Malago Medicinals

13/08/2025

The fruits of my labours. A summer pudding (it came out! :) ), a traditional English way of using bountiful berries, and a hedgerow jelly. 😋 Not very much as you can see, which shows how much fruit goes into making jams and jellies. By foraging and making food such as preserves, or simply noticing what is happening in our hedgerows, lanes and parks, we notice and participate in the turn of the seasons. This helps orientate us in time and space and improves our wellbeing. We can also think about the metaphors that nature offers, and how that might apply to our lives. Even if we don't have time to forage and make (which has often been the case for me), we can can still pause and and notice. For example during this time of harvest, we could think about what we are personally harvesting or are grateful for. What earlier hard work are reaping the benefits for now?

04/08/2025

I had a fantastic time at the Register of Consultant Herbalists Summer School the weekend before last. I enjoyed being attending a workshop and learning about pulses from Stephen Taylor, I loved the flowers from Trigon Farm that decorated our tables. And I enjoyed talking about, testing and making hydrosols in the alembic still . Thank you to Ceridwen Herbs and everyone for organising and creating such a successful event. 😀. And Noteworthy Farm Caravan and Campsite for a wonderful stay

25/07/2025

New small batches!! New Stock. I have just finished making a new batch of my Super Healing Skin Salve, a new product called Bruise Balm and Mineral Rich Vinegar. If you would like any please DM me.
30ml balm £8 60ml £14 and £8 for the vinegar.

23/07/2025

Very excitingly the International Register of Consultant Herbalists Summer School is coming up this weekend, and I will be giving a workshop on hydrosols. This wonderful piece of equipment is how you make them, as well as essential oils. And gin as many people have pointed out to me. In this country hydrosols are an overlooked way of preparing herbs, but they have a long history of use in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

21/07/2025

Here we have the gorgeous fluffy flowers of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). This plant likes its feet wet, and this one is growing beside the Avon. Lots of plants that like to grow in wet places, including willow and poplar, contain a chemical called salicylic acid - or do they? If we're going to be very chemically precise they do not contain free salicylic acid but glycosides or esters containing it e.g. in Meadowsweet it is found as methyl salicylate, which our bodies converts into salicylic acid. This compound has marked pain relieving and fever reducing properties. Famously, this is the chemical that was synthesised to make aspirin. Aspirin is very effective but can also cause gastric bleeding, which plants that contain glycosides and esters of salicylic acid do not. In fact Meadowsweet is used to treat gastric ulcers, heartburn and reflux. Here endeth the chemistry lesson

16/07/2025

This is my crazy wild/wildlife/permaculture garden, surviving this drought and heat pretty well. It is full of insects, bees and other pollinators, and visited by lots of sparrows, screeched over by swifts and flitted around by bats. I don't think that is bad going in suburban Bristol. At the front is Lady's Mantle, an ice plant and lemon balm, followed by different lavenders and marjoram, with sage, rosemary, marshmallow, a hawthorn and motherwort towards the back. Interspersed are currant and gooseberry bushes and raspberries.
It's taken several years to be as productive and thriving as this, with a few mistaken plantings and ideas along the way, and really, truly, tremendous amounts of weeding. I often feel like King Canute trying to hold back the ever encroaching bramble, a cherry plum continuously trying to create a thicket and enormous amounts of red valerian. But now we've past the solstice, and the growing has slowed down, there is time to enjoy it

16/07/2025

I had such a great time last night, talking to the West of England Herb Group about plant communication. It was lovely to meet everyone who came out on such a wet and wild night. Of course I did not remember to take any photos :) If you are interested in herbs I would definitely recommend joining them https://www.herbgroup.org/

14/07/2025

Although the last week or so has been far too hot for me, it has been excellent for infusing my oils. Here are (from L to R) St John's Wort, Comfrey, Plantain and Calendula. I use these in my small batch balms and salves. I use organic olive oil but you could use almond or coconut if you prefer.

14/07/2025

A great line up of speakers at this year's International Register of Consultant Herbalists AGM in October !

As corporate members of The Herb Society we are totally delighted to have ambassadors Seed SistAs -Cultivating Change as our main speakers at our conference. We have a great full programme lined up with some incredibly talented herbalists. October may seem a long way off especially in this heat, but bookings are already being taken. Guests are welcome, its a good opportunity to meet us and find out if our course is right for you.
Do contact us for more information or to book.

11/07/2025

I am really looking forward to giving a talk at the West of England Herb Group about plant communication next Tuesday. Everyone is welcome, it will be at Abbots Leigh Village Hall - there is a charge, but not sure how much. It would be wonderful to see some of you there!

09/07/2025

Like a lot of things, the nettle seed seems to be ripening early this year. Once nettle starts flowering, it is not for eating - but after a short wait it offers up yet another harvest. Nettle seeds are full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals and once dried and sieved (to remove irritating hairs) can be added to food such as muesli, bread, salads, yoghurt etc.
Nettle seeds don't seem to have been used historically - or at least no-one recorded doing so. But in recent years it has become very popular, especially to support the adrenal glands and energy levels.
Nettle has abundant seeds, and is the gift that keeps on giving, you only need a few stalks to give you plenty of seed. I hang the stalks upside down in paper bags to dry then (wearing gloves as they still sting) rub the seeds through a sieve. I would keep the seeds in dark jar, in the fridge because of the fatty acids.

07/07/2025

My marshmallow (Althea officinalis) is flowering now. This tall plant has a long history of use as a demulcent - a soothing herb. It contains large amounts of mucilage that can help with a wide variety of complaints from sore throats, dry coughs, IBS and cystitis. It is anti-inflammatory and cooling also helpful for those with a 'dry' constitution or issues such as constipation. It is native to the salt marshes of northern Europe (hence *marsh* mallow) but is now cultivated widely. Other mallows such as Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) and high mallow (Malva sylvestris) can also be used in the same way, as well as for food.
The roots, flowers and leaves can be used, but as alcohol does not extract the mucilage very well, it is best used as a cold water extraction i.e. soaking the plant matter for at least 4 hours in cold water.