09/03/2026
I’ve been chatting with a few people recently about my concerns over the sustainability of herbal medicines. You’d think if anything should be sustainable, it would be herbs 🌿 wouldn’t you? Me too, but no. For example, although they grow plentifully in the U.K, many of my suppliers import from Eastern Europe. I get it: labour costs are lower and even taking that into account, the cost price of my tinctures are substantial. The margins are already low but if we had to pay minimum wage for wildcrafting and processing in the UK, the cost price would inevitably be hiked up ⬆️. I know I’m not the only herbalist who’s unhappy with the situation, but having made some of my own medicines I’ve seen how labour intensive it can be. So sourcing good medicine at a good price is, well, challenging 😰. That’s why within the next 5 years I’d like 100% of my dispensary herbs to be grown in the UK 🇬🇧. As part of that I’m going to have to revive some of the older, more forgotten remedies, and that’s where this book 📖, and the come in. This herb is abundant in my garden right now, but it’s not in my dispensary. It’s Red Deadnettle, and you can see its medicinal properties listed here. As well as reading about it, I’ll taste it because that’s the best way of learning what it does (as long as you get your ID 🪪 right!). This ‘Modern Herbal’ is packed with information about all the forgotten herbs, and it’s my first ‘go to’ for learning about them. It was co-written by Hilda Leyel, who also founded the Herb Society 99 years ago. She was a real maverick in her time, sharing her love for herbs and campaigning for free access to herbal remedies. The Herb Society also has archives of books and papers all about the old ways of using herbs, which members will soon be able to access online. It’s amazing to think that Hilda’s legacy lives on and is so valuable to us even now. If you’re a herb lover, please do join the Herb Society. It’s only £40 a year and worth it for the magazines alone!