This incredible looking plant is called Nicandra physalodes, common names include Apple of Peru and Shoo-fly plant (it apparently deters flies). It has been an occasional visitor to my garden for several years now. I didn’t sow any seed or plant it – maybe it was the previous owners or maybe a bird or animal deposited it – but when the conditions are right (prolonged hot and sunny spells) this amazing looking plant will pop up in amongst my veg.   When I first  it saw it a few years back, I was instantly drawn to explore it more, mostly because it was new to me but also because it h ..read more

The heart can be considered the centre of our being in many ways – it is the seat of consciousness in some spiritual traditions. It sits in the middle of the chakra system, joining the lower chakras and the upper chakras, acting as the bridge that unites Mother Earth and Father Sky or our material being and our spirtual being. On a purely physical level, the heart is an incredible organ. Not only is it the ‘pump’ that drives the whole circulatory system, we now know it produces its own hormones that have wide ranging effects on various organs and tissues of the body and intricately connects ou ..read more

Fresh, vibrant, nutrient rich, all natural sugary tree water – the very thought of it made me drool with anticipation. I have been itching to try Birch tapping for a good few years now but could never get past the worry of potentially hurting the tree. After all, I live in a land of plentiful food supplies and numerous food shops – tapping Birch trees and risking their demise felt like a total indulgence. Pretty much all info on Birch tapping involves drilling a hole into the trunk, fitting a hollow spout of some sort, placing a collecting container under it to catch the sap, stopping up the h ..read more

I love growing things I find attractive in my garden but I am far more likely to give a plant space if it has some medicinal, edible or bushcraft value so I was really happy to recently learn that these little beauties fit the bill! Not only are they stunning but they can also be food and medicine – both for bees, other Spring insects and for us. They are a member of the Asparagaceae family, an interesting plant family containing plenty of unusual poisonous plants. The grape hyacinth does have some saponins in the bulbs so its not something to gorge on. The flowers are edible too, some make ..read more

Imbolc is a very old pre-Christian fire festival that falls midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, celebrated by many on February 2nd of each year. Before the Gregorian calender was introduced, it would have been the eve and day of the full moon around this time. It heralds the first signs of green shoots and the very first stirrings of Spring in the Northern hemisphere, the time of new life and increased fertility. The word ‘Imbolc’ means ‘in the belly’ in old Irish and denotes the time when the very first lambs of the year are born in to the world. The deity associated w ..read more

Many plants on my land suffered in the excessive heat and dry conditions of the Summer of 2022.  Mints withered, my usual carpet of thick Ground Elder shrivelled and disappeared leaving gaps in all my borders, late summer flowers didnt quite make it to blossom, Hydrangeas wilted and dropped their leaves, Willow leaves browned and were shed, Courgettes and Meadowsweet were covered in powdery mildew, a mature Rhubard plant entirely vanished, the odd tiny malformed cob on each Sweetcorn plant – the list of casualties was quite extensive. There were some winners though, my Tomato crop has nev ..read more

Being as rare as hens teeth in its native habitat on the North American continent, we are very happy to announce that we have sourced some excellent quality dried Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis) that has been sustainably grown and harvested in the UK. This important herb has a long history of use as medicine to the North American first peoples and more recent interest in the root has led to an overharvesting in the wild. Click here for an extensive paper on the many medicinal benefits of Goldenseal. Dried Goldenseal root available in our Wild Pharma online shop here. Goldenseal (Hydras ..read more

  With much of the UK roasting in a heatwave at the moment, its a great opportunity to get to know the herbs and foods that will actually help your body to stay cool and fluster free in the heat. Herbs and foods that have this cooling action are called ‘refrigerants’ for obvious reasons and refrigerant herbs cool the body when taken as infusions or when applied to the skin. These plants work in a few different ways – some have a diaphoretic action which encourages gentle perspiration thereby cooling the body, others work to keep fluids in balance in the body, act as Yin tonics and also sl ..read more

Solomons Seal is one incredible plant, one I would never choose to be without, either in my Herbal Medicine cupboard or in my garden. The intriguing root of this gorgeous Spring plant holds some deep and potent healing within it. It has an affinity for the joints, bones and connective tissues as well as the heart, lungs, spleen and kidneys. It brings moisture, flexibilty and calmness to the whole body in a gentle yet profound way and has been improving chronic conditions for centuries. Solomons Seal flowers Find out its full range of medicinal benefits here ..read more

  The first spring Nettle tips were calling out to be harvested in the glorious sunshine today. Generally, we pick the top few leaves to ensure plenty of future harvests throughout the remainder of Spring and into early Summer. Taking just the tips encourages the plant to produce even more vibrant young growing tips which can provide us with fresh nettle for months to come. Nettle leaves are rich in chlorophyll and many other vitamins and minerals and drying them for future use retains all the goodness of the green season. Use fresh in soups, teas, as a shot of superfood juice or preserv ..read more