idle women, the organisation who creates contemporary art with women are
launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise £25,000 to buy land in Nelson in
Lancashire for the UK’s first physic garden for women and girls.
idle women’s physic garden will be dedicated to medicinal herbs that women have
used for centuries, from menstruation to pregnancy and childbirth, and beyond to
menopause and old age. The garden will be planned, designed and developed with
and by local women in collaboration with female experts in herbalism, garden design,
women’s health and horticulture. Women will be able to learn practical skills including
architectural landscaping, building (for an outdoor classroom and compost toilet) and
gardening, as well as participate in seasonal workshops on natural health using herbs
for culinary and medicinal purposes. The garden will also be a peaceful retreat where
women can take a break from daily routines, make new friends or simply have space
for reflection.

https://www.idlewomen.org/

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/idlewomen-physic-garden

The beautiful purple passionflower (Passiflora inarnata) is a very reliable remedy for getting you to sleep and helping you stay asleep for  longer. It doesn’t leave you feeling zonked the next morning either. If circular thoughts and rambling mind chatter keep you awake at night or trouble you throughout the day then passionflower may be for you.

Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Discover what else this stunning plant can do   https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/passionflower

This mildly sweet tasting brew, rich and gold in colour, is a prime nerve tonic. Loaded with nutrients needed by the nervous system (magnesium, calcium, B vitamins & silca) it has a deeply fortifying action on the nervous system, which in turn helps ease the whole mind and body into a sense of rest and fulfillment.

Discover the may medicinal uses of oatstraw at https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/oatstraw

Buy organic oatstraw tincture (£3.70 for 50ml) and dried herb (£1.10 per 25g) in our shop.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a familiar tree to many in the Asian continent as a source of valuable remedies for many disease conditions including malaria, dengue fever and leprosy. It is extremely useful in agriculture too,  especially organic agriculture as it is a potent insecticide. It also improves soil fertility, helping to grow healthier plants and animals.

Although I am relatively new  to using neem as a medicine, the more I learn the more I love it. It is very powerful in its actions though and you need to be aware of its quirks and side effects as well as which parts to use, how much and how often.

Here are all the notes I have built up so far……….https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/neem

Azadirachta indica ( Neem leaves and flowers)

I sometimes get asked what my most used or favourite medicinal plant is. Easy. Nettle (Urtica dioica) wins hands down for its wide ranging medicinal attributes, its sheer versatility, its vast array of health benefits, its mild nature, its nutritional content. In fact I can’t think of many health conditions from the mild to the severe that I wouldn’t use nettle for.

From arthritis to atheroma, backache to blood circulation, eczema to energy providing, osteoporosis to ovarian cysts – find out what else it can help with and how incredibly easy it is to use as a medicine and food https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/nettle 

This tall and stately looking plant with its furry grey leaves and spike of yellow flowers is a prime remedy for the lungs and respiratory system. It is a key ingredient in many lung strengthening and cough formulas yet is also excellent for healing connective tissue damage (ligaments, tendons, muscle and bone) and easing pain and inflammation.

Discover the long list of other benefits https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/mullein including its more subtle and metaphysical uses.

Marshmallow is such a useful plant to have around. I always keep a bag of powdered root in my herbal first aid kit as its so incredibly versatile. The root is packed with mucilage, a soothing slimy substance that coats & protects and encourages deep and rapid healing of tissues both external and internal. If you need to fix up a tear, rip or rupture anywhere in or on the body then look no further. Read the full list of healing properties and how to harvest and prepare it by clicking here.

Marshmallow flower – Althea officinalis

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is often overlooked as a medicinal plant but historically it was included in many recipes pertaining to be an Elixir of Life. Royalty revered it for its ability to lift the spirits, ease a troubled mind, drive out melancholy and promote a long and healthy life.

Peace of mind and relief from anxiety doesn’t go out of fashion but modern day applications also include strong anti-viral properties (particularly potent against the herpes virus), digestive distress and even enhancement of cognitive abilities. Find out what else this forgotten little plant can give you and how best to consume it here.

Fresh & zingy lemon balm leaves

Some plant names seem particularly apt and Alchemilla vulgaris or Lady’s mantle is one of them. Both the Latin name and the common name speak of the healing this plant can give to women of all ages. If menstrual flooding or hormonal irregularities are an issue for you, whatever your age and stage in the female hormonal journey, then Lady’s mantle can help.

That is not to say that men cannot benefit from her (she is certainly not a one trick kind of girl), she has some fascinating and extremely useful tricks up her sleeves. Read about her many other healing properties and preparation and dosage here.

Young juniper in the UK

This once notorious  spirit (think ‘mothers ruin’ and Hogarth’s prints), now steadily growing in popularity, owes everything to the medicinal qualities of the juniper tree (Juniperus communis). In use as a medicine for millennia, gin was devised and perfected by the Dutch as a homage to the juniper wine used for  cleansing the kidneys and bladder, soothing stomach pains and easing digestive troubles.

Juniper growing in Croatian scrub

The intense, warming smell of the aromatic oils contained in the berries have many applications in the body including clearing waste acids and debris from diseased joints in arthritis and rheumatism. However, it is best known for its potent disinfectant and antibacterial actions on the genito-urinary system, that is the kidneys, bladder and entire pelvic area. It is one of my first herbs of choice for stubborn and persistent cystitis.

Find out more https://www.thewildpharma.co.uk/plants/Juniper