Articles

If you enjoy cooking then you're bound to have a well stocked pantry containing ingredients that are also herbal remedies.

During the last twelve months our family has been blessed with the birth of two adorable boys - a grandson and great grandson. This has  prompted me to write about the benefits of herbal remedies for breastfeeding. Three herbs in particular promote la...

 Soapwort is used as an expectorant, a mild diuretic, and to help eliminate toxins from the liver, however, it is toxic and can cause stomach upsets and have a powerful laxative effect when taken in higher doses. It's a very effective herb when a...

Recent studies have found the extract of holy basil significantly increases immune response and was beneficial in treating recurrent respiratory tract infection. In an uncontrolled trial holy basil extract relieved breathlessness and helped vital cap...

When professional herbalists treat their patients we do so holistically, which means we treat the whole person and not the disease as such. Mind, body and spirit are connected so to ensure our patients become well and stay well we must take their emoti...

Although this delightful medicinal herb was one of the first herbs I  learned about when I studied to become a medical herbalist, it seems to have unfortunately lost its popularity among today's herbalists. I say unfortunately because it has some e...

Don't you just love Mother Nature and the way she gives individual herbs so many uses? Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a prime example of just how versatile herbs can be. Since ancient times it has been used for food and medicine as well as in the household....

Do you know that Clary Sage essential oil has a particular affinity for the female cycle?  Its scent, said to be the most euphoric of all essential oils, gives it calming and soothing qualities that relieve painful periods, premenstrual tension, and a...

This is a delightful essential oil that helps to calm and sooth the mind and body and ease irritability. As a massage blend it's very useful for balancing the female reproductive organs helping to regulate menstruation, ease premenstrual tension, ...

Highly valued since ancient times, Cedarwood essential oil has calming, astringent and drying actions that make it useful for the treatment of  many conditions  and beneficial for skin care. In ancient Egypt beauticians valued this oil for its prese...

If you suffer from nervous tension, anxiety or depression then you will find the uplifting qualities of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil very beneficial.  This oil, popularised in Italian medicine folklore, is made by pressing the fresh peel o...

Not only one of the best essential oils for relieving mental fatigue basil (Ocimum basilicum) also has a wonderfully clarifying effect on the brain helping to focus thoughts and promote clear thinking.  Other benefits of this uplifting oil include add...

For most of my life I've been involved in herbalism both professionally and in my daily life. To me herbalism - whether practiced by a home herbalist, professional herbalist or someone who just enjoys herbs  - embraces   all uses of herbs  from add...

It's amazing how things happen sometimes. For quite a while now I've been hoping to find Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides) growing on our 6 acre property but it was nowhere to be seen.  A few days ago I decided that it mustn't grow in this a...

Essential oils are not only very beneficial for physical problems but also for the mind, emotions, and spirit. To know true health is to have the mind, body, and spirit nicely balanced or in harmony. There is much focus these days on physical health ye...

As we know, history repeats itself and when it comes to food there is no exception. Culinary habits are becoming more interesting with the reintroduction of ancient grains in to the diet along with salad herbs that haven't been seen since the sixteent...

Many years ago when I first started studying to be a medical herbalist my husband badly injured his little finger at our shop; it was almost cut right through and only had a small amount of flesh still holding it together. He phoned me at home and told...

Other names for Tansy,  Stinking Willie and  Scented Fern, describe  its strong aroma, which I think is rather pleasant in an antiseptic sort of way. I have the herb growing in my garden for its value as a delightful garden plant, its medicinal prop...

Food and medicine can be found right under our noses in our gardens if we only take the time to identify some weeds.

In 1885 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller noted that the leaves and flowers of this popular garden plant could be eaten as a replacement for cress and considered it to be -anti-scorbutic (scurvy-curing). Although nasturtium is known more for its culinary us...

It grows as a common weed in Australia, and is pulled out by the roots and left to die near garden beds or thrown on to compost heaps yet this incredible herb has been accredited with saving the life of a baby.

In my previous post I wrote about how plants can benefit from our understanding of nature spirits and how we can learn by observing them and listening to them. Those of us who understand and work with these spirits have our own way of doing so. It's so...

It doesn't matter what we call ourselves -  medicine women, wise women, herb women or herbalists, we all work and live close to nature. Some of us live in beautiful, bountiful and lush green areas while others live in harsh environements with barely a...

“Bring me then the plant that points to those bright Lucidites swirling up from the earth, And life itself exhaling that central breath! Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light” Eugenio Montale Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are a f...

Recent research has shown this herb has the potential to treat the early stages of conditions such as malaria, and diabetes. (Bidens pilosa) Cobbler's Pegs Also known as pitchforks and beggar's ticks, cobbler's pegs is naturalized in the t...

Allspice (Pimenta officinalis) This is not a blend of spices as most people think; it’s a single spice with a combined flavour of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon hence its name.  The spice comes from a tropical evergreen myrtle tree native to Central...

Over time different meanings have been given to flowers and herbs so they can be used for special occasions and to symbolize different emotions such as grief and happiness.

Not many disinfectants have a fascinating history like that of Four Thieves Vinegar. In 1349 the Great Plague of Paris was responsible for a reported 800 deaths a day. It was during this time, so the story goes, that four thieves invented a disinfectan...

Sage and rosemary have much in common; they are often combined for their compatible culinary uses and even appear together in the famous Simon and Garfunkel song, Scarborough Fair - 'parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme'. Now, after research conducte...

Over time shampoo residue builds up on hair affecting its natural acid balance and causing it to become dull. A herbal rinse containing apple cider vinegar cleans this residue and restores hair to its natural and healthy state.

Use this lovely rinse to deepen dark hair after it has been shampooed and rinsed with water.

This is a lovely, gentle shampoo that lathers and cleans the hair very well. It also rinses off easily without leaving any residue. The base for this shampoo is made from olive oil castile soap, which can be bought from a health food store but do be aware of imitations.

Here is a delightful and aromatic hair rinse that I'm sure you'll want to use regularly.

This is a lovely bath oil that is pure luxury at the end of a long day.

These are some of the most helpful natural remedies that will help many of you get through the cold and flu season.

There's been quite a bit of talk about Vitamin D lately, which is great to see because it's not only very important for the maintenance of good health and wellbeing but it also helps to prevent some serious health conditions. Common symptoms of Vit...

(Ipomoea pes-caprae) Also known as coast morning glory, purple beach convolvulus, and goat’s-foot morning glory this plant has fascinated me since I was a little girl. Its medicinal properties substantiate the ancient and modern herbalists’ belie...

Originating in southern Africa, balloon cotton-bush is now widely naturalized in northern New Zealand, Australia, and other subtropical parts of the world.

(Cardiospermum halicacabum) A member of the soapberry family (sapindacea), balloon vine or heartseed is a common climber found growing in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Thought to be native to Africa, the Americas, and Asia ...

(Chamaesyce hirta – formerly Euphorbia pilulifera) Native to tropical America and naturalized in Northern Australia, India, and other tropical and subtropical regions, asthma plant can be found growing on river flats, waste places, and roadsides....

(Capsicum frutescens) Many commercial hot chillies may have originated from Capsicum frutescense which some believe was introduced from India to the West in 1548. Back then it was known as Ginnie pepper and was recommended by Gerard for scrofula, a p...

(Achyranthes aspera) A member of the Amaranth family, chaff flower is a weedy plant used as herbal medicine in African and Asian villages. In India and Sri Lanka the plant is used in Ayurvedic medicine to cure or prevent poisonous snake bites and to ...

(Conyza canadensis) The Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia, is a beautiful place. Some years ago my family and I lived there on a farm where a strong smelling weed grew prolifically. The smell was unpleasant to say the least but was mostly evi...

(Eschscholzia californica) Believing this pretty plant worships the sun because it closes up tightly at night and on cloudy days, the Californians of Spanish heritage call it dormidera, meaning ‘the drowsy one’. They still make a hair tonic by coo...

(Cichorium intybus) A member of the daisy (Asteraceae) family chicory is also commonly known as coffeeweed, succor, and blue-sailors. Its attractive sky-blue flowers open and close at the same time every day, a characteristic noted by the Swedish bota...

(Syzygium aromaticum) A member of the myrtle family (myrtacea) the clove tree was so popular in the Far East spice islands in the early sixteen hundreds that it was the cause of bitter trade wars between European nations.  This resulted in Holland...

(Galium aparine) I doubt there would be a professional herbalist without cleavers in the dispensary. Its medicinal properties make it very useful for treating cystitis, oedema, psoriasis, and eczema. Externally it's used to treat burns and abrasions...

(Centaurea cyanus) Also known as bachelor's-button, bluebottle, and hurtsickle, cornflower is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is an old favourite that has many varieties and colours, which makes it an attractive garden plant. As for me...

(Verbena officinalis) Also known as vervain, vervein, blue-top, European verbein, and purple-top, verbena is native to North Africa, West Asia, and to Europe but is well naturalised in other countries including Australia and New Zealand. The herb can ...

(Plantago major) Because all plantains have high tannin and mucilage content they have similar medicinal properties. One of their important medicinal qualities is their soothing effect, which is due to mucilage so the herb is useful in the treatment ...

(Cassia occidentalis) Also known as Ant Bush, senna is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), which is understandable because it has long thin pods that contain the seeds. Originating from Arabic the word, senna, has been used since medieval times or ...

(Verbascum virgatum) This delightful wild herb, twiggy mullein or wand mullein (Verbascum virgatum Stokes), is a member of the Verbascum species and is similar in appearance to great mullein (Verbascum thapsus). It can be found growing in low grassla...

(Agropyron repens) Despite its many attributes English couch grass is much despised by Australian farmers and some gardeners who rue the day the plant was introduced from Europe. Although it's almost impossible to eradicate couch grass because of its...

(Rosa canina) Also known as wild rose, dog briar, and wild briar, the herb has been used medicinally since the time of Hippocrates and was named dog rose by the Roman naturalist, Pliny, because it was believed the plant's root would cure the bite of ...

(Geranium maculatum) Although very little is known about cranesbill's constituents apart from its high content of tannins it's a very useful herb and, contrary to some opinions, is still popularly used by modern herbalists.  Because of its high tann...

Leaves from the bay tree (Laurus nobilis) are commonly used to flavour stews, casseroles, and soups but did you know they have other uses apart from culinary?  The dried leaves can be spread around in the pantry to deter weevils, mixed with other drie...

This style of gardening is well worth doing if you have poor or clay soil, like to garden the easy way without digging or weeding, or only have concrete instead of grass - yes, it will work on top of the hardest surface.

Sometimes a medicinal plant can be right under our noses and we don’t even know.  Honeysuckle is an old garden favourite but how many gardeners know that the plant is used in herbal medicine?  The berries are toxic but the flowers, flower buds, and...