st john's wort oil

Although we celebrated the summer solstice on the 21st june, in many parts of the Britain and Europe the 24th June, St John's Day, has historically been considered to be midsummer. Technically the solstice is an astronomical point so the date moves between the 20th - 23rd june but in the distant past many European peasants were not able to travel to Stonehenge to check the passage of the sun, settled on a fixed date on which to celebrate, the 24th. In Shakespeare's play, his midsummer night's dream occurs on the 23rd, midsummer's eve.

A herb that flowers at this time is St John's Wort, Hypericum Perforatum. A wonderful herb known to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders and also, externally, nerve pain and skin disorders. It flowers on and around this day and is said to be most powerful when picked on this day. It also has many magical connotations, traditionally linked with the festivals of love and fertility.

The young maid stole through the cottage door,
And blushed as she sought the Plant of pow'r;--
'Thou silver glow-worm, O lend me thy light,
I must gather the mystic St. John's wort tonight,
The wonderful herb, whose leaf will decide
If the coming year shall make me a bride.

from A Midsummer's Celebration by Mike Nichols

I have found quite a large clump growing in my local park and although not many of the flowers have opened yet, most likely due to the weird june weather we're having, I managed to pick enough for a small jar. As with any herb or plant you harvest from, take care to thank the plant for what you take, and also not to strip it bare; leave something for others to enjoy.

I was taught years ago by my herbalist friend Paula (http://paulagrainger.com/) how to make this oil and I love the folklore behind it and the magical way the oil changes colour using the warmth of the sun. Its almost like there's a kind of mystic alchemy involved!

To make this infused oil like this you need an empty jar with an airtight lid, a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, jojoba, grape seed, hemp or olive oil and enough flowers to fill the jar. Crush or chop the flower heads and put them in the jar. Use enough oil to cover the flowers and put the lid on tightly. Leave in the sun on a warm window sill for 2-3 weeks, giving the jar a gentle shake every day to encourage the oil to infuse. Eventually the oil will turn a beautiful dark red colour. Once it has turned red the oil can then be strained through muslin and kept in a dark glass container for up to a year in a cool dark place.

This oil does not have any of the anti-depressant qualities of the orally taken herbal tincture but it has many other external uses. It can be used for abrasive wounds, musculature and nerve pain and also burns. I will keep checking the oil for the next couple of weeks and show you the results once the colour has changed.
I love these home remedies. They are so easy to do and I feel it helps you become more aware of the plants that you might not otherwise take any notice of. I have also collected some lime flowers from a tree I spotted on the way to my Zumba class last night. I'll dry them and use in them in tea. They smell so amazing and so evocative of summer.

I really want to add to this that I am not a qualified herbalist. I have picked up many of the remedies and preparations from books, courses and personal study but if in doubt always consult a professional. It is so important to double check that you know what it is you're picking and how it will effect you when used as a treatment. Enjoy!

happy solstice!

I would love to say that my solstice/Litha started with me getting up at dawn (4.45am GMT), greeting the new day with a calm yet joyful heart; but unfortunately it didn't happen. However as Isla is teething, I got up to see to her at about 3.30am, so I guess you could say I greeted the pre-dawn, albeit through half closed eyes!

It's been a pretty blustery day here, with the weather changing on a sixpence as it has a tendency to do, so we didn't see much sun but I guess its a good day to appreciate the changing seasons. A herbalist friend of mine has organised a herb walk round Regents Park in London but as I can't go on this occasion, I decided to have a walk around my local area to see what I could find. (She also has a wonderful blog, find her here http://paulagrainger.com/) We had such amazing weather in april/may this year many of the trees such as elder and hawthorn have long since flowered and are producing berries for the autumn. The bramble is also in flower ready to transform flowers to fruit. I'm so looking forward to making elderberry syrup, blackberry vodka and hawthorn brandy again this year.

                                          



I also found nettles in abundance, dripping with seeds, as well as plantain and yarrow. Plantain is a wonderful herb for this time of year as you can use the leaves to rub onto insect bites. Chew them up a little to release the mucilaginous juices and apply to the bite for a soothing, cooling poultice. As a child I used to love firing the seed heads off the end of the stalks like a canon! Yarrow can be used in a tea as a remedy for fever and the young leaves can be used in salads. Also called 'soldier's wound wort' it can be used to stop nosebleeds.Yarrow is also a well known witches garden herb, historically used in many wise folk's spells and charms. Carrying yarrow blossoms in your pocket is said to attract new love to you and the fragrance is said to alleviate fears and help you to see a situation more clearly.

Nettle is a fantastic remedy for hayfever as it contains anti-histamine and is also a very good source of iron. You can use the leaves in tea, soup and salads but I wouldn't recommend picking the leaves to eat after the beginning of june as they become course and bitter and much more laxative. The seeds can be harvested over the summer and they are used as an adrenal adaptogen; useful for raising energy levels. Check out whispering earth's blog for more in depth info on this http://whisperingearth.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/harvesting-nettle-seeds/

oh and I know it doesn't really count as a herb but I found it on my walk and it made me smile...



I like to spend time in the garden at midsummer, seeing what is in bloom. We've been on holiday recently so everything has gone a little mad, with all the rain we've had while we've been away. My nasturtiums have taken over my herb bed and will need moving, likewise the rocket. The grass was ankle deep and the roses need dead heading pruning so they'll flower for a second time. So mark & I spent a couple of happy hours mowing, weeding and clearing. I decided to tackle an overgrown flower bed that hasn't been touched since we moved in.

Its amazing the kind of things you find....

                                                               
quite appropriate really!

So now I'll sit back and enjoy a glass of last seasons blackberry vodka with lemonade and enjoy the last of the sun, then indoors for a fire and a meal. Happy solstice!

a walk in the woods

We love to wander in the woods and see what new and wonderful things we can discover. These are some of today's discoveries...

make do & mend

I bought a cheap plywood box in B&Q that I wanted to use as a toy box for my daughter but it needed a bit of a makeover first.

I started by taking off its hinges; it was too dangerous as it was because she could lift and bang the lid. I cut some lengths of mdf to fit inside the lid so it could be lifted on and off instead. I also wanted it to double as a seat so I cut up and folded a piece of fleece for a cushion (ikea fleece blankets - great for large cheap pieces of fleece) and covered it with some funky fabric I had in my stash.

I buy alot of fabric from a wonderful company I know online called Fabric Rehab. This piece was a fat quarter I'd bought for a quilting project. (A fat quarter is a quarter metre, 50cm x 56cm approx.) Check out their site, they've got some great stuff!  http://www.fabricrehab.co.uk/  One fat quarter was enough to cover the top perfectly. I didn't bother to sew a proper cushion cover I just pulled the fabric tight underneath the lid and stapled it in place. The pieces of MDF I'd cut were then glued in to secure it and the fabric tidied up with a knife. 

After painting the box with some left over tester pots it's done. My daughter can now use it as a toy box and she can use the lid on the floor as a seat until she's big enough to use the box aswell. Not bad for an afternoons work!

in my garden

We moved into our flat 3 days after my daughter Isla was born. She arrived 6 weeks early, the day after we completed on our house, and its been a roller coaster ever since. She turned 1 last week and I still can't quite believe its been a year. We've been working on our house most of that time but as summer fast approaches its the turn of the garden. We both find it really hard to be indoors when the weather is good and especially now the evenings are getting lighter. We have cleared loads of debris, built a studio for me (which I will tell you about another time) and emptied all the old, overgrown flowerbeds.

The first one to be re-planted is one of my new herb beds. I have always wanted well stocked herb beds but never had the room so I'm really excited about being able to do it now. So far I have 3 different types of mint including chocolate peppermint (which smells like after eights!) lemon balm, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, feverfew, lavender, sorrel, sage and rocket. I've also planted marigolds and edible nasturtiums and made a step up to the deck out of an old tree trunk.

I made a mad dash yesterday to get this half finished; my daughter was asleep and it felt like a storm was brewing. That's probably what gave me the burst of energy to get it done. My partner says he can always tell when there's a storm coming because the cats and I start acting really hyper! I will get the other half done soon.

In other parts of the garden we have some beautiful roses in bloom and we've made a seating area from some more tree trunks that a friends gave us for our open fire. They were so well cut we couldn't bring ourselves to chop them up and they make a such a lovely place to sit.

welcome to my world

To be honest, I'm not really sure why I decided to start a blog, it was just something I felt I wanted to do. I wanted somewhere to write my thoughts and musings, things that interest me and moments in my life. Anyone can tag along and if I happen inspire, amuse or educate, well that will be a welcome bonus. 

I'm a real creative and I love to make things whenever I get the chance. Of course this usually means I have at least 3 unfinished projects on the go at once! I love writing, sewing, painting, taking photographs, making jewellery and pottery and I'm generally happy to try my hand at pretty much anything. Jack of all trades you could say. I have been a professional model maker for many years so I have tried almost every material going, although natural materials are my favourite; wood, clay, fabric, stone etc. I'm taking a break for a while to raise my daughter so I'm exploring starting a jewellery making business. I have a studio at home and I'm working on an etsy shop. Watch this space...

I am interested in herbs, both for medicinal and magickal purposes and I love my garden (another work in progress) I go through phases of being on top of it and then it takes over and runs away with me. It is the same with many things in my life I'm afraid. I have learnt many remedies and rituals along the way, but I am not a qualified herbalist so any remedies I write about are ones that work for me; definitely consult a professional if in doubt, before trying anything.

I take great pride in the fact that I have met so many very creative and talented people along the way, from whom I take great inspiration and whose work I will no doubt be sharing with you as part of this blog. I love creative people and I find their passion both inspiring, infectious and motivating.

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination" - Henry David Thoreau