Buddleja and butterflies Buddleja davidii is known as the ‘butterfly bush’ because butterflies so often flutter around it gathering nectar. It’s also attractive to bees and moths. It’s possible that the nectar is so good because its packed full of benefits from the buddleja – what is it that those insects instinctively know? Another name we…
Bathtime relaxation Here’s how to create a jar full of loveliness to destress, ease and delight. Make it for a special friend, or as a gift to yourself. This is so simple to make, but requires a little forethought in macerating the herbs to create your own blend herbal oil. It’s an especially thoughtful gift…
Witches or wise women? Having seemingly super-natural powers could get you condemned as a ‘witch’. But, viewing these historical characters with a modern, less superstitious eye, we can see the practices of some really wise women who truly knew their herbs. Modern understanding We recognise that our body absorbs the food we consume, ingesting, digesting,…
Blackberry leaves for brightening the skin The blackberry plant scrambles through hedgerows putting on enormous growth each season, seemingly stretching out more and more each day. All this growth is fuelled by the powerhouse of energy contained in the blackberry leaves. Use these leaves in creating your own skincare and see that plant power taking…
Chamomile, apple of the earth and sun on the ground Chamomile: Matricaria recutita, also known as German chamomile or simply scented mayweed. Do you know any other names for it? A sacred herb Chamomile is one of the nine sacred herbs from Anglo-Saxon times. It was also revered above all other herbs by the Egyptians who dedicated…
Marshmallow for skincare Let’s get the picture straight right away. We don’t suggest getting a packet of fluffy sweets and pounding them into your skincare. The marshmallow we talk about is the beautiful, tall hedgerow and countryside plant. Characteristically pink, trumpety blooms. Large, rounded (slightly hairy leaves). A tall straight stem, full of the mucilage…
A footbath is a lovely way to still life for ten minutes. Your feet literally take a pounding every day, so take time to rest and restore them. Healthy, happy feet help you take life in your stride. Make your footbath even more calming with lime flower. Calming lime flower Limeflower is one of the…
Limeflower – Tilia Cordata (small-leaved lime), otherwise known as the Linden tree. The lime tree (Tilia cordata) grows all over Europe. Relatively inconspicuous most of the year, despite their size, limes come into their own in July. When their flowers open against delicate bracts, sweet fragrance fills the air and bees buzz in among their branches. The…
In a traditional skincare recipe a term like ‘toilet vinegar’ can sometimes stop us in our tracks. With a little investigating we can learn a lot to bring recipes into modern use. When there weren’t preparations ready to buy off-the-shelf we were resourceful in using the ingredients we had to hand – in kitchen cupboards…
Ten natural skincare treatments you can make with elderflower water (plus a couple of curiosities) Elderflower water was the go-to complexion enhancer on every dressing table in the past. It is widely used in skincare for its conditioning and skin lightening, properties that can be handy for reducing freckles and sunburn and for treating greying…
