This morning was sunny and bright and I was looking forward to spending some time down at my allotment. I had carved the time out of my crowded diary four weeks ago and I was delighted to see that the weather had been very kind. Perfect in fact, the ground too frozen to dig, but the bright sunshine and hard ground were ideal for cutting back some of last year’s growth without turning the soil into a compacted quagmire.
Part of self sufficient herbalism is being able to cultivate one’s own herbs. Having had the luxury of a half acre field in the past I’m now managing with an allotment. Space is tight for my needs but I still manage to grow and harvest a very wide range of medicines for my clinic.
If you like the idea of self sufficient herbalism and want to keep up with my medicine making, foraging and growing then follow me on Twitter or ‘like’ my Facebook page. To find out more about Myrobalan Clinic please visit www.myrobalanclinic.com
If you are planning to grow your own medicines then you need to be able to recognise medicinal plants at different growth stages and at different times of the year. The following photos show the plants that were visible this morning.
Agrimonia eupatoria (Agrimony)
Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle)
Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)
Marrubium vulgare (Horehound)
Chelidonium majus (Greater Celandine)
Symphytum officinale (Comfrey)
Nepeta cataria (Catmint)
Verbascum thapsis (Mullein)
Cynara scolymus (Artichoke)
Galega officinalis (Goat’s Rue)
Primula veris (Cowslip)
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
Oreganum marjorana (Marjorum)
Mentha spicata (Spearmint)
Lactuca virosa (Wild Lettuce)
Verbena officinalis (Vervein)
Viola odorata (Sweet Violet)
Fragaria vesca (Wild Strawberry)
Solidago virgaurea (Golden Rod)
Phytolacca americana (Pokeroot)
Viburnum opulus (Cramp Bark)
Myrobalan Clinic Blog 
Lovely time of the year to be out on the allotment! The best!