when Nature gives any herb in abundance it
is a sure sign that it is possessed of great virtue.
Eleanor Rhode
My foraging love uncovered!
I love nature! Always have. So, when I had the chance to start spending time in the beautiful Forest of Dean in 2019, the pull of the Hedgerows and Trees was immense. It was early Spring and my first discovery was the wild Garlic that seems to grow everywhere. From then I began to notice an amazing variety of plants I'd previously overlooked in my former, very urban life, and I wanted to know about every one that caught my eye.
Finding out the identity of these plants, then led to the discovery of the folktales linked to them and their historical use as medicines. I became fascinated with the findings of Nicholas Culpeper, the 17th Century herbalist who supplied plant medicines at very low cost to the poor and often taught them to find the plants themselves, much to the outrage of the expensive and exotic apothecaries of the time.
I found through his works, that some of the most overlooked "weeds" are still some of the best medicinal cures for ailments, both mild and serious. It seemed as if every plant I came across had some history of use, good or bad!
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I began to photograph, research and profile all of the plants I found, starting with Culpeper and then trying to find updated studies to back up the findings and convince the naysayers. Despite his writings being over 350 years old, Culpeper was and is amazingly accurate.
I eventually ended up with a binder full of research, the culmination of which is my recently published debut book on the subject, which you can order through my shop or in any book store.
Please also follow me on social media for upcoming podcasts, webinars and collaborations about the book over the next few months.
I hope that the information I have shared in the book will inspire other nature lovers to to view the plants around them with a new and refreshing interest!
Samantha
Nicholas Culpeper
This amazing botanist and physician set up a pharmacy in Spitalfields, on the outskirts of the City of London after clashing with the College of Physicians who he believed were elitist and hiding medical knowledge from the people. He treated the poor without the College being able to regulate or prosecute him and obtained his supplies from the local Countryside and his own garden.
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Culpeper translated many books from Latin into English, including the the London Pharmacopoeia and published his book, The English Physician, in 1653 specifically so that it would be easily read by the common folk. This book later became called The Complete Herbal and is still in print today. It was the main source of the historical information for my own book.
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Unfortunately, Culpeper died at just 37, but his legacy has lived on through the continued publication of his work and use by herbalists.
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My favourite quote from Culpeper relates to Shepherd's Purse:-
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"Providence has made the most useful things most common and for that reason we neglect them;
few plants possess greater virtues than this, and yet it is utterly disregarded"
Digestion
Thanks to herbs like Dandelion, Plantain and Meadowsweet, we can assist all manner of digestive issues with the plants around us, such as:-
Heartburn, Gastritis, Indigestion, bloating and flatulence, IBS, Diarrhoea, Constipation, food intolerances and disorders of the digestive tract.
Fatigue
Whether through illness or just the simple stressors of every day life, fatigue can affect you both mentally and physically. With herbs such as Nettle Seeds, St John's Wort, Cleavers and Oatstraw we can support, detoxify and and re-balance the system, meaning that fatigue can be eased and overcome.
Detoxification
Alterative herbs such as Dandelion and Red Clover will help the body reach its own optimal peak of health and vitality by enhancing the metabolic and eliminatory processes of the body and improve it at a cellular level.
Women's Health
The Herbal Nervines and Adaptogens such as Oats and Nettle Seed as well as Cramp Bark, Wild Rose and Burdock Root are all used to great effect in easing and alleviating Issues such as UTI's, PMS, Menopause, Hormonal Imbalances and Endometriosis.
Insomnia
Herbs such as Hops, Wild Chamomile and Mugwort are well placed to help insomnia whether it be a few nights of difficulties due to worries or a
longstanding, chronic condition.
Stress
Nearly every person who visits a herbalist for help, experiences stressors daily and these accumulate causing our body to react on a physical level. Luckily, there are many different herbs such as Betony, Lemon Balm and Mugwort that can help!