Cornwall Herbal Clinic

26/02/2026

Dreaming about an Apothecary garden? It's so rewarding to grow a few medicinal plants. Start with the easy, generous, delicious ones like lemon balm and mint. Put in a fennel for height and the aromatic seeds. Some Motherwort for a more bitter taste and to feed the bees. Meadowsweet for frothy flowers and its unique fragrance.

What others will you choose?

20 Plants for Culinary, Medicinal, & Aromatic Planting in a Restorative Garden

22/02/2026

Other than a few triggers out by the tideline, we had the beach to ourselves. One of the huge Montereys has fallen. Plenty of wood to be had if anyone has a stove.

17/02/2026

Taking the greenway home from town. Met a few friends along the way. Always good to see them again.

16/02/2026

I've been pondering packaging. Should I invest in some beautiful branded boxes? Currently I reuse whatever comes through the door, provided it's clean. Then bulk it out with scrunched or shredded paper. Fix it with paper tape and off it goes.

Business advisors say branding is key to building confidence in your service. Yet for me, making the best use of scarce materials is important.

Inside that 'rough round the edges' box is your carefully made, bespoke, sustainable, organic where possible, herbal medicine. In a glass bottle.

Would you prefer it to arrive in a beautiful new branded box? I need to know!

15/02/2026

Hay fever already? Yes, because hazel, cypress, alder and poplar trees are begining to flower in Cornwall. So if your hayfever is triggered by those pollens, you will begin to notice the itchy, sneezy symptoms, watery eyes and general feeling of irritation. As herbalists we treat hayfever with a comprehensive plan; working to improve the immune system by modulating its response; strengthening the nasal and sinus mucus membranes - their role is to act as a barrier to irritants; working on gut health, because most of the body's immune cells reside there and gut health is fundamental to good immunity. Hydration is important too because plump, well hydrated mucus membranes can resist pollen better than dry ones. Ideally, treatment should start before the pollen is released, but sooner is better than later.

15/02/2026

I expect many of you take Echinacea. It is a really useful herb for improving immunity and recent research points to its value in reducing cardiovascular disease. Because Echinacea is so useful and deservedly popular, wild populations on the praries of the U.S.A have been overharvested. Fortunately my suppliers in the UK are able to grow Echinacea organically or source sustainably cultivated roots from overseas.

It's a tricky plant to grow in Cornwall; I have found that our winters are just too damp for the plants to survive. If you have managed to grow it, I would love to hear your tips.

11/02/2026

This image takes me back! This is how I felt in my 50's, when I was perimenopausal (though we didn't name it back then). Suddenly, the job I loved became so hard. I couldn't prioritise or focus. Long hours didn't help. My sleep suffered. It was a really difficult time.

I took short break, then seized an opportunity for a new role. That gave me the head space I needed to retrain as a medical herbalist. So, after 4 years study and hundreds of hours of clinical training, in 2020 I achieved my Dip H.M. with distinction and took my oath. 💚

Why am I telling you this? Because back then, if I'd had a better knowledge of female mid-life changes, and the toolkit and herbal knowledge to help me through it, life would have been easier. The transition smoother.

The good news is I have the toolkit and I'm eager to share it with women from 30 to 50 and beyond. Whether you're just heading into perimenopause or in the thick of it, or whether you have a condition like or and you want to find out how to really support yourself with natural herbal medicine, come and see me for a consultation.

10/02/2026

It lives!! This kombucha SCOBY had rested, or rather hibernated in the fridge for many months. I woke it up with a pot of sugary tea last week and look! It's floated to the top and there are bubbles. Send positive vibes please for a nice batch of the fizzy stuff.

Kombucha is a healthy drink, not especially due to the live bacteria content, (most of these will be destroyed in the acid environment of the stomach) but due to all the organic acids, vitamins and polyphenols it contains.

Kombucha can also displace wine in the diet, and that's a good thing.

03/02/2026

Join the Food Foundation campaign to give kids the food they deserve. Link in comments.

31/01/2026

A case report on the treatment of chronic leg ulcers, using a poultice of fresh cleavers (BMJ 1883). "This proved sucessful when all else had failed".

You know cleavers - the sticky plant, goosegrass, Galium aparine. It's already up and growing in the hedgerows.

28/01/2026

If symptoms of a debilitating condition like endometriosis can be eased with inexpensive, safe and easily available plant medicine, why isn't this information shared more widely? Chamomile and flax seed, when compared to a placebo were both found to significantly reduce pelvic pain, painful periods and pain during in*******se. Unless a person is allergic to the daisy family, there is really no reason why someone living with endometriosis should not be offered these gentle plants to see if they improve quality of life.

Of course a herbalist would not stop there, but would put in place a detailed treatment plan to reduce inflammation, support the immune system, and reduce oestrogen dominance. But as a starting
point, flax and chamomile are worth considering.

The full report is freely available. Link in comments.

21/01/2026

In endometriosis and adenomyosis the body's internal environment ( the terroir) can determines whether the condition will resolve or progress. We can change the terrior, improve it and encourage healing. With food, sleep, movement and herbs. Working with you and your current treatment. Herbal medicine works with your body, not against it. #