mint, rosehip – oh, and ginger is great for travel sickness.
What to grow: you can pick elderberries, blackberries and rosehips from wild hedgerows in late summer/early autumn. Mint (all varieties) grows well in pots in semi-shade. For ginger, see here. Blackcurrant and bilberry bushes need space; you can grow both in pots. Honeysuckle grows wild, in the garden or in a large pot with support. Chamomile likes sun, preferably in a border, though pots will do.
What to buy: bilberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, ginger and fresh mint from greengrocers or supermarkets. Dried chamomile, elderberries and rosehips from herbal suppliers and health food shops.
For muscular & joint problems
To soothe sore muscles and bring topical relief to stiff joints, keep a good supply of chilli, eucalyptus, ginger, horseradish, liquorice and turmeric.
What to grow: horseradish, turmeric. Chilli is surprisingly high yielding; one plant will keep you in chillies almost all year round and you can save and sow the seeds from your own fruit. Ginger (see here). All four can be grown in pots. Liquorice in pots or the border. Eucalyptus trees are huge – look for one in the neighbourhood and ask for some leaves if you don’t have room to plant your own, although some eucalyptus, such as eucalyptus gunnii, can be pruned or cut right back so space need not be a problem.
What to buy: chilli peppers, ginger, horseradish root, liquorice root, turmeric root or powder from Asian or ethnic food shops, greengrocers and supermarkets. Dried eucalyptus leaves from herbal suppliers.
For emotional problems
What to grow: gotu kola, lemon balm, St John’s wort andvervain grow easily in the garden, though gotu kola andvervain are tender, so bring under cover in winter. (See how to plant a Raise the Spirits pot see here.) Rose root actually likes the cold, but give it good drainage; it’s a succulent plant and you don’t want it to rot through a wet winter. Ginseng (Panax ginseng) grows well here, but roots from 6-7-year-old plants are used, so it may be easier to buy!
What to buy: Panax ginseng roots from Asian and health food shops. Dried gotu kola, St John’s wort and vervain from herbal suppliers.
For hormonal problems
What to grow: raspberry bushes need a bit of space, but can be grown in a large pot. Sage will grow in pots or in the garden.
What to buy: dried raspberry leaves from herbal suppliers, fresh sage from supermarkets.
For headaches
What to grow: rosemary and feverfew are easily cultivated in the garden. Feverfew is great value too because it’ll self-seed like crazy, and you’ll always have it once you’ve planted it. Willow (Salix spp.) grows along riverbanks – ask permission from your local authority if you want to harvest a little of the inner bark from young branches in spring.
What to buy: willow bark and dried feverfew leaves from herbal suppliers, fresh rosemary from supermarkets.
MAKING
BASIC REMEDY SKILLS
Creating remedies is just like cooking. In fact, it can often be much easier – there are no tricky risottos, white sauces or soufflés, for a start.
There are only two basic methods of extracting the essential ingredients of plants at home: by steeping them in a cold liquid (oil, vinegar, alcohol, glycerine, honey); or by heating them in a warm liquid (water or syrup – a mixture of water and sugar). These plant extracts can be applied to the body externally in the form of salves, rubs, bath and body scrubs, mouthwashes, face masks and moisturizing creams, or internally as drinks, soups, cough syrups, lozenges, lovely oldfashioned tonics, jellies and lollies, and even apéritifs and cocktails.
Some methods are more suitable than others for preparing certain herbs – it depends on the nature of the active ingredients they contain. All the methods in these recipes are specially designed to deliver the active ingredients in the optimum way.
Before you start, read this simple introduction to the best ways of extracting plant ingredients, plus a couple of basic remedy-making skills you’ll find useful. Then you can get cracking…
Infusions
There’s nothing easier than making a cup of tea with your plants – just put them in a teapot and pour freshly boiled water over. This is called an infusion, and it’s definitely the quickest way to take in the goodness of plants (apart from those you can eat raw in salads!).
To make an infusion: you’ll need about 30g fresh or 15g dried leaves or flowers for every 500ml ofwater. If you don’t have a teapot, use a glass bowl, but make sure you put a cover over it (a large plate will do), so the essential oils don’t evaporate. Leave the tea to steep for about 8-10 minutes, then strain and drink. Infusions are also used in the making of creams and lotions, and you can pour them into your bath for a soothing soak. Use this infusion method for flowers and leaves. You can add a little honey or sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Storage Teas are best drunk the same day, but you can make up a batch of 3 cups in the morning, store covered in the refrigerator, then reheat as needed.
Decoctions
A decoction is just like a tea, but with plants left to simmer for a while – tougher plant materials like roots, twigs, seeds and bark need a longer cooking time to extract their essential ingredients.
To make a decoction: wash and cut up the roots, twigs or bark to expose a large surface area and make the extraction easier. In a pan, put about 30g chopped fresh plant material (or 15g dried) for every 500ml ofwater. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes for tougher roots). Strain before drinking. Decoctions are also used in making lotions and creams, and you can pour them liberally into the bath.
Storage Best drunk the same day. But, as with infusions, you can make up a batch of 3 cups in the morning, store covered in the refrigerator, then reheat as needed to drink throughout the day.
Infused oils
Infused oils capture the flavour, colour and perfume as well as the essential, health-giving compounds of plants. They’re ideal for use as massage and bath oils, and as a base from which to make creams, rubs and salves. Herb oils like basil, rosemary and thyme can also be used in cooking or salad dressings. You can make single-flavour oils or blend two or more plants together to make a mixed-flavour oil – these are also great as homemade gifts.
To make an infused oil: three-quarters fill a clean glass, screw-top or Kilner jar with plant material, crushing lightly to release the essential compounds. Pour over the oil of your choice (see Choosing base oils), making sure all the plants are completely submerged – stray leaves or flowers can go mouldy and affect oil quality.
Storage Seal, and leave in a warm, sunny spot for 2 weeks, shaking the bottle every couple of days, and pushing down any uncovered plant material. Strain into a sterilized bottle.
Choosing base oils
The base oil you choose depends on how you’re going to be using the infused oil. If it’s