staple of the traditional herbal apothecary. Known for centuries as a herb of healing, protecti

Elderflower season is short, which is part of what makes it so special. Once the creamy-white flowers appear in the hedgerows, there are only a few weeks to gather them fresh, enjoy their fragrance and preserve a little of that early summer medicine for later in the year. If you've arrived here with a basket full of elderflowers and you're wondering what to do with them, you're in the right place. But before we get started, I'd encourage you to spend a little time getting to

Few plants capture the essence of early summer quite like elderflower. For a few short weeks each year, hedgerows across the UK become covered in clusters of delicate white flowers whose sweet, unmistakable fragrance has inspired herbalists, cooks, foragers and folklore enthusiasts for centuries. Most people know elderflower as a cordial or perhaps the flavouring in a summer cocktail. Others may be familiar with its traditional use during colds and flu. But the elder tree has

Creating a UK Aromatherapy & Apothecary Garden. What to Grow, What to Forage and Why Your Garden Doesn't Stop At The Gate