Pestle & Daughter

Everything seems to be early this year - you might start seeing some of these beautiful plants out and about. As a family they are mucilaginous and therefore good for dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. They can also be helpful for respiratory conditions and allergies. Because they don't often grow in big groups, it might be best to grow your own rather than gather.
https://m.facebook.com/…/a.290735537612 1…/2308712322481097/…

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/…/research- reveals-plants-can-t…

https://pestleanddaughter.co.uk/courses/< br> There are still a few places on our evening course next week:
Wednesday 23rd January 2019 – 6-8pm. £12 per person
... (drinks and cake provided)
In the midst of winter, after festive indulgence and chilly, dark days, join Pestle and Daughter for a cosy evening course – discover which plants can support us through the colder months, nourishing our health and wellbeing. Explore the benefits of spring tonics and cold infusions to cleanse our systems and renew vitality as the light returns.
Find out what you can grow, harvest and turn into delicious teas over the coming year, with a focus on the health benefits of these plants for women. Take home your own herbal blend.
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http://www.greenmedinfo.com/…/research- reveals-plants-can-t…

Come and see us on Saturday in Colwall!
http://colwallorchardgroup.org/…/all%20 about%20orchards%20-…

And then it was solstice and now it is now! And finally we have *more workshop dates* (both at the Colwall village gardens http://colwallorchardgroup.org/cvg.html).
And aren't the foxgloves amazing this year? If you fancy coming along, please do book as places are limited. See you soon!
Beyond your Average Brew (for the adults):... - 11th July - 6-8pm. £12 per person (drinks and cake provided)
Fresh herbal tea is a world apart from anything you'll get in a packet. Come and find out what you can grow and turn into delicious teas with a focus on the health benefits of these plants for women. Take home your own blend.
Family Herbal Explorer Day (for families - children over 5 please): - 14th July 11-3 £10 per child, £15 per adult (bring your own lunch, drinks and cake provided).
Our allotment is bursting at the seams - come and have a forage and find out what you turn into food, drink and something to take home and use.
And aren't the foxgloves amazing this year? Highly toxic and not to be used unless you're qualified but great heart medicine, used as a plant and energetically.
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I don't know if it's just me but this Spring seems to have overtaken me. Nature is in full swing. I've just been out with the kids and gathered a bag of wild garlic. Some of it is already infusing in cider vinegar. When I strain it off, I'll have wonderfully garlicky vinegar and the leaves can be eaten too. I'm going to try the fermented garlic recipe posted earlier with the rest. Wild garlic is particularly generous and goes on a long time so we haven't missed our chance. It... is respectful to the plant to only gather a few leaves from each one and we like to say thank you too.
The dandelions also seem particularly prolific this year. The leaves are getting a bit bitter now (although still nutritious - you could shred a few and mix with less feisty leaves) but the flowers are lovely. The yellow bits are quite sweet and look beautiful sprinkled on a salad. Bitter things are actually very good for you - I'll do a post on them at some point. I've also made dandelion wine which, although I'm not sure it retains all of the goodness of the plant (!), tastes great.
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If the hot weather is bringing cooling drinks to mind, then spare a thought for cold infusions. You get the benefit of the plants plus a tasty, refreshing beverage. They are super easy - just fill a jar or a jug with nettles or cleavers, top up with cold water, leave overnight and then take out the green material in the morning. Check the greenery for visitors as I've had mini slugs crawling around top of the jar before. The cleavers infusion tastes a bit like cucumber and is... a great lymphatic cleanser. It can also be used to aid sweating during a fever and boost the immune system. The nettle tastes more floral and supports the kidneys as a cleanser as well as helping the body to expel uric acid. This means that it may be helpful for those suffering from gout, rheumatism or arthritic conditions. It is also an antihistamine so could help ease hayfever symptoms. You can also add a sprig of mint, a slice of cucumber or a wedge of lemon to the infusions to vary the flavours.
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The Oxford Junior Dictionary no longer contains the words bluebell, hazel, gorse, willow, dandelion, holly, cowslip, bramble or fern. This reflects the fact that, for many children, these nature words are less relevant than broadband or cut-and-paste. Connecting to nature promotes wellbeing, a sense of belonging and also means that we are more likely to protect our environment. The Great British Wildflower Hunt aims to help people to learn about and preserve wildflowers.
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/wildflowerhu nt/

I wanted to share with you a book I have just read: Nettle-Eater by Tom Hirons. Not a treatise on the nutritional value of nettles but a beautiful, haunting tale of immersion in the magical wilderness of Dartmoor, rediscovery and transformation. It reminded me that we are called again and again to reconnect to the wild places within us, through the wild places that surround us.
"You know the call. All your books speak of it. If I differ from you, it is only in this: When the call came, I heeded it. What the call commanded, I fulfilled. The call said: Go to the moor. Live Wild there. Eat only nettles for one year. This is what I did."
https://shop.hedgespoken.org/…/nettle-e ater-standard-edition

In other news, hawthorn leaves have started to sprout and are a beautiful addition to Spring salads. The plant itself is a cardiac adaptogen - that is, it can restore balance rather than having an action in a specific direction. Obviously consult a trained herbalist if you are dealing with heart problems but you can nibble the leaves when out walking or gather to add to food at home. They don't just work on a physical level - the plant is a great healer for the heart in general and can promote wonderful feelings of nurture. It's only the leaves which are out at the moment but the flowers and berries can also be used later in the year. Oh, and a friend passed me this recipe. It looks great but I haven't tried it yet. https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/fermented-wild -garlic-recipe

As the children went into a chocolate frenzy yesterday (ahem...I mean, enjoyed their nettle juice), I reminded them that the Easter traditions we all enjoy have their origins in earthier and magical places. The fluffy bunny was the hare - a potent symbol of immortality and fertility associated with the lunar goddesses. The egg also represents rebirth and fertility as well as the perfect balance of male (the yellow sun-like yolk) and female (the moon-like white). Even the hot-cross bun has ancient roots. The four quarters represent the sacred elements, with spirit at the centre, while the arms of the cross are the solstices and equinoxes. I love how our cultural roots have woven themselves so firmly into our present, even if they are not fully understood by many.

We had such a great weekend meeting all the lovely people who came on our Family Foraging Day and Spring Greens Cleanse workshop at the weekend. I've just put the recipes we used up on the website https://pestleanddaughter.co.uk/2018/03/2 6/spring-foraging/

The first of March was the start of my promise to myself to eat something green from the garden every day! At this time of year, that is mainly dandelions, hairy bittercress and some hardy cleavers. It happened to coincide with a visit from Siberia so everything was covered. Of course, I could have been hardy and scraped the snow away but luckily the parsley by the door obliged with staying just about snow-free! The dandelions resurfaced today and were unscathed by their stin...t under the snow. In fact, I think that they blanched a bit by being covered up, so they are not as bitter as they can be at times. The new leaves tend to be milder anyway, so give them a try - your liver and kidneys will thank you! They are also very rich in potassium which is involved in digestion, nerve impulses, muscle contraction, water balance, maintaining normal blood pressure and ensuring the correct ph in the body.
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Foraging for Families (24th March) and Spring Greens Cleanse (25th March) courses
24th (free): Come and find out what is edible and interesting at this time of year and learn how to turn them into something useful (bring a packed lunch – we will provide cakes and drinks).
25th (subsidised): Join us to find out why it is useful to cleanse at this time of year and what nature provides us to help us do just that. You will learn a range of techniques and make yourself some cleans...ing concoctions.
Please do check our our website to find out more and book:
https://pestleanddaughter.co.uk
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Hello. Apologies for the hibernation. We are emerging with the snowdrops! Spring is a great time for starting new things but if you're feeling a bit depleted by what has felt like a long, hard winter, then maybe you need a bit of revitalisation. Wonderful herbalist Susun Weed recommends her nourishing herbal brews so we've been trying them. She suggests several plants, including nettle, red clover and oat straw. These herbs are a great tonic:
Nettle: a good source of iron, ca...lcium and vitamins A, C and D as well as chlorophyll. They are excellent cleansers due to their diuretic action but, unlike conventional diuretics, they do not deplete the minerals in the body as they are so rich in them themselves. As a tonic, they strengthen and support the whole body.
Red Clover: contains a range of minerals including calcium, chromium, potassium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus and vitamin C. They also contain isoflavones which act in a similar way to oestrogen in the body. The plant is often used as an expectorant and can also help clear skin conditions due to its detoxifying action.
Oat Straw: nourishing and soothing due to good levels of the B vitamins. Oats are used to 'feed' the nervous system especially when it is under stress. Anxiety and tension deplete B vitamins in our bodies so this plant helps to relax but also strengthen us. It is useful in cases of general debility (that February feeling...)
The nettle infusion comes out a wonderful dark green colour and tastes minerally and fresh - a real treat at this time of the year. You can almost taste it doing you good!
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Thank you so much to everyone who came on the Winter Wellness course yesterday and for all of your wonderful feedback. I'll post more in a few days but here are a few pictures of our lovely marigold balm and elderberry elixir in the making. Recipes on the website in a few days...so watch this space.