Davina Hopkinson B.Sc. MNIMH Medical Herbalist

17/07/2025

17/07/2025

How lucky are we to have such a perfect venue at Dilston Physic Garden for our Junior Herbalist Club.
New sessions are starting in September - do get in touch if you are interested.

17/07/2025

What a perfect setting! How lucky are we to have Dilston Physic Garden as the venue for Junior Herbalist Club.
New sessions starting in September - Send me a message if you are interested.

17/07/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden
I still have a few spaces left for the new Level 1 sessions starting in September.
Also, spaces in the Home Ed group meeting on a Monday.

📚 A Structured & Engaging Learning Experience
JHC offers a three-level curriculum designed to adapt to children and teens as they grow in confidence, skill, and understanding:
✅ Level 1 & Level 2 – Introduces children to medicinal plants in a safe and supervised environment. Through hands-on activities, they make lavender bags, sun teas, infused oils, cordials, bath bombs, lip balms, and more! Learning is woven into fun, incorporating English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Botany, Latin, and Cookery, all while improving fine motor skills and fostering confidence.
✅ Level 3 – Designed exclusively for teens, this advanced level takes a body-systems approach, exploring how medicinal plants support different parts of the body, such as the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and immune systems. Students work on more complex formulations developing real-world herbal skills and deeper scientific understanding.
Each fully trained Medical Herbalist / Naturopath running a JHC adapts the delivery to their group, offering sessions monthly, weekly, in blocks, or as part of a school/after-school program.

🔬 What Students Learn
Each session focuses on a specific medicinal plant. Children and teens will:
🌱 Identify common plants in gardens, parks, and hedgerows, distinguishing between safe and toxic species. 📖 Learn plant history & folklore, including storytelling and fun anecdotes. ⚗️ Explore plant chemistry and understand their healing properties. 🛠️ Make herbal remedies to take home using safe, supervised techniques. 📄 Complete worksheets to build a portfolio of learning over time.

🎓 Graduation & Recognition
By the end of their JHC journey, students will have gained:
✔️ Confidence in identifying and using medicinal plants. ✔️ A solid foundation in herbal first aid and medicine-making. ✔️ An appreciation for plant folklore, sustainability, and nature conservation.
Students who attend at least 8 out of 10 sessions per level will receive a certificate and badge upon completion.

17/07/2025

A few words from the children........... and a grandma :)

17/07/2025

Some beautiful work on the herbs we have been learning about from one of the JHC students - in her own workbook.

17/07/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden
It's the end of the year ........... and time for presentation of certificates.

03/07/2025

10/06/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden
The Level 2 children were learning about Rosemary. We drank Rosemary, lime and lemon tea and made a Rosemary room spray.
Rosemary is well known for improving memory and concentration and is a symbol of remembrance and friendship - we had a little time to spare at the end of the class so the children made little "memory" bouquets with Rosemary, Sage and Lemon Balm.

10/06/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden - this month it is all about Elderflowers. We learnt all about the wonderful healing properties and all its magical properties too. Did you know that you have to ask permission from the Elder Mother (who lives in the tree) before you can take any flowers, berries or branches from the tree - if you don't, there could be trouble!!
And, this is my favourite......... if you sit under an Elder tree at midnight on midsummers eve, you might see the fairy king and queen and all the fairies riding past - midsummer is coming soon.......... :)
The children enjoyed spending time making bracelets key-rings, wands and little figures from elder branches.

23/09/2024

I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has given to the Looby Wagons - it means such a lot to all of the family. Now the walk is done! We were so lucky with the weather - a beautiful day and a beautiful coastline and only a few blisters 🙂Thank you.