Potions and Plants

Apothecary Kitchen

Potions from a wild garden

As well as providing sustenance and habitats for wildlife, the apothecary garden also provided us with potions to support our daily lives. Chosen intuitively, these brews bring together herbal knowledge, folklore, and a bit of wild magic. Sometimes, I add spices or previously dried flowers from the cupboard too. Add the ingredients to the pot, cover with boiling water, steep, then drink throughout the day. Please note, any recipes I may put here are for my own use only and not offered in any professional or medical capacity.

Comfort

Feeling sad and in need of warmth

Fresh nettle and raspberry leaves, dried calendula petals, starflowers, clove, cinnamon, star anise, licorice root, and a shot of pomegranate blossom

Regulate

Thermostatic breakdown is a frequent factor in living a #ChronicLife

Red clover, oregano and sage

Calm

A gentle brew to calm and lift the mood

Pineapple weed, lemon balm and chocolate mint

Love

Self-love in a brew to ease the heart

Apothecary rose, elderflower, lavender, blackberry blossom and wild strawberries

Protect

Something from the old wild mothers - a traditional recipe for flu tea, with a few additions)

Elderflower, daisy, yarrow, thyme, and mint

Balance

To bring the heart and soul back in balance

Apothecary rose, elderflower, lavender, red clover, chocolate mint, lemon balm, cinnamon and star anise

Recover

For when I have stretched my energy too far

Blackbery blossom, chocolate mint, orange, dried starflower, calendula and a shot of roibos

Uplift

A gentle lift when things feel heavy

Lime, elderflower, chocolate mint, and wild rose, brew, cool, and add ice as a long drink.

Heal

For when the centre wobbles,
to bring healing and resolve

Sage, red clover, motherwort, evening primrose, blue cornflower, blackberry leaves & blossom, starflower, rose petals, angelica seed & a shot of 'Douceur de Rose' tea.

Strengthen

For the heart, to give it strengt, and to lift the spirits

Starflower, cinnamon, star anise, orange, blackberry leaves, angelica seed, sour cherries, dried pomegranate blossom and licorice root.

Support

To bring relief from heavy tension and aid recovery

Meadowsweet, mint, lemon balm, lavender, thyme, starflower, angelica seed, blackcurrants & a slice of lemon (optional)

Cool

A bit of fizz for a scorching day

Lemon slices, starflower, lemon balm, lots of ice and either G&T or sparkling water

Relief

For when the weather is heavy and the pollen is high, to bring energy and relief

Eldeflowers, mint, lemon balm and ribwort plantain

Open

For welcoming in abundance when the self-doubt starts to close down the heart

Basil, mint, rosemary, lavender, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, angelica seed, starflower and orange slices

Boost

For busting through blocks and giving the whole system a positive boost

Blackcurrants, nettle, ribwort plantain, selfheal, fennel leaf, thyme, mint, lemon balm and angelica seed

Heart

For bringing gentle relief and healing to a hurting heart, and to give strength in recovery

Hawthorn blossom and leaf, starflower, lavender, angelica seed and rose.

Reboot

For when your body and spirit feel sluggish and slow to wake up after winter - cleanse, revitalise and reboot

Cleavers & cold water - distill overnight, chill and drink - as simple as that!

Relax

For soothing the soul when the world feels too stressful

Cold infusion of lilac blossoms

Lift

For when you need to lift body, heart and mind

Hawthorn leaf and blossom, lemon balm, mint (note that hawthorn is not recommended for those taking heart medications)

Goddess

For when you need to connect with the inner goddess, particularly good for the older goddess!

Starflower (borage), lavender, red clover, lady's mantle, apothecary rose, star anise, lemon balm, meadowsweet flower, sage and raspberry leaf

A peek inside the garden

Where the wild things grow

When we first moved onto the estate, the garden was a patch of newly sown grass, a thin layer of topsoil, and several metres of rock, rubble, and industrial hardcore. With no money, and only the weeds we found growing on the building site, my young son and I set out to see what we could grow. What was once a wasteland, became a haven for wildlife, and a balm for the body and soul.

UPDATE - In 2022, we made the difficult decision to leave the garden and follow a long-held dream of moving to Orkney, where we look forward to discovering what wildness will grow in this new soil.

(All images copyrighted to Victoria Bennett)